What are your thoughts about driving your own LC on the Dalton Highway in Alaska?

[MCtree]

@stonepa
Thanks for the input. I have the aux 24 gallon tank so I have about an 800 mile range. That should cover me, no?

@coleAK
In watching the weather on this trip from Houston, I have never seen anything like it. It’s like the forecasters are throwing darts at a board to determine the forecast and regularly change it dramatically. On the drive to Fairbanks I was caught in blizzards twice when the forecast said no snow.
And then the day to day forecast, or hour to hour, here in Fairbanks seems to be similarly mercurial.
And I’m not complaining. It’s kind of awesome how the weather is its own monster up here.
But it does make it hard to know which day to make the drive will be the best to select.

But could you clarify what you mean about the gas stations?
Is the last gas in Fox or at the Yukon river camp? Doesn’t the route from Fairbanks take me through Fox and then the Yukon river camp?

 

[coleAK]

@stonepa
Thanks for the input. I have the aux 24 gallon tank so I have about an 800 mile range. That should cover me, no?

@coleAK
In watching the weather on this trip from Houston, I have never seen anything like it. It’s like the forecasters are throwing darts at a board to determine the forecast and regularly change it dramatically. On the drive to Fairbanks I was caught in blizzards twice when the forecast said no snow.
And then the day to day forecast, or hour to hour, here in Fairbanks seems to be similarly mercurial.
And I’m not complaining. It’s kind of awesome how the weather is its own monster up here.
But it does make it hard to know which day to make the drive will be the best to select.

But could you clarify what you mean about the gas stations?
Is the last gas in Fox or at the Yukon river camp? Doesn’t the route from Fairbanks take me through Fox and then the Yukon river camp?

From Fairbanks you go through fox then past Yukon River camp to get to the Arctic circle sign. So you have ~48 gallons total? If so I’d fill up in Fox for sure then see where you are at in Yukon River, it is 200 miles to the sign and it could take you up to 6-7 hours each way. This will be the most remote place you have traveled, even giving what you drove from TX to Fairbanks.

When I go up that way every fall I carry an extra 20 gallons and fill up in cold foot.

Also Yukon River camp has limited hours for fuel, is call ahead, it is not pay at the pump, you pump out of a huge gas drum.

This is the last station in fox until Yukon

Fox General Store
(907) 457-8903

Fox General Store · 2226 Old Steese Hwy N, Fairbanks, AK 99712

★★★★☆ · Convenience store

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Nooooooooob1]

Do it, much lesser vehicles have made the trip. Good tires and extra fuel. There is a blog or something out there with someone doing that route in like a BMW Z3 Coupe.

There also the guy that did it in the Ferrari

 

[coleAK]

There also the guy that did it in the Ferrari

There also the guy that did it in the Ferrari

A group in Teslas do it most summers. This past summer a group of 5 or 6 teslas 3 Rivians, a hummer EV, and a lightning did it. A buddy of mine drove the lightning.

Electric vehicle road rally to traverse 500-mile route to Alaska's oil fields

The first-of-its-kind EV Arctic Road Rally will travel from Golden Valley Electric Association in Fairbanks to the North Slope and back.

www.newsminer.com

no joke, aside from the semis when we do our trip every fall we pass more people on bicycles then other cars/trucks/motorcycles combined. Last summer we camped along side a 19 year girl that took a year off and biked from the US boarder in Tijuana, unsupported, totally by herself.

 

[MCtree]

How do the Teslas recharge on the trip?

 

[tbisaacs]

How do the Teslas recharge on the trip?

It's expensive but there is a J1772 level 2 charger as far north as coldfoot. I'm sure there are other level 1 and level 2 options.

 

[coleAK]

How do the Teslas recharge on the trip?

They worked with conico Phillips and set up chargers at some of The pump stations.

 

[coleAK]

It's expensive but there is a J1772 level 2 charger as far north as coldfoot. I'm sure there are other level 1 and level 2 options.

View attachment 3258855

gas is usually at least $8 per gallon there, I’ve see an high as $14. I was there with a buddy who has a gas f250 a few years back. It was >$400 for him to fill up


And there are no other options. Between Fox and dead horse over the almost 500 miles you pass two forms of civilization. Yukon camp and Coldfoot that is it. No homes, restaurants, markets,…. Nothing. Oddly though they now have full 5g cellular in a ~2 miles radius from pump station 4. I’ve ben told they are going to have it at stations 1,3,4, and 5 where they have staff and dorms.

There are also no homes in Coldfoot or camp Yukon, only people that live there are the staff for the truck stops, they live on site. There are a handful of cabins in wiseman but they are all off grid. Those are the only structures I know of other than the oil pipeline and 2 truck stops mentioned above.

 

[coleAK]

The more i think about it if you are going to the Arctic circle sign might as well go the extra 60 miles to get a burger in Coldfoot.

Then for gas could fill up in Fox, skip Yukon fill up in cold foot then go back.

Also do you have a “mile post”? Most of the drive from FBX to coldfoot is relatively flat, I stress relatively. But there are some sketchy grades, milepost lists them and give you a heads up. They sell it at Costco and Fred meyer.

The MILEPOST

Alaska's legendary trip planner and travel guide.

themilepost.com

 

[MCtree]

I do have a copy of Milepost.
2020 version that I stupidly bought on Amazon not thinking to get the 2022 version!
But I imagine the sketchy grades haven’t changed much in the 2 years (please correct me if you think otherwise).

 

[coleAK]

I do have a copy of Milepost.
2020 version that I stupidly bought on Amazon not thinking to get the 2022 version!
But I imagine the sketchy grades haven’t changed much in the 2 years (please correct me if you think otherwise).

Not much has changed since 2020 up there. You are good to go.

 

[rscoleman]

Any one pulled at 26ft trailer there and back?

 

[coleAK]

Any one pulled at 26ft trailer there and back?

Camper? Absolutely No way I would do it. The Dalton is 400 miles of mostly washboard and pot holes. I have a buddy that has done it a few times with a gooseneck and horses To just past Yukon and back. It is slow, like 30 mph, and you would need to take a ton of gas.

Could consider it with a highly capable off road trailer with the understanding that you will need to go very slow and probably carry at least 20 gallons of extra fuel.

When we go op there leave our camper at the campground in Fox and camp out of the LX while on the Dalton.

 

[mep1811]

I found using Thermacells to be very effective in mosquito control . I like the ones that work off a butane camping canister. A head net is recommended. We like the Deep Woods Off dry. It worked very well.

My protocol, when we went to Alaska , was to get out of the truck and spray the area with Yard Guard. Next, set up the Thermacells. I had a can of flying insect spray for the trailer if mosquitos got inside. Never really had any issue other than one site with flys in the video below .

 

[mep1811]

I just completed the Dempster Highway and Tuk a few days ago in a stock LX with KO2s.

I had 20 litres of gas strapped to the roof but did not need it at all. The truck had more than enough range to easily make it, but it’s advisable to carry extra gas, as the road can get bad very fast based on weather.

I ran tire pressures at 31 psi cold - it worked well for 5 people and luggage. Lots of cars with p-metric tires - which is a bad idea. There was someone stuck in Eagle Plains for 4 day waiting to get a replacement tire over the Canadian long weekend.

The road is mostly good with a few rough patches. The road is much better in the Northwest Territories than Yukon. It was 5 degrees Celsius in Tuk when we were there - highest I saw in 5 days was 9 degrees Celsius. There are quite a few folks on the road - lots of RVs.

The other lesson I learned is to really, wash off all the mud from the rims once back on tarmac. I had really bad vibration over 80km/hr - the mud was thick enough to get the wheels off balance. A quick stop at the Canadian Tire in Whitehorse, they looks off all 4 wheels, got the mud out and we were good to go.

We had a great time on the Dempster and in Tuk, and met several other like-minded travellers.

Good point about washing off the truck in Fairbanks. That mud calcium chloride mixture will turn into a concrete type substance.

 

[mep1811]

Any one pulled at 26ft trailer there and back?

Good Luck. I was leapfrogging a couple in a Ford Ranger with a Casita fifth wheel. Every time we passed them, there was more visible damage to the trailer . When we saw them in Deadhorse, they told me the the interior was destroyed. Their plan was to junk it in Fairbanks.

 

[bloc]

When we saw them in Deadhorse, they told me the the interior was destroyed. Their plan was to junk it in Fairbanks.

Like it just rattled apart?

 

[coleAK]

Like it just rattled apart?

It is 400 miles each way of gravel/washboard/ruts/holes.

 

[roscoFJ73]

It is 400 miles each way of gravel/washboard/ruts/holes.

Just an afternoon drive in central Australia. Make sure you have good tyres.

 

[bloc]

It is 400 miles each way of gravel/washboard/ruts/holes.

I’m aware. Just had no clue that could lead to a travel trailer literally falling apart.. though I guess it makes sense.