Alaska Trip - Adding a spare wheel on the roof - ok?

[FreeRoad]

Starting the trip this weekend and planning to reach Prudhoe Bay on June 6th. Hoping to push first 700 to 1000 miles with minimal breaks. After that taking it slow (spending nights in campgrounds etc.) as next major attraction will be less than a day drive from Hyder till Fairbanks - Hyder, Telegraph creek (time permitting), watson lake, Whitehorse, Dawson City, Top of the world highway, Fairbanks. Hoping to start Dalton by June 4 the latest.

Called a Toyota dealer in Fairbanks to see if they will sell and allow return. Wheels on that size are special order and therefore no returns. Even if they had stock, they would not take return on mounted wheel or tire. The person on phone was born and raised in Fairbanks and did Dalton many times. He said people who are lucky get away with one flat tire. He recommended trying salvage yards to get one under $100.

Did some measurements to see if second spare can be strapped on one side of the back seat of access cab area (really strapped well). Looks like it is possible. Have to try with actual tire to see if that can work. Avoiding roof is first priority now (planning to not return yakima cargo basket, so I can take that and if necessary use that in cargo overflow or emergency situation)

Already ordered the super seal referred in other threads here.

Hi Bill- Thanks. I checked the tires again. It says Michelin LTX M/S 2. I'm guessing these are not passenger rating.
Got the current milepost months ago. One 5 gallon it is. No speeding especially on gravel roads. Taking it slow.

Taku- Thats amazing distance. I agree being innocent has its advantages.

 

[BillM]

Free,

Looks like the LTX comes both in P and LT ratings, hope yours are LT's. Look for an LT instead of a P in front of the tire size. If not LT I would carry 2 spares. HAVE FUN.

 

[FreeRoad]

I thought I lucked out. Nope. Says P in front.
Meeting my local toyota dealer in 2 days for oil change plus check on used tire/wheel options.

Thanks.

Free,

Looks like the LTX comes both in P and LT ratings, hope yours are LT's. Look for an LT instead of a P in front of the tire size. If not LT I would carry 2 spares. HAVE FUN.

 

[BillM]

Take it easy and you should be OK, but prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[Missing Link]

Free - Two additional comments: I'm sure you have spent a lot of time and money preparing for this trip, however, as others have indicated, the LT tires would be a better way to go. If there is any way that you can afford them, I think it would be a good idea. If not, perhaps that second spare behind the seat would be helpful. Also, if you are stopping in Hyder for the bear viewing at Fish Creek, I would advise contacting the Forest Service ahead of time. The bears are primarily there when the salmon are running. We have been there four times, twice with fabulous results (great close-up photos of the bears "fishing") but twice we were "skunked." If no bears, traveling beyond the Fish Creek area up to Salmon Glacier is a spectacular sight. I just got this number off of the USFS Hyder web page: (205) 636-2367. Again, have a great trip, and be safe!

 

[PaulT]

Free,

Looks like the LTX comes both in P and LT ratings, hope yours are LT's. Look for an LT instead of a P in front of the tire size. If not LT I would carry 2 spares. HAVE FUN.

Yep. That's why I have P series on my truck. It is misleading to put LT in the model name of the tire if it is not an LT series tire. Of course I should have done better research when buying the tires but it would have been nice if the Costco tire guy had brought it to my attention. Caveat emptor.

On the positive side, the M/S2 has very good performance on our rainy roads and is the quietest tire I have had on a truck,.

Paul

 

[Advmoto18]

I would likely carry 2 wheels/tires on an Aluminess bumper with 2 spare tire carriers.

Not much help out on the Dalton. A service call will cost thousands of dollars for a Fairbanks based tow truck to bring you a spare.

Say you pop a tire between Cold Foot and Dead Horse. Do you proceed to Dead Horse or turn around? Personally, I kept a mileage log of half way points to help guide my decision making. If you proceed to Dead Horse, be prepared to spend a LOT of extra coin waiting for a spare tire to arrive from Fairbanks. One aquaintance waited 5 days for the tire to arrive in Dead Horse. The unplanned delay cost him an additional $1200 in lodging, shipping the tire and shop costs to mount he had not budgeted.

Finally, don't forget to rent an IRIDIUM SATphone! I would still carry a SPOT or InReach device.

I am a strong believer in... two is one, one is none... for anything you carry, especially far off the grid.

Have FUN! It is a great ride and one you will cherish the rest of your life!

 

[Squatch]

Without even getting into the "aluminum roof" ect I'll tell you what I tell all 4 wheelers. DON"T do a roof top spare. Yep it's a lot of weight up there and bad for center of gravity. But think about this. Truck tires are heavy. I'm a big strapping guy and I know what it's like to lift a big tire. Last thing I want to do on a muddy trail or road that's off camber is to try and lift one on or off the roof. Especially when tired and away from help. It's just asking for serious injury or a fall. Last thing I want to do is throw my back out on an epic vacation in the middle of nowhere. If it does happen you'll be somewhere where the phone won't even work to call 911.

 

[FreeRoad]

Big Thanks to everyone. Still in Alaska trip but want to send this big thanks and quick update.

Completed the drive up north and also Dalton roundtrip successfully without any hiccups. Your tips and suggestions were helpful. Even though I bought Yakima cargo basket, spare tire kit and had a store install spare tire on roof, I did not like the feel when lifting the roof after coming home (of course I lifted with speaker rod). Scrapped whole roof idea and strapped spare tire to seat. Not ideal, but since it was passenger rated tire - size and weight were manageable.

Took one empty 5 gallon can from home and your notes on gas stops along Cassiar were helpful. Only filled may be like 4 gallon on Dalton stretch in Yukon camp (btw Yukon camp fuel was expensive than Coldfoot and Deadhorse). Ended up not needing extra fuel and used it on the return in Yukon Camp just to empty the can.

Since this was one off trip, we were able to adjust keeping second spare and gas in cabin. I was very careful and any night driving was done 5 to 10 miles under limit. I agree ideal solution would be something like Aluminess bumpers (Aluminess is not available for 2003 tundra)

Thanks a lot to everyone for your time and thoughts on this.

 

[Advmoto18]

Congrats on the Dalton! That's is a spectular drive...and motorcycle ride!

 

[Advmoto18]

(Aluminess is not available for 2003 tundra)

Call Mike at Aluminess. It may not show up on the web site, but, I'd be surprised if they didn't have a template.

 

[FreeRoad]

Thanks. Will check Aluminess for next adventure.