Airlift missed a golden opportunity. Instead of pushback, they shoud have sent you reinforced brackets to test. Ongoing R&D is important with rigs this heavy. Thanks for the update video Brian.
@@CA-bo6sv I thought that at first, too, but that might not be the best plan. Brian's trip was likely a torture test for the brackets and personally, I'd rather have the bracket distort a bit but still function as opposed to having the energy transfer to another component that might crack actually fail. Just something to consider.
You are the type of guy that I want to Caravan with when I go to Alaska. You have never seemed hesitant or afraid to fix anything. You are my hero Brian!
Luckily, all three of us in our group had some skills and tools. Between the three of us we were able to resolve any issues that came up...which were minimal. Safe travels!
Hi. I have a 2002 Adventurer and have a set of Air Lifts for the rear sitting in front of me. I usually look thru TH-cam for things like you just showed me about raising the side panel for the wheel well. Thank you so much for that info. ✌️
1971 orders to Alaska we got to Whitehorse and found out the orders got canceled went back to back to Travis Air Force got out in 1973 but rugged back then a lot of motorhomes, broken glass, bumpers windshield Thank you for the video. It brought back a lot of good memories. , 1971 Open Rd. 1 ton truck. Beautiful pictures and videos of the trip on CD my wife passed two years ago .
I'm sure those were great memories to cherish with your wife. My parents did the Alcan back in the 80s and also said it was much more rugged back then.
That's the truth! I had a ton of tools and spare parts on the ready. Luckily I didn't have to use them. I guess being over-prepared means you won't have any issues :)
Tito, thanks for the map, very helpful. I'm planning to visit Alaska next year. Any tips and your favorite POIs you can talk about in coming videos would be appreciated.
Glad it helped. I'll revisit the map and probably add more to it when I get a chance. We basically stopped every where along the route that had something to see.
We’ll always wanted to make that trip but after seeing those roads I will not be taking my Prevost on that trip. It’s like taking a boat out in big waves to much damage can happen. But enjoyed the video about that trip very informative.
Great video! Using that clear packing tape was recommended to me by a a windshield replacement guy several years ago. A 2”- 3” piece will keep the chip from expanding until it can be repaired. I also liked the drilling of a hole for the crack. Will have to remember that for the planned Alaska RV trip.
Mosquitoes? In Alaska?. No way. In Alaska, they have Pterodactyls diving down on you. Glad you (and the rig) survived your adventure. Looking forward to more videos. Cheers.
Great Video Brian! Love the pic of our muddy fifth wheel in your last chapter with all the Dempster Hwy mud on it that we picked up travelling from the Beaufort Sea. You are right, most rigs can navigate these more northern routes with little issue. My moto is to make sure you have good well maintained equipment, and issues will be far less frequent, although not entirely absent. We just need to remember to take our time, and you wont beat things up too much. Doing some research before your trip helps a lot too - to better understand the conditions you're heading into.
Yes. Thanks. Planning and proper preparation are key. Plus some situations are simply unavoidable like when it rains on the only route from Inuvik 😃 Glad you got the rig all cleaned up.
Great video. We flew to Anchorage a number of years go, rented a Motorhome and spent two weeks traveling to various points. The brand new class C rental sustained a few road hazards as well. Luckily we purchased their insurance. Great videos. Thank you
A class A windshield is much more vertical than that of a truck or Class B or C and will be more vulnerable to a more direct hit from flying rocks. Thanks for sharing your detailed infor as this trip is on my bucket list!!
I also went with Toyo tires on my 2007 Itasca Sunrise. Don’t know if it’s my imagination or not, but I felt the coach ride was a bit softer compared to my old Michelin tires.
Agreed. Got rid of the Good Year tires that were on this rig and the ride immediately improved. On our class C I replaced the original Michelins with Toyo tires and never looked back. Now I've got them on all our vehicles.
Perfect Timing!!! We are planning on leaving for Alaska from our home base in Olympia mid May. I have booked marked your page. I guess I need to make sure that I have glass breakage insurance. :)
Yeah. You might not want to tell your insurance agent that you're going to Alaska when you add the coverage :) We'll should probably be back by May. We missed the long summer this year. Went right from spring to fall. But it was worth it.
I am ''SHOCKED'' these brackets bent lol, good they honored their warranty! However the new ones like the old ones will bend eventually (I know you know this), they need another 1/4 inch of metal thickness so they don't do this again. Thank you as always for the videos! Cheers from Québec, I like camping like you, whiskey (Evan Williams, now a days) all the way! 😀
Thanks for your experience, yes AIr lift should of sent you better brackets and not make a deal about it. For what they are worth. The dropped the ball on this one.
Very good Brian was not to bad with issues going on a long trip like that, I’m surprised that those brackets bent somebody already mentioned to reinforce them also you could look into an additional sumo spring maybe 🤔
Yeah we really didn't have any major issues. I barely had to take out any tools...but boy did I bring them all :) We'll see how the AirLift bags hold up. Except for the bracket thing, I think they're well built and do the job well.
Count yourself lucky... I did Vancouver to Whitehorse via Stewart Cassiar this summer. Had to rebuild the transmission on my tiffin allegro 34 ft class A when I got home to Vancouver. Coincidental timing, of course, but the cost still hurt!
Was there a factory bumpstop on the motorhome that you had to remove in order to install the airbags ?. I would guess from the photos you showed that its almost guaranteed that the airbags bottomed out due to the road conditions and the force upon bottoming an airbag is substantial and will bend airbag brackets. I've seen this happen on pickups with airbags installed and yet installed according to the airbag manufactures directions. Years back I was up in Alaska and experienced that area of the Alaska highway that seems notorious for the frost heaves and I was following a long front engine motorhome so lots of overhang behind the drive axle and he was towing a small jimmy. He was maintaining 60 mph constantly and I thought at any moment the frame would buckle or tires/wheels would come flying off the unit with the insane punishment that person was putting their rig through. The fact that the towed vehicle was behind and more or less following the road contour showed the stark difference between what it was doing vs the motorhome slamming up and down.
Yes it had the factory jounce bumpers. While up there we also heard stories of busted tow hitches. It was definitely slow going in many stretches of road.
@@RVwithTito Years back when long stretches of the Alaska highway were still gravel ( I don't know the history of when they started paving it ) it was a given that it would be quite a trek and with rains a horrible mess to slog through but when they finished paving it I think people assumed it would be easy sailing but perma frost etc melting down under the road bed just ruins the pavement so what was good is now bad. I think that has caught a lot of travellers by surprise and not in a good way !. Most RV's and vehicles for that matter are just not designed for that type of road and the trail of parts tells the tale as you heard and saw. Pretty much need a Baha trophy truck to travel those sections at speed. My dad had travelled up there a couple of times with two different large motorhomes and pulled a boat all the way up there one of those times, he must have taken it easy and the road may have been better then, somehow came out of it fairly unscathed.
You might be surprised at the cost of a windshield replacement. My Tiffin Allegro one piece windshield cost almost $4,000 to replace. Thank goodness for insurance. Hopefully your split Windshield won't be that expensive.
@@RVwithTito I think this is the reason why I haven't taken a trip to Alaska. I've heard so many terrible stories about bad roads and chipped windshields that we decided not to go there.
Another fine productive video.... Your always well presented details are really appreciated. I had airbags on my older RV on a Chevy chassis that came from the manuf. with the rig. They did not last very long as the bags failed. That made me essentially anti-airbag. However, your trip certainly changed my mind as I was stunned to see the meaty bracket failed but, not the bags. They must have a much stronger polymer in the bag material. I couldn't tell, but I am assuming you have air-pressure lines running to each bag to allow adjustment, etc. Curious, what pressure worked best for your RV and how did you adjust it while on the road....DL
Aside from those rear brackets, the bags themselves were certainly good to go. I ran the hoses inside a nearby compartment and have a hardwired air compressor nearby. The fill line for front bags are inside the wheel well near the top (easy to get to). I kept the fronts at 30psi and rear bags between 50-60psi. Now I keep the rear bags around 30psi unless I need an extra inch or two of extra clearance. I had these on the rear of our Class C also and installed the on-board compressor. It worked fine with the bluetooth remote but only supported two bags. I opted just to do it manually this time.
Another reason to add to my list of negatives to buying a class A motorhome the windshield is a rock magnet. Those airbag brackets look thin and cheaply made like lot of stuff these days. I think I would make some custom brackets with higher quality steel.
So incredibly short sighted of the airbag system manufacturer to give you pushback. So many people will be very hesitant to purchase from them now that they know what you went through. The best move (regardless of reason) they could have made was to cheerily send you the new brackets with a smile on their face and give you a follow up call from the president of the company. That would have been worth its weight in gold public relations wise. Honestly, just how much money did those pieces of metal cost them versus the number of orders that they lost by being jerks. Stupid is as stupid does. Stupid stupid stupid!!!
I agree. They just wouldn't get back to me and wanted me to purchase new brackets. I even read the fine print of the warranty. They couldn't back up their claim that they weren't supported. I did not mention the TH-cam channel so I could get a real sense for how they'd handle this situation. I was about to cave and buy replacement brackets to get it done, but thought I'd try one last time. The before/after pictures I sent didn't lie. They made it sound like they were doing me a special, one time favor. You're right. I wasn't asking for new air-bags...just the brackets. Not the experience I was expecting.
Oh yeah. You'll be fine. There were rigs of all shapes and sizes. Most of the dirt/gravel/construction zones are in Canada. Just take it slower on the bouncy parts.
@@gtj2020 It's your call, but I don't think it's necessary since you have to front facing windows. If the tires on your trailer extended beyond the frame, then maybe.
Living in Alaska you just get used to having a cracked windshield. They use traction aggregate aka rocks and sand on the roads in the winter instead of salt and those rocks will chip your windshield.
My biggest concern with those air bag brackets is how little vertical connection to the frame there is. That's allot of force leveraged against the web of the frame. I would be watching for the frame web bending at the connection points. Those brackets really should be almost the full height of the frame to properly transfer the forces to the flanges of the C frame rather than mid section of the web.
Makes sense. I guess they are working around existing equipment and trying to use existing mounting holes as an aftermarket product. I had to drill a few new holes anyway which was not fun.
Brian - Just wondering how your toad made-out considering all the rocks being thrown up at your windshield? Did you take any precautions to protect the toad?
Aside from getting dirty, our toad survived without issue. We always cover our windshield when towing (a lesson learned many years ago driving through a construction zone). It's a cheap black cover that I got for about $20 over a decade ago and wraps around into the door frame. It has definitely saved us on many occasions. Our friends didn't have windshield covers (at first) and had some damage. If you're toad has decent road clearance then that will help. With low clearance you're much more prone to damage. Hope that helps.
In 2019 we drove our truck and 5th wheel up to Alaska. Only got 1 rock chip just before getting to Dawson Creek. It was a great idea to have your own rock repair set up with you. Yes the roads can be BAD. We took the Tok cut off on the way into Alaska. Between the bad roads and the road construction, it took us 5 hours to go the 150 miles to Glennallen. Did you use the Mile Post book? We found it to be invaluable and wouldn't drive to Alaska without it. When you traveled where did you keep your spare tire? Were you able to get it into one of your storage bays? Thanks for another great video!!!
We did use the Milepost book a lot in Canada...not so much in Alaska. We actually have a spare tire mounted under the rear of the RV so I just replaced the existing spare with a new one.
Hello Kirk here. I have a 2000 winnebago adventurer like yours. Thank you for all the awesome information. I plan on doing the air suspension and new shocks. She has 113,000 mile still drives awesome. I am redoing the inside to match modern style. If there were a structural plate welded on the top Angled to the frame with a bolt would that Make it so the plate does not bend again?.
Thanks. Good to know. That might limit access to air line and mounting bolts on the top which are already difficult to get to. The pass side also has an LP line right above next to the frame. 🤔
Brian, drill a hole at the end of the crack and create a new bullseye/star and of course fill with resin, etc, it's scary but I did it about five years ago on an auto windshield and its still holding, crack has not progressed, might buy you some more time before you have to purchase a new one. Worth a try especially since your'e already planning to replace it, If it works, great, if it doesn't, you experimented with a $20 repair kit, maybe a worthwhile investment for your next video.
Thanks for the tip. Funny. I thought of trying that while on the trip and stopped myself just in case it went south on me. I might be worth trying now. I think I got enough resin in there near the end of the crack, but you're right. There's no external crack for it to seep into without creating a hole. Instead of a bunch of kits, I'm going to start carrying a bottle of just the resin. They don't give you much in the kits.
@@RVwithTito You probably already know this, and I think its in the resin kit instructions, but only drill halfway through to the laminate in the middle, I presume RV windshields are made the same as auto glass with a clear laminate between an inner and outer layers of glass, good luck
Brian, possibly the windshield crack is also caused by the steel windshield frame rusting, combined with the rough roads. This is a known issue with the Winnebago vintage you have. We have a 2007 Journey and our second windshield pane has just started to leak caused by rust on the windshield frame.
@@markheene8852 That's very possible. There's been some leaking as well this year, but I've stopped it with a bunch of silicon. I was unaware of this known issue. So THANKS!
Hey, it a puzzle for me about going to Alaska ? High crime, log truck rocks, trash your rig for what. Not worth it. Everyone that i know that has gone has had problem and repairs. Most windshield, slidouts damage due to roads. Expensive. Rather go along the Pacific Coast and camp on the water there lot less drama.
The points you make are valid except for high crime. Not sure where you're referring to. Besides seeing a couple sketchy folks in a parking lot, we always felt safe and met a lot of great people. Those are definitely things to consider when deciding to make the trip.
Let us know the windshield and light cover repair cost i bet that will be around $1200.00 their should be a windshield armour like a protective shield layer of plastic or something
I have windshield coverage on my insurance. So hopefully $100 will be my out of pocket. I already have replacement lights (amzn.to/3hGUm7n) and will probably work on that today. They are 3" lights.
@@RVwithTito I have a single pump system on my 2012 Georgetown 351 DS. I find by running at 25 psi on all four corners, gives me the most smoothest ride. Thanks…
Yes. The sun wasn't at its peak, but the days are long. Towards the end of the trip we started to get a bunch of rain for days on end and had to run the generator a couple times to push some juice back in. Apparently fall starts in August. Here's an update th-cam.com/video/ZZn_A1zCPwE/w-d-xo.html
How are the SnapPads working out on the jacks. Had any problem with the added weight slowing the rate of the jacks retracting? I am thinking of adding them to our 2007 Journey but concerned they might create issues with retraction. Thanks for the great videos.
They're fine. I only have them on the rear and they don't slow down the jacks coming up. After replaced the springs they come up without any trouble. My front jacks are different shaped (kind of rectangular) so the other two snap pads won't fit.
Love your videos, so much useful information. My wife and I had a Travel trailer for the last 15 years and have sold it but are looking at a used Motorhome for our next adventures. On average how many miles can you travel on a tank of fuel ? I believe you have a seventy five gallon tank if I am not mistaken. Love the Mods you have made to this rig and the Class C you had.
Yes a 75 gallon tank will take us roughly 450 miles. I try to refill somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 full. Our friends had large diesel pushers with larger tanks than us. So I was always refilling whenever I had the chance. They were very mindful of finding the best deal (typically at a Costco) since they're filling 100 - 110 gallons of diesel which was more expensive.
I watch rv-ers do the Alaska thing... and it convinces me to not do it on my own. I have a B+ but no way I will tackle it. It looks so beautiful, but I may have to pass on it.
It's a long haul. Over 90% is pretty normal with a small percentage dirt/gravel/etc with no real detours. Lots of folks we met rode up by ferry out of Bellingham, WA then back. It's not cheap, but still a good way to do it. What I will say is that, despite the challenges, we really enjoyed our time in Canada as much if not more than in Alaska. Final note. We've been RVing for over 15 years and never thought we'd do this trip either until friends talked us into going with them. No regrets. It was a journey of a lifetime.
Hello..on an unrelated subject. Have you had any experience using a Telma electromagnetic drive line brake? Driving a 1994 gas powered Flair Class A, a Jake Brake is not an option.
Hmm I wonder. I double checked the torque specs today just to make sure I didn't under torque it. We'll see how it goes. I don't anticipate driving in those conditions any time soon. We do go off-the-beaten path quite a bit, but not at higher speeds.
It's a bummer since they are rated for this chassis/weight. It certainly is an improvement, but now I have to keep an eye on it. I had them on the Class C as well with no issues.
You cut away from your slid adjustment. Didn't look like you were able to get it leveled out, by using those screws? Might keep someone from going to all that trouble for nothing.
Good you stuck with it to get replacement items I've done the same, mine started in the 80s really you think I have nothing better to do than lay down in your parking lol and pull a starter out for no reason come on really lol shucks in North Seattle good memories lol
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Keep the old brackets and take them to a fabrication shop. Have them straightened them and weld in some gussets. So when it happens again…
Good idea. I do plan on keeping them because steel is expensive and I need things to practice my welding on :)
Airlift missed a golden opportunity. Instead of pushback, they shoud have sent you reinforced brackets to test. Ongoing R&D is important with rigs this heavy. Thanks for the update video Brian.
Right?! As others have said...short sighted.
@@RVwithTito I would have taken the new brackets and had them reinforced, as they will bend again.
@@CA-bo6sv I was thinking the same thing. It shouldn't take too much to add a little extra to it.
@@CA-bo6sv I thought that at first, too, but that might not be the best plan. Brian's trip was likely a torture test for the brackets and personally, I'd rather have the bracket distort a bit but still function as opposed to having the energy transfer to another component that might crack actually fail. Just something to consider.
You are the type of guy that I want to Caravan with when I go to Alaska. You have never seemed hesitant or afraid to fix anything. You are my hero Brian!
Luckily, all three of us in our group had some skills and tools. Between the three of us we were able to resolve any issues that came up...which were minimal. Safe travels!
The ultimate test! Well done!
Thanks. Definitely put em to the test 😃
Hi. I have a 2002 Adventurer and have a set of Air Lifts for the rear sitting in front of me. I usually look thru TH-cam for things like you just showed me about raising the side panel for the wheel well. Thank you so much for that info. ✌️
Glad to help. Best of luck with the install.
1971 orders to Alaska we got to Whitehorse and found out the orders got canceled went back to back to Travis Air Force got out in 1973 but rugged back then a lot of motorhomes, broken glass, bumpers windshield Thank you for the video. It brought back a lot of good memories. , 1971 Open Rd. 1 ton truck. Beautiful pictures and videos of the trip on CD my wife passed two years ago .
I'm sure those were great memories to cherish with your wife. My parents did the Alcan back in the 80s and also said it was much more rugged back then.
Really a good thing to take care of problems when they are smaller helps.
That's the truth! I had a ton of tools and spare parts on the ready. Luckily I didn't have to use them. I guess being over-prepared means you won't have any issues :)
12:35, "I was shocked by that", good pun!
Tito, thanks for the map, very helpful. I'm planning to visit Alaska next year. Any tips and your favorite POIs you can talk about in coming videos would be appreciated.
Glad it helped. I'll revisit the map and probably add more to it when I get a chance. We basically stopped every where along the route that had something to see.
You have got to pave that parking spot. I cannot help but hurt for you every time you go under the RV. Thank you for sharing you adventures.
I agree :) Can't pave the whole thing though due to building code restrictions.
We’ll always wanted to make that trip but after seeing those roads I will not be taking my Prevost on that trip. It’s like taking a boat out in big waves to much damage can happen. But enjoyed the video about that trip very informative.
Glad y’all had fun and not too bad on damages
Yes. We survived and had an amazing time.
Great video! Using that clear packing tape was recommended to me by a a windshield replacement guy several years ago. A 2”- 3” piece will keep the chip from expanding until it can be repaired. I also liked the drilling of a hole for the crack. Will have to remember that for the planned Alaska RV trip.
Class A windshields are large targets, but I've talked to others in truck campers or smaller rigs that made the trip without any rock chips.
Mosquitoes? In Alaska?. No way. In Alaska, they have Pterodactyls diving down on you. Glad you (and the rig) survived your adventure. Looking forward to more videos. Cheers.
Yeah. Definitely stay covered up and don't stand still :)
Great Video Brian! Love the pic of our muddy fifth wheel in your last chapter with all the Dempster Hwy mud on it that we picked up travelling from the Beaufort Sea. You are right, most rigs can navigate these more northern routes with little issue. My moto is to make sure you have good well maintained equipment, and issues will be far less frequent, although not entirely absent. We just need to remember to take our time, and you wont beat things up too much. Doing some research before your trip helps a lot too - to better understand the conditions you're heading into.
Yes. Thanks. Planning and proper preparation are key. Plus some situations are simply unavoidable like when it rains on the only route from Inuvik 😃 Glad you got the rig all cleaned up.
Great video. We flew to Anchorage a number of years go, rented a Motorhome and spent two weeks traveling to various points. The brand new class C rental sustained a few road hazards as well. Luckily we purchased their insurance.
Great videos. Thank you
Probably a great way to do it if you're worried about damage to your own rig.
@@RVwithTito you bet!
Thanks to both of you! I have a Class C and Alaska is on my retirement list. :) Your solar vids have helped a bunch!
Glad to hear it. It will be an adventure :)
Great follow up vid Brian. Wish we went with all of you. Now get to work 🔧
Thanks buddy. Yeah. The list is long and I'm never bored 😃
Ahhhh frost heaves. The cause of many accidents and yearly alignments here in New Hampshire! haha
Makes sense. It was the first time I encountered those. Now I know :)
A class A windshield is much more vertical than that of a truck or Class B or C and will be more vulnerable to a more direct hit from flying rocks. Thanks for sharing your detailed infor as this trip is on my bucket list!!
Very true. I don't think I ever got a rock chip in our Class C after 13 years of driving it.
Great video
Thanks!
Tito...the RV MacGyver! Hope to get to Alaska in our 2015 Southwind 34A, thanks for the great travel map!
You bet! Glad it's helpful. I'll keep adding to the map when I get a chance.
Thanks!
You bet! Thanks for the support.
I also went with Toyo tires on my 2007 Itasca Sunrise. Don’t know if it’s my imagination or not, but I felt the coach ride was a bit softer compared to my old Michelin tires.
Agreed. Got rid of the Good Year tires that were on this rig and the ride immediately improved. On our class C I replaced the original Michelins with Toyo tires and never looked back. Now I've got them on all our vehicles.
Great episode, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Perfect Timing!!! We are planning on leaving for Alaska from our home base in Olympia mid May. I have booked marked your page. I guess I need to make sure that I have glass breakage insurance. :)
Yeah. You might not want to tell your insurance agent that you're going to Alaska when you add the coverage :) We'll should probably be back by May. We missed the long summer this year. Went right from spring to fall. But it was worth it.
I am ''SHOCKED'' these brackets bent lol, good they honored their warranty! However the new ones like the old ones will bend eventually (I know you know this), they need another 1/4 inch of metal thickness so they don't do this again. Thank you as always for the videos! Cheers from Québec, I like camping like you, whiskey (Evan Williams, now a days) all the way! 😀
Thanks for your experience, yes AIr lift should of sent you better brackets and not make a deal about it. For what they are worth. The dropped the ball on this one.
I think so too :)
Very good Brian was not to bad with issues going on a long trip like that, I’m surprised that those brackets bent somebody already mentioned to reinforce them also you could look into an additional sumo spring maybe 🤔
Yeah we really didn't have any major issues. I barely had to take out any tools...but boy did I bring them all :) We'll see how the AirLift bags hold up. Except for the bracket thing, I think they're well built and do the job well.
Count yourself lucky... I did Vancouver to Whitehorse via Stewart Cassiar this summer. Had to rebuild the transmission on my tiffin allegro 34 ft class A when I got home to Vancouver. Coincidental timing, of course, but the cost still hurt!
Oh wow! Yeah. We came down the Cassiar on our return trip. Kind a blew through it in 2 days from Watson Lake :)
Was there a factory bumpstop on the motorhome that you had to remove in order to install the airbags ?. I would guess from the photos you showed that its almost guaranteed that the airbags bottomed out due to the road conditions and the force upon bottoming an airbag is substantial and will bend airbag brackets. I've seen this happen on pickups with airbags installed and yet installed according to the airbag manufactures directions. Years back I was up in Alaska and experienced that area of the Alaska highway that seems notorious for the frost heaves and I was following a long front engine motorhome so lots of overhang behind the drive axle and he was towing a small jimmy. He was maintaining 60 mph constantly and I thought at any moment the frame would buckle or tires/wheels would come flying off the unit with the insane punishment that person was putting their rig through. The fact that the towed vehicle was behind and more or less following the road contour showed the stark difference between what it was doing vs the motorhome slamming up and down.
Yes it had the factory jounce bumpers. While up there we also heard stories of busted tow hitches. It was definitely slow going in many stretches of road.
@@RVwithTito Years back when long stretches of the Alaska highway were still gravel ( I don't know the history of when they started paving it ) it was a given that it would be quite a trek and with rains a horrible mess to slog through but when they finished paving it I think people assumed it would be easy sailing but perma frost etc melting down under the road bed just ruins the pavement so what was good is now bad. I think that has caught a lot of travellers by surprise and not in a good way !. Most RV's and vehicles for that matter are just not designed for that type of road and the trail of parts tells the tale as you heard and saw. Pretty much need a Baha trophy truck to travel those sections at speed. My dad had travelled up there a couple of times with two different large motorhomes and pulled a boat all the way up there one of those times, he must have taken it easy and the road may have been better then, somehow came out of it fairly unscathed.
You might be surprised at the cost of a windshield replacement. My Tiffin Allegro one piece windshield cost almost $4,000 to replace. Thank goodness for insurance. Hopefully your split Windshield won't be that expensive.
Yeah. That's spendy. I'll be using insurance for sure.
We spent the spring and summer there also. We know what can happen. Ours is at the factory now. 10000 miles.
Maybe we passed each other on the road somewhere :)
@@RVwithTito could be, we are in a 43 foot
Good video, safe travels.
Thanks!
Airbag brackets are way too thin. Should be at least 1/4" thick.
Thicker the better.
Great video Tito...
Hey Hector. Thanks!
@@RVwithTito I think this is the reason why I haven't taken a trip to Alaska. I've heard so many terrible stories about bad roads and chipped windshields that we decided not to go there.
Another fine productive video....
Your always well presented details are really appreciated.
I had airbags on my older RV on a Chevy chassis that came from the manuf. with the rig. They did not last very long as the bags failed. That made me essentially anti-airbag. However, your trip certainly changed my mind as I was stunned to see the meaty bracket failed but, not the bags. They must have a much stronger polymer in the bag material. I couldn't tell, but I am assuming you have air-pressure lines running to each bag to allow adjustment, etc. Curious, what pressure worked best for your RV and how did you adjust it while on the road....DL
Aside from those rear brackets, the bags themselves were certainly good to go. I ran the hoses inside a nearby compartment and have a hardwired air compressor nearby. The fill line for front bags are inside the wheel well near the top (easy to get to). I kept the fronts at 30psi and rear bags between 50-60psi. Now I keep the rear bags around 30psi unless I need an extra inch or two of extra clearance. I had these on the rear of our Class C also and installed the on-board compressor. It worked fine with the bluetooth remote but only supported two bags. I opted just to do it manually this time.
Thank you we are planning to go next year but we’re going to take a route through Montana Calgary Banff Dawson Fairbanks Anchorage Homer Kenai
Pretty much sounds like the route we took. Enjoy!
Another reason to add to my list of negatives to buying a class A motorhome the windshield is a rock magnet. Those airbag brackets look thin and cheaply made like lot of stuff these days. I think I would make some custom brackets with higher quality steel.
Thanks for sharing the map
No problem 👍I'll keep updating it with more photos and stuff when I get a chance.
So incredibly short sighted of the airbag system manufacturer to give you pushback. So many people will be very hesitant to purchase from them now that they know what you went through. The best move (regardless of reason) they could have made was to cheerily send you the new brackets with a smile on their face and give you a follow up call from the president of the company. That would have been worth its weight in gold public relations wise. Honestly, just how much money did those pieces of metal cost them versus the number of orders that they lost by being jerks. Stupid is as stupid does. Stupid stupid stupid!!!
I agree. They just wouldn't get back to me and wanted me to purchase new brackets. I even read the fine print of the warranty. They couldn't back up their claim that they weren't supported. I did not mention the TH-cam channel so I could get a real sense for how they'd handle this situation. I was about to cave and buy replacement brackets to get it done, but thought I'd try one last time. The before/after pictures I sent didn't lie. They made it sound like they were doing me a special, one time favor. You're right. I wasn't asking for new air-bags...just the brackets. Not the experience I was expecting.
@@RVwithTito welcome to 'getting hosed'. Now you know why my equipment is old, battered and beat-up. Pre-broken-in.
Forget that. Officially scrapped from our list, cruise added.
Love the vids, how about an f250 4x4 and HQ19 Black Series camper for Alaska roads?
Oh yeah. You'll be fine. There were rigs of all shapes and sizes. Most of the dirt/gravel/construction zones are in Canada. Just take it slower on the bouncy parts.
@@RVwithTito as a side thought would it be worth it to cover exterior windows of trailer for protection? Protective film?
@@gtj2020 It's your call, but I don't think it's necessary since you have to front facing windows. If the tires on your trailer extended beyond the frame, then maybe.
Living in Alaska you just get used to having a cracked windshield. They use traction aggregate aka rocks and sand on the roads in the winter instead of salt and those rocks will chip your windshield.
I figured it is just one of those things you just accept after a while :) I really enjoyed it there. Lots of cool folks.
My biggest concern with those air bag brackets is how little vertical connection to the frame there is. That's allot of force leveraged against the web of the frame. I would be watching for the frame web bending at the connection points. Those brackets really should be almost the full height of the frame to properly transfer the forces to the flanges of the C frame rather than mid section of the web.
Makes sense. I guess they are working around existing equipment and trying to use existing mounting holes as an aftermarket product. I had to drill a few new holes anyway which was not fun.
I was thinking the same thing. Not a good engineering design (as it is) in my opinion.
Brian - Just wondering how your toad made-out considering all the rocks being thrown up at your windshield? Did you take any precautions to protect the toad?
Aside from getting dirty, our toad survived without issue. We always cover our windshield when towing (a lesson learned many years ago driving through a construction zone). It's a cheap black cover that I got for about $20 over a decade ago and wraps around into the door frame. It has definitely saved us on many occasions. Our friends didn't have windshield covers (at first) and had some damage. If you're toad has decent road clearance then that will help. With low clearance you're much more prone to damage. Hope that helps.
So my question is, would you do it again? We want to go in a couple of years. Lynn and Danny
Wrap your wind shield and it will reduce
In 2019 we drove our truck and 5th wheel up to Alaska. Only got 1 rock chip just before getting to Dawson Creek. It was a great idea to have your own rock repair set up with you. Yes the roads can be BAD. We took the Tok cut off on the way into Alaska. Between the bad roads and the road construction, it took us 5 hours to go the 150 miles to Glennallen. Did you use the Mile Post book? We found it to be invaluable and wouldn't drive to Alaska without it. When you traveled where did you keep your spare tire? Were you able to get it into one of your storage bays? Thanks for another great video!!!
We did use the Milepost book a lot in Canada...not so much in Alaska. We actually have a spare tire mounted under the rear of the RV so I just replaced the existing spare with a new one.
@@RVwithTito I wish our Winnebago Vista 30T has a place for a spare tire.
@@stewartmhyre1528 That's a bummer. Our Class C also had a spare tire underneath.
Hello Kirk here. I have a 2000 winnebago adventurer like yours. Thank you for all the awesome information. I plan on doing the air suspension and new shocks. She has 113,000 mile still drives awesome. I am redoing the inside to match modern style. If there were a structural plate welded on the top Angled to the frame with a bolt would that Make it so the plate does not bend again?.
Thanks. Good to know. That might limit access to air line and mounting bolts on the top which are already difficult to get to. The pass side also has an LP line right above next to the frame. 🤔
@@RVwithTito oh ok got it thank you. Be safe.
Brian, drill a hole at the end of the crack and create a new bullseye/star and of course fill with resin, etc, it's scary but I did it about five years ago on an auto windshield and its still holding, crack has not progressed, might buy you some more time before you have to purchase a new one. Worth a try especially since your'e already planning to replace it, If it works, great, if it doesn't, you experimented with a $20 repair kit, maybe a worthwhile investment for your next video.
Thanks for the tip. Funny. I thought of trying that while on the trip and stopped myself just in case it went south on me. I might be worth trying now. I think I got enough resin in there near the end of the crack, but you're right. There's no external crack for it to seep into without creating a hole. Instead of a bunch of kits, I'm going to start carrying a bottle of just the resin. They don't give you much in the kits.
@@RVwithTito You probably already know this, and I think its in the resin kit instructions, but only drill halfway through to the laminate in the middle, I presume RV windshields are made the same as auto glass with a clear laminate between an inner and outer layers of glass, good luck
Brian, possibly the windshield crack is also caused by the steel windshield frame rusting, combined with the rough roads. This is a known issue with the Winnebago vintage you have. We have a 2007 Journey and our second windshield pane has just started to leak caused by rust on the windshield frame.
@@markheene8852 That's very possible. There's been some leaking as well this year, but I've stopped it with a bunch of silicon. I was unaware of this known issue. So THANKS!
@@Johnobee1 Yes. That makes sense. Thanks for the reminder.
Squadron mechanic coveralls!
Yup! My son was a Marine F35 mechanic
@@RVwithTito I was a Marine flight liner for Phrogs! Dated myself there.
@@timcollins4976 I was a Navy flight liner avionics guy on the A7E...dated myself there 😀
Hey, it a puzzle for me about going to Alaska ? High crime, log truck rocks, trash your rig for what. Not worth it. Everyone that i know that has gone has had problem and repairs. Most windshield, slidouts damage due to roads.
Expensive. Rather go along the Pacific Coast and camp on the water there lot less drama.
The points you make are valid except for high crime. Not sure where you're referring to. Besides seeing a couple sketchy folks in a parking lot, we always felt safe and met a lot of great people. Those are definitely things to consider when deciding to make the trip.
@@RVwithTito Alaska's got the highest crime rate of any other state right now it's the highest of murders.
Let us know the windshield and light cover repair cost i bet that will be around $1200.00 their should be a windshield armour like a protective shield layer of plastic or something
I have windshield coverage on my insurance. So hopefully $100 will be my out of pocket. I already have replacement lights (amzn.to/3hGUm7n) and will probably work on that today. They are 3" lights.
Great video, Alaska is on your bucket list.
Question: At what pressure did you run our Airlift system. Thanks...
Thanks. I kept the fronts at 30psi and the rear at 60psi.
@@RVwithTito I have a single pump system on my 2012 Georgetown 351 DS. I find by running at 25 psi on all four corners, gives me the most smoothest ride. Thanks…
How did the solar work up in Alaska? Did you have any charging problems? Did your panels make the trip OK?
Yes. The sun wasn't at its peak, but the days are long. Towards the end of the trip we started to get a bunch of rain for days on end and had to run the generator a couple times to push some juice back in. Apparently fall starts in August. Here's an update th-cam.com/video/ZZn_A1zCPwE/w-d-xo.html
How are the SnapPads working out on the jacks. Had any problem with the added weight slowing the rate of the jacks retracting? I am thinking of adding them to our 2007 Journey but concerned they might create issues with retraction. Thanks for the great videos.
They're fine. I only have them on the rear and they don't slow down the jacks coming up. After replaced the springs they come up without any trouble. My front jacks are different shaped (kind of rectangular) so the other two snap pads won't fit.
Double check your roof also they are prone to delamination
I'm up there a lot inspecting and keeping an eye on things. I sealed up all of the radius' last fall. That was a job.
Hwdy?~ super~this is outstanding done- see u around!:)
Love your videos, so much useful information. My wife and I had a Travel trailer for the last 15 years and have sold it but are looking at a used Motorhome for our next adventures. On average how many miles can you travel on a tank of fuel ? I believe you have a seventy five gallon tank if I am not mistaken. Love the Mods you have made to this rig and the Class C you had.
Get a diesel. Fuel economy is better. Bad time to travel w diesel shortages tho.
Yes a 75 gallon tank will take us roughly 450 miles. I try to refill somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 full. Our friends had large diesel pushers with larger tanks than us. So I was always refilling whenever I had the chance. They were very mindful of finding the best deal (typically at a Costco) since they're filling 100 - 110 gallons of diesel which was more expensive.
I watch rv-ers do the Alaska thing... and it convinces me to not do it on my own. I have a B+ but no way I will tackle it. It looks so beautiful, but I may have to pass on it.
It's a long haul. Over 90% is pretty normal with a small percentage dirt/gravel/etc with no real detours. Lots of folks we met rode up by ferry out of Bellingham, WA then back. It's not cheap, but still a good way to do it. What I will say is that, despite the challenges, we really enjoyed our time in Canada as much if not more than in Alaska. Final note. We've been RVing for over 15 years and never thought we'd do this trip either until friends talked us into going with them. No regrets. It was a journey of a lifetime.
Hello..on an unrelated subject. Have you had any experience using a Telma electromagnetic drive line brake? Driving a 1994 gas powered Flair Class A, a Jake Brake is not an option.
No. Sorry.
Where do you carry your spare tire?
Our spare is mounted and hidden under the rear of the coach.
great job and appreciate the information. will ck out the AK info!
Thanks. Please do!
Those metal brackets looked under-engineered.
Hmm I wonder. I double checked the torque specs today just to make sure I didn't under torque it. We'll see how it goes. I don't anticipate driving in those conditions any time soon. We do go off-the-beaten path quite a bit, but not at higher speeds.
How much air do you place in your air lift system front and rear
Typically 25-30 on the front and 60 in the rear.
So, on those airbag brackets they are poorly (under) engineered, and the company tries to get out of warranty. Definitely stay away from that brand.
It's a bummer since they are rated for this chassis/weight. It certainly is an improvement, but now I have to keep an eye on it. I had them on the Class C as well with no issues.
Do you guys have an RV skirt for your rig? If so can you drop a link for it
No we don't. Sorry.
Sounds like a good anti endorsement for Air Lift. I won't be buying from them anytime soon based on their warranty support and pushback you received.
Yeah. Too bad. It was unexpected.
You cut away from your slid adjustment. Didn't look like you were able to get it leveled out, by using those screws? Might keep someone from going to all that trouble for nothing.
Good you stuck with it to get replacement items I've done the same, mine started in the 80s really you think I have nothing better to do than lay down in your parking lol and pull a starter out for no reason come on really lol shucks in North Seattle good memories lol
Yeah. I've spent countless hours crawling around under the rig. Luckily we're having a little break from the rain...but it's cold and I'm bundled up.
I can’t believe you have a Winnebago, the absolute cheapest Rv quality you can buy. You already know. Sell that and get a Fleetwood.
Not true. It's an 03. They built em good back then.
C4YT
Note to self: Avoid Alaska RV trip! 😂
😃
Love your content Brian. I've learned so much and always getting new ideas. 👍👌🏻