Heading to Alaska this year with Solitude 375RES, any suggestions or warnings?

**gafivekids** · 01-01-2019, 06:26 PM

We will be heading to Alaska this year with our new Solitude 375RES. We plan on leaving home, Alabama, the first part of June and reaching Alaska early August and departing Alaska mid to late September. Looking for "you got to see this", "you should avoid this" and any other comments or suggestions you may have. Thanks in advance.

**livinthelife** · 01-01-2019, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by gafivekids

We will be heading to Alaska this year with our new Solitude 375RES. We plan on leaving home, Alabama, the first part of June and reaching Alaska early August and departing Alaska mid to late September. Looking for "you got to see this", "you should avoid this" and any other comments or suggestions you may have. Thanks in advance.

It's a good idea to have a "just in case" supply of parts that might fail (roads there can be realllllllllly bad). You don't necessarily have to be the one to fix things, but you won't have to wait for the local mechanic to order parts in, if you need them.

Be aware, August can be the start of winter there, certainly by late September. Be prepared for rain, snow and realllly rotten roads.

Also, the RV parks there are not quite as nice as many down here in the lower 48. Often you may be in a very small site rightupagainsttherignextdoor.

I liked Skagway, Tok (pretty good RV park there), Juneau, you have to fly or take a boat into, but it's interesting there. Fairbanks was really hot when we were there (June).

EDIT: A lot of RV parks are only 30 amp (some only 20) so be prepared.

**bertschb** · 01-01-2019, 07:55 PM

Marc and Tricia from the Keep Your Daydream gang have several videos on their trip to Alaska. We enjoyed watching them. Here's is a link to some of them:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEh...h?query=alaska

**Canyonlight** · 01-02-2019, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by gafivekids

We will be heading to Alaska this year with our new Solitude 375RES. We plan on leaving home, Alabama, the first part of June and reaching Alaska early August and departing Alaska mid to late September. Looking for "you got to see this", "you should avoid this" and any other comments or suggestions you may have. Thanks in advance.

Mike & Tava - you may have done so already but if not, use the search tool for Alaska (and various other words of interest to narrow results down further.) There have been a number of threads and many posts over the years with considerable interesting and valuable feedback who have taken the trip as well as from folks living in Alaska.

As this trip is on our radar too, these threads have been of great interest to us as well.

Dan

**82alaska** · 01-02-2019, 11:41 AM

If you have any flexibility leave earlier. We found that a great majority of the sites are in Canada and you'll want to spend time going slow through Canada. You will probably want to be out of there at least on your way South by Labor Day as everything starts to close up August 30th. Get the milepost book and also search for a Facebook group called "RVing to Alaska 2019 "join that group. We liked a lot of what we saw in British Columbia. Take the loop off the alcan highway in to Dawson city lots of history and fun stuff there. And then the top of the world highway into tolk then fair banks. We didn't really find much to like in fair banks but we had been there once before on a cruise to are and done thee touristy stuff before. Spend lots of time in the Kenai peninsula that entire area is Alaska's playground and do fishing trips out of Homer ,Valdez, seward or all the above.
Don't worry about parts every little town has a parts supply house. Don't worry about tires the roads are good, Don't worry about making reservations in advance you can always find a spot or just boon dock anywhere along the side of the road. Above all enjoy the adventure.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

**livinthelife** · 01-02-2019, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by 82alaska

If you have any flexibility leave earlier. We found that a great majority of the sites are in Canada and you'll want to spend time going slow through Canada. You will probably want to be out of there at least on your way South by Labor Day as everything starts to close up August 30th. Get the milepost book and also search for a Facebook group called "RVing to Alaska 2019 "join that group. We liked a lot of what we saw in British Columbia. Take the loop off the alcan highway in to Dawson city lots of history and fun stuff there. And then the top of the world highway into tolk then fair banks. We didn't really find much to like in fair banks but we had been there once before on a cruise to are and done thee touristy stuff before. Spend lots of time in the Kenai peninsula that entire area is Alaska's playground and do fishing trips out of Homer ,Valdez, seward or all the above.
Don't worry about parts every little town has a parts supply house. Don't worry about tires the roads are good, Don't worry about making reservations in advance you can always find a spot or just boon dock anywhere along the side of the road. Above all enjoy the adventure.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I'm sorry, I'll have to disagree with you on this. For the most part, the main highways are OK. But I'd have to say many of the roads are not "good". With the frost heaves and permanent maintenance being done all over the state, the roads can be tricky (read that as "rough/dusty/muddy/gravel"), at best.

**goducks14** · 01-02-2019, 05:05 PM

Deet Deet Deet. Did I say Deet?

**orbiker** · 01-02-2019, 08:50 PM

My wife and I went to Alaska in 2011 on the Road King. Fuel is about every 50 miles or so. DO NOT wait till you are most of the way to empty. That next station you think you will get fuel at might be closed. Most stations do not have pay at the pump type pumps. I have heard that the diesel pump could be yellow or green. Look closely. The Alaska Milepost Book is very handy. Each little wayside pull off and stations,etc are listed.

Some of the gas stations are not very modern.

Darkness DOES NOT HAPPEN in May, June or July. IF you want to drive after dinner, you can. If you wait till Sept to head south, DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT. The moose or bears are big enough to total your rig if you hit one.

There are horrible road, big pot holes and heaves. Do not brake as you are going over a heave. There are nicer roads in parts of BC, but the northern Yukon is usually pretty bad.
Watch for a flag or traffic cone on the side of the road. If the cone is on one side, there is a road hazard on that side. If both sides are flagged or coned, the hazard could be in the middle or all the way across. There were many stretches of road that we did not get above 50 MPH and we were on a motorcycle that could avoid the pot holes sometimes. My wife still complains of leaving the seat after a bump.

Take your time and enjoy you trip. KEN

**GPSNEXION** · 01-04-2019, 12:30 AM

We're planning to arrive in Fairbanks NET Memorial Day, depart NLT Labor Day, and we're very much looking forward to the Glacier-Banff-Denali-Yellowstone loop. Roads were great when I drove down in '95, been reading they're even better now.

Anyone know if military Space-A is an option for leisure or does it need to be official travel to Kodiak?

- Marc

**GPSNEXION** · 01-04-2019, 12:35 AM

We're planning to arrive in Fairbanks NET Memorial Day, depart NLT Labor Day, and excited to do the Glacier-Banff-Denali-Yellowstone loop. Roads were great when I drove down in '95, been reading they're even better now.

Anyone know if military Space-A is an option for leisure travel to USCG Kodiak or does it need to be official business?

- Marc