back on the island

[fgunderson]

picked up our new 17b the first week of august
we chose to make a holiday of it to test out its systems
our route was as follows...
Wrangell-Ketchikan-Prince Rupert via Alaska state ferry
Terrace-Smithers-Quesnel-Chilliwack trailer pick-up
Williams lake-Smithers area-Cassiar highway-Teslin
Whitehorse-Dawson-Whitehorse-Kluane lake-Haines
back on Alaska state highway Juneau-Petersburg and
home to Wrangell Alaska (checked lug nuts per ETI
recommendation for Aluminum wheels)
the trailer towed well and we are happy so far with
the size of it for what and how much we plan to use
it.(it is expensive at-least-for-us to start a trip as we
live on an island and is a 14-18 hour ferry trip to
connect to the physical road system.)
my wife Karen and I are retired for now and enjoyed
this trip-meeting many like-minded rvers at rest stops
and rv parks.
we have been reading this forum since we ordered our
trailer last winter and thank-you for all the insight and
suggestions as it was a great help finalizing our build
list...we have more questions about others experiences
with escape items but just introducing ourselves and will
save those for another time...
one thing does jump out to me as a new escape owner
looking at these trailers (I have never seen this mentioned
on any other thread) and I am not trying to reinvent the
wheel so to speak but it seems some sort of plastic
wheelwell liner would be an idea to look at-maybe
replaceable to protect the fiberglass from the unsurfaced
roads we come upon...
thanks for your attention
frank & Karen gunderson
Wrangell, Alaska
escape 17b "sia"
1500 hemi dodge ram sport 4x4

[cpaharley2008]

Perhaps you can spray some sort of protection, similar to a bedliner in white?

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Perhaps you can spray some sort of protection, similar to a bedliner in white?

We discussed that idea several years ago, but I don't know that anybody did it.
My plan was / is to wait until the wheel wells are well-pitted and then coat them, but it's been seven years already.

[fgunderson]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

We discussed that idea several years ago, but I don't know that anybody did it.
My plan was / is to wait until the wheel wells are well-pitted and then coat them, but it's been seven years already.

my thoughts on plastic wheelwell liners was just as a
suggestion for ETI for an standard,option or after market
item...to consider or not...fg

[LeonW]

We had ETI spray a covering into the wheel wells. They use the same stuff they use on the front of the storage box. I think it cost us $300.00. The impetus was an old thread that culminated in Eric spraying some Berliner into his wheel wells. And a tube video of a blown tire doing significant damage to a casita.

[fgunderson]

Originally Posted by LeonW

We had ETI spray a covering into the wheel wells. They use the same stuff they use on the front of the storage box. I think it cost us $300.00. The impetus was an old thread that culminated in Eric spraying some Berliner into his wheel wells. And a tube video of a blown tire doing significant damage to a casita.

I understand that the wheelwells could be sprayed with a
product like line x, etc...but what I was getting at was an
actual molded plastic insert liner(molded in black,white or
any color for that matter)attached with adhesive or screws
this was just an initial observation by a relative newby(I have only owned one other trailer prior to this escape (a heavy
Fleetwood pioneer)pointing out a potential area that at-least
where I will be camping (Alaska/Yukon) could see wear from
rock damage... fg

[blue_bullet]

Frank & Karen,
Welcome to the forum. We are new here as well. At ETI last week Dennis spent about an hour with us answering a lot of questions. He showed a used 1 or 2 year old 21 to demonstrate some features the demo models did not have. One of my concerns was the smooth fiberglass in the wheel well. I felt it and there were no rough spots. He said the trailer had been on a lot of gravel roads yet there was no sign of wear. I think we will wait and apply line x or get some kind of shroud installed only if needed after several years of use. The impression I got from Dennis was I probably needed to worry about something else. I do know from experience a blown tire on a tandem can create havoc, and the less the shredded tire has to latch onto the better. I have seen shrouds ripped apart along with the holes created to keep them attached. Simpler might be better.

I have a question for you. My wife and I hope to head your way in a summer or so and had considered taking the ferry system from Bellingham or Prince Rupert, stay in Juneau for a bit, then head on to Haines for the return trip via land. We sort of blew the ferry idea off b/c we travel with a German Shepherd Dog and the ferry rules state that pets/livestock must remain below decks in the vehicle or trailer and can only be attended 3 times/day with a ferry employee in attendance. That sounds pretty restrictive. Do you have any comments or recommendations for us?

I lived in Juneau for 5 years in my early teens, leaving there 2 years after statehood, and have not been back since. We traveled to and from there via the Princess Louise so I know the beauty of the marine trip though I know the Marine Highway System is run differently than the Canadian Pacific Steamship Line was.

Again welcome and hope you are enjoying a waterproof trailer. You need one in Wrangell.

[fgunderson]

Originally Posted by blue_bullet

Frank & Karen,
Welcome to the forum. We are new here as well. At ETI last week Dennis spent about an hour with us answering a lot of questions. He showed a used 1 or 2 year old 21 to demonstrate some features the demo models did not have. One of my concerns was the smooth fiberglass in the wheel well. I felt it and there were no rough spots. He said the trailer had been on a lot of gravel roads yet there was no sign of wear. I think we will wait and apply line x or get some kind of shroud installed only if needed after several years of use. The impression I got from Dennis was I probably needed to worry about something else. I do know from experience a blown tire on a tandem can create havoc, and the less the shredded tire has to latch onto the better. I have seen shrouds ripped apart along with the holes created to keep them attached. Simpler might be better.

I have a question for you. My wife and I hope to head your way in a summer or so and had considered taking the ferry system from Bellingham or Prince Rupert, stay in Juneau for a bit, then head on to Haines for the return trip via land. We sort of blew the ferry idea off b/c we travel with a German Shepherd Dog and the ferry rules state that pets/livestock must remain below decks in the vehicle or trailer and can only be attended 3 times/day with a ferry employee in attendance. That sounds pretty restrictive. Do you have any comments or recommendations for us?

I lived in Juneau for 5 years in my early teens, leaving there 2 years after statehood, and have not been back since. We traveled to and from there via the Princess Louise so I know the beauty of the marine trip though I know the Marine Highway System is run differently than the Canadian Pacific Steamship Line was.

Again welcome and hope you are enjoying a waterproof trailer. You need one in Wrangell.

Blue Bullett,
Thanks for your post re-wheelwells, but it seems no one believes
them to be particularly vulnerable to rock damage and choose to
see damage and repair rather than prevent. That item on my
initial post was just a suggestion and will remain that as I am
going to drop the subject.
Your plans to travel on the Alaska Marine Highway would be more expensive from Bellingham, but you would not have to be
purchasing the fuel to get to Prince Rupert . We enjoy the drive
to Rupert as we don't get much driving around Wrangell.
From Bellingham-Ketchikan is more than a day (I am sure you
would have to be escorted to the car deck to see to your pets needs.)
Prince Rupert - Ketchikan about 6 hours
Ketchikan - Wrangell about 6 hours
Wrangell - Petersburg about 3 hours
Petersburg - Juneau about 8 hours
Juneau - Haines about 5 hours
Haines - Skagway about 2 hours
The ferries usually are in port for 1/2 - 1 hour at all stops and
people walk their pets ashore at these times-very common.
Pull these towns up on internet, I am sure there have been great
changes from the early sixties.
The drive out of Haines or the south Klondike highway out of Skagway are simply beautiful on even a fair day weather wise.
Check requirements for pets vac. etc. for both inter-state and
customs purposes.
The Alaska Marine Highway has a good website-pick up a Milepost book. Hope you get to make this trip and thank you for
your post - congrates on the 21' order.
Our best Frank and karen

[blue_bullet]

Frank & Karen,
Thanks for the information on times between ports and how others typically handle their pets. That is what I needed along with your supporting comments. I did not mean to steal this thread. As you may know the MilePost was recommended to people way back in the 60's, well before the internet.

If you decide to make some preventive measures on the wheel wells, would you post your solution? I and I expect others would be interested.