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

[FreeRoad]

Hello-
Thanks for the support. I'm hoping to get some guidance.

Planning to drive Seattle to Prudhoe Bay, AK with my 2003 Tundra access cab and 2009 FWC Eagle with my wife and 3 year old daughter. We are going to take it slow and easy (returning 6 weeks later solo as my wife and daughter will fly back).

The roof already has a 80watt solar panel on the front above the cabover area. I'm planning to take a second spare on the roof (yakima cargo basket).

I am also thinking about adding 2x5 Gallon of gasoline on the roof too. I know adding weight to roof is not ideal (rear hitch is occupied with cargo box. Trying to avoid front hitch option as it increases length further)

I'm guessing the total weight with spare, yakima basket and solar panel will be around 120 lbs. With additional 10 gallon of gasoline the total weight becomes - 180 lbs

The second spare and gas on roof are only for this trip. Will I be okay do to this one trip with such load on roof and still able to use Regular pop up operation for 6 weeks. No off roading

Getting the speaker stand to help with raising and lowering the roof.

Trip info-
Planning to reach Fairbanks in 10 or 11 days. Will do Cassiar Highway - Haines, (Telegraph creek time permitting), Whitehorse, Dawson City, Top of the world highway, Fairbanks,

After Fairbanks- Prudhoe Bay, Denali, Kennecott, Seward, Homer

Welcome any tips, suggestions, no-no's

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

 

[pvstoy]

Wheel and tire adds a lot of weight for the roof. Do you have the helper shocks? Are your tires in newish condition before you start?

Having one spare in great condition is good. Sounds like you will stay on good roads? Other than bringing a second spare you can fix tires if you get a nail or such in the thread area. Consider a small air compressure and a good tire plug kit.

 

[FreeRoad]

Hi Patrick-
Thanks for the response. Truck has Ride control airbags. I know it only helps with ride not load. Current tires (Michelin) completed close to 20k. Still lot left. Not new but looks good.

I will buy new tire for spare (the tire it has already looks good, but probably very old)

Already have air compressor and random tire plug kit. I plan to research and have very good tire plug kit.

Yep, Other than Dalton staying on good roads (Kennecott -I dont mind using 1 spare).

Only because of my daughter, I'm thinking about second spare. I would love to skip second spare or may be try if someone will rent a second spare in Fairbanks (or allow me to return new one if unused)

 

[pvstoy]

Good you have compressure and tire repair kit. Half life on tires should be good. Some to most people when buying new tires only buy 4 and not a spare. So the spare is old and flat, the forgotten tire until when needed. I buy five and rotate the spare in when tires are rotated. When I asked about helper shocks I was referring to the helper shocks that are mounted on the pop up to assist in raising the top.

 

[FreeRoad]

Good point on the spare.
Regarding pop up assists, I have the inside gas struts near the bed. Not the outside ones.
Counting on the speaker stand mod mentioned in the site (from Guitar center). It's already ordered and on its way.

 

[Missing Link]

Free - What I am about to say will likely bring some criticism, but I think it is at least worth thinking about. We made the trip you are planning last summer. Also, took the Dempster to Inuvik in 2010. Certainly, anything can happen on a trip like this, but we opted for five relatively new "E" rated (very important) tires, a compressor, and patch kit rather than a second spare. I would also suggest that you reconsider carrying 10 gallons of gas on the roof. I assume that you have at least 300 mile range with you truck/camper combo. It is about 450 miles from Fairbanks to Dead Horse. Fuel is available at Yukon River Crossing, Coldfoot, and Dead Horse. The other long stretch is the Cassier Hwy, again about 450 miles. Fuel is available at the southern end (Kitwanga), Stewart (if you are taking the side trip to Stewart/Hyder for bear viewing or Salmon Glacier), Belle II, and Dease Lake, and at the northern end (Alaska Hwy.). So, why carry any gas? Or, if it will make you feel better, bring one empty five gallon can on the roof and fill it before you begin one of these long stretches. Not having the extra spare and 10 gallons on gas on the roof will mean that you won't need to bring the guitar Center speaker stand. In fact, you could send it back and use the $ toward replacing your existing spare tire. Again, all of this is merely my personal perspective. Whatever you decide to do . . . . . it will be a trip of a lifetime and one you will never forget.

 

[Jon&Sue_DeArman]

Many flats on Alaska's dirt & gravel roads are unfix-able due to railroad spikes or rock-shape; Especially on the North Slope. In addition, the truck usually hits the obstruction twice; both front & rear tire. For this reason 2 spares are highly recommended. The most important thing a driver can do to minimize flats in Alaska is Slow Down.

 

[pvstoy]

On dirt roads you can also air down the tires some, this helps prevent flats.

 

[Old Crow]

Re: the second spare rental idea in Fairbanks in post 3....

When I was up there in 2008 in my van, I asked around about used tires and wheels and was referred to Giant Tire-- which was kind of a junkyard kind of place. I asked the guy if it was possible to rent a tire and wheel for my Econoline. He said he didn't rent them but if I bought the combo for $85, he'd give me $42 for it if I returned it in the same condition. I didn't have a carrier so put it between the seats, which turned out to be a surprisingly unobtrusive solution for us (remember, this is in a van, not a pickup)

And, yes, I got my $42 when I returned it after our trip up to Deadhorse and back.

We had two flats on that trip, one on the Dempster Highway, one on the McCarthy Road. In both cases there was no evidence of what did it-- just a hole in the tire. I believe what happened was a rock would get caught up in the aggressive tread I was running and would ride round-and-round until hitting a pothole just right to push it through the casing. That's just a theory. Could also have been a bolt or other piece of debris through them. I might also mention I was running passenger-grade Wranglers at the time.

-OC

 

[K6ON]

I'll have to agree with Missing Link. I did the trip in 2011, including the Dempster to Inuvik then all over Alaska. 12000 miles total in 11 weeks. I found fuel everywhere (diesel) and never bothered to fill the 5 gallon Scepter can mounted on the back of the camper. I only had one spare, and in the 12000 miles I had one flat on the Dempster which I had repaired at Eagle Plains Service. The trip was totally uneventful. Take it slow and enjoy the ride.



Having the tire repaired along the Dempster.

 

[Vento]

The longest section on the Dalton is about 260. You shouldn't need the gas. I did it on my Ducati 900ss and ran out just short of the oil fields at 254. Put in 1 gallon and finished. Not even a flat on the whole 7,000 mile trip.

 

[PaulT]

A small utility trailer might be an alternative, especially if it is one of the off road types set it up to use the same wheels and tires as your truck.

Carry extra fuel, water, spare tires, generator. Moving weight from your payload into the towed weight allowance could be an advantage.

A quick search shows that some off road trailers are available to rent in Alaska. Could be cheaper than paying for the extra length on the ferry. Everything is a trade-off.

Paul

 

[Old Crow]

LOL-- A bit off-topic but PaulT's post 12 reminds me of this. We were sitting along the Haul Road taking pix of musk oxen under the pipeline when I saw a Harley coming. We mostly saw KLRs and the BMW GS1200-type adventure bikes up there but here came a Hog, all alone. He was towing a trailer he had built out of a 55-gallon steel drum. Understand, it wasn't a 55-gallon drum ON a trailer. It was a 55-gallon drum made INTO a trailer. It was apparently a closed drum he somehow put an axle through and cut an access hatch on the top. It rode very low and was actually quite a cool thing.

-OC

 

[FreeRoad]

Thanks for the inputs and references. Very helpful. Most likely will skip the second 5 Gallon.

 

[Vento]

The only thing to remember is that the two gas stations on the Dalton are not open all night so plan accordingly. But the camp grounds are super cheap and they supply fire wood which I thought was awesome. And no one is in them!!!

 

[FreeRoad]

Thanks for the notes. Good to know about the campgrounds. Sure, Gas station needs will be planned around day.

The only thing to remember is that the two gas stations on the Dalton are not open all night so plan accordingly. But the camp grounds are super cheap and they supply fire wood which I thought was awesome. And no one is in them!!!

 

[Missing Link]

Another Dalton tip . . . . be sure to bring mosquito head nets! We stayed at the Galbraith Lake campground north of Atigun Pass and there were more mosquitos there than either my wife or I had ever encountered . . . . anywhere. She took a picture of my back and we counted over 100 mosquitos on my sweatshirt, and we'd only been outside for 10 or 15 seconds!

 

[FreeRoad]

Very useful. I got lot of pointers. Thanks Missling Link.
Your gas stops along Cassiar are helpful. I know Cassiar has limited gas stations, but didnt guess so few. Thanks for listing the spots.

Read somewere about mosquito there and already ordered 3 head nets.

Another Dalton tip . . . . be sure to bring mosquito head nets! We stayed at the Galbraith Lake campground north of Atigun Pass and there were more mosquitos there than either my wife or I had ever encountered . . . . anywhere. She took a picture of my back and we counted over 100 mosquitos on my sweatshirt, and we'd only been outside for 10 or 15 seconds!

Free - What I am about to say will likely bring some criticism, but I think it is at least worth thinking about. We made the trip you are planning last summer. Also, took the Dempster to Inuvik in 2010. Certainly, anything can happen on a trip like this, but we opted for five relatively new "E" rated (very important) tires, a compressor, and patch kit rather than a second spare. I would also suggest that you reconsider carrying 10 gallons of gas on the roof. I assume that you have at least 300 mile range with you truck/camper combo. It is about 450 miles from Fairbanks to Dead Horse. Fuel is available at Yukon River Crossing, Coldfoot, and Dead Horse. The other long stretch is the Cassier Hwy, again about 450 miles. Fuel is available at the southern end (Kitwanga), Stewart (if you are taking the side trip to Stewart/Hyder for bear viewing or Salmon Glacier), Belle II, and Dease Lake, and at the northern end (Alaska Hwy.). So, why carry any gas? Or, if it will make you feel better, bring one empty five gallon can on the roof and fill it before you begin one of these long stretches. Not having the extra spare and 10 gallons on gas on the roof will mean that you won't need to bring the guitar Center speaker stand. In fact, you could send it back and use the $ toward replacing your existing spare tire. Again, all of this is merely my personal perspective. Whatever you decide to do . . . . . it will be a trip of a lifetime and one you will never forget.

 

[Taku]

I always remember a story a friend of mine tells about driving from Dartmouth to AK in the late 60's in an old Dodge Dart. No spare tier cause they had too much climbing gear. Up there and back and never had a flat. Sometimes being innocent and young pans out!

 

[BillM]

Free,

We did almost exactly the same trip in 98. Only took one spare plus plugs and compressor. The Cassiar then was all gravel and was a highlight of the trip (also the Dempster). Had no flats but we had LTR's including spare. You said you have Michelins but not whether or not they are LTR's, I wouldn't even consider the trip on brand new P rated tires much less 20K old P rated. We took 2 five gallon gas cans but rarely needed them. Now I'd only take one and it would be empty most of the time. Get a current issue of the milepost which has mile by mile info on the roads and services available. Most of all, don't speed and have fun.