NC to the Top of the World via the Dalton 2024 ---- What Vehicle

Well

I'll ask

NC to Dead Horse  AK  June 2024   30 Days to make the trip  5,000 miles +/-

$12.5 or <  Initial Buy 

Manual  "Locked / Posi " rear end

Room for two   with stuff (possible stealth camping)

Parts availability along the route

Trunk / Storage room for two spare tires  (have a Thule car topper)

Gas or Diesel

Sell or Donate once back in Fairbanks from Dead Horse

What say YEE?

I thought this was going to be about driving a NC miata to AK, I vote yes. Go for the PRHT model and add a trailer hitch.

Honestly, 4x4 Cummins dodge ram with a camper shell. 

A GRMer did it several years ago in a Beetle..... 1998 VW New Beetle TDI with FRANKENBUILT Lift - FRANKENBUILT.......FRANKENBUILT: Alaska Pics - Driving the Dalton Highway (Haul Road)

Thanks for the input

All input appreciated

I'll be the first...

Miata. 
 

Camping will be tight but lift kit and some careful roof storage and you are golden.

Less than $12.5K  ....   Hum....    P70 ex-police car?

A friend of mine did it round trip from FL with a $20K motorhome in 2017.  

Most all cars could do the trip.  Some might need a little lift.  

The requirement of stealth camping seems like your most limiting factor.  

Could you expand more on what your expectations are here?  If it's flat sleeping with gear still indoors then it would seem to be that Suburban is the clear choice leader. 

I choose Suburban over Silverado with camper shell because even really good shells won't be as "sure thing dry" as a Suburban.  The Suburban roof is better for cargo carriers rather than a fiberglass shell. 

Is there a reason no one has said Suburban?

In all seriousness John and SV reX may be correct. I wouldn't go newer than GMT800 but that's just me. They are a great platform. 

First gen Sequoia with the 4.7 and a platform in the back. Cheaper than a tundra or many other full size trucks. They make a spare tire/gas can rear bumper carrier for them. 4wd. Gas mileage sucks. 
 

You might want to float on over to Expediton Portal, lots of those guys have probably made the same trip in a variety of vehicles. 

Find a nice, southern-owned OBS Ford F-150/250 4x4 with a shell.  Mega parts availability everywhere, easy to work on, can sleep in the bed.

Not the greatest gas mileage, but will have some resale in AK.

Suzuki V-Strom 1000.  I'm not made of BMW GS money.

We know Brock did it in a Corvette, a Ferrari has done it.

Initial buy In and disposability at the end of the trip are the two Biggies.

In earlier life, slept man a night in the cab of a F 150 watch the Crew Come Out of the hole on the rigs.

Appreciate all input

In reply to octavious :

Where might that be?

Link

Thanks

RacingComputers said:

In reply to octavious :

Where might that be?

 

Link

 

Thanks

This place: https://expeditionportal.com/

or, more specifically the forum portion of Expedition Portal: https://forum.expeditionportal.com/

Now I've probably done it.  We will loose you forever here at GRM to ExPo. It's a very addictive place over there.  

In a tribute to Brock Yates as mentioned above, Car & Driver decided a C6 Corvette would be the perfect car for the great northern haul roads.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15150377/the-road-to-remorses-the-road-to-divorces-feature/

In reply to John Welsh :

John

No chance of that

Been a GRM Fan boy since I bought my first copy of the Magazine in a West  Palm Beach 7-11 while on a trip to Miami, cira November 1984 ish.

Being from the COLD Deep snow part of western NY at the time, the newly discovered Grass Roots magazine was a God send as to what was happening in the rest of the automotive enthusiasms world. 

Been a heck of a run, and you won't  get rid of me that easily.

FWIW

Suburban or a Honda Element seem like good fits.  

Had not considered the Element

The 8 Lug Suburban is a big hit on the Advventure rider Motorcycle site

Thanks

I've thought about this a bunch, and three ideas: 

1. The trucks you see working. Lots of GMT trucks. GMT800 at the oldest, lots of GMT900. Not the Caddy. Not the hybrid.

2. Cop SUVs. An Explorer or PIU, or a Chevy again.

3. There's a rental company running Escapes.

I get the feeling you don't want something odd out there if you're choosing it specifically for this trip. I doubt Cayenne Diesel parts are thick on the ground.

I was just going to say the Element. I camp in mine all of the time and I'm 6'1".

It would make that trip very easily. 

This should do the trick.

My parents did the Alaska Highway 40 years ago in a Datsun 710 wagon. Slept in it (both short) and had one flat tire.

Reminds me of the roads to remorses that Road and Track did in a Corvette.