We are planning to pull our 26 ft travel trailer with our 2022 F-250 6.7L 4x4 from Florida up through parts of Canada and Alaska next summer. We likely won't get to Canada until mid to late May and should be back south of Canada by mid to late August. I'm thinking it will end up about 14,000 miles round trip. I don't have the full itinerary yet (DW is still tweaking it) so I can't say for sure how much gravel road time we will get. I do want to be prepared for those things that are common on a trip like this that might not be found on a trip through the lower 48.

What I'm particularly interested in is what rock guards you folks have used on your truck and what unexpected things did you run into while you were in Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories? I'm looking forward to hearing your horror stories and your I sure wish stories.

TIA

 

Man that sounds awesome! Super excited for you. I can’t really help you with those answers directly, but I have heard good things about the rock tamers.

 

We'll be leaving from your old stomping grounds (after MS but before CA), near Pcola.
Rock Tamers and RockStar are both on my radar. Not sure of the pros and cons of each, yet.

 

I have not towed up into that part of Canada or AK yet, so no first hand experience (but have camped in 46 states so far).
The rock guards are a really good idea, both brands you mentioned look like quality stuff.
Another thing to consider is upgrading the TT’s suspension with the MorRyde wet bolt and heavy duty shackle kit, we did that conversion on our old 41’ TT and it was a serious upgrade in material over the thin cheap non-lubeable factory setup.

 

When we did Alaska I added rubber extensions to my mud flats, I know mine is a DRW but you can buy the same style for a SRW. I set them up so when our 5th wheel is on the truck they are just short of hitting the ground. They stopped all the rocks from hitting the area behind the tires and the trailer.


When we did the trip whenever we got to a area where there was gravel we just slowed down and enjoyed the trip and never chipped the paint or had any window damage. Be aware that about half way up the paved roads are chip seal not normal black top and the gravel they use is ground up rocks that are sharp and you will get heavy tire wear so be sure to have good rubber on the truck and trailer. We never had any tire issues on the whole 10K mile trip.
We crossed at Shelby Montana and crossed back in Washington State. We did Banff and Jasper NP in Canada on the way up and came back down the western route to through BC that was a great and wouldn't miss it. We dry camped most of the trip (4.5 months) and learned that whenever we had a chance to fill water tank and dump the holding tanks we did.
When you cross into Canada be sure you are full of fuel and well stocked with food because both are very expensive in Canada. We used Fairbanks as a major restocking stop and when we crossed into Washington we were out of food and fuel (and beer) so a Fred Meyers was out first stop . The worst of the flying vampires was in the Yukon .
Unless you can sleep in the daylight bring something to blackout your windows and plan your driving hours by time not daylight.
It was a great trip and worth the money spent. Right now you will have a good money exchange rate so it's a good time to go.

After that trip we we finished camping in 49 States, 6 Providences and Mexico twice for a month at a time. Now we are just spending 5 months at our home base and 5 months in Yuma with a month of travel in-between the two.
Denny

 

I'm pretty familiar with the section between Montana and Alaska, since I live and work in that zone. Strongly suggest you plan different routes northbound vs southbound, as there's some great stuff to see. If you just hammer along the flatland from Great Falls to Grande Prairie both ways, that's a missed opportunity.

No input on the equipment, good luck!

 

I went with Rockstar, no complaints.

 

We've camped in all 48 but I'm sure AK will be quite different in many respects!

Our trailer has Dexter Torsion Flex axles so no worries about broken springs, shackles or other suspension items but our friend could sure use something like that on his way-too-heavy 39 foot 5th wheel. He's broken and replaced, mid-trip, two sets of springs. And that was just driving in the lower 48!

 

Do you have a picture showing where the brackets mount underneath? I've downloaded the installation manual but it just says to use the Ford specific mounting points.

Have you noticed how much, if any, the Rockstar flap affects your fuel mileage?

Since they look pretty easy to install and remove, would it be worth the effort to remove them when driving through long stretches of US roads? Like going from Florida up to Canada?

Any idea how heavy they are? The wife can't lift anything so I would have to move them around myself.

This might just be personal preference but I see you have the diamond plate version. Is there any benefit to that version compared to their other aluminum version?

Thank you very much!

 

Man this is exciting! If our camper could survive in Alaska we would do a contract there! I hope one day to at least visit there, and I would love to at least take our camper!

 

have a good trip man. we did it 4 years ago, drove up the alcan up from bc though the Yukon to white horse, Dawson city to Fairbanks, Denali to anchorage, . breath taking fails to cover what you will see,

 

That's a great idea. Do you have a link or source where you got the DRW version?

Our last trip to California was a bit over 10K and during that time I picked up a screw two different times in the trailer tires. The second one I caught before it punctured and was able to remove it from the tread with no damage. The moral of that story is I cannot tell when I'm going to have a flat! The Ford trailer TPMS system is great though, I'm glad to have it for the pressure and temperature. The tires on the TT are only 6 months old now and I'm putting new tires on the truck this winter or spring before we leave.

Wow, that's impressive. I don't think we will be that remote but I'm sure going to prepare like it will be.

I'm still surprised every time I hear about mosquitoes being bad that far north! We have them pretty heavy in Florida so I wonder if I'll notice them as much since I'm used to them.
The wife made blackout curtains for the bedroom a couple of years ago and they've been working really well even when there is a streetlight hanging over the trailer! Plus we have sunshield visors to keep the heat out because we went across the desert last summer heading to a wedding in California (mid August is not the best time of year to cross Texas and New Mexico). Those also help with the light.

Did you have any issues getting diesel or DEF?

Thank you for your time and tips.

 

fuel carry extra , https://www.bellsalaska.com/highway/alaska-highway/

 

Have a great trip.

 

Installed a 40 gallon Titan aux tank 3 years ago. It's been a game changer or should I say a range extender!