How do you get your SMB to Canada or out West?

[dig255]

I will do the drive and fly, just pay expenses, no charge for my time. User SteelheadJones and Ocsmb will vouch for me, and arctictraveler will talk crap about me.

[Nathandeuel]

After doing the drive from LA to NYC three times in our 2015 Chevy with CCV top and the drive to Illinois probably 10 times (all since June 2020) my new unofficial rule is we never drive the rig past Denver anymore. I want that engine and all the various components to last as long as possible and it feels less fun to drive that thing east, where we often stay in a hotel anyway because it's hot or cold or boring to camp most interstate corridors east of the Rockies. This winter ski trip we left the van at longterm parking at DIA and took the Amtrak to family in Illinois. Then we rented a car to drive back to the airport and reunite with the van. Made sense! We love boondocking and camping and skiing and surfing out west in the van and generally it seems less crucial to have it east of the Rockies. I'll never forget parallel parking that thing in Manhattan tho. That was a trip.

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by dig255

arctictraveler will talk crap about me.

Two recommendations, double check your insurance if there are damages and agree on a maximum allowable cost for expenses. That’s my final word on the subject 😊

[fjefman]

I’d also consider driving it one way. I’ve driven from GA to CA every year for the past 5 so long distance van driving is normal.

[b. rock]

I'm seeing 36 hr one-way? Lengthy, but doing it over 6 days is pretty luxurious. That's a comfy 3 days or a hard 2 day trek, or somewhere in between. But I also have gone CO to CA and OR in a straight shot several times for similar situations where you want to maximize time at the destination.

A less popular option would be to mention that you are going past some spectacular camping areas to go camp in that specific spot.

[The_Vermonster]

Personally I'd be hard pressed to pass up camping in Glacier or Banff.

But, have you considered driving yourself to Calgary or Edmonton, then having the fam fly in to meet you? Then you only have about a day of driving together, but it would be some of the most enjoyable driving. You could do the inverse on the way home, or take the time to wander back together. That also means you don't have to leave the van unattended and pay for storage. I'm sure it's one of the more expensive options, but it has a lot of benefits over other options.

[BrianW]

For one of our XC trips a friend and his wife drove our van from PA back to their home in CA, and then we flew out and took a month to drive it home (on that trip we went up into Canada and did the Icefields Parkway route and all that, similar to what you want to do). Worked out great for both of us. Two other times we drove round-trip from PA, front-loading the trips with very long drive-only days to get from the East Coast out to the West, and then took our time coming home. I did this with my wife and young son (at the time). From PA to NM it took us three long days of driving IIRC. You may also have some paperwork challenges if a third party is taking the van into Canada.

[BrianW]

BTW, why do you want to go all the way to Dawson Creek? Not much there really worth seeing (I've been there multiple times), except that it's the start of the Alcan. Same with Edmonton. If you have limited time I wouldn't go any further north than Jasper and use the extra time in Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, and all that. Calgary is a cool town to visit, too, especially during the Stampede event.

[dig255]

Last May and June I drove 12000 miles around America zig zaging all over. Los Angeles, to Atlanta, to Key West, to Bar Harbor, 3 places in New York, to Allegany forest Pennsylvania, to Dayton Ohio, to Springfield Illinois, to my childhood home in Winfield Illinois, to Mt Rushmore, to Devils tower Wyoming, to Colarado did some of the Transfer 4x4 trail, to Utah a bunch of places, to Monument valley, back to Utah did the Burr trail took Senic hwy 12, then up to Bonneville salt flats, down Teresteril hwy the pretty much home, and a bunch more places in between. Was a great trip seeing as much as possible.

[jrobe]

In my opinion, the route on your map could hardly be less scenic (through the Great Plains, Dakotas, Saskatchewan, etc.). You missed virtually all the interesting places that we love in the Northern US and Canadian Rockies. I think you should rethink that whole trip route irregardless of the length of the drive.