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Old 10-23-2018, 02:17 PM
 
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We live in Fairbanks but are moving back to the lower 48 this winter and would prefer to drive our car rather than ship it. But with 2 small kids, driving it in winter makes us nervous because we’ve never driven this route. Any advice or input appreciated. Drive would be mid to late November. Fairbanks to Haines so we can take the ferry to WA.
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Old 10-23-2018, 07:34 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
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I drove the entire Alaska Highway last November. It was no big deal. It's a lot faster than using the ferry. And much cheaper.
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Old 10-23-2018, 08:05 PM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
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Originally Posted by AlaskaErik View Post
I drove the entire Alaska Highway last November. It was no big deal. It's a lot faster than using the ferry. And much cheaper.
Same here. Winter driving on the Alcan isn't bad at all. Just take ur time and don't rush it.
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Old 10-23-2018, 10:28 PM
 
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Well that was my next question, doing that and taking the ferry and then going from Washington to Colorado versus just driving straight across Canada and down to Colorado.
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Old 10-23-2018, 10:29 PM
 
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The Army will pay for the ferry, and we are from Seattle, so it gives us an excuse to take a break and stop and see friends, but at the same time I’m afraid we’re going to get stir crazy on the ferry. I felt sick of it after six hour trip from Valdez last time.
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Old 10-24-2018, 08:53 AM
 
Location: Juneau, AK + Puna, HI
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Originally Posted by H2n82 View Post
The Army will pay for the ferry, and we are from Seattle, so it gives us an excuse to take a break and stop and see friends, but at the same time I’m afraid we’re going to get stir crazy on the ferry. I felt sick of it after six hour trip from Valdez last time.

It's a lot of driving in the dark or a lot of time on the ferry. With two little kids, I'd do the ferry. It makes several stops, which can help with the monotony.

Actually, if the Army pays for everything I'd fly and have the car shipped.
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Old 10-24-2018, 10:08 AM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
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Originally Posted by Blind Cleric View Post
It's a lot of driving in the dark or a lot of time on the ferry. With two little kids, I'd do the ferry. It makes several stops, which can help with the monotony.

Actually, if the Army pays for everything I'd fly and have the car shipped.

If you want to hear a horror story about shipping a car, just ask any army guy who's done it. I've heard way too many of them and would never consider shipping a car except as an absolute last resort. As long as the army is paying for it, I'd consider taking the ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert and driving the rest of the way, if you don't like the idea of being on the ferry. I've done it from Whittier to Bellingham and it was only four nights.
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Old 10-24-2018, 02:04 PM
 
Location: Interior Alaska
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Originally Posted by AlaskaErik View Post
If you want to hear a horror story about shipping a car, just ask any army guy who's done it. I've heard way too many of them and would never consider shipping a car except as an absolute last resort. As long as the army is paying for it, I'd consider taking the ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert and driving the rest of the way, if you don't like the idea of being on the ferry. I've done it from Whittier to Bellingham and it was only four nights.
Yeah, I'll second the last resort sentiment. Probably (hopefully!) a different from a military move, but the only time I ever shipped vehicles was a corporate move. As luck would have it, Hurricane Dennis ripped right over the car hauler and two of our pickups that were on it. It broke all the windows out of our older Toyota pickup, including the campershell, then looters stole all the tools, change, etc. out of it. Fortunately, there wasn't a lot in it.

Well, who reads the 10-some-odd-pages of disclosures, etc. that you sign before you load your vehicles on a car hauler? We didn't. We got $200 and no, I am not kidding or exaggerating. Not only that, but to add insult to injury, the carrier was "delayed" for two weeks delivering because the car hauler was "lost" after the hurricane. Educated guess says the driver was "delayed" at the tables in Biloxi, but hey, who's counting?

Needless to say, I drove myself across the country on my next move.
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Old 10-24-2018, 07:34 PM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
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With two small kids I'd take the ferry over driving in the winter. Since they'll probably pay for a cabin on the ferry that would make things easier. Much less stress then driving.
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Old 10-24-2018, 07:34 PM
 
Location: Juneau, AK + Puna, HI
10,555 posts, read 7,755,116 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaErik View Post
If you want to hear a horror story about shipping a car, just ask any army guy who's done it. I've heard way too many of them and would never consider shipping a car except as an absolute last resort. As long as the army is paying for it, I'd consider taking the ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert and driving the rest of the way, if you don't like the idea of being on the ferry. I've done it from Whittier to Bellingham and it was only four nights.
I like the idea of the ferry from Haines to Rupert too, almost suggested it. Regarding the shipment of a vehicle, wouldn't the Army pay if your vehicle got damaged by the shipping company? If that was the case, go ahead, let'em trash it and perhaps end up with a new ride.

I've shipped vehicles three times between Seattle and Juneau without incident, FWIW.
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