Our route in the Wrangler took us from Vancouver through British Columbia to Prince George, then Prince Rupert, and then north, via the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, to Watson Lake, then to Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway, to Dawson City, then to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk on the Dempster Highway. From the Arctic Ocean, we returned on the Dempster Highway to Watson Lake via Ross River, Fort Nelson, and north on the Liard Highway to Fort Simpson. After this, we traveled to Fort Smith and the Wood Buffalo National Park, then to Yellowknife, where we went south through Northern Alberta to Peace River, back into British Columbia to Dawson Creek, then southwest back to Vancouver. In the last month on the road we took the Crowsnest Highway to Alberta; followed the Rockies to Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper, and then returned through British Columbia to Vancouver. We covered 23,624 km overall in five months, of which 21,632 were in the Wrangler. Our average km/day was much higher than in our previous “big trips”, giving an average of 246 km/day for travel in all vehicles. Overall we used 2858 L (= 755 US gal) of fuel, for CAD 6230.00 (= USD 4800.00). The average fuel consumption in the Wrangler was 12.32 L/100 km (= 19.1 mi/US gal).
Thanks and saludos
We appreciate the help and advice of many throughout the trip, including:
· Catriona, Nick, Charlie, and Blair in Vancouver
· Rose and Justin in Montréal
· Jan, Rolf, and Chris in Wolfville
· Rose and Ray in Aylesford
· Heather and Dave in Victoria Vale
· Lucy and Gilles in Kingston
· Jo-Anne and Irwin in New York
· Dee, Elaine, Steve in Smithers
· Carlos and Teresa in Eagle Plains
· Willie and Scotty in Inuvik,
· Mike on the Dempster
· Taylor and Hayley on the Dempster
· Ros, Gordon, Louise, and Rob in Victoria and Vancouver
We met lots of great people on the road, so, saludos to:
· Derek on the Dempster Highway
· Dennis, Clifford, and Norm in Tuktoyaktuk
· Craig & Lucinda and Mark & Katie on the Dempster
· Russ and Brenna on the Dempster and in Yellowknife
· Willie and Scotty in Inuvik
· Mike & Lynne in Watson Lake
· Leonie and Henry in Fort Providence
· Cnut and Yuma from Rotterdam
· Adolfo at Saltery Bay
· Eric and Nancy in West Coast Campground.
…among others.
The vehicle
When we compared the costs of renting a 4x4 camper, shipping our car from Colombia and back (twice—owing to the time limit for it to be out of the country), and buying one, the third option was by far the most economical. We chose to buy a car in Vancouver, use it for our trip this year, keep it for next year’s trip, and sell it at the end of next year.
So, the vehicle:
- Jeep Wrangler Sahara Limited LWB 3.6L V6
- 85,375 km at purchase
- 255/70-R18 tyres
- Range 648 km (advertised - we saw over 800 km a couple of times)
- Height 184 cm
- Width 189 cm
- Length 434 cm
- GVM 1762 kg
- Clearance 26 cm
- Wheelbase 246 cm
In terms of modifications and additions, we placed a bed instead of the rear seats and added a few slings and carabiners to organize things, but no more. Having learned from our previous "big trips," we approached the topic in a minimalist fashion, only doing the essentials.
So, no winch (hardly ever used and we didn't plan any crossings of deep mud or sand - to help others we can use the tow hooks), no snorkel (no deep water crossings planned), no lift or suspension modifications (the Wrangler has good clearance in standard condition), no roof rack (no need for a second spare or fuel cans), no awnings (not expecting to be in tropical sunshine), no fridge (experience in Iceland told us that a cooler would be OK for the trip planned), no electrical additions (the trip would not include long periods without moving, the vehicle comes with an inverter and adequate USB outlets), no lights (we didn’t plan to drive at night, not that there would be much of it anyway). For the kitchen, food, and tools, we used simple plastic cases and a bag we used in the past. So, the car is lighter on the road than when new, in all likelihood.
Service conducted:
96K service and 15-point “peace of mind” check in Yellowknife - replaced front axle seals, rear brake rotors, and pads
Issues:
The security warning light came on for a day at Wells and briefly once more later on.
The screenwash jet hose came off at Prince Rupert and some other places later on. It was fixed temporarily with an elastic band and then “permanently” with a tie wrap.
We found that the electrical connection to the rear heated screen was broken, something we’ll fix next year.
The gas cap warning light came on at 89,325 km. This happened when we forgot to put it back on after refueling. We found the cap (remarkably) however, the light remained on, and in the morning the engine warning light came on. We found that the seal in the cap had come out, resulting in the warnings. Jeep Whitehorse replaced the gas cap for CAD 36.69 – no further concern (a self-inflicted problem).
Replaced the 20A fuse for the cigarette lighter socket at 92,355 km.
Damage:
Tire puncture from sharp stones on the Dempster Highway, northbound. This section of the highway had recently been “maintained” with razor-sharp rock. We repaired the puncture on the road.
Windshield chip at 37 km north of Peel River southbound from an inconsiderate driver of a blue pick-up blasting past us in the other direction.
Tire puncture (in the same tire) from sharp stones on the same section of the Dempster Highway, southbound. We repaired this on the road, had a patch put in at Eagle Plains, and replaced the repaired tire with a new Dueler A/T in Fort Nelson. We put a spare (also a Dueler) on the rear axle. We now have 2 Bridgestone Dueler A/Ts at the back and the Michelin LTXs on the vehicle when bought at the front and on the spare wheel.
A stone thrown up by a passing truck chipped the windscreen. H97 west of Chetwynd.
Overall, the Wrangler did an excellent job. It covered all the roads and tracks we explored, the ride on the highway was good, and the ride on uneven tracks required low speeds to avoid being pitched around. The space was adequate: when two of us were traveling, there was enough to be comfortable both on the road and sleeping; when three of us were traveling there was enough for comfort and space enough for our kit. Fuel consumption was better than we had thought – the consumption in traffic is OK, however, the range was less than 500 km, which would have required extra fuel cans for some of the routes we traveled, however once on the road we found that steady speeds on long open roads gave us over 700 km range, and we saw more than 800 km indicated a few times. This gave us the range needed for the longest “fuel-free” stretches we traveled in the Northwestern Territories.
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| In Kluane National Park |
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| On the road to Stewart, BC |
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| At Two Moose Lake on the Dempster |
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| Heading north on the Dempster (side road) |
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| Muddier at Peel River |
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Muddiest arriving in Inuvik |
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| On the way to Tuktoyaktuk |
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| At the Arctic Ocean |
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| At the Arctic Circle (southbound - better weather than the photo northbound) |
Ferries:
1. Peel River (Northbound)
2. Red River / Tsiigehtchic (Northbound)
3. Red River / Tsiigehtchic (Southbound)
4. Peel River (Southbound)
5. Liard River at Fort Simpson (Northbound)
6. Liard River at Fort Simpson (Southbound)
7. Horseshoe Bay to Langdale
8. Earl’s Cove to Saltery Bay (note 1)
9. Powell River to Little River (note 2)
10. Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen
We had a mixture of good and bad luck with ferries. The opening of the ferries in Northwestern Territories was uncertain; in the end, we caught the Peel River ferry northbound on the first day of the season and had no delays (unlike many others) in returning south later. The Liard River crossings were uneventful, although it was clear that the ferry was struggling somewhat with the high river current. On the crossing from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay, we were hit by the vehicle above us on the ramp, which lost control and rolled back into us as we were waiting to move off the ferry. On the Powell River to Little Ferry, we were delayed by the ferry’s being called to respond to a marine emergency, although this is appropriate in such a situation.
Peel River Ferry - loading
Tsiigehtchic Ferry loading
Tsiigehtchic Ferry unloading
Hugs
Alan and Marce
(photos may be used for non-commercial purposes with credit to alanymarce@gmail.com)
Detailed statistics:
Days:
Overall: 155 days
On the road in all vehicles: 96 days
On the road in the Wrangler: 85 days
Workdays: 30 days
On the road – non-working days:
Camping in the Wrangler: 33 nights
Camping in ground tents: 13 nights
BnB days: 14 nights
Hotel days: 2 nights
Total non-work nights on the road: 62 nights
On the road – remote working days:
Work nights in hotels: 15 nights
Work nights in a cabin: 3 nights
Work nights in BnBs: 10 nights
Total work nights on the road: 28 nights
Family home days: 19 nights
Distance driven:
In the Wrangler: 21,632 km British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta
In the CHR: 557 km Ontario, Québec
In the Rogue: 1435 km Nova Scotia
All vehicles: 23,624 km
Average km/day
km/day overall: 152 km/day
km/day on the road in all vehicles: 246 km/day
km/day in the Wrangler: 254 km/day
km/day in the Wrangler (non-work days only): 333 km/day
km/day all “big trips” (including this one): 170 km/day
Fuel
Total fuel consumed: 2858 L (= 755 US gal = 629 gal)
Total fuel consumed in Wrangler: 2665 L (= 704 US gal = 586 gal)
Total fuel cost: CAD 6230.00 (= USD 4800.00)
Total fuel cost in Wrangler: CAD 5797.00 (= USD 4466.00)
Average fuel consumption in Wrangler: 12.32 L/100 km (= 19.1 mi/US gal = 22.9 mi/gal)
Maximum consumption per fill in Wrangler: 20.52 L/100 km
Best fuel consumption per fill-in Wrangler: 8.11 L/100 km (downhill)
Expenditure on the vehicle and camping kit (over what we already had):
Lumber (Coe’s): pine plyboard, sandpaper, piano hinges. CAD 127.77
Home Hardware: tools (socket, UJ, extension, drive bar, XO). CAD 125.22
Canadian Tyre: foam mattress base, tire repair kit, cross-brace, webbing straps, safety glasses. CAD 133.80
Metro, Montréal - 2 x Metro collapsible grocery baskets: CAD 2.50 each.
Amazon - Self-inflating mattress - On&On K.: CAD 162.95
Canadian Tyre: extinguisher, bear spray, water container, stove, etc - CAD 464.30
Muji - duvet, duvet cover, pillows: CAD 342.84.
Canadian Tyre: bottle jack, jump leads, warning triangle, LED warning lights, tie wraps: CAD 180.13. Returned phone mount and mattress base: credits of CAD 59.34 & CAD 19.03.
Canadian Tyre: storage boxes CAD 71.64.
Amazon – 2 x ANPPEX camp chairs: CAD 146.96
MEC: camp table: CAD 183.98 + tax
Walmart, Prince George - Foam mattress “topper”: CAD 85.00
Whitehorse Canadian Tyre - exercise mats, 2 x: CAD 29.99 + 5%
Inuvik Northmart - Tyre “goop”: CAD 54.89
Inuvik Napa - Tyre repair kit, valve core remover, vice-grip: CAD 44.80
Inuvik Hawks Supply - valve cores: CAD 3.50
Amazon – 2 x Gysrevi tents: CAD 283.48
Amazon - ANPPEX camp chair: CAD 73.48
Valemount Home Hardware - Torx T15: CAD 11.19
(Notes: the “2 x 4” lumber for the bed frame was recycled)
