I'm putting in for an assignment to AK, eitehr Eilison, or Elemendorf AFBs. Just wondering if anyone has driven there from the lower 48. I know you can drive and take the fairy, but not sure where that drops you off, and if we do drive it would be from Myrtle Beach, Sc. and google maps has us going into Canada from North Dakota. I figure I would have a winter tire on at the least. But is driving this route possible or are the roads to rough.

Also a side note, if you have done this, did you do it with firearms? Trying to figure out if getting into Canada with them is going to be more trouble than it's worth.

Thanks in adavance, Mike

 

I drove it in September back in '99.
Was a fun drive...drive from Anchorage to NH in about 5 days....about 5500 miles...
Any later, and the ferry would be better....heck driveing the alcan will DESTROY most any car...they are just never the same. Going 4+ hours between passing cars at time, and zero AM OR FM for about 2 days, excluding 15 minutes at a time from low powered stations in tiny towns...
Services are minimal....fuel is ok...but general rule is top off anytime you pass a ststion if you uave used more than a quarter...heck i remember stopping at one station by thr edge of the yukon terrorties that had to start a generator to pump fuel.....
Driving for HOURS at a time faster that my spedo would read ( it was a 92 chevy lumuna 2dr) was interesting, but the 5 mile stretches of gravel that were getting rebuilt were messy.about 50+ total.....and if you need a tire...you are in deep crap if it is not a very common passanger/truck size....
And the frotheaves....talking airborn!!
Guns....they ask at the border...did not have any but in canada it means lots of paperwork, so shipping, just like any wildlife products is strongly suggested.
Even with snowtires, not sure i would do it with less tha 2 full size spares...a shovel, chains, and survival gear....

 

The Alcan Hwy is in better shape from years ago and is a perfectly good road, driveable summer or winter which many do.

Because of conditions, etc, expect some sections at any given time to be in the process of repair so you will be driving on some rough surfaces here and there.

Services and amenities are adequate all along the route.
The best route is simply to drive to Seattle and go up thru Vancouver.

As in any extended road trip a little planning goes a long way.
Make sure your vehicle is in good running order, tune-up, good tires with a spare, etc
and you'll be fine.

You also could have your auto shipped directly to Anchorage if you like , saving a lot of wear and tear on it.
If you want to turn it into a vacation drive that's fine but after seeing a few mountains, forests and lakes they start to all look the same and the drive can become tedious.

Personally I'd drive to Seattle and then ship the car up from there.
Good luck,

 

First things first...get a copy of The Milepost:
http://milepost.com/

I drove up the Alcan this past May in a 26' U-Haul. All the horror stories of broken axles, minimal services, etc...all hogwash and overblown. I found the roads in Canada to be much better generally speaking than the Interstates I took from Colorado to Seattle to the border. The only construction and gravel road we ran in to during the trip was once we crossed the border south of Tok.

We planned our trip through Canada to have no more than about 12 hours of driving time. It'll be a little longer to get here, but it made the drive much more bearable. I called ahead and made reservations along the way, so you have that option.

I'd avoid all guns at the border, especially hand guns which I think are forbidden. Just have the movers ship them up here and avoid the hassle. We also had to toss our fruit and beef jerky at the border into Canada.

A military move allows you to ship one car on the government's dime (assuming you're spouse isn't also Active Duty). Hearing the rumors of Alcan horror, I paid out of pocket to ship my MINI, and in hindsight, I really didn't have to. Although I am glad I didn't have the extra miles put on her!

If you do want to take the ferry and have a cabin onboard, call and book that stuff EARLY.

Good luck with your move...

 

I guess all that construction they were doing in 99 improved things quite a bit. I still will stand by the recomendation of basic survival gear, shovel, etc....the weather can be pretty extreme, and you should have that stuff in your car in the winter, especially in AK...subzero temps are tough on a car, but can kill if you have a motor stoppage and no passing cars to help.
I can honestly say if you view your car as something to be shined and waxed, snd fret over rock chips, ship it....if you don't stress a cracked windshield, or rock chips from gravel/corse sand used inplace of salt in the lower 48 for traction on hills, go for it...
if you are ocd over that stuff....i warn you, a car never looks the same after a trip on the ak highway. It may be a once in a lifetime trip, especially if you have a few extra days, but a winterstorm could make it hell.....

 

thanks guys for all your info, i know there are always openings in ak and that is #1 on my list but if you know anything about the military you know that doesn't mean anything. either way i will be making this drive at some point, just might have to wait untill i retire. but thanks again the info is greatly appreciated.