Thinking on BUYING a new TT for an ALASKA trip

[castillo2537]

After being traveling across the US for 70 days on my Lexus GX,and camping in quite a few places, I have decided to get a little more comfort for my next journey, which will take me and my wife (we're retired) from FL. all the way to Alaska, stopping for a week in Vail,CO(at the end of March 2010) and again in any national or state park we can find in our way.
Initially we thought in jumping into a niece RV, but money is getting tough to get, so we've decided to really downsize our project to a TT that will make our trip easier . But with some many options on the market, trying to choose the right one is getting too hard for us.
Would you guys who have been in this RV and TT world for a while and have all the expertise in the subject, give us some advise on brands,features and size we can look into?

 

[RoyM]

Will the Lexus be the tow vehicle? I see the 2010 is rated to pull 6500 lb but I doubt that is realistic with the smallish high revving V-8 especially in the mountains.  A 17' with a wet weight of around 4000 lb should be o.k.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Roy got right to the crux of the matter. What you can get depends on the tow vehicle at least as much as your wants and needs. So will you be going with the Lexus or is a different vehicle part of the plan to get a trailer?

 

[Koodog]

Bring your snow shoes when heading out this way. With all the snow we have been getting, its bound to still be knee deep up in Vail in March.
But then this is Colorado and one never knows!

Walt

 

[Carl L]

Dealing with your TT -- your Lexus GX has a tow rating of 6500 lbs.  Allowing 20% for your mountain climbing (altitudes and grades), you should look for a trailer with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 5200 lbs or less.  GVWR is unladen weight plus carrying capacity  --  it is the maximum weight the trailer should weigh.

That GVWR will get you a unit around with a length up to 24 feet with no slide outs.  It should have a queen bed, dinette, fold down couch, decent galley and small bathroom.    You will need a weight distributing hitch with anti-sway provision and on your Lexus you will need a class IV or V receiver.

March will be awfully early for Colorado.  Alaska?  You should plan on Alaska no earlier than very late May or June. 

 

[castillo2537]

Thank you for the information.Certanly Koodog I'll bring my winter outfit on my March 25 arriving date at Vail. And yes I'm planning to be driving my Lexus GX as the towing machine.
The tow hitch is a Calss IV rated for 6.500 lbs so I'll take Carl's advise of looking into a max. 5200 lbs GVWR.
But still need more advise on brands . Anybody can rate the Thorn products now that they have several brands under their roof?

On the other hand I have another constrain on my parking availability. The space won't allow me to garage anything bigger than 19'. So this will put me in a really narrow market and options I guess.
I hope with this new info you the experts can give me more advise on what to do.

 

[Carl L]

On the other hand I have another constrain on my parking availability. The space won't allow me to garage anything bigger than 19'. So this will put me in a really narrow market and options I guess.
I hope with this new info you the experts can give me more advise on what to do.

Yeah, look around for a better storage site for one.

However, if you are going to use the unit in Vail, CO in the month of March, you have me stymied.  You will need an winter serivice unit with thermal pane windows, heavy wall insulation, and insulated and heated underbelly.  The lightest unit in that catagorey is going to exceed your Lexus's limits.  For example the Arctic Foxs 22GS comes in with a GVWR of 7500 lbs.

On the other hand if Vail in March is out, then there is a wide range of lightweight summer vacation rated units to explore.

By the way, you really, really do not want to consider Alaska prior to June.   

 

[LindaH]

By the way, you really, really do not want to consider Alaska prior to June.

I don't agree with this statement.  The shoulder months of May and September can be great times for traveling to Alaska.  Yes, the weather is going to be colder, and you'll have to be prepared to stay over someplace for a day or two if a snow storm comes through, and some services won't be open until around May 15, but other than that, I wouldn't hesitate to cross the border into Canada on the way to Alaska in early May.

 

[castillo2537]

Most of the tips I'd getting on going to Alaska in May are optimistic and even there is the possibility of getting a cold front, seems to be the best time to see most of the fauna around. Now I'm concerned with the type of TT that I'll need and looks like I'm heading a plan change? Looks like the TT idea is getting me nowhere with my Alaska trip and maybe I'll need to start from scratch? I don't have the $$ to jump into an RV, there is no way to camp in the winter (I assume most of the campgrounds and facilities will be closed) and I don't have the budget to use hotel rooms for this trip.  :-\
How can I make this project a reality?

 

[Just Lou]

I don't agree with this statement.  The shoulder months of May and September can be great times for traveling to Alaska. 

If you want the trip to be as enjoyable (and potentially carefree) as the ultimate destination, then stick with the months of June through August.  You can actually get to Alaska almost anytime of the year, if that's the only criteria, but why risk an unpleasant or dangerous experience.

 

[Wendy]

I can't help you with Alaska but the odds are that Vail, Colorado, in March is going to be COLD and SNOWY. You might want to schedule so that you're making a quick pass through Colorado and the Rockies or route yourself through the south and up through California rather than through Colorado, Utah, and Idaho which can all be cold and snowy in the spring.

Wendy
Colorado resident currently staying warm in the California desert

 

[Carl L]

Most of the tips I'd getting on going to Alaska in May are optimistic and even there is the possibility of getting a cold front, seems to be the best time to see most of the fauna around. Now I'm concerned with the type of TT that I'll need and looks like I'm heading a plan change? Looks like the TT idea is getting me nowhere with my Alaska trip and maybe I'll need to start from scratch? I don't have the $$ to jump into an RV, there is no way to camp in the winter (I assume most of the campgrounds and facilities will be closed) and I don't have the budget to use hotel rooms for this trip.  :-\
How can I make this project a reality?

The reality is that you seem to be heading northto places in early spring due to altitude (Colorado) or latitude (Alaska).  In those areas in that season it is prudent to expect winter conditions alternating with spring thaws (think mud and frost heaves).

I lived and worked in Alaska back when -- Class of 1953 Fairbanks High School.  Fairbanks is at 65?N latitude, you will enter Alaska at Tok, which is at 63?N.  Those are subarctic.  Vail is at 8,200 ft altitude -- that is high. 

You are proposing to tow a vacation rated trailer as a novice into difficult conditions.  I have been towing a trailer for 15 years years plus.  I avoid snow and ice conditions like they were poison.  I have been in enough survival situations as winter mountaineer in the Sierra to relish getting in to any more towing a bloody trailer.

Move Colorado to May and AK to June and you have a half way decent trip.

If you must hold to the early trip consider a van conversion which will give you only 2 axles to sweat out and be willing to motel over in the cold spells.

 

[rhmahoney]

My first trip to AK started mid May, 2001. No problems transiting Canada and CGs were open. However tourist shows in Dawson City were closed and would not start till June 1.
In 2006 we experienced rainy conditions along the coast starting July 15. So Do the Kenai first and Fairbanks last just in case you hit similar weather. That year we did Banf first in May and so did not get to the alcan before June and enjoyed more tourist functions along the way.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'd stay down in the AK panhandle and northern BC & Yukon until sometime in June and still expect cold weather and lots of mud when you reach AK proper. 

 

[Carl L]

Someone once said that there are three seasons in Alaska:  Winter, followed by Mud, which in turn is followed by Dust-And-Mosquitos.

 

[Just Lou]

I heard it was two seasons.  Winter and Road Repair.

 

[Wendy]

I heard it was two seasons.  Winter and Road Repair.

I thought that was Chicago ?

 

[Ned]

In Wisconsin, we had 4 seasons.  Almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.

 

[Just Lou]

I thought that was Chicago ?

Wendy, I worked many years in Chicago and they never did road repair.  They just put up signs saying "bump" or "rough Pavement" ahead. 

They spent more on signs than a repair would have cost.

BTW - I noticed that Alaska does the same.  They move the same "Bump" and/or "Dip" signs from frost heave to frost heave.

My last contribution to thread drift....

 

[castillo2537]

Oh Gosh! Looks like most of the advise I'm getting from you guys is to postpone my trip until the end of May.But then I'll be dealing with all the tourist crowds, mosquito season and high prices. I'm start leaning just to forget about this road adventure and jump into a cruise.