Category: Truck Camper

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20250719-21 Valdez to Wasilla, Camper repair

We walked around the riverbed looking for evidence of wildlife. Saw a bunch of OHV tracks and dog tracks, and some moose prints. We packed up and headed to Wasilla.

We had planned to head to Anchorage to find a place to fix Howie, but word is Anchorage can be dangerous. We could not find a campground or place to park near a Hone depot, so after consulting with Kathy’s friend, Noria, she suggested the Wasilla/Palmer area. So we pointed to Home Depot.

Along the way we passed over Thompson’s pass again, and stopped and took some pictures. It looks cold up there, but it was only about 55°. We continued on the the Richardson Highway to the national Park visitor center to check out the exhibits, get a stamp, and take the dogs for a walk. We continued on towards the junction at Glen Allen, and then made the four hour trip to Wasilla. We decided to stop for dinner at a Mexican restaurant, which was fairly decent, picked up a filter for Howie, and then headed to Home Depot. We got permission to stay in the parking lot so I was able to start fixing Howie the next morning.

When we were heading to Dawson city in Canada, the road is in terrible condition and at one point about an hour after we got started we hit a frost heave at about 40 km an hour, and the truck almost went airborne. The camper lifted off the truck and bent one of the anchor points on the driver side, and broke the camper on the passenger side. I wanted to make sure we got it fixed before we headed up to Denali and the Dalton Highway.

I had decided to buy a used camper, and with those always come issues that are somewhat unseen. This side of the camper had had an issue with the previous owner, hitting the jack and breaking the amount points, so a repair was done. I had thought about taking it apart and verifying everything was in good shape, but I didn’t. It turns out the anchor point at the front of the camper was attached through some rotten wood and that bump broke the boards. I ended up cutting out the support underneath the side of the camper and underneath the propane tanks and rebuilding everything. It took about 12 hours and I’m optimistic. It’s going to hold strong now. It amazes me these campers are built with 1×2” boards and 1/8” inch plywood. I’m kind of glad the exterior of this is aluminum rather than the newer stuff which is a plastic fiberglass, because you can pull it off and put it back on pretty easily.

This was probably our most expensive day because we found probably the biggest Walmart we ever have experienced and we stocked up our fridge or snacks, pet supplies, and stuff for the truck. Combined with the hundred dollar repair cost at Home Depot, today set a record. But the cool thing was camping is allowed in the Walmart parking lot so we set up along with about 50 other RVs. Peaceful night when the sun finally set around midnight.

Here are some additional photos from the drive.
https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250720-21-valdez-to-wasilla

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20250719 – Valdez Salmon and Seals

We had a great night underneath the waterfall off of mineral Creek Road. A nice night of free camping. The dogs and I took a walk for about a mile up the creek first thing in the morning. This time of year the foliage on each side of the road is about 8 feet tall, so every once in a while, we got a view. I did see a bunch of raspberries that were nearing ripeness.

We headed into Valdez to stop at the Safeway, the visitor center, the Ranger station, and a gas station called Captain Joes. Diesel is $4.30 per gallon just for reference and although we didn’t fill up the last several days, this one blasted through our daily budget.

Although the salmon went running yet at the hatchery, it was low tide so we headed out to the hatchery on the other side of the bay because we heard that some of the fish road coming in. When we got there, sure enough there were thousands of salmon waiting at the stream mouth. We watched them try to jump up, but the way the hatchery works, there is a fence that blocks them from getting up into the stream. We did find a place where there were some of the smarter fish working on their way around the edges. They are definitely determined. We toured the hatchery, but unfortunately, the salmon ladder was not running. The hatchery said it processes 20,000 fish a day. They separate the males from the female females extract, the eggs and the milt, and then in a very controlled process, they fertilize the eggs in the hatchery. Apparently they release about 300 million salmon back into the ocean each year. We watch the harbor seals go in and out of the mouth of the stream. They didn’t seem too interested in fishing, but were there posing for photos?

We also visited the Valdez glacier lake and saw the icebergs floating as well as a bunch of kayakers. Had some crazy dudes there doing a polar plunge.

We perused around town for a bit, and then decided to head out towards our next destination. It was already late in the afternoon, so we found a side road and camped on the edge Lowe River, a massive glacier stream bed. We didn’t see any moose, bears, or really anything else, but we did find Moose tracks at the edge of the river.

Here are some additional photos from the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/20250719-valdez-salmon-and-seals/

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20250718 – McCarthy to Valdez.

It’s pronounced Val-deeez. Just saying, lol. The drive out of McCarthy was bumpy but uneventful. When we go to Chitna, at the fork of the Chitina and Copper Rivers, we stopped at the ranger station to exercise the dogs and get another Wrangall stamp. Kathy struck up a conversation with the Ranger and learned a bit more about the area. Turns out that log cabin is about the only structure in Chitna that has not burned down.

We continued on to the post office to mail some post cards and make a quick lunch. The 30 miles out of the copper river valley to the Richardson Highway was quick. From there we turned left and headed towards Valdez (Val-deeez that is) and this section of the highway is breathtaking as it winds up the canyons, over a pass, and down into the coastal valley. Waterfalls, rivers, snowcapped peaks are on both sides.

We stopped at the pass and hiked to the bottom of the Worthington Glacier. The funny thing about glaciers is that they are covered in debris and hiking around them is challenging and dangerous. We watched small boulders tumbling down where we were trying to hike and decided this was not a great idea. We did get to see the river emanating from the bottom though.

We continued across Thomson Pass and down the road into Valdez (did you say it,? Val-deez) where we stopped to view Bridal and Horsetail Falls. So beautiful. We made it into town, stopped at the post office to mail some more postcards, and then I almost caused an accident at an intersection that I thought was 4-way. Turns out it was only 3-way which is weird. Oh well; tourists. We headed up to grab a free camping spot up mineral canyon. Camped in a nice pull off next to a waterfall on horsetail creek (different creek). Sounds like our back yard, only louder. We lit a fire and hung out while the logs were converted to ash.

Here are some more images from the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250718-mccarthy-to-valdez

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20250717 – McCarthy and the Kennecott Mine NHS

We camped by one of the old railroad bridges. The Kennecott company brought the supplies into the Kennecott mine and hauled the ore out. This campsite was about 10 miles in on the McCarthy Road. People talk about this road being extremely rough, but it seemed to be in fairly good condition. For anyone who has driven the Mojave Trail this one’s butter smooth.

I didn’t do as much research as I should have on McCarthy and the mine, so when we arrived, everything to the town is blocked off. I probably could have driven across the bridge that had a sign that stated “private no trespassing”, as it is owned by the town, since there is camping on the other side. But instead, I just opted for the $35 primitive campground that sits next to the glacier lake. It is definitely beautiful out here, with the Kennecott glacier and towering peaks in the background.

To get to the town there is a bus service, five dollars each way to get up to the Kennecott mine. Since you can’t drive in, and the walk is about 5 miles one way, a dollar a mile doesn’t seem to be that bad of a deal. Plus, dogs are allowed in the park, and in the town, and ride free on the bus, so we took them along.

I have wanted to visit this park for quite some time, and the Kennecott mine was the number one on my list. It is the most preserved early 1900s copper mine in the United States and in 1998 it was designated a national historic site. The town as well as the US government and some private entities are doing their best to rebuild and maintain the structures in this very harsh environment. The mine itself operated from the early 1900s until 1937 and produced $100 million in profits over that time. There is so much behind the mine that you can’t see, including the thousands of miles of tunnels that followed the veins through the mountain. It is truly impressive what humans can create. This is one of those typical mining towns where the company owned everything, and provided schools, recreation sites, stores, dining, and everything that miners would need to complete the difficult work that they signed up for.

Fortunately we didn’t have to walk the 10 miles, but the dogs were definitely pooped by the time we got back. Up at the mine there’s a creek that runs through the site that the pups had a chance to get some water and do a little swimming to cool off. It’s definitely not 110° like home, but it’s 78° and full sunshine, they can feel hot.

We decided to stop in town, the town of McCarthy, and have a beverage and some curly fries at a restaurant called The Potato. We continued on through town and checked out the Mercantile and viewed a couple of other restaurants. The old town is definitely quirky, beautiful, and falling apart in places. But more people are coming here and rebuilding and it’s kind of a neat place.

The campground is set at the end of the glacier. We were sitting on the shore watching the lake and heard rocks crumbling and falling into the lake. It’s definitely an interesting sound. After doing some research and reading a bunch of information about the glacier, it turns out all of those piles of dirt out there are actually remnants of the glacier they have melted, and are actually still part of the glacier. Underneath all that rock (debris carved for 10,000 years from the mountain) is still a big frozen hunk of ice. What we are seeing is the normal life of a glacier melting and falling into the lake. The lake actually drains off of one side into the river, which itself is impressive in size. I had looked into hiking to the glacier, but after watching all the people yesterday that we’re coming back, the 4 mile trek is very rough terrain, and definitely not suited for our pups. (People were coming back soiled up and returning clip on ice treads). The pups definitely didn’t like the bus ride, they certainly wouldn’t like that hike. We’ll see some glaciers in the pass above Valdez, and in Valdez as well.

The truck has decided to heal itself, and we’re gonna take it and offer some thanks and praise for God taking care of us. Today will only be 175 miles to Valdez, but due to the roads, it will take about five hours.

here are some additional photos from the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250717-mccarthy-and-the-kennecott-mine

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20250714-15 – Dawson to Chicken, AK

We started the day with a fuel up, a water fill, and a drive to the famous Dredge 4 national historic site outside of Dawson. The thing is massive. It ran for 48 years, the first 30 in the Klondike River and then it was disassembled and reassembled in Bonanza Creek and spent the last 18 years dredging the creek. It averaged 0.5 miles in a season and produced over 300k ounces of gold in its life. Pretty impressive. That’s $18M a year in today’s dollars.

We headed back to Dawson to catch the ferry. The line was pretty long and we waited about 4 hours to get across. It’s nice to have the camper for this. After crossing we began to ascend the Top of the World Highway and the truck has decided to start some diesel emissions issue. Apparently diesels are supposed to be run hard and hot in order to keep the emissions system clean. Problem is the roads here are slow and the fuel is not always great and it has had to regenerate frequently. This time it started a regen and 5 minutes later I get a warning that the DPF is full and I am reduced in power and I have to take it to the dealer. Problem is, nearest dealer is Fairbanks, almost 400 miles away. So we downshift, keep the revs up and trudge onward. I killed the codes I could kill about halfway in and we kept moving. We crossed the USA border, chatted with the guards, and continued on to the Welcome to Alaska sign. Another state on Kathy’s quest. We made it to Chicken and decided to sit for a couple of days and do some research, fix some things, and save some $$. The next part might be costly.

While we were in Chicken, we hiked around and took in the sites, wildflowers, and of course the famous mercantile/bar/liquor store/cafe that is all one building and half sunken in to the ground. We had a few beers and talked with the owner, whose mom used to run the place the past 50 years. The inside of the bar is filled with hats, bras, panties, patches, signs and whatever else might be interesting. The music was played on an old record player and you could choose any vinyl in the collection. Kind of cool.

I took some time to fix an electrical problem we’ve been having with the microwave and then I wired up a more permanent setup for the Starlink. I tried to fix the mount system but it will take some more effort we cannot do here. I instead moved the tie point to the lift corner and left it loose hoping the other 3 will keep it in tact. Kathy took to the camper and truck with the little dust broom and a soft towel and Dry-Washed the road dirt from Howie. 100 miles with rain on that highway really dirtied things up.

Now for the Ram truck. We don’t have much of an option other than drive it as far as we can. It’s 60 miles to Tok, a minor stop on the AK highway, then from there another 120 to Delta Junction. There may be a Diesel Mechanic there. If we make it that far, we’ll try another 100 miles to Fairbanks where there is a Ram Dealer. So wish us luck that it gets us there. We have towing insurance to the nearest mechanic, and hopefully we won’t need it.

Here are some additional photos from the past two days. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250714-15-chicken-ak

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20250713 – Frost Heaves and Dawson City

The day started for me with a 3-4 mile hike amongst the clouds of mosquitoes around the little lake where we were camped. It sure was quiet and beautiful out there, somewhere in the Yukon.

We got moving around 9 and stopped a few miles down the road to clear some DPF codes on the truck. I met a nice couple from British Columbia who were traveling in a Northern Lite Truck camper. We traded tips and some great conversation before heading back on the road. 15 minutes later I hit a bad frost heave at about 70 kph that was pretty bad. It bent one of my tie downs and pulled the tie down from the camper. Fortunately the repair that the previous owner made held, but I’m going to have to pull the aluminum siding up and fix it right this time.

We got into Dawson about 2, checked in to the El Dorado hotel, and then took the pups for a walk. Maggie darn near dove into the grass at the park to roll. Such a cutie. We put the pups into the camper and headed for some lunch. We ate at the first place we saw and enjoyed poutine and some chicken strips and fries. Food in Canada is $20-30 per plate here. Fortunately they pay regular wages so tips are not required (information provided to us by Canadians in Waterton Lake.

Kathy and I had a chance to do a bit of tourist shopping and sightseeing around town in the afternoon. We had a couple of beverages at a cool saloon called Bombay Bettys. The bar and room were decorated nice and the shaded patio was nice. We showered and freshened up in the hotel and relaxed in the room. Dawson is a cool old town to hang out in.

Here are some more pictures of the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250713-frost-heaves-and-dawson-city

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20250712 – Teslin Lake to Somewhere

I got up early and studied the maps to try and figure out an itinerary up until we would be leaving AK. I think I’ve decided to skip the DempsterHighway and do the Dalton Highway. I’ve done the Dempster in 2019 and thought Kathy might like it, but the two are similar, and the PanAm highway traditionally starts in Deadhorse. If we skip it, it will help to get us back on budget, and free up some time to slow down. I’ll figure it out tomorrow since we will be in Dawson City, next to the Dempster.

I took the dogs for a walk and then made some breakfast before we headed out. Kathy and I slept well and were rested. We stopped in Whitehorse, the capitol of the Yukon province and fueled up. We also went into a Canadian Tire store to see what it was like. No food or lumber, but pretty much everything else. We picked up some snacks and supplies at the nearby Walmart and dollar store and continued north. We didn’t see and wildlife at all today, with the exception of ground squirrels and construction.

We stopped at another iOverlander suggested site about 2 hours south of Dawson City. The site is beautiful and quiet. It was raining when we stopped but has let up. It’s good as I wanted to walk the pups. We made hamburgers, mushrooms, and stuffing for dinner.

Tomorrow we have a hotel room to clean up and then we’ll explore Dawson and vicinity. Here are some more photos for the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250712-teslin-lake-to-somewhere

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20250711 – Signpost Forest – Watson Lake

Since we left Dawson Creek we have ban driving on the Alaska Highway. We left Laird Hot Springs and drove a couple of miles out of the way, up a forest road to the top and next to some radio towers. A storm came in around 10PM and we slept to the sound of rain on the camper.

It was cold when we woke up, about 34 degrees. We made breakfast, packed up and worked our way down the mountain and then northward on the AK highway. We stopped for gas to ensure we made it to Watson lake, and so far this was the most expensive gas, 2.40 per liter. We only bought 10 gallons, which we probably didn’t need. But better to be safe.

While stopped there this guy asked if we were headed north and asked us if we’d take some gas up to a motorcycle rider that ran out of gas. Why not. On the way, we saw a bear eating something on the side of the road, so it delayed his gas by 10 minutes. We did find him at 45 miles up, just as the guy said we would. While waiting for him to refuel, I noticed there were strawberries all over the shoulder of the road. So we stayed and picked a 1/2 pint.

The next major stop was Watson Lake, which houses the Sig post Forest. It started in 1942 when an AK Highway worker put a sign up to bring home a bit closer. It had grown since. I put my license plate up in 2019 while on the trip with Carl Sevier, and after a bit of looking, I found it again. Kathy added her Dawson plate, signed and dated just above it. If you are there and see us, reach out and say hello.

The rest of the day was driving in the rain and we made it to Teslin Lake around 5. We made camp at an IOverlander suggested spot on the edge of the lake with stunning views of Teslin lake. It started raining again and we slept soundly.

here are some more of the days photos. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250711-watson-lake-and-teslin

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20250710 – The Road to Laird Hot Springs

We drove the 255 miles today to Laird Hot Springs through some more forests and then some breathtaking mountains. The day was filled with wildlife. First a moose and her calf, then a Canadian Lynx, then some Big Horn sheep and their kids, and a herd of buffalo and their calves, and two bears wrestling along the road, and finally some cute squirrels. The 5 hour drive was beautiful.

Laird Hot Springs campground was full and we had the option to pay for a spot in the overflow lot. Nope, just paid to use the hot springs, then used their picnic area to bbq some chops and potatoes for dinner. We used iOverlander to find a spot, but the past few days the trees and lack of cell service hindered calls, etc. So we found a top of the mountain spot with amazing views.

Here are some more photos from the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250710-to-laird-hot-springs

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20250709 – Dawson Creek to Airfield.

We left Oscar at the vet to be cremated and will be back to pick his ashes on the way back down. We had planned two nights in Grande Prairie but after saying goodbye, we fueled up, filled the fridge, and headed to Dawson Creek to Mile 0 of the Alaskan Highway to start the next section fresh.

We took the tourist pictures, walked the pups around downtown, and then visited the museum. We found a nice R.V. park just outside of town and got the planned laundry done and headed to bed early. Neither of us had much sleep last night.

The night was rainy and windy but Howie was quiet and warm. We headed out first thing in the morning up the Alaskan Highway. The highway to Fairbanks is 1525 miles. The route we are taking is 1200 miles to Dawson City. So it’s not a quick run, considering the top speed is 100KPH (62mph). We are doing 200-300 mile chunks. Today we headed to hit Prophet River Wayside Park, about 225 miles.

There is a whole lot of forest on this highway as well as some recent forest fires. One from last year was massive and took out an entire valley for 30 miles. Pretty sad.

We arrived around 4 and made camp. There was a family from Mexico camping there with a YouTube link so I looked them up. They were live broadcasting. At the time so I sent them a note we were camped next to them and would say hello. David and Ixchel are Mi Casita Nomada and they have been traveling since 2023. I talked to them for about 20 minutes and we wished them well. We may run in to them again.

Some other campers at this site were dressed up in some strange outfits and hanging from a board between trees, so I had to ask. The group were training for skydiving and extricating themselves from trees. They were getting on a plane in the morning and skydiving into a remote river location and then rafting down the river.

We later took the pups for a walk and relaxed for the evening. I found some raspberries and wild strawberries near the Prophet River. We miss Oscar and both went to sleep around 9 and slept a full 11 hours. Tomorrow is Liard Hot Springs.

Here are some more photos of the day. https://www.overlandadventureexcursions.com/photos-albums/nggallery/album/20250709-dawson-creek