Wadcutter
IL
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Joined: 05/25/2004
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sdickbos wrote:Thank you, lots of good info. Do most people who boondock run a generator?
I saw a lot with generators. Ran them to keep the camper battery charged so had water pump and lights. I never saw anyone boondocking who ran it all the time when we were around. When boondocking people want to hear the sounds of nature.
Camped in every state
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sdickbos
Chicago,IL USA
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Joined: 04/07/2004
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Great advice, just beginning planning hopefully for May-June 2021. Just reading your post is getting me excited. We are looking at a used 18 footer, unfortunately it is a single axle, but the price is right and the layout is good for us. My husband drives and I do all the planning so I really appreciate the advice. If you think of anything else let me know. Would you mind sharing your itinerary from Illinois to B.C. And where did you cross? Thanks again
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sdickbos
Chicago,IL USA
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So much too learn!
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SideHillSoup
South Eastern British Columbia
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Joined: 01/05/2006
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Re-pack all the wheel bearings and or change if required, and all new rubber on your used trailer especially if you only have 1 axel.
When I bought my 1st used 5th wheel and then did our first time to “upper” Alaska, I did that for a few hundred dollars and then I didn’t worry and or have my issues.
Have fun.
Soup.
2018 Northern Lite 8-11 EX Dry Bath
2017 Sierra SLE, 3500 HD / 4x4 / Duramax with a 6 speed Allison Trans
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DrewE
Vermont
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Joined: 08/23/2014
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sdickbos wrote:Thank you, lots of good info. Do most people who boondock run a generator?
When I took my Alaska trip, I did not use the generator, generally speaking. It's worth noting that, with my class C motorhome, the house batteries charge completely with a day's driving and can then last for several days on a charge if a little bit of care is taken in electrical conservation. There's not a lot of need for using the inside lights in Alaska in the summer time, nor for air conditioning often in the evenings or nights. I don't recall hearing many generators running, as a rule, when camping in areas without electric hookups.
There were times when I was glad to have the generator, though, mostly for the occasional microwaving of leftovers or for running my 120V compressor when a tire needed a bit of air to top it up.
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sdickbos
Chicago,IL USA
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Thanks
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Wadcutter
IL
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sdickbos wrote:Great advice, just beginning planning hopefully for May-June 2021. Just reading your post is getting me excited. We are looking at a used 18 footer, unfortunately it is a single axle, but the price is right and the layout is good for us. My husband drives and I do all the planning so I really appreciate the advice. If you think of anything else let me know. Would you mind sharing your itinerary from Illinois to B.C. And where did you cross? Thanks again
Just telling about it gets me excited to go again. Strange feeling but it's like Alaska is calling me to return. Had I visited when I was young before kids, grandkids, and other commitments I think I could have stayed. Every day was amazement and the next day was even better.
I've only talked to 1 person who said it was not worth the trip. I ran into him a few years ago in a campground in LA. He said "Don't go. There's nothing there." I replied that's what I want to see, the nothing before someone messes it up. He said "You don't understand. There's nothing there. Just trees and animals." I got to give him that at least. He was right. Trees and animals. That's what I went to see.
If you have a single axle don't sweat it. Lots of single axles on the road. Another couple tagged along and they had an 16 ft single axle. The only trouble they had was a water pump in the trailer. Got it fixed in Whitehorse and that's all the trouble they had.
As another said make sure the wheel bearings are repacked and new tires. I had repacked my bearings but still lost one. Made it 5300 miles before the bearing went. It happens. Just part of the trip.
We crossed into Alberta at Sweet Grass MT. Route basically was Banff, Jasper, Rt 40 (Big Horn Hwy) to Grand Prairie, Dawson Creek, side trip to Ft Liard NWT area, Whitehorse, Skagway, Haines, Tok, Fairbanks, sidetrip to Coldfoot, Denali, Palmer, Seward, Homer, Anchorage, Valdez, Tok, Chicken and Top of the World Highway, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Watson Lake, Rt 37 south to Steward/Hyder, Prince George, Kamloops, and re-entered the US at Oroville, WA.
We saw most of the bears around Ft Nelson area and to Ft Liard.
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ppine
Northern Nevada
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Boondocking is everywhere in Canada and Alaska. I rented a pu and camper in Anchorage and toured the state it was great. A small trailer like your 18 foot idea would be okay with a strong truck. It is a lot of miles to get up there. The road keeps getting better.
The weather can be crappy even in summer, so being able to pull over and get inside is a great advantage. I love Alaska and worked up there and traveled up more than 10 times by air and ship.
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lakeside013104
North America
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Joined: 07/26/2012
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sdickbos wrote:Thank you, lots of good info. Do most people who boondock run a generator?
We have 150w of solar on the roof and only ran our generator every few days or so, maybe sometimes not for a week. As long as the sun was out or almost out our batteries stayed up.
The only draw down on the batteries was the refrigerator, water pump, and smoke/Co2 detectors. Coach lights were hardly used because it was daylight for so much time each day.
We did not run our TV, microwave, or radio. So much to do outside, the only thing the coach was used for was to sleep or on really rainy days, to take a nap or read where it was dry.
Lakeside
* This post was
edited 07/01/20 03:32am by lakeside013104 *
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ppine
Northern Nevada
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Solar is great. It is quiet. In the North in summer you have all of that daylight. Generator is good for back up.
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