Alaska Worthy?

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Andrew Belser

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Hey everyone. I'm curious if anyone here lives in Alaska and has a 2nd gen dodge. I have a 5.9l 4x4 and I'm planning on making the drive to Anchorage from South Florida. About 5000 miles. How well do this trucks fair on winter roads? I know we don't have part time 4 wheel drive so how do you go about shifting into 4x4? I've only had to use it to get out of sand, mud, and off wet boat ramps here. Is it safe to shift to neutral while moving and engage 4x4? Thanks for every ones time
 
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aces-n-eights

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I moved from AK down here to the Lesser48 about 2 years ago after living in AK for 11 years. Your truck will do great in Alaska. As far as how to shift into 4x4, i'd check your owners manual - find one online if you don't have one. An older truck i had (not Dodge) i could shift from 2wd into 4wd at speeds under 45mph. I would lift off the gas so the truck is coasting, move the shift lever and then back on the gas. Others with that model of truck will chime in soon, i'm sure.

The best thing you can do to winterize your truck is have good tires on it. I ran studded snow tires in the winter and had a set of summers for the rest of the year. Running a good set of all season tires year around is also a very good option. Check prices at the Costco or other tire shop in Anchorage and compare to down here to see if it makes sense to buy here or wait until you get to AK.

The drive up there is spectacular - enjoy!

Have you considered taking the car ferry from Bellingham WA up to AK? It's a pretty cool ride...
 

JohnnyMac

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I had a 2000 ram QC short box with the 5.9 magnum while I lived in AK. I used it out of Wasilla (4 years) before selling it to an Airman at Elmendorf AFB. He sold it to another Airman when he got transferred and I believe it's still running around in Anchorage. I drove it up the AlCan from Oregon towing a 23' Duckworth Magnum. Was a bit underpowered and averaged 6 mpg, but it faired just fine. It was a great truck and handled everything Alaska through at it. Started up and ran fine down to -20 degrees. I had 35" Nitto Terra Grapplers and a 3" lift with a tuner. Never once got stuck and never had to put studs or chains on it. Only shifted into 4x4 when it was bad. It had the floor shifter and like @aces-n-eights said, I could shift it in and out just fine under 45mph. I would keep a couple jerry jugs of fuel in the back on your trip up because those magnums suck the fuel and finding gas stations on the way up can be a crap shoot. Make sure your tires are good as well because a flat will also suck out in the middle of nowhere. Lots of areas with no cell coverage. Your truck should do just fine.
 

Travelin Ram

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I normally don’t use neutral to shift into 4hi, just let off the gas and coast momentarily while shifting.

Same for shifting back to 2hi. If it’s reluctant to disengage then you have some driveline windup putting pressure on the gears. Which sometimes you can clear by going on and off the gas, or turning a corner. The most surefire method if it’s really reluctant is stop and reverse.
 

El Huapo

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Aces-n-Eights is right on. I shifted my 2001 Ram just like he said while travelling. To go into 4Lo, you must stop---I always put it in neutral and killed the engine first.

Personal opinions here and possibly out of date:
Assuming you drive the AlCan Highway during the summer, it will be a fairly easy trip.
1. Take note that when you see skid marks on the other lane, slow down. That's often the sign of the unwary going the other way, hitting a frost heave (even in the first half of summer, not fixed yet), and going airborne with their trailer. They will hit the brakes and lock the trailer wheels while in the air and skid when they touch down.
2. If you travel the AlCan in the winter, know that they used to have to close sections of the highway for bigger storms and road damage. Plus plenty of the folks who run the handy gas station/convenience stores every 50 miles or so might be gone for the winter---to Arizona. So carry extra mounted tires and cans of gas/diesel.
3. If you take guns into Canada, understand they have different rules. You can call the Border Guards from home and get the lowdown before you leave. They are not to be messed around with. That caution includes the ones at the Alaska borders.
4. If you take a pet, have the shot records up to date and with you.
5. Best if all human-types have passports, on both border crossings.
It is a magnificent drive and the people are terrific. The RV parks along the AlCan *used to be* more economical than in Washington, Oregon, and damn-sure than in California.
Happy trails :fishing1:
 
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Andrew Belser

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I moved from AK down here to the Lesser48 about 2 years ago after living in AK for 11 years. Your truck will do great in Alaska. As far as how to shift into 4x4, i'd check your owners manual - find one online if you don't have one. An older truck i had (not Dodge) i could shift from 2wd into 4wd at speeds under 45mph. I would lift off the gas so the truck is coasting, move the shift lever and then back on the gas. Others with that model of truck will chime in soon, i'm sure.

The best thing you can do to winterize your truck is have good tires on it. I ran studded snow tires in the winter and had a set of summers for the rest of the year. Running a good set of all season tires year around is also a very good option. Check prices at the Costco or other tire shop in Anchorage and compare to down here to see if it makes sense to buy here or wait until you get to AK.

The drive up there is spectacular - enjoy!

Have you considered taking the car ferry from Bellingham WA up to AK? It's a pretty cool ride...
I did consider the ferry!! However, it seems they don't have any operating at the moment. I heard they lost funding or something.
 
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Andrew Belser

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Aces-n-Eights is right on. I shifted my 2001 Ram just like he said while travelling. To go into 4Lo, you must stop---I always put it in neutral and killed the engine first.

Personal opinions here and possibly out of date:
Assuming you drive the AlCan Highway during the summer, it will be a fairly easy trip.
1. Take note that when you see skid marks on the other lane, slow down. That's often the sign of the unwary going the other way, hitting a frost heave (even in the first half of summer, not fixed yet), and going airborne with their trailer. They will hit the brakes and lock the trailer wheels while in the air and skid when they touch down.
2. If you travel the AlCan in the winter, know that they used to have to close sections of the highway for bigger storms and road damage. Plus plenty of the folks who run the handy gas station/convenience stores every 50 miles or so might be gone for the winter---to Arizona. So carry extra mounted tires and cans of gas/diesel.
3. If you take guns into Canada, understand they have different rules. You can call the Border Guards from home and get the lowdown before you leave. They are not to be messed around with. That caution includes the ones at the Alaska borders.
4. If you take a pet, have the shot records up to date and with you.
5. Best if all human-types have passports, on both border crossings.
It is a magnificent drive and the people are terrific. The RV parks along the AlCan *used to be* more economical than in Washington, Oregon, and damn-sure than in California.
Happy trails :fishing1:
Yeah I've been wondering to do with my guns. I heard you can take certian long guns if youre just going through but you have to declare them. The problem is I own mostly handguns and AR's so I think my best bet would be to find a shipping company. Thanks for the info. I did a little driving when I visited my sister in Girdwood. It was February and there was some ice. I was surprised to see how well the roads were maintained. There weren't any storms during the 10 days i visited but the roads were always plowed.
 

El Huapo

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Yeah I've been wondering to do with my guns. I heard you can take certian long guns if youre just going through but you have to declare them. The problem is I own mostly handguns and AR's so I think my best bet would be to find a shipping company. Thanks for the info. I did a little driving when I visited my sister in Girdwood. It was February and there was some ice. I was surprised to see how well the roads were maintained. There weren't any storms during the 10 days i visited but the roads were always plowed.

What I was told the first time North I went was no handguns nor ammo for them, and no "unusual-looking" guns as in SKS, AK's, etc. If it was a long gun that was normally used by game hunters it would like be OK. Yes, they will want to know how many, stored safely and unloaded, etc. I had my revolvers already mailed from a Federal Firearms Dealer in Arizona directly to a similar dealer in Anchorage so no problem.
Canadian Border Guards will assume any USA citizen who owns long guns will probably also own handguns. I told them yes I did and that they were already in Alaska with the Dealer up there and they were fine with that. They weren't overbearing at the border but they were very serious, don't be nervous, they can tell.
 

aces-n-eights

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I just checked the Alaska Marine Highway (the car ferry) website -http://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/ and they have a sailing from Bellingham to Whittier on May 15th. Don't know if that fits your schedule or not... the next one is in June.

The nice thing with the ferry is that you never stop in Canada so you can take your weapons and ammo no problem. You declare your stuff to the ferry guys and they put a different sticker in your truck, but then it's just like going from one US state to another.

Good luck!
 
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Andrew Belser

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I just checked the Alaska Marine Highway (the car ferry) website -http://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/ and they have a sailing from Bellingham to Whittier on May 15th. Don't know if that fits your schedule or not... the next one is in June.

The nice thing with the ferry is that you never stop in Canada so you can take your weapons and ammo no problem. You declare your stuff to the ferry guys and they put a different sticker in your truck, but then it's just like going from one US state to another.

Good luck!
Too bad the ferry is over $2,500 for me. It will be cheaper to drive through Canada. I hear its a slow and boring drive.
 

aces-n-eights

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Too bad the ferry is over $2,500 for me. It will be cheaper to drive through Canada. I hear its a slow and boring drive.

Yes, the ferry does cost more than driving but the fuel, lodging and food costs offset that somewhat. Plus you save the cost of shipping your guns to AK. It was also nice to just sit back and watch the gorgeous scenery of the Inside Passage slide by. That made it worth it to us.

The drive up there is long but i would not say boring. It's mostly 2 lane highway, 100 kph (62mph) limit. You'll see moose, caribou, fox, elk, bison, big horn sheep and probably bears - they're just starting to come out of hibernation now. Great scenery along the way. Be sure to stop at Laird Hot Springs and take a dip in the natural hot springs that are open year around.

Get a book called the Milepost. It will tell you what is available every mile of the trip.

We also took audio books. Nice the hear a story as you go.

Enjoy the drive! When are you planning to go? Is this a military move?
 
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dapepper9

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One thing many many overlook is oil. With the cold Alaska sees, don't run a 10w30 conventional. I would find a 5w30 or better yet a 0w30. If you don't know and that sounds scary, the lower the first number the easier it flows when it's cold enough you'd rather be inside. The 2nd number is the viscosity range when it's at operating temperature. Changing to a 5w30 or 0w30 will help cold starts immensely because the pump won't be trying to suck up Elmer's glue.
 
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