On Episode 12 of our RVing to Yukon & Alaska we look at what our road trip cost, discuss some of the challenges we faced and consider any regrets we might have.
To help interpret the costs consider this basic info: our journey took 70 days - important when considering food and campground costs. Our drive was 17,893 kms or 11,141 miles, of which 90 percent was towing our trailer. And we averaged 25 litres per hundred kms, which is 9.41 mpg.
The biggest expense, fuel. Now when we went in 2022 gas prices were at record highs and fortunately at the time of recording this episode those prices are down about 22%. The most expensive gas in Canada we bought was at Toad River on the Alcan at 2.40 Cdn per litre, or $6.95 US per gallon. The most expensive gas we encountered in Alaska was in Homer at 5.40 US dollars per gallon.
Our second biggest expense during the 70 days was for food, this includes groceries and dining out. We ate out more than we expected ….and enjoyed it, but we could have reduced this cost if we’d dined out less. And secondly, food in the north, with a few exceptions, was very expensive. But there were a few exceptions, groceries in large centers like Anchorage or Fairbanks seemed considerably less expensive than more remote communities like Valdez, Seward or Homer, and we also found restaurant meals in Dawson City to be quite reasonably priced.
Our third biggest expense was for tours or excursions. These included wildlife and glacier boat tours in both Valdez and Seward, a Glacier dog sledding and helicopter tour, a bear viewing flight in Homer, flightseeing in Denali and many other smaller attractions. The prices ranged from $10 for a guided walking tour in Dawson City to $680 for a bear viewing flight….per person.
The next biggest expense was for camping. We probably boondocked less than expected but we also found excellent value at the Yukon Government Campgrounds that only charged $20 Cdn per night for dry camping and that included firewood. The most expensive camping was for a full service waterfront site on the Homer spit.
And our final expense to break down was for maintenance and repairs. We had few mechanical issues with the truck or trailer that we couldn’t manage ourselves. We did have our windshield repaired in Dawson Creek for $30 and a TPMS sensor on the trailer repaired in Tok, also costing $30. We also had oil changes in Whitehorse on the way up and in Fairbanks (as well as air and cabin filters} before heading home. Now we should also mention that prior to leaving we spent $1071.85 Getting our truck and trailer ready for the journey.
Challenges!
One of the first challenges we encountered was the effects caused by the frost heaves and potholes encountered. The first time it occurred the lock on our fridge and freezer became dislodged and allowed the entire contents of the fridge to empty out on the floor while we were underway.
We had a stone chip in the windshield and TPMS issue on the trailer - but in each situation we found local repair outlets that were fair, honest and wanting to help Alaskan travelers. We also had to repair our trailer's awning. Mother nature also provided some challenges, whether it was fog driving to Skagway….or a forest fire that shut down Jasper. Each situation required us to be flexible and adaptable.
One other challenge we want to mention occurred in a campground where the electrical supply at our post was problematic. But our surge protector and circuit analyzer saw the problem as soon as we plugged in and shut down the power before any damage could be done.
And the last the challenge we want to talk about has to do with personal and relationship dynamics. This trip requires you and your partner to be in close quarters…a lot. For us it meant while driving nearly the entire width of Canada… while living in a 21 foot box for 70 days.
One thing that worked for us was not feeling like we had to do everything together. Cindy went dog sledding and Terry went bear viewing. And we were ok with that. And having an RV that is separate from our vehicle was also helpful in that respect. If Terry wanted to go off and take pictures on the Denali Park Road and Cindy wanted to stay at the campsite and read a book….it was easy to do.
And finally, we’ve been asked by viewers if we had any regrets. And while we don’t want to dwell on any negativity, sure we had a few.
We do wish we had taken a bit more time so we could have driven the Dempster to Tuktoyuktuk and dipped our toes in the Arctic Ocean.
We regret not spending more time on the Alaska Highway and camping around Stone Mountain and Muncho Lake.
As much as Terry enjoyed the Bear Viewing Flight to Lake Clarke, he regretted not going bear viewing at Brook Falls.
And we both regretted not going halibut fishing in Homer, but the weather just did not cooperate.
Generally speaking, that’s a pretty weak list of regrets and it just shows how amazing what we experienced and accomplished was.