So month 2 completed of 12 touring mostly USA but some of Canada.
22 US State Capitols visited.
Ferry to Juneau booked for 4th July, ironically.
Seen several German, Swiss, Italian, French and Belgian vehicle. 5 huge MAN/Merc overland 4/6 wheel trucks.
A British couple touring on a Triumph motorbike, though bought in Vancouver so not UK plate.
1st issue for this brain dump our Michelin Aglis Camper tyres down to 3mm after just 16,000 miles, 8,000 in UK/Europe and 8,000 in USA.
Never mind the posts on them cracking they simply are worn out after 16,000 miles, no time for cracking.
View attachment 777255
Fitted Cooper Tires Discoverer HT3 an all weather (M+S) tyre and see they do as we have an estimated 24,000 miles still to do.
Being all season M+S (Mud + Snow) blocks “flex” for a “smoother” ride.
View attachment 777256
Having completed 3,000 miles in first month I thought that was a lot, month 2 we've done 9,000.
Some States have nothing of interest, to us, but the State Capitol but it’s 100’s of miles just to get out of it.
My Google Fi and Angie's AT&T keep us connected most of the time.
When we get to a decent sized town we going to try and find a "carpeting" store for plastic corridor matting or similar.
Plastic covering we put down has done better than we expected, we really only put it down for protection during shipping, not
expecting dockworkers to care about clean boots. Supplemented with some cardboard from soft drink packaging but looking for a more permanent solution.
Out of interest, as my post on installing a generator prompted questions of gvwr, I have had the van weighed on certified truck scales, came in at 4,000kg.
Kon-Tiki 599 has gvwr 4,250.
To caveat this, when weighed the van contained:
Angie, myself, clothing and general items required for living in a van.
And extras:
50kg generator, slide rails and wood mounting
12l petrol in generator
20l petrol in metal gerry can
40l diesel in gerry can
19kg stepdown transformer
US 30 amp 20” fly lead (a good 10kgs there)
50kg of adblue (5 x 9.46l containers in cardboard protective box)
Full fuel tank, 90l Diesel
Full fresh water tank 90l
40l water in storage bags
So if you have a 4,250 gvwr van there is plenty of headroom for carrying extra stuff for wild camping, lesser gvwr van you’ll struggle.
Getting 26 mpg using ECO setting 2.3 Diesel Turbo (9 speed auto)
In the US speed limits vary State to State, mostly 70 on freeways but many 80 and unlike UK/Europe trucks generally have the same speed
limits as other vehicles.
This means unless you want to be a mobile chicane for the MANY, MANY 70” trucks you have to drive to the limit/match them.
They're not big on courtesy when driving here, one of many examples we sat waiting for a car to turn left, the on coming traffic was bumper to
bumper doing 20 mph but 40 cars passed before a "natural" gap for them to turn.
Driven whole of Alaska Highway 95% paved, some grave/road works, some very large randomly located potholes and some short very washboard patches.
There naturally is the wildlife you need to watch out, not just to photograph but so as not to total your van.
You can feel very isolated at times when you don't see another vehicle for an hour or so and no "town" for 100 miles.
Probably need factor in a new Windscreen during trip or before MOT on return as sell if you going to do the Alaska Highway.
We normally avoid finding/being British abroad but as we're here a year we've looked for Baked Beans, US ones have lots
of added brown sugar and cooking sauces, US only have pasta sauces.
We have only found Hienz Original baked beans and any sort of cooking sauce that is not a pasta cooking sauce readily available
in Canada, so stock.
Stopping in Walmart and other stores is working ok, especially in the less populated States
Running fridge 24/7 on gas and we’ve probably used 1 complete refill of twin 16kg bottles.
Cooking all gas, not needed to use heating.
Maths is difficult as we’ve topped, when ½ way through green, twice in lbs of propane in US and twice in Litres in Canada.
Not using onboard water for drinking so using Walmart refilling stations for drinking water. Generally $0.39 but Canada and Alaska more.
Stopping in Walmart and other stores is working ok, aps as listed are very useful. Yukon & Alaska you can park up anywhere 45" from the centre of the road.
Running fridge 24/7 on gas and we’ve probably used 1 complete refill of twin 16kg bottles.
Maths is difficult as we’ve topped, when ½ way through green, up 4 times twice in LBS of propane in US and twice in Litres in Canada.
No issue using just 110ah leisure battery.
Small inverter recharging laptops while driving and there's been a lot of that.
Not using onboard water for drinking so using Walmart refilling stations for drinking water. Generally $0.39 but Canada and Alaska more.
As for life with the Kon-Tiki Sport.
In bedroom and bathroom the strip lights are just a total waste of energy, they can be avoided in bedroom but not in bathroom.
The overhead cupboards in the bedroom and dining area could easily be deeper/bigger.
The corner mirror in the bedroom is pointless, 2 mirrors would be of use in the bathroom.
I don't understand why there are low storage cupboards in the bedroom next to shower and toilet? Why not full height? It's not as if you can put things out on display.
One think I have noticed in the 2 months is the all the international vans we have meet have been sub 40 and living a dream.
Of the US based travellers we have spoken to there are the big RV's owners "older/retirees" vacationing and much younger in PVC's on 4x4 Transit or Sprinter who are also living a dream. Starlink has enabled them to travel and work.
You can follow our misadventures : https://www.polarsteps.com/JezAng/7186963-late-gap-year
22 US State Capitols visited.
Ferry to Juneau booked for 4th July, ironically.
Seen several German, Swiss, Italian, French and Belgian vehicle. 5 huge MAN/Merc overland 4/6 wheel trucks.
A British couple touring on a Triumph motorbike, though bought in Vancouver so not UK plate.
1st issue for this brain dump our Michelin Aglis Camper tyres down to 3mm after just 16,000 miles, 8,000 in UK/Europe and 8,000 in USA.
Never mind the posts on them cracking they simply are worn out after 16,000 miles, no time for cracking.
View attachment 777255
Fitted Cooper Tires Discoverer HT3 an all weather (M+S) tyre and see they do as we have an estimated 24,000 miles still to do.
Being all season M+S (Mud + Snow) blocks “flex” for a “smoother” ride.
View attachment 777256
Having completed 3,000 miles in first month I thought that was a lot, month 2 we've done 9,000.
Some States have nothing of interest, to us, but the State Capitol but it’s 100’s of miles just to get out of it.
My Google Fi and Angie's AT&T keep us connected most of the time.
When we get to a decent sized town we going to try and find a "carpeting" store for plastic corridor matting or similar.
Plastic covering we put down has done better than we expected, we really only put it down for protection during shipping, not
expecting dockworkers to care about clean boots. Supplemented with some cardboard from soft drink packaging but looking for a more permanent solution.
Out of interest, as my post on installing a generator prompted questions of gvwr, I have had the van weighed on certified truck scales, came in at 4,000kg.
Kon-Tiki 599 has gvwr 4,250.
To caveat this, when weighed the van contained:
Angie, myself, clothing and general items required for living in a van.
And extras:
50kg generator, slide rails and wood mounting
12l petrol in generator
20l petrol in metal gerry can
40l diesel in gerry can
19kg stepdown transformer
US 30 amp 20” fly lead (a good 10kgs there)
50kg of adblue (5 x 9.46l containers in cardboard protective box)
Full fuel tank, 90l Diesel
Full fresh water tank 90l
40l water in storage bags
So if you have a 4,250 gvwr van there is plenty of headroom for carrying extra stuff for wild camping, lesser gvwr van you’ll struggle.
Getting 26 mpg using ECO setting 2.3 Diesel Turbo (9 speed auto)
In the US speed limits vary State to State, mostly 70 on freeways but many 80 and unlike UK/Europe trucks generally have the same speed
limits as other vehicles.
This means unless you want to be a mobile chicane for the MANY, MANY 70” trucks you have to drive to the limit/match them.
They're not big on courtesy when driving here, one of many examples we sat waiting for a car to turn left, the on coming traffic was bumper to
bumper doing 20 mph but 40 cars passed before a "natural" gap for them to turn.
Driven whole of Alaska Highway 95% paved, some grave/road works, some very large randomly located potholes and some short very washboard patches.
There naturally is the wildlife you need to watch out, not just to photograph but so as not to total your van.
You can feel very isolated at times when you don't see another vehicle for an hour or so and no "town" for 100 miles.
Probably need factor in a new Windscreen during trip or before MOT on return as sell if you going to do the Alaska Highway.
We normally avoid finding/being British abroad but as we're here a year we've looked for Baked Beans, US ones have lots
of added brown sugar and cooking sauces, US only have pasta sauces.
We have only found Hienz Original baked beans and any sort of cooking sauce that is not a pasta cooking sauce readily available
in Canada, so stock.
Stopping in Walmart and other stores is working ok, especially in the less populated States
Running fridge 24/7 on gas and we’ve probably used 1 complete refill of twin 16kg bottles.
Cooking all gas, not needed to use heating.
Maths is difficult as we’ve topped, when ½ way through green, twice in lbs of propane in US and twice in Litres in Canada.
Not using onboard water for drinking so using Walmart refilling stations for drinking water. Generally $0.39 but Canada and Alaska more.
Stopping in Walmart and other stores is working ok, aps as listed are very useful. Yukon & Alaska you can park up anywhere 45" from the centre of the road.
Running fridge 24/7 on gas and we’ve probably used 1 complete refill of twin 16kg bottles.
Maths is difficult as we’ve topped, when ½ way through green, up 4 times twice in LBS of propane in US and twice in Litres in Canada.
No issue using just 110ah leisure battery.
Small inverter recharging laptops while driving and there's been a lot of that.
Not using onboard water for drinking so using Walmart refilling stations for drinking water. Generally $0.39 but Canada and Alaska more.
As for life with the Kon-Tiki Sport.
In bedroom and bathroom the strip lights are just a total waste of energy, they can be avoided in bedroom but not in bathroom.
The overhead cupboards in the bedroom and dining area could easily be deeper/bigger.
The corner mirror in the bedroom is pointless, 2 mirrors would be of use in the bathroom.
I don't understand why there are low storage cupboards in the bedroom next to shower and toilet? Why not full height? It's not as if you can put things out on display.
One think I have noticed in the 2 months is the all the international vans we have meet have been sub 40 and living a dream.
Of the US based travellers we have spoken to there are the big RV's owners "older/retirees" vacationing and much younger in PVC's on 4x4 Transit or Sprinter who are also living a dream. Starlink has enabled them to travel and work.
You can follow our misadventures : https://www.polarsteps.com/JezAng/7186963-late-gap-year
