To USAF personnel and other EAFB area folks. (Eielson AFB, Seward: home, middle school) - Alaska (AK) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

Floyd_Davidson · 12-13-2010, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usafracer

I know that this has nothing to do with housing but if you are coming up from AZ you are going to want to get your vehicle ready. At a bare minimum I would have the anti-freeze/coolant flushed and 50/50 or even 60%coolant 40% water.

It's 60:40 glycol to water, but the commercial coolant that you buy has more than just glycol in it, so the ratio of coolant to water is 70:30 (which will result in 60:40 glycol to water).

And at Eielson AFB that would be the recommended mix, as it might be rare but -65F and a bit colder do happen there.

Regardless of that, the best way to winterize a vehicle for the Interior is to have someone there do the work. Even in Anchorage it is difficult to get it done right, simply because they never experience the weather the Interior does. It won't be a big deal for a vehicle arriving late in March, as there won't be much really cold weather after that. So perhaps get the antifreeze adjusted and a block heater installed before shipping it. But sometime over the summer months take it to a local shop in Fairbanks and have it fully winterized. They know what kind of grease, for example.

Another interesting point about vehicles, which may or may not still be valid these days. It used to be fairly common for people in hot climates to buy tires that had pretty "hard" rubber. Michelen, for example, had tires that were very hard rubber. You do not want to have those kind of tires on a vehicle in the Interior. They slide something terrible on ice! Soft rubber tires (and thin ones too, as opposed to wide tires that people like for floatation in mud and sand) provide much better traction for icey roads.

Momma2Emma · 12-13-2010, 12:58 PM

Thanks for the suggestions...we are definitely gearing up with a wardrobe change since all we have is summer stuff. I also will be doing my 60k mile service on the car right before we leave and will have them switch the antifreeze and oil in the car to appropriate mixes for freezing weather. I wasnt too worried about any of the other winterizing since yes, we are leaving AZ in mid-march and we will be driving up to seatle to drop the car at the port there for shipping. The suv wont ship out until the day we fly from seatle to fairbanks...which is supposed to be around march 29th- so the car wont be there till well into april, hence me not being worried about winterizing till we get there. I had also been told be someone else to wait to winterize it for the same reason...nobody knows how to do it! (especially here in AZ where its unheard of lol) So thank you for the advice! Thanks for the info on housing too... it sounds like they're really nice! I was looking forward to having a basement though (for the playroom/'mancave')-- but we will definitely take whatever we can get...the least amount of time in temp housing the better!!

usafracer · 12-13-2010, 03:46 PM

It still can be very cold in April.

Floyd_Davidson · 12-13-2010, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usafracer

It still can be very cold in April.

Not in the sense that anyone from Fairbanks is going to call "very cold". By April it's commonly called "very warm"!

The record coldest temperature at Eielson in the first week of April was -26F in 1950. Granted that will be "very cold" for a family from Arizona, but to everyone who spent the winter there it's time for t-shirts and firing up the BBQ in the back yard! Usually in the first week of April it won't even get below zero, and might even be well above freezing.

Another interesting characteristic of the Interior is that it goes from Winter right through Spring to full blown Summer in about two weeks. The willows are budding while the snow is still there, and one day it's white but the next day everything is green. That is in stark contrast to what we see in any of the coastal areas, where it can take well over a month to go from snow to green.

usafracer · 12-14-2010, 02:31 AM

Yes I know that its not going to be called cold by those of us that live here. BTW I am stationed at Eielson and have been for 2 years this time. I am also a vehicle mechanic so if you have any questions feel free to ask.

melbern · 12-14-2010, 06:41 AM

How long does snow stay on the ground there? Up 'til what month that is? (on average)

Floyd_Davidson · 12-14-2010, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melbern

How long does snow stay on the ground there? Up 'til what month that is? (on average)

April.

melbern · 12-14-2010, 01:17 PM

Thanks Floyd.

navaidsguy · 12-15-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momma2Emma

Thanks for the suggestions...we are definitely gearing up with a wardrobe change since all we have is summer stuff. I also will be doing my 60k mile service on the car right before we leave and will have them switch the antifreeze and oil in the car to appropriate mixes for freezing weather. I wasnt too worried about any of the other winterizing since yes, we are leaving AZ in mid-march and we will be driving up to seatle to drop the car at the port there for shipping. The suv wont ship out until the day we fly from seatle to fairbanks...which is supposed to be around march 29th- so the car wont be there till well into april, hence me not being worried about winterizing till we get there. I had also been told be someone else to wait to winterize it for the same reason...nobody knows how to do it! (especially here in AZ where its unheard of lol) So thank you for the advice! Thanks for the info on housing too... it sounds like they're really nice! I was looking forward to having a basement though (for the playroom/'mancave')-- but we will definitely take whatever we can get...the least amount of time in temp housing the better!!

I am heading up in February...and yeah, people in the southern states have no clue; I am coming from GA. I am doing the winterizing myself so I called several parts store asking for a price on a block heater. Responses: "What part of the heater do you want?" or "They don't make that for your vehicle." I couldn't even find my block heaters listed online anywhere either - you can find the universal heater pads online though.

So, I just called the dealerships in Fairbanks and they shipped me the "winter package." Block heater, Battery heater, oil-pan heater, and winter rated 3-way plug - I paid around $150 for each of my vehicles. The block heaters were the bulk of the cost. The customer service I received from the parts dept at the Toyota dealership in Fairbanks was very notable too!

I also have done or am working on replacing the coolant in both vehicles and changing the oil to synthetic. Got my winter tires for the car from tire rack today and still debating on wither tires for my truck - everyone has been saying A/T tires will be fine but then I just read that comment about Michelin's being real hard.

Momma2Emma · 01-08-2011, 09:44 AM

I just figured since the car wont be there till april/may that i could get away without winterizing since it will be arriving outside of the months of extreme cold! Thanks everyone for all their responses they've really helped! Can anyone tell me more about the base?? I have a 2yo little girl so anyone who can give me ideas for activities/programs on base or close by for entertaining her would be appreciated too!! And I have a dog (lab/shephard mix)...should i look into getting those booties for the cold?