traveling to Alaska in Oct

hey everyone, my son lives in Delta Junction and my wife and I are driving from Texas to see him. He has an old Ford Ranger that's barely running. It's his Birthday in Oct and he is getting hitched in December. so we bought him a 2003 Tacoma SR5 4x4 double cab. 139,000 miles as a gift. I was hoping to get some opinions on how I should prep the truck for the drive , the weather and routine maintenance for the miles. Thanks guys.

 

I am writing this while i am working so it may look a little scatter brained, but you get the general idea

if you are able to confirm the history of the previous maintenance, I would start there to see what has been done recently.

If it cannot be confirmed then I would proceed to do the basics

Change out all the fluids & filters – Engine/Transmission/Diffs/transfer case
Replace Fuel filter?
New sparkplugs
Change the coolant out – get rid of the old and ensure the proper percentage (mix) is used for the cold temps (-40 degrees)
Change coolant hoses – don’t forget the heater hoses
Change the serpentine belt
Inspect the power steering hoses
Windshield wipers – Replace and fill the fluid reservoir

Old battery? – May look into replacing if older than 3 or 4 years old.
Battery heater blanket – keeps the battery from freezing in extreme cold temperatures

*Mandatory* Install engine block heater - extends the life of the engine and provides an easier start up.

Make sure the heater and a/c works properly
Make sure the 4WD works properly

Tires – possible replacement
Remote start - very nice feature to have - boarderline a necessity

 

Go for a deepcylce battery. Especially for those Alaskan winters.

Check out ODYSSEY or EXIDE

 

Rob,
Order a copy of "The Milepost". It list all the service stations, hotel/motels, restaurants, mileage and items of interest. Most important feature is that tell which are open in year round vs. seasonal.

Several others that travel the open road will chime in on what safety items to pack for your trip. Canada can be real inhospitable between Labor Day & May depending on storm systems and if the Siberian Express is running.

Texans and Alaskans are "gun people", however our northern neighbors aren't. It can be a real hassle to transport weapons and unless you are willing to spend the time researching the rules you may want to leave the Colt at home.

Also, bring lots of Music (books on tape, etc.), radio stations can be few and far between and I was told that satellite radio sometimes drops out. Last time I drove the ALCAN was in '97 and the 12 cassette tapes I had, I can still sing all the songs in order today.

Sandy

 

I drove from Atlanta to Anchorage back in January. I did a fair amount to my truck and probably went a little overboard but the basics of what I did are below. I apologize if this seems scattered. I'm pulling from memory here.

- Fresh oil & filter, it's a 5,000 mile trip so I had to change it again as soon as I got into Anchorage.
- I had 4, 5 gallon cans full of gas in case I missed a service station as they can be few and far between. I didn't need it, but it was there just in case.
- I installed new tires that were M+S rated. After a certain point in the year, the Canadians will stop you and won't let you pass without those tires and/or chains. (I also packed some chains and a travel shovel)
- I had 2 30,000 pound rated tow straps and a couple of D-shackles to get me out of a ditch with.
- Food & water, bring extra food & a couple of gallons of water just in case something happens out on the road. Keep the food in the cab of the truck. The ALCAN gets lonely. There where stretches where we didn't see another car for hours.
- A basic first aid kit and a nice thick blanket should also be kept in the cab.
- I had emergency candles as well. If you get stuck without gas, the truck will get cold fast.
- Flares. If something happens, you want to be visible to passing motorists.
- I installed a CB radio. Cell service goes out the window on the ALCAN, so I wanted a way to communicate with people if needed.
- Bring cash! I had about $300 USD on me and grabbed an additional $300 CAD for the trip. Some service stations don't accept plastic.
- Make sure all the lights on the truck are good. It gets dark fast the further north you drive so you'll want to see and be seen.
- A block heater is almost mandatory. It gets cold up here and the truck may not want to start without a little help. The coldest day on my trip was -20F and with the heater plugged in all night, my truck fired right up as if it was July.

That's about all I can think of now. Grab a milepost and use it help plan the trip. If I think of anything else, I'll post it here. Otherwise enjoy the trip. I had a blast and didn't run into any trouble. If you have questions, feel free to PM me.

Also, here is the log of my move up here.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/moving-to-alaska-in-december-alcan-or-ferry.335415/

- Steve

 

Thanks for all the info. Maintenance can't be confirmed from previous owner. So I'm going to do all the essentials. I definitely need tires, and need to get an engine block heater. I'm pretty excited and nervous about the long trip!!

 

You want protection to -60 or -70 on the anrifreeze. Definitely dd the truck down there for a month or two to be confident it is dependable before you start out.

You dont have enough time left to get a handgun permit from the canadians. Read up on long arm transport. Handgun permits were 4-6 months last time i asked.

Never pass a gas station without topping up every tank you have.

Your son is probably going to need moose lights. Dunno about gerring through canada with them installed. Halogens run hot enough to defrost themselves. Hids are hopeless up here. High end leds vision x and ridgid are pretty popular. For halogen, look no further than lightforce.

Orherwise agree with all of the above.

 

Don't forget you need to have passports otherwise you are not crossing the border.

 

Yeah passport is on the list tomorrow. I was surprised I needed one. Last time I went to the Canadian border i didnt (25yrs ago). Is synthetic oil the way to go? Gonna start the tuneup this weekend...

 

my son drives an 18 wheeler to Alaska every week, the past 2 years they have not had the snow build us (global warming?) but they have had the ice build up on the highways, so maybe add chains to your list so that you can get up the hills in British Columbia. Yes, it does start earlier up north, he lost a rig 2 years ago on Thanksgivings Day when another rig slid down a hill into their stopped rig, lucky they were out of it trying to decide how they were going to chain up.

 

First off, congratulations for your son! And secondly, wow that is a great gift!!!

Yes, you will want synthetic oil. I personally run fully synthetic Mobil 1 5w30 in my 95 Tacoma and have never actually plugged in my block heater because it has started every time pretty easily.

One thing that is worth noting, is the truck you bought a V6 or a 4 cylinder? If it is a V6 I would make sure the timing belt has been changed recently (factory recommends at 90,000 miles I think). If that were to snap mid-drive you would have a very bad day and might freeze.

Extra water and snacks, tow straps, shackles (and knowing where to connect them to both ends of your vehicle), gas cans, extra warm clothing, a few flares (in case of an incident in a snow storm, some blizzards you can't see your hood but flares produce a great amount of light) and a few extra quarts of oil and other fluids would be my personal minimum. Obviously you can go overboard, and sometimes that can be fun too depending on your budget.

 

Heading to Alaska. Left 95 deg. Weather in Austin TX. In Colorado, headed to Wyoming, where I wanna spend 2 days. Not sure if I see both Big Horn and Yellowstone or just explore Yellowstone.

 

you cant finish yellowstone in two days. . just giving you an idea.

even if you patiently drive thru it and casually make a few stops, youll have a few sights that youll miss.

 

I plan on going to just Yellowstone thru the Jackson Hole, Wyoming if I can ever pull myself away from the Colorado Rockies National Park.

 

i drove thru there last year.. amazing scenery

 

I live in Terrace, BC just east of Pr Rupert near the coast. Easy advice is to leave the handgun at home. If you feel you must have a firearm, and you really don't, carry a shotgun with you with slugs. When you get to the border, declare it. Have it in a locked container, separate from ammunition. There are special rules for folks driving straight through to Alaska. Whatever you do just tell them at the border you are driving straight through to Alaska IF you have a firearm on board. Sight seeing along the way with a gun in your vehicle is going to get you sent back to the US. If you have any concerns leave the gun at home. You just don't need one. Yes on Passports. Times have changed since 911. If you have had a DUI, drunk driving or any felony convictions you will be turned back at the border. The US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand now have inter connected computers/data bases and background checks are automatic and instant. There are few exceptions. Rules apply to us travelling to the US as well. All part of keeping us safe while the rest of the world goes to hell.

For a nice drive enter Canada at an Alberta crossing. Go to Calgary, up the Banff/Jasper highway across to Pr. Rupert on Hwy 16 and take the Alaskan Ferry north to Anchorage. You will see country and coastal vistas you will not see anywhere else in the World. Worth the trip. Don't stock up on water and stuff. Christ Canada is a 1st World Country and we even have Walmart up here. LOL If you do make the trip this late in the season put a set of snow tires on the truck or a t least all season. No significant snow yet but for central BC...soon.

Enjoy the trip up here folks. If you do decide to go the Pr. Rupert and Alaskan ferry route drop me a line we always have coffee on. You will drive with a half mile of the house going through Terrace on the way to the coast.

Enjoy the trip

Bob