Pointless Question of the Day - Alaska Edition

"KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs" (kusabisensei) 05/01/2014 at 20:42 • Filed to: None

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So here's your scenario. You are going on a vacation. A long vacation. Your goal? Drive to Alaska. Oh, and then let's up the ante. Drive to the Arctic Ocean. And back. What do you take with you?

You'll need something with good fuel economy, a huge fuel tank, 4WD, and durable. Oh, and it needs a good heater.

I could have taken the easy way out, and picking a F-350 diesel with an extra fuel tank in the bed. But I'm going to go with the GL320/GL350 diesels. Granted, these are almost completely useless in the extreme cold in Alaska, as the fuel will gel without appropriate treatment and kerosene mixes. But it's large enough to stay inside, carry a bunch of stuff, gets good range, and shouldn't go totally haywire.

What would you pick?

HammerheadFistpunch > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:44

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land cruiser 100 with extra fuel tank (a common item for them elsewhere in the world) because id like to get home too

Bandit > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:44

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If it can make it there, this.

f86sabre > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:46

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driving from Atlanta to the Alaska Arctic would require a lot of this.

Brian Silvestro > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:47

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Obvious answer is obvious

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:48

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Can't forget the extra equipment: two bags of grass, 75 pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls. Not that we need all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worries me is the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge, and I know we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon.

jkm7680 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:48

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This. Me Gusta.

Anon > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:49

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Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, 550 horsepower, fast as ALL HELL, gets about 25 mpg, and it's decent off road. I win.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Brian Silvestro 05/01/2014 at 20:49

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That would make for a good story. Driving a Porsche to the North Slope.

Brian Silvestro > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:51

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"A Porsche ?? Really?"

"Hahaha, no, not a real one, that would be silly!"

vdub_nut: scooter snob > f86sabre 05/01/2014 at 20:51

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I feel like there should be a set starting place, like Portland or Seattle. Still a haul, but not nearly as bad as us east coasties and y'all southerners have it.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jkm7680 05/01/2014 at 20:52

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V6 TDI or V10 TDI?

As much as I like the V10 Touaregs, I'd probably take a V6 TDI version.

Actually, Merc GL, VW Touareg/Audi Q7/Porsche Cayenne, or BMW X5 diesel might be considered.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Brian Silvestro 05/01/2014 at 20:52

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So a Touareg in a sports bra?

Brian Silvestro > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:53

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And a little plastic surgery.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull 05/01/2014 at 20:54

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So basically we need an Unimog.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Brian Silvestro 05/01/2014 at 20:54

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I thought the Q7 was the one who was going under the knife most frequently.

Brian Silvestro > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:55

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That's what the Cayenne is!

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:56

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Or an appropriately modified Chevy.

Alex B > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:57

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Audi A8 TDI.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > vdub_nut: scooter snob 05/01/2014 at 20:58

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See, I'd be willing to start in Key West, drive to the North Slope, and back to Key West.

But I'm insane that way.

jkm7680 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 20:58

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As much as I love the V10 Tdi. I'd have the V6 for that trip. The G-Wagon would be badass though.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Brian Silvestro 05/01/2014 at 20:58

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Two-faced bastards they are :)

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jkm7680 05/01/2014 at 20:59

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If they offered it with a diesel in the US, that would have been the choice, and there would be no discussion.

#amitrite?

jkm7680 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 21:00

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#Yesyouare

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull 05/01/2014 at 21:03

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Touché Salesman

Stupidru > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/01/2014 at 21:35

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Well assuming you'll be at high altitudes, you'll want something with forced induction so you're not completely down on power. Superchargers are perisitic by nature, so let's go with the turbo option. AWD will be good in the snow. You want cargo, so a wagon or SUV. Reliability is of utmost importance since there aren't a whole lot of large cities north of Calgary, Vancouver, and Anchorage so I'm going to rule out anything German (just in case). Decent mileage? I'd say you'll either want an Outback XT or a Forester XT. I've hit 29mpg in my FXT coming back from Colorado and 29mpg in my LGT as well. I could hit 400 miles per tank if I tried, but at that point you'll want to get out and stretch. I've been able to sleep in the back of the FXT comfortably (with another person and all of our hiking gear) in the mountains of Colorado in the event that you get stuck. If you're taking more than 2 people, I say get a Ford Flex Ecoboost.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/02/2014 at 00:07

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When I thought that there was a chance that I would end up going to University of Fairbanks for college and I thought my parents would still get me a nice car and the GL was one of the cars on that list HAHA.

CiiNubbin > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/02/2014 at 00:17

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My Father and I drove from Anchorage to Deadhorse (the Arctic Ocean) in a 1990 Toyota Regular Cab Pickup a couple of summers ago. All we brought different than normal was a total of two spare tires some extra water, a bucket with a toilet seat on it and some extra clothes.

The road is really not that bad, first drove it in 1996 and we TOTALLY overpacked.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > CiiNubbin 05/02/2014 at 05:12

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Hence why I didn't go with the first F-350 option I thought of, and instead went with the GL.

Although you are right about bringing an extra spare.

CiiNubbin > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/02/2014 at 07:04

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BTW, drive it in the summer. Driving it in the winter is....not recommended. In the summer the sun will never set, it makes it a nice 12 hour drive from Fairbanks.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > CiiNubbin 05/02/2014 at 07:20

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When it gets that cold (and the Lower 48 doesn't know cold) stuff starts breaking and all but the lightest oil distillates wax and gel.

So no diesels in the winter that far North without a working fuel heater and winterized mix.

Vic-in-Norway > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/02/2014 at 21:04

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Unless you work in the oilfield and are going to be working in Prudhoe Bay it is unlikely you will be able to get to the Arctic Ocean via just driving to Deadhorse. It is a highly secured area for the oilfield workers only. You can fly from Deadhorse to Barrow though and get to the Arctic Ocean that way. The trick to keep your truck running in the extreme cold of Prudhoe is to just not shut off the truck, we left them running 24/7 when I worked there. But nobody goes to Deadhorse in the winter anyway, not for anything other than work, so that shouldn't be a concern. Mid-Summer is the best time to go, June-July.

Stef Schrader > Brian Silvestro 05/03/2014 at 01:20

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I love that green.

Brian Silvestro > Stef Schrader 05/03/2014 at 08:06

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ME TOO