Driving to Alaska in January, want to join me?

[marret]

Originally Posted by arctictraveller

There will be other opportunities, this trip is just a bit of a warm-up. Next year, a Buddy and I are planning a trip up the Mackenzie river valley ice roads. If you’ve ever watched “ice Road trucker‘s,” that will give you an idea of what we hope to accomplish. With temperatures routinely reaching 40° below zero Fahrenheit, and long long stretches of total wilderness with extremely limited opportunities to get fuel, and basically zero chances of rescue should you have a breakdown, it will make the trip to Alaska look like driving to the local store in comparison. Sound interesting? Should I put you down on the list for next year?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north...69j1dW79yVacgU

Yes, I’m going to ponder it, thanks…that might be a bit much for my “warm-up”.

[kbeefy]

I've done a few AK trips in the winter. The potholes are all filled with compacted snow and theres no road construction! Also very, very little traffic outside of towns. Not that theres much in summer anyways, especially on the Cassiar.

[Twoxentrix]

It's funny how 'Life' experiences quickly come to mind so all I can offer are some suggestions based on 'opportunities' we encountered in similar cold climates , and I'm already pretty confident you've considered these and/or have something similar...but still worth noting:
*A good jump starter which also offers ports to recharge a cell phone.
* If you wax your van now, ice & snow becomes considerably easier to remove (would do the same on headlight & brake lights).
*New Wiper Blades, and a bottle of de-icer (i've used this stuff on the side & back windows, headlights, brake light housing, as well as side mirrors) to help with visibility. I keep a bottle of Prestone Ice & frost shield in my back box.
*Since you anticipate severe cold, I'd use a silicone spray on your door gaskets so they don't freeze to the body & also spray your lock tumblers (doors, padlocks, thule box lock, etc) - This is also why I keep Prestone de-icer is in my rear box >> once I was unable to 'open' any of the doors...very frustrating when you aren't armed with an immediate solution & don't have easy access to warm water.
* As a precaution, I always keep stormproof 'wind' matches along with shredded magnesium (gets almost anything burning) - I also have a 1lb propane torch to satisfy my occasional pyro tendencies when all else fails!
*Rechargeable LED Road Flares Emergency Lights would be a useful addition (supplementing Road flares since these last longer). I have set of these and have to say they are extremely bright & work well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B098Q...af9d635d0&th=1

Sure sounds like an adventure. Safe travels & Hoping your trip exceeds all your expectations!

[kbeefy]

Good call on the door seals. When Iived in AK that was a seasonal practice for me. I've gotten soft living in the lesser 48 and forgot about it!

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

It's funny how 'Life' experiences quickly come to mind so all I can offer are some suggestions based on 'opportunities' we encountered in similar cold climates ,

Thanks, those are all excellent ideas. I’ve experienced frozen door seals in the past, and had intended to spray them with silicone, but I had forgotten to add them to my pre-departure check list. The deicer is some thing I had not considered, and need to look into. I don’t know how it works on plastic, but since I have LED headlights and they don’t warm up, they tend to become blocked with snow. Perhaps that would help. I’ve already installed new wiper blades, but interestingly, in the past auto parts stores sold refill inserts but these days they only seem to sell the entire replacement beam, So, on Amazon and for half the price of one replacement wiper beam, I got four refills made of silicone. I also carry a standard propane torch, good for things like carefully defrosting frozen door locks, or starting a campfire. The suggestion to wax my van and made me chuckle, due to the fact that I don’t believe I have waxed it even once in the last 10 years. The paint is still in extremely good condition though. So thanks for the reminders and the suggestions, keep them coming.

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by arctictraveller

The deicer is some thing I had not considered, and need to look into. I don’t know how it works on plastic, but since I have LED headlights and they don’t warm up, they tend to become blocked with snow. Perhaps that would help.

I haven’t tried it, but the owner of the custom Jeep Shop which does some fab work for me said they (his Jeep group) wax the head lights and brake lights (which I do as well), but then they spray them with WD-40. He says the snow and ice won’t stick. I’ve never tried the WD-40 before myself, but I had Googled it and seems to be mentioned by many that claim it works well. Doesn’t hurt the plastic (maybe because of the base layer of wax????).

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

I haven’t tried it, but the owner of the custom Jeep Shop which does some fab work for me said they (his Jeep group) wax the head lights and brake lights (which I do as well), but then they spray them with WD-40. He says the snow and ice won’t stick. I’ve never tried the WD-40 before myself, but I had Googled it and seems to be mentioned by many that claim it works well. Doesn’t hurt the plastic (maybe because of the base layer of wax????).

Thanks, I’ll try that

[Nimzero]

Saw your post about tranny and heat issues. So sorry to hear the troubles. I wish I would have checked the forum. I’d be interested in an adventure with my wife and son. Sounds very cold this time of year. I fear mosquitoes so Im guessing Alaska can’t be on my bucket list unless I learn to love them🤣. If you post up another adventure I may be game. Hope everything is checking out and that there was a fixable problem to give you some comfort in future adventures!

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by Nimzero

SIf you post up another adventure I may be game. Hope everything is checking out and that there was a fixable problem to give you some comfort in future adventures!

The transmission is all fixed, but I’m going to hold off on heading back to Alaska till June or July because it’s now prime time to be exploring the desert before it gets hot.