Driving to Alaska: Jeep prep advice

One item I have not seen. Have the best AAA coverage you can buy. A 500 mile tow is expensive. And make sure your VISA in paid off. Mechanics can easily charge over $100 an hour and parts, if you need any could take a week to arrive. You will have a hard time finding a room for less than $100 a night.
 
billiebob said:
One item I have not seen. Have the best AAA coverage you can buy. A 500 mile tow is expensive. And make sure your VISA in paid off. Mechanics can easily charge over $100 an hour and parts, if you need any could take a week to arrive. You will have a hard time finding a room for less than $100 a night.
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Some people have no clue what it is like to be 500 miles from the nearest Walmart or McDonalds...
 
moab said:
A friend of mine is driving to Alaska in his Jeep. What advice would you give him about his Jeep prior to his trip?:

Where: Anchorage area

When: Mid-january-ish

Why: Good job offer at a hospital in Anchorage

How: Driving his 2001 XJ from Pittsburgh, PA, to Seattle WA, and then on to Anchorage, AK.

He bought a HF hitch shelf carrier but it was foldable and bounced all over. Then he got a stationary one. And it's alot more solid. He has studded tires. And that's about all I know.
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* Has he been in touch with Alaska? They have all sorts of information.

* On most roads Studded tires will be unnecessary and maybe illegal, although I've seen cars with them in San Francisco. I'd prefer chains front and rear. Ask the car columnist, Brad Bergholdt, on Facebook. He drives his Duramax with a fifth wheel to his house in Alaska every summer.

* Have a radiator shop inspect the cooling system, and replace what needs replacing. I think the inspection is free.

* Replace all liquids to Amsoil and there will be no worries about the cold. A side benefit will be less wear and better protection. If he wants it cheaper, I'll sponsor him. Use my number: 292273.
https://www.amsoil.com/

* Only shotguns are legal in Canada. California won't bother you.

* Carry twice as much gas as you think you need.

* Have an emergency kit.

* Buy a Garmin and upload the Alaska/Canada maps. Your phone only works with towers. Buy aeronautical charts or a similarly detailed map. AAA maps have become an utter waste of paper. Put the address in the GPS that you are going to as Home and no matter where you ar, even way off road, it'll get you home.
 
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Shatto said:
* Has he been in touch with Alaska? They have all sorts of information.

* On most roads Studded tires will be unnecessary and maybe illegal, although I've seen cars with them in San Francisco. I'd prefer chains front and rear. Ask the car columnist, Brad Bergholdt, on Facebook. He drives his Duramax with a fifth wheel to his house in Alaska every summer.


* Buy a Garmin and upload the Alaska/Canada maps. Your phone only works with towers. Buy aeronautical charts or a similarly detailed map. AAA maps have become an utter waste of paper. Put the address in the GPS that you are going to as Home and no matter where you ar, even way off road, it'll get you home.
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Uhm, the studded tires are almost mandatory, everyone runs them. Maybe not in summer but from Oct. until late April almost a must. Most everyone has summer and winter studded tires. Get a Milepost, it is specific to the Alaska Highway and every road in Alaska. Most GPS subscriptions separate Alaska out and it costs extra. There are only so many roads up there, I used to know every pot hole between Delta and Anchorage, which is a 368 mile drive...Tim
 
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Looks pretty bad when their driving drop top lowriders.....
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