Hello From Alaska

[Wheeldog]

I have been lurking here quite a bit and have found a wealth of information.

The wife and I are "part time" wanderers in our early 60's. I work in the summer here in Alaska and keep an old 5th wheel in Bouse, AZ (not far from Quartzsite). We have itchy feet and use our 5th wheel as a base to wander around the south in the winter.

Our mode of travel is motorcycles. We did quite a bit of tent camping, BUT it's getting old in the cooler temps. We just picked up a small tent trailer to pull behind my motorcycle. The goal is to park in a free/cheap place and ride the roads in the area and move on. We stay away from cities and like to ride rural areas, like Hill Country in TX. The plan is to do as much boondocking as possible as we have a limited budget.

The forum has been VERY helpful with ideas of comfortably living off grid. We hope to spend some time at RTR to meet every one and learn more "stuff" at your seminars.

I am getting excited.......headed south in Nov.

 

[RustNever]

Hill Country is great in the winter. The Devil moves back to Hell in the Summer, Sez its to hot and Humid round these parts for Him.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums! Hope you can make it to the RTR. Information about working in Alaska in the summer will be of interest to some of the forum members. Everyone has something to share and something to learn. Be prepared for windy days. Tents don't always fare well but I'm not sure about tent trailers.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Wheeldog]

Thanks for the welcome.

Stopped in Junction last winter on my way east. Did a little riding in the area, but was raining so moved on down the road in the afternoon. Are there any cheap/free places around Kerrville? Verizon doesn't work in Junction. Hope to spend some time in the area winter.

From what I have read those campers do well in the wind. Guess I will find out.

If someone has experience and a good work ethic.......shouldn't be a problem getting a job.

 

[Patrick46]

Hey there Wheeldog!

I too am a bigtime motorcycle traveler/camper.

What kinda bike do you ride, and what kinda camper do you have??

I've had most all of 'em at one time or another. GoldWings, put lotsa miles on Yamaha Ventures, and I build and ride Harley choppers...AND pull campers behind 'em too!

Here's my latest monstrosity Frankenstein.
It started out as a '96 Softail, but has been heavily stretched and highboyed. The mil is a bastard too, as it's got an EVO lower end with a TC top end. (poor man's stroker engine) 100.3 ci.

We've been pulling our Kwik-Kamp all over the US for many years now. It's the absolute BOMB!!! Before that we had a Trav-Lite camper...but this is so much better now!!


We hit a bad windstorm just outside Yosemite a few years back. I thought it was gonna tear us up...but we did OK. I put up a tarp in a 'V' shape in front of us as a windbreak which I think saved us.

oh....and what part of AK are you from??

Welcome to the asylum...from the Oregon Coastline!!

 

[Wheeldog]

That's a nice looking bike and camper you have there. I like the idea of being able to stand up to get dressed.

We are from Wasilla, AK about 35 miles north of Anchorage. I have an Ultra and my wife rides a BMW Rockster.......they are in AZ. I have a 650 KLR here in Alaska.

I still have a '97 Classic.....I blew the engine and had it rebuilt by S&S......hope to sell it this fall and get my money back. It's old enough that dealer won't work on it any more.....have to find an independent shop. I am not much of a mechanic.

I just bought an '01 Time Out from a friend in El Paso. I will pick it up in November when I head south. I need to get a hitch for the bike, and I think the wiring harness off his bike will fit mine??? I want to set it up to boondock as much as possible.

Took the Ultra to Key West last winter......hotels & restaurants killed the budget. Didn't take the tent as much of the ride was 2 up. I figure the camper will be a BIG money saver.

You live in one of our favorite places.......love that trip and have done it several times. The most fun is on a motorcycle. Got a web page of our first "major" trip around the country 14 years ago and hit the Oregon Coast. We mostly camped in a tent.
http://home.gci.net/~wheeldog/

Maybe we will meet up on the road.

 

[Patrick46]

Dude....you're gonna love your Time-Out!! Those are very popular motorcycle campers as well.

You've done one of the very things I've got planned...riding the AlCan up to AK, and taking the ferry back down.

I've actually trucked up the AlCan twice in semi-trucks...in January.
1 word..........SPECTACULAR!!!!!!

Now I hafta ride it!


If you're ever in this part of the country again, drop me a line! There's alot to see and do in these parts, and I know where somma the best riding roads are!

 

[Wheeldog]

You never know when we will show up on the coast, we LOVE that area.......will take you up on the offer. Thinking of heading to Shasta Lake, CA for a Russell Day Long seat. Your not too far from there.

Just like everyone else, we have a budget for traveling.......can only go as far as the money lasts. Hopefully, with the tips from this forum and our camper, we can spend more time on the road this winter.

Be sure to stop by our place when you get to Alaska......lots a room to camp. We have let folks camp here for many years (no charge). Got a shop to work on your rig. I know most of the roads around here.

I am into trucking too......drive a dump truck up here during the summer.

 

[Patrick46]

I am into trucking too......drive a dump truck up here during the summer.

Thankyou for the kind offer!! I'll surely remember that!

Ha!!...I 'was' driving a dumptruck for the past year and a half, until they sold it 3 months ago. (RATS...I really enjoyed that job too!)

 

[Wheeldog]

LOVE what I do too.......wouldn't trade it for anything. Interesting....I drive a blue Pete too. Mine is a 378 model. Been driving it since it was new in '98.

 

[Patrick46]

yeah, as nice as my 379 longhood was, I'd never buy one to use for a dumptruck. I'd much rather drive a T-800, (for this application) even as ugly as they are.

There were several times when the road would completely dissappear under the hood when I was climbing a steep embankment...I don't like not being able to see where I'm sending my truck!
I was graveling logging roads last winter, and somma those roads were NUTS!!!


I'm an old OTR driver, but now I just paint 'em.

 

[Wheeldog]

We don't have much steep stuff here in the valley AND stay away from areas where it is.

There are some folks living at higher elevations on the way to Anchorage (mountain goat roads). We won't deliver there.......some of roads are so steep you can't shift.

Got a nice little "niche" going here......just deliver in the local area. Only work for small contractors, home owners and do deliveries for gravel pits.....stay away from road projects. Won't even take a load to "Los Anchorage". Eagle River is the farthest south we deliver.

This time of year I can't wait to head south. Come March.....I can't wait to head home and jump in the truck........go figure. Don't think I could retire full time OR work full time. Think I found my happy medium.

Had a custom sign/sticker/tee shirt biz for a few winters in AZ. It got old after working so much in the summer. Didn't pay much and took too much time away from RIDING.

 

[Patrick46]

Ha....this is hilarious!!!! ^^^

(you DO know what I do for a living....right???)

I've own my own sign & graphics business!

I do all the 'traditional' sign arts (hand lettering, pinstriping, airbrushing, glass gold & silver leafwork too). I also make die-cut vinyl lettering and can print decals too, but I hate vinyl!!!
I'm also an illustrator, and produce my own line of fine art prints. (trucking and motorcycle stuff)
I do a bit of custom fab work, and build choppers and hot-rods too.
(here's my old 1950 Chevy Panel SHop Truck...)


That's what brought me here to this forum. Now that the kids have grown, I wanna get back out on the road, and insted of holding a steering wheel for 15 hours a day, I'm planning to work the national motorcycle rally circuit and doing trucking shows, doing pinstriping and selling my own line of T-shirts, stickers, and weird custom artwork. (man-cave stuff)


Your dumptruck job sounds like gravy work!!

Man, when I was working graveling logging roads, we'd be doing long slow spreds down these extremely steep grades with ton's of log overhangs on one side, and a crazy drop-off on the other!! (of course this was in heavy mud to make it a 'bit' more interesting too!) You were afraid of hooking something with your box on the one side, and sliding over the embankment on the other!! No letting your mind wander on this job! :s

Do you do any asphalt, or is it mostly sand and gravel stuff??

 

[Wheeldog]

You are WAY ahead of us in the graphic & sign stuff. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler. We have a bottom of the line vinyl cutter from sign warehouse. ( http://www.signwarehouse.com/specials/Lplus_packg.htm ) Have a bunch of clip art and have stuff made up to sell, but most folks want custom items. Got a heat press to make tee shirts. Think we hit the wrong venue (flea markets). Every one is looking for a deal. Besides.....I about went cross-eyed weeding. You should do ok at the races. Those people have $$$$$$$$$.

We still have the graphic stuff, but just make items at our RV park. I make tee shirts to give to my customers. Gotta treat the scale house girls well as they give us a lot of business.

NICE looking panel truck!!! It took a lot of talent to build that. Park that near your booth and it will draw a crowd.

I had a lot of "crap jobs" when I first started hauling......even had a pup trailer. But now I have been around long enough and know enough people, so I just do the gravy stuff. We do a lot of top soil in the first part of the summer, this time of year its almost all gravel products.

I paved the first 2 or 3 years I had the truck, but haven't since. I would get too many calls where they just needed 1 load then I had the mess to clean up. Then again, they did too when I screwed up and got ahead of the paver.LOL. Ever try and haul top soil after a load of asphalt??

Seems we have a lot in common........you never had a dog team......did ya??/:huh:

 

[Patrick46]

Sorry brother...no dogs or teams.


I'm not gonna work the races either...I'm gonna work the rallys (Daytona, Sturgis, Laughlin, Reno and such.) I'm also gonna do some trucking shows too.

My plan for this spring is to hit and work Daytona Bike Week, (2nd week of March) play around Florida for the next week, (like ride to the Keys), and be in Louisville by the 25th for the Mid-America Trucking Show. (largest trucking show in the world.)

And I don't have my panel truck anymore, as it now lives in Amsterdamn Holland.


I'm just preparing to paint my latest 'little creation' (a 7 year project), and this will be my big unveiling trip for it! (now THIS will get me the looks!!!)


It's a completely hand made 351 Peterbilt, mounted, chopped, and channeled over a 1-ton Chevy dually chassis. It's got the 'economiser' 454 (wished it had a Cummins turbo diesel). This is 100% my own work, and it's finally coming together!!! Woo-Hoo!!! (I did take a year off to finish my bike build though, and still spend far too much time playing on that damn thing!!!)

oh, and I'm also just finishing a 1/4 size customized teardrop to pull behind my chopper. (it should actually be done in the next day or so, so I'll stick a pic on here)


I didn't realize that you were an O/O. I nearly bought my own truck many years ago, but it fell through at the end, and I'm kinda glad it did. I had 3 little kids, and didn't wanna be out on the road for 2 - 3 weeks at a time while they were growing. With the sign shop, I was home all the time, and actually got to spend significant ammounts of time with 'em...so that really worked out much better!

Hope you're doing well......later!!

 

[Wheeldog]

We caught the last day of Daytona last year and went on to Key West. Keep in mind spring break is on then. The 4 lane and cities are crowded. The highway out to Key West wasn't too bad going out.......but .....was pretty crowded on the way back. Go during the week. If you get a chance check out Cedar Key in northern FL. Not crowded and a FUN place to hang out. http://www.cedarkey.org/island.html

Last time I was at Mid America truck show was in '01......fun time. The other show, Great America Trucking Show, was in Dallas in November '00 and we were able to attend, now it is moved to August.

GREAT looking Pete!!! Your right.....It will get lots of attention!!! Hopefully, it won't get too much attention from DOT.:s Does it have a trailer, or a pickup box?? Got any more pics?? I assume you are going to use it to live in while on the road......how is it set up??

Yeah......I am a O/O. It pretty much sucks being an employee. Never could get used to someone telling me how to do stuff. I have been self employed and worked seasonally most of my life. Saw too many people retire and couldn't do anything due to poor health or die.:angel: