Wandering from Tennessee to Alaska, and back, 2023

[Old Greenhorn]

Do the windows on the back of your cab and the front of the camper line up? Years ago I had a cap on my pickup and removed the front cap window and inserted an inflatable boot to seal the space between the cab and the cap. I could open the passthrough window on the cab and the dog had free access to go between the cab and the back as she wished. I don't know if they still sell these, but that worked pretty neat for us and it kept the rain and wind out, except when it lost pressure after a couple of years.

 Have a great trip man!

[btulloh]

That's a good rig you've put together. Looking forward to following your adventure. 

Xnview is a free photo gallery tool with lots of editing and batch processing tools.  I've used it for years and it's been a big help.

Stay safe out there!  Sounds like a great trip!

[Andries]

Machinebuilder, your prep work and planning are great. The "Tule Peak" comment about a dog-like door mat made me grin. My experience is that a truck dog is one of the best travelling buddies, and an excellent alarm system. 
Wondered if you have given sufficient consideration to one of the Greatest Powers in the North Country? The almighty-flying-biting-bug. Black flies hatch out as soon as the snow is gone, and mosquitoe season lasts until the first hard frosts of the fall. I'm only pointing this out because they are a force to be reckoned with, and you want to be well armed. 
DEET permeated clothes, head nets, citronella candles (not effective) and OFF! or DeepWoods Off repellents are sold at every hardware and grocery store across Canada. . . and they do work. However, last summer we (my daughter the shopper) bought one of these to try out.  
I've used it a lot last summer and it performs as advertised. Case in point: I needed to replace a few o-rings on a leaky fuel injector and dreaded the job because a feeding frenzy of bugs would be after me the whole time. The Thermacell on the hood turned the chore into a few hours of enjoyable fixin'it time. What's that called? An epiphany? Yup!
Pick one of these up and use it as directed on the instructions. I'm purty dang sure you'll be smiling and buying the re-fill packs as you go North. They're a new thing and you might not find 'em when you get deeper into remote Canada or Alaska. 
Did you ever read a Steinbeck book 'Travels with Charlie'? That's  good read, and I'll think of it as I read your travelogue. 

[Don P]

I was telling somebody recently about that book, I enjoyed it much more than his book about grapes.
Safe Travels!

[Machinebuilder]

Andries,

Thanks for the review on the thermocell, I looked at them and couldn't decide to buy one.
Next chance I get I 'll buy the rechargeable one. I want to get a head net but haven't found one here.

My plan for bugs. I went to Tractor supply and bought a spray bottle of Premethrin. I think its labeled horse fly spray.
At $8 it's a lot less than what they sell for spraying your clothes. I have a few bandanas i will soak and dry to put on me and the dogs.

I also use Bullfrog Mosquito Coast insect repellent/sunscreen. One trip in Colorado there was some little black bugs eating me alive and a little local shop told me that's what works best for them. I could not find it last year but am stocked up now.

I know of Travels with Charlie but don't recall reading it. My memories of Steinbeck date back to High school or earlier and the Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, and maybe a couple others.

OG both the truck window and the camper window are fixed, no opening, and the headache rack covers them. The dogs have plenty of space. I have remove the entire back seat and built a platform that is level with the center section of the front seat. Gabby usually ends up in the front seat and Sox will lay between the back and the center, He's too big to comfortably lay in the front seat. Both travel very well.

I use Adobe Elements for my photo editing, I may upgrade to the version that includes video. Elements will batch process photos.


I found a really cool website Windy.com. it has all sorts of weather info but it also links webcams all over. I've been watching the snow melt in Ontario and keep wondering when the lakes will melt. The view at Gimli, Manitoba shows the marina and a large boat at the breakwater.

[tule peak timber]

Avon Skin So Soft also works well on the "no see ums". 
  Looking forward to your adventure!

[Hilltop366]

I've been watching a couple from England that shipped their van to Nova Scotia and are travelling all over while they work remotely, they are on their way to Alaska now and are using Starlink for their internet and seem to really like it, perhaps not worth the cost if you are not working as you go.

Safe travels.

Overlanding Sophia - YouTube

[Magicman]

I may have found a negative to the Yokohama X-AT tires. They need to be close to max pressure and they seem to heat up a lot.

I have that exact tires on my truck.  I've been to Colorado pulling a 5th wheel plus all of my sawmill travels.  No problem.

[Machinebuilder]

It's time to hit the road.

I think I've got the tires settled in, 80PSi rear 70PSi front. a bit higher than I've run with other tires.
My air deflector between the cab and camper seems to have reduced the wind noise considerably.

no picture for now

I will be headed over the mountains to take the Blue Ridge Parkway north to somewhere in Virginia.

But first one last load of laundry so it's not sitting here for months.

[Magicman]

Thank You for taking us along, and I wish you the very best traveling. 

[GAB]

Machinebuilder:
I wish you the bestest trip ever.
When we went N & W in 2017 in YT my wife picked up a Yukon Gold Explorer's Passport.  It shows a lot of sites such as centers, and museums that are available for visiting in YT.
I hope you brought a sign for the sign post forest in Watson Lake, and try to not miss the supposedly world's smallest desert in Carcross, YT.
GAB

[Crusarius]

if you need any assistance along the way do not be afraid to ask. 

[Andries]

Bon voyage!

[aigheadish]

Safe travels Machinebuilder!

If'n you find yourself in the Dayton, Ohio area give me a shout! You're welcome to park/sleep in the yard for a bit. 

[Ron Scott]

Drive safe and have a good one!

[Machinebuilder]

Here's a few pictures

I decided to drive over the mountains and jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Cherokee, NC.
I had ridden it on my motorcylce several years ago, the Southern part is a lot of steep winding roads with some beautiful scenery.



 

Some old cabins



 

Some streams with fisherman (Linville Falls)



 

Mabry mill (very deteriorated since the last time I was there)



 

and wild flowers blooming (this is trillium)



 


The Blue Ridge Parkway is also a very slow way to travel and I was slower than anticipated. I spent 1 1/2 days on it and got off near Floyd, VA.
I had told my brother I would be at his house in Northern VA Wendsday noonish. I was only i little late and have spent 3 nice days visiting.

Now I am going to head towards my other Brother Near Buffalo, NY.

[tule peak timber]

Beautiful !

[Machinebuilder]

I found a nice campground near harpers ferry WV for the night 
Brunswick city campground it's on the Potomac River but next to an active rail yard

[Ron Scott]

It's been a while, but some of the scenes on the Blue Ridge Parkway are familiar from my times traveling on it. A great ride.

[Machinebuilder]

I spent the morning in Harpers Ferry



 



 



 



 



 

It's a very interesting place historically.

[nativewolf]

Hey you were just up the road from us.  Neat place.  Important history

[nativewolf]

Harper had a huge family and 1 of his lines are clients, farm has been in the family since the founding of the town and mills.  Altogether we manage 3 farms for that 1 branch of the family. 

[aigheadish]

Man, beautiful photos @machinebuilder! 

[Machinebuilder]

Thanks. I weed out a lot that aren't very good. I've got a couple on my phone that are hard to pot here

I'm currently in Tonawanda NY at my brothers house. Tomorrow we are going to the Pierce Arrow Museum. I should have quite a few pics from there. 

[Machinebuilder]

Pierce Arrow Museum

1901 Packard model C







 

This is an Electric car, Look closely at the back seat. It has dual controls so your wife can be a backseat driver



 

or you could share this tandem bicycle