RV upgrades that are worth it for Alaska

The state of Alaska offers vast expanse, abundant wildlife, incredible beauty, and friendly people. Located about 500 miles as the bird flies from the contiguous United States, the Last Frontier is not easy to get to by vehicle. But you can drive an RV on the Alaska Highway through Canada if you prepare for what you’ll encounter.

After much research, we set out to make that drive in 2023. Thanks to our preparations, we enjoyed the experience and plan to return in a few years. Here are RV upgrades we found worth the investment — at least for a fifth wheel — in order of importance.

New tires

Before pulling out on the 1,387-mile Alaska Highway, we purchased six new tires for our Dodge Ram 3500 dually, Gulliver, and four tires for our fifth wheel, Tagalong. Not having experienced any issues with our truck tires, we got the same kind we’d been using: Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain adventure with kevlar.

With our trailer, however, we had encountered a number of tire challenges. Not wanting to experience anymore on our adventure of a lifetime, we chose to upgrade Tagalong’s tires from E-rated Goodyear Endurance to G-rated Provider HD by Taskmaster to better handle all of our belongings riding on them. 

Although the investment was costly, our 10 new tires gave us comfort. And they sustained us through our Alaska expedition with no issues whatsoever.

Suspension system

We didn’t know we needed a suspension upgrade on our rig. We took it to United Spring & Brake in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, the starting point of the Alaska Highway, to get the leaf springs checked, having heard the road to Alaska could be rough with frost heaves and potholes (and indeed it was). 

We had added shock absorbers to our fifth wheel about nine months earlier to cushion the effects of the potentially rough roads and were pleased with the results. So we were surprised when the inspection of our suspension system revealed a broken leaf spring hanger on our rig. That could have led to some serious damage en route to the 49th state. 

With no replacement part in stock, the technicians at United Spring & Brake welded the piece together and secured it to the RV.

Method for carrying extra fuel

You may have heard stories about not being able to refuel a vehicle for many miles on the Alaska Highway. We didn’t find those accounts to be true, but we took measures to address them just in case. In reality, it’s not unusual for Alaska fuel stations to lose power and not be able to operate their pumps.

Because we use a tonneau BAKflip cover to protect the bed of our truck when not towing, we didn’t want to purchase an additional fuel tank that would sit higher than the sides of the truck bed. Instead, we upgraded our 32-gallon diesel tank to a 55-gallon one. It didn’t take up a lot more space underneath the vehicle but almost doubled our driving capacity on a single tank of fuel.

Grille guard

A grille guard isn’t necessary, but it can provide peace of mind by protecting your vehicle’s radiator and other vital parts. That’s exactly what it did for us. Since we don’t own sticks and bricks, we can’t afford to have something drastic happen to our truck. We rely on it to be able to move our home as needed.

For that reason, we didn’t want an aftermarket add-on grille guard. We replaced our entire front bumper with a robust Ranch Hand Ram Legend Front Bumper grille guard. Throughout our Alaska adventure, we never got close enough to any wildlife that we had to rely on it, but we rested easier knowing it was there. 

We did come pretty close to hitting a moose crossing the road on our way to Homer. Thankfully, we were able to stop our truck and trailer in time. 

Other RV essentials for Alaska

In addition to those upgrades, we made sure we had some other pertinent items with us. Purchasing new tires is important, but perhaps more important is a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). For us, this is a must-have on our trailer tires as Gulliver pulls Tagalong with ease. We could burn through a tire without knowing if not notified by the TPMS.

Starlink provides great satellite internet in Alaska’s vastness. And it can double as an emergency communication enabler. By providing Wi-Fi, it allows us to make Wi-Fi phone calls where cell service might be unavailable. We even took our Starlink dish on the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Ocean for that purpose.

If you drive a diesel truck or RV, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is essential to carry with you in Alaska where, unlike in the contiguous states, you won’t find it available at fuel pumps. And you may not find it at your fuel stop of choice. 

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