Going to Alaska

(This is the first of a series of columns on RVing in Alaska.)

My last RV trip to Alaska was in 2001. It is hard to believe that was already seven years ago. I have wanted to revise my RVing Alaska and Canada book for a couple of years but I wanted to “reconnect” with Alaska one more time before tackling the job. I could have checked the Internet and the Milepost Magazine for the few changes I needed to make, but see, that’s the thing, “I really wanted to go up one more time.” In other words, I was using it as an excuse BIG TIME!!!

Even though we thought gas prices were sky high the last time I drove up, they are considerably more now. For two summers, I toyed with flying up and renting an RV for a couple of weeks or even renting a car and staying in cute little places I had seen on other trips.

And then it occurred to me that a “fly-drive RV rental” package might be the answer for me and other people as well. Unfortunately, unless you have a lot of time this precludes visiting Canada, which is a marvelous part of any driving trip to Alaska.

I mentioned “we.” This time I was sharing the trip and expenses with friends. Sharing the trip came about because I mentioned that I was planning a two-week flying/RVing trip to Alaska. Acquaintances immediately became excited and wanted to go along.

We did not know each other’s idiosyncrasies well enough to make that kind of fast decision. My immediate thoughts were that it would be fun to show other people “My Alaska” and for once, I wouldn’t be traveling solo. They were leaving for the summer within two days so we also never had the opportunity to talk it through. Though the Bentons are wonderful, generous, fun-loving people (that much I knew), this was a really dumb move for all three of us.

They immediately wanted to change two weeks to four. That was our second really dumb move. I love Alaska. Wow! An extra two weeks and it would cost me approximately the same as two weeks on my own. Unfortunately, I let that color my judgment. Two weeks are tolerable; four weeks can be an eternity in an 8.5-foot x 30-foot box on wheels with three relative strangers.

After the Bentons left to go on the road, the rest of our communication was by e-mail and those flew back and forth regularly (in addition to a few phone calls) once they arrived in Minneapolis. Excitement reigned.

Necessities and Pitfalls
First of all, we started the preparation for this trip a year too late. When RVing to Alaska, I usually know a year in advance when I will be heading north the following year, but unless you are taking the ferry one direction or the other, it isn’t necessary to make reservations all that early. With flying/RVing, you need to do three things well ahead of time: reserve your rental unit, make your plane reservations, and get a hotel and car for the first night if that is a necessity timewise.

We made all our end-of-August 2007 reservations the last week of June. I had accumulated enough United Airlines frequent flyer miles for a free ticket from Phoenix to arrive in Anchorage at the right time, but I would have had to wait four extra days for the return flight. My ticket cost $575. The Bentons utilized Northwest Airlines frequent flyer miles.

Ron Benton made hotel reservations. They were getting into Anchorage late afternoon on August 28 and I arrived at midnight. We couldn’t pick up the RV until the next afternoon, so we needed a hotel and car rental. Use any discounts you have in Anchorage because it is an extremely expensive place to stay. We paid $115.45 for a nothing-fancy hotel just off a major highway, in a major city, and not all that far from the airport. We shared this room and it was adequate.

Finding a Rental
Ron took on the job of comparing RV companies via the Internet. He found Best of Alaska Travel ($8,417), USA RV Rentals ($6,487), ABC Motorhomes ($5,738), and Great Alaskan Holidays ($3,967). It was a no-brainer. We chose Great Alaskan Holidays. We rented one of the last motorhomes available and that was possible only because we were traveling at the very end of the season, the season being roughly mid-June to late August.

My suggestion for you is to do the same: hit the Internet for comparisons and record what each company provides with the contract and what it charges extra for other necessities.

The Collision Damage Waiver was $18.95 each for 28 days to a total of $530.60. We were charged $15 for one extra driver. With city and state taxes, etc., the rental cost was $4,743 with a $400 damage deposit. And by the way, the girl who checked us inside and outside when we returned the unit, said she had rarely had one returned in such mint condition after a week, let alone four weeks. Remember, these are “end of season” 2007 prices and we received a $140 discount because we rented it for four weeks.

The Bentons live in a 40-foot bus with no slides and my 26.5-foot Georgetown Class A has no slides, so we would have been happy with a non-slide 29-foot unit. Although they have them, with configuring this trip so late, we had no choices. Our home away from home was a 30-foot Winnebago Chalet with queen bed and sofa/bed room slideouts. It was very comfortable.

Prepare for Cold
Snow parades down the mountains in September and nights are cold. Happily, all units have two deep-cycle house batteries and many times we ran the heater through the night with no problem. We also had a 4,000-watt Onan generator.

We rented an extra lawn chair (two came with it) and a toaster. Other immediate needs were included such as linens, bedding, dishes, assorted pots and pans, tableware, various knives, large spoons, salt and pepper, toilet paper, screwdriver, pliers and thankfully, a broom.

All three drivers were required to watch a movie about the idiosyncrasies of driving an RV. As “seasoned” RVers, we felt it was a very good and necessary introduction, especially for any renters who have never driven anything larger than a moped!

The RV company kindly allowed us overnight privileges in its parking lot both at the beginning and at the end of our trip. Another perk was the company airport shuttle.

I’m a “list person” so next time I’ll tell you how we came up with a necessities list, a shopping list, an estimated route and activities, and an expense list.

God Bless.

Autographed copies of Revised RVing Alaska and Canada ($16.95); Adventures with the Silver Gypsy ($14.95); Full-Time RVing: How to Make it Happen $14.95); In Pursuit of a Dream ($8), and Freedom Unlimited, The Fun and Facts of Full-timing ($9) are available through author Sharlene Minshall, Box 1040, Congress, AZ 85332-1040, www.full-time-rver.com or Amazon.com. Postage and handling are $4 for one book and $1 for each additional book.