anyone want to caravan to Alaska next year sometime?

happycamperbrat · August 12, 2010, 11:21:38 PM

someone in the other forum suggested it and I think it would be a blast!!

gumpy · August 13, 2010, 07:45:02 PM

I'm making plans to go up for the whole summer, but not sure if it will be 2011 or 2012. Will probably go up in April or May and come back in Sept or Oct.

Chaz · August 14, 2010, 07:22:40 AM

It would be a blast! Bad thing is, I am neither retired nor independantly wealthy.

I do hope to someday soon winter in AZ. or the south, but that's the opposite end of the spectrum. If you do go, have fun for me!

Chaz

p.s. OH!! a couple years ago I went to a ralley in Cincinnati at the FMCA Post Office and there was a guy there that did/organized trips there. I don't recall who he was but that might be an option.

wal1809 · August 14, 2010, 09:33:34 AM

I sure do want to but I can't just yet. Have fun!!!!

happycamperbrat · August 14, 2010, 04:13:45 PM

Im not wealthy lol But I have to manage my money, which means I dont feed my kids haha

Oh gawd!!! Here come the attorneys and child welfare........ I didnt mean it

Highway Yacht · August 14, 2010, 05:00:46 PM

Quote from: happycamperbrat on August 14, 2010, 04:13:45 PM
Im not wealthy lol But I have to manage my money, which means I dont feed my kids haha Oh gawd!!! Here come the attorneys and child welfare........ I didnt mean it

You do realize as of today that the Board can print anything you say here. I sure would hate to see this printed on the front page of your local Newspaper...

But I think you have 24 hours to take it back..lol

pete36330 · August 14, 2010, 06:39:56 PM

Hi,,we're planning on a trip to Alaska next may/jun ,would love to go in a caravan ..and meet some new folks,,,working on our mc9 now hoping to get it ready..lets us know when you get more information and trip plans ,,we are in enterprise ,,south east Alabama ,,pete and polly mittelbach,,our email is kmittelbach@centurytel.net

Chaz · August 15, 2010, 08:43:05 AM

I like this thread more and more all the time. I think it's just so cool for people from all over to be able to hook up on a large topic, such as bus's, as well as smaller side topics like going to Alaska together.

Not that I want to tell you what to do, Camperbrat, but, every so often you should bump this back to the top for people who might not see it the first go'round. I know threads get older and get sent down the line, but how cool would it be to get a bunch of busnut's to do a trip like that. Absolutely awesome!

I hope it materialize's and you keep us abreast of it. I'll certainly be watching and dreaming.
Chaz

Busted Knuckle · August 15, 2010, 11:15:46 AM

Quote from: jlink
You do realize as of today that the Board can print anything you say here. I sure would hate to see this printed on the front page of your local Newspaper... But I think you have 24 hours to take it back..lol

Or OMG the front page of BCM!

BK

Sounds cool let me know if you get a bunch of busless people who want to go and I'll set up a trip with hotels and meals on a charter bus!

happycamperbrat · August 15, 2010, 07:26:07 PM

Okay, it is bumped lol

Merlin-PV · August 17, 2010, 09:10:21 AM

When we leavin!!!

bcaddel · August 17, 2010, 09:27:03 AM

Happycamperbrat
I am sure most everyone has thought about taking their bus to Alaska as have my wife and I. We were planning on doing it in a couple of years but next year could work out for us, especially if several folks got together and caravaned. How long of a trip were you thinking about taking. I have heard that 30 days is not long enough and we should plan for a 6 to 8 week trip at a minimum. I am still working but luckily for me I am at the top of the food chain here and might could get that kind of time off if the economy has started turning around by next summer.

Back in the 70's I made a living out of purchasing small super cub airplanes and modifying them into bush planes and flying them up to Alaska to sale, usually Fairbanks. I flew pretty low and the roads looked pretty rough back then but I am thinking they must have been improved quite a bit since I saw them last. I have read of several people taking their RV's to Alaska so I am sure our bus could make without too much wear and tear.

Keep us posted

Bob & Pearl
Reno Nevada.

gumpy · August 17, 2010, 09:46:22 AM

Quote from: bcaddel on August 17, 2010, 09:27:03 AM
Happycamperbrat
I am sure most everyone has thought about taking their bus to Alaska as have my wife and I. We were planning on doing it in a couple of years but next year could work out for us, especially if several folks got together and caravaned. How long of a trip were you thinking about taking. I have heard that 30 days is not long enough and we should plan for a 6 to 8 week trip at a minimum. I am still working but luckily for me I am at the top of the food chain here and might could get that kind of time off if the economy has started turning around by next summer.

Back in the 70's I made a living out of purchasing small super cub airplanes and modifying them into bush planes and flying them up to Alaska to sale, usually Fairbanks. I flew pretty low and the roads looked pretty rough back then but I am thinking they must have been improved quite a bit since I saw them last. I have read of several people taking their RV's to Alaska so I am sure our bus could make without too much wear and tear.

Keep us posted

Bob & Pearl
Reno Nevada.

We did the trip in 2005. I do not recommend driving up unless you have a minimum of 6 weeks to spend. Yes, you could do it in less time, but it's just not worth the rushing required.
Take your time and enjoy the ride. We made a goal of not traveling more than 300 miles in one day, and except for one day, we met that goal. I planned on 2 weeks up, 2 weeks there,
and 2 weeks back. We extended the "there" time a bit due to a mechanical problem with the bus, and shortened the "back" time a bit to compensate. 9400 miles round trip from MN. We
saw everything we wanted to and did pretty much everything we planned, plus a lot of spontaneous stuff.

The roads were really quite good. The Alcan highway was, for the most part, all paved, except where they were working on it. There were 3 sections on the Cassair that were not
paved at that time, but they were working on them, so they may be paved now. The Top Of the World highway was dusty gravel, but good road and well graded. Dalton Highway (haul road)
was partially paved; the unpaved sections were pretty rough. We took the bus to the Yukon River crossing and then took the car to the Arctic Circle. I would not take the bus up there again,
unless I were going farther north. Otherwise, I'd do a day trip to the Arctic Circle from Fairbanks.

Many of the highways in AK, especially between Tok and Palmer, have frost heaves which can be severe, but not too bad in a bus if you watch for them and slow down. They were harder on
my Father-In-Law's pickup and trailer than they were on my bus, due to the longer wheel base of the bus.

happycamperbrat · August 17, 2010, 11:13:52 AM

This is "The Guy" who started it. He is the one who first suggested it http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/11/38372.html?1281902181 My thoughts on it are that the caravan could start with people in the eastern states of America and they caravan across the United State with various points (maybe bus nut's places, or certain truck stops, rest stops, etc that were predetermined with dates and aprox times). Anyone wanting to join the caravan (even for a day or so and not go all the way into Alaska could). The preplanned stops with dates and times would be posted here and on the BNO board in a special thread. The United States part of the caravan would end somewhere in the pacific northwest to cross over into Canada. We could also have predetermined stops in Canada and hopefully see some of our Canadian fellow bus nuts as we cruise up into Alaska. June or July or August seems to be the best time to be in Alaska because of temps.

These are just thoughts off the top of my head. Anyone and everyone please chime in.

gumpy · August 17, 2010, 12:30:37 PM

When I go up the next time, I'll be leaving probably in May. Will probably take a route up into Canada to Winnipeg and across the trans-Canada highway. I have bus friends along that route near Winnipeg and in Edmonton that I will be stopping to see.

Last time, we crossed into Canada just west of Kalispell MT and went up through Radium Hot Springs and back over to Banff NP and up to Jasper. Then we backtracked to Edmonton to see my friends.
That's a nice way to go, too. There's some beautiful scenery there, and the Columbia Icefields are fun to take a tour on.

I will probably stay in AK all summer and return in late Sept or early Oct.

The caravan through Canada would be fun, but once in AK, it might be best for people to go their own separate ways and then meet up at a prescribed place and time for the return trip back to the lower 48.

craig