gonna get this out now.

[MOAK]

We are always in a state of planning our next tour/trip. At this moment we have three trips coming up in less than the next 9 months and another roughly 13 months away. We inevitably find ourselves gone from home for 4-6 weeks at a time. However, as we are prepping for an Alaskan trip all these lower 48 treks are kinda like a shake down run for us. It's a loose plan so far because it is 2 summers away. At that, we are prepping our vehicle for that sort of future. (ie; long range fuel tank, giving us a 500 mile range, increase of water carrying capacity, build out of new shelving units, etc). The trip? Something along the lines of getting west and making a right hand turn at Missoula, getting across the border, taking dirt and gravel roads up through the Rockies, then making a left at the appropriate location and head on over west into Alaska. Once we arrive at the Arctic Circle we'll decide weather to continue north or head south to the Pacific Northwest. I'm posting this up now, as we are interested in two or possible three other vehicles joining us. Understand that we take our time, it is not a race. If we really like a campsite or a region we may spend multiple nights there. Understand that we are planning to leave home very early July and returning home mid September, so at the least, 2 months out and about. So, there it is, like minded people need only PM me with their interest in traveling with us. Peace out.

 

[SteveC-Pro4X]

Yes, I am interested.
My vehicle's range, with 5 gallons in exterior fuel containers, is only about 325 miles. More interior/exterior fuel containers could bring this up to about 400 miles. An in-person meeting would help so we could compare our rigs, discuss gear options and make a "to do" list of mandatory acquisitions and enhancements. My initial question: Is a second spare tire mandatory?
This sounds exciting.

 

[MOAK]

Yes, I am interested.
My vehicle's range, with 5 gallons in exterior fuel containers, is only about 325 miles. More interior/exterior fuel containers could bring this up to about 400 miles. An in-person meeting would help so we could compare our rigs, discuss gear options and make a "to do" list of mandatory acquisitions and enhancements. My initial question: Is a second spare tire mandatory?
This sounds exciting.

Yes, two spare tires would be necessary. Currently, with my doing much research on any exact routing, a four hundred mile range should be sufficient. However, I’ll be extending our range to a bit over 600 miles with a 24 gallon auxiliary tank and another 10 gallons in Jerry cans. Another thing folks fail to consider is seating. It is going to be a lot of time, most days, sitting. We are planning on a major seat upgrade. Our current stock seats are 25 years old, still in good shape, but like my 68 year old frame, not what they once were. Next year about this time I’m envisioning a trip down to mainline overland and picking out a pair of Scheel-Mann seats.

 

[SteveC-Pro4X]

Thanks MOAK. A 400 range "should be sufficient" answer motivates me to do serious thinking about space, weight and gear. I usually travel with an ebike onboard and thankfully it probably won't needed on this Alaska trek. The absence of the ebike will free up space and weight - it weighs about 65 lbs.