RVing to Alaska & Yukon Ep. 1 - Planning and Preparation (Keys to a Successful Roadtrip)

This video shares our experiences planning and preparing for an RV road trip to the Yukon and Alaska. We travelled July-Sept 2022 in a 2021 Ram 1500 and 2022 Rockwood MiniLite 2109s.

When we set out for the Yukon and Alaska we were expecting a pretty amazing trip. Those expectations were far exceeded - it was a 17893 km 70-day remarkable adventure.

A trip that long requires quite a bit of research and planning which started about 9 months before hitting the road. And there are some fantastic resources we recommend.

The Milepost is the Alaskan traveller’s bible that provides a mile-by-mile breakdown of the routes you will use including hazards, history, things to see and places to camp or eat.

The Church’s book, a Guide to Camping in Alaska, gives excellent reviews of most CGs.

Another great source related to attractions, were the tourism guides produced and provided by local tourism departments. Many are downloadable or you can request hardcopies be mailed.

When it comes to developing an itinerary, we recommend keeping it flexible – build in some extra days for rest or repairs – things can go wrong.

You’ll also likely want time for maintenance…and to give a buffer if you have weather delays.

It’s important to remain adaptable because on a journey this epic events totally out of your control can mess with your plan. On our trip in 2022 a massive washout closed the Alaska Highway for a few days while the BC transportation ministry created an incredible detour through the wilderness. Wildfires closed the Klondike Hwy to Dawson City for a few days…and later in the season a horrible crash closed a bridge on the Alaska Highway at Sikanni Chief for days.

As we got closer to departure, we transferred the itinerary into an app called RVParky – It had all the campgrounds we wanted to book preloaded, along with reviews and pictures, and it gave distances for each days travel. Also helpful were the Campendium, iOverlander and GasBuddy apps.

Another online resource that we found invaluable was the Facebook Group, RVing to Alaska Original.

Reservations? Some people make none and go with the flow – others make reservations months ahead of time for every stop. We were kind of in the middle. We made reservations for Banff, Jasper and Denali, because they are so popular and do fill up. But we also made reservations for Valdez, Seward and Homer because we wanted a waterfront site with electricity. All other campgrounds we stayed in we just called a day before, or just showed up.

Staying connected - there will be times when you will go hours, or days, without cell service. For example, we had none while driving the Cassiar Hwy or Top of the World Hwy. Some travellers take a satellite communication device such as Garmin’s in-reach.

Our Sirius satellite radio didn’t work in the Yukon or Alaska – so you might want to bring some music, podcasts or audio books you can access without a connection. Note: Starlink has said satellite internet service may soon be available in the north. .

What to bring: Rain gear – you will likely need it – comfortable boots came it particularly handy. Mosquito repellant - we find spray repellants containing 30% deet and Thermacells quite effective. Bear spray – we saw lots of bears and carried it anytime we were hiking.

As far as things to bring for your rig – battery jumper cables, Rain-X, breaker bar (for removing lug nuts), gas treatment and more – see video.

We also reviewed our trailer's possible weak spots or vulnerabilities and tried to address them before departure – this included installing a 4 mil protective film on the trailer windshield, a truck-mounted tow flap to prevent rock damage and reinforcing the trailer water tank supports. Everyone's rig will be different, but we recommend giving special attention to tires and suspension components.

Happy Camping!

Note: this video is meant for entertainment purposes only. The producers received no compensation from any of the products or services mentioned.

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