Re: [A/S] Airstream to Alaska

[Jerry Flanders <jeflanders@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We were there in  '97 (29 foot excella) and again in '01 (34 foot limited). 
We went solo first trip, and accompanied some friends in their AS MH on the 
second. It is a great trip. I envy you going - one of these days we might 
make it AGAIN.

I didn't use the  plywood thingie, but I saw a couple. With the AS trailer 
that has the gas bottles vertical, you can notch out the plywood to allow 
it to slip down over the frame members, secure the top somehow, and 
completely protect the skin. I think I had only minor nicks and scrapes to 
mine - probably not enough to bother protecting.

If you have the swing-out metal shields there already, it should be pretty 
easy to tape some vinyl tarp material to them from the backside - would 
keep them clean and protect from nicks.

I had mud flaps on the rear wheels of the truck, which probably helped a lot.

No truck damage at all on the first, but caught a piece of gravel on the 
second one that made a small "glass spider" in the windshield. Caught that 
gravel by forgetting my own rule on gravel roads - dive to the right and 
slow as much as possible when big trucks come at you. (If you watch 
closely, you will see they simply throw gravel up in the air - you will 
hurt your windshield only if YOU drive through that "rock spray" at high speed)

Skagway is out of the way, and requires a side trip to get there. We passed 
it up in '97, but visited it in '01. I am glad we did - it is a great 
little city, and is now my favorite.

In '01, we paid $99 for a book of discount tickets in a grocery chain store 
in fairbanks that was worth over $500 to us in "2 for 1" price discounts on 
MANY cruises and attractions. I don't know if it is still available - I 
learned of it on the internet in '01, but don't see any reference to it 
right now (just did a google search - no hits)

Don't expect your cell phone to work everywhere - campgrounds along the 
Alcan in the Yukon still have to generate their own electricity, and the 
only phones they have work through satellites.

You don't have to make many choices about where to stay in the Yukon - 
campgrounds are few and far between (same with gas stations). We never had 
any problems, though.

The Alcan roads were OK - we had maybe 200 miles of "rough" roads in '97, 
and perhaps 20-25 miles in '01.

On the second trip, we returned via the Cassiar. Primitive highway, but we 
got to visit Hyder and see the bears.

You are leaving pretty late - in '01 we left in mid-May and that worked 
well. You need plenty of time to smell the roses on the way up. Be sure you 
see the world's biggest mall in Edmonton and the Jasper/Banff area either 
going up or coming back.

Jerry Flanders  4404