My First Entry

So I had to get my first post in writing about something and the topic was determined to be the cars. The family is excited to go north. The cars are scared. At least I allow myself the silly thought and perhaps thats only because I'm concerned about the trip after a bit of web research today.

Today I decided to review the temperatures in Fairbanks. I had been somewhat at ease knowing that, although the first stages of winter have set in up north, we'd be arriving before the second phase of winter. Winter phases, a winter theory we only learned about after our scouting visit to Fairbanks a few weeks ago.

So the first phase apparently started just after we left from our scouting trip to Fairbanks back in mid Septemberl so this would have happened around the last couple weeks of Sepember. This first phase is described as the beginning of winter, and apparently it's quite cold. The second phase lasts, from what I can tell, from about October 15 or so, until... I'm not sure exactly, but I'm guessing about the first part of March. This second phase can be described as... oh my God this just isn't natural.

Ok, really though, after checking temps it seems as though this first phase of winter must be when the temperatures drop below freezing, yet are still not significantly or consistantly in the negative. I reserve the right to adjust these descriptions as I experience a cold I can't yet imagine.

So I had been depending on the fact we will get there before the second phase of winter hits. The type of cold that you best have your cars winterized to an arctic standard. But today I notice a -30 degree night in the 10 day forecast. we leave in 8 days, and the drive will take us another 8 days. I use my tiny knowledge of the arctic and calculate my chances of experiencing cold that would cause damage to the vehicles, and come to the conclusion that my appointment for November 4 to get my car winterized is probably a bad idea, and that our chances of making the drive without debilitating car damage is a risk that should not be taken.

Unfortunately it also seem to be understood that the typical car service center in Colorado really does not know how to winterize a car for Arctic conditions. This compels me to call the local Fairbanks dealer and urge some straight talk about my chances of survival driving to Fairbanks at the end of October with a car that is not winterized, and their best advice on winterizing tips. Apparently the professional advice suggests this is a bad gamble as well. Fortunately the dealer service department (Thanks Gene Chrysler-Jeep!) is helpful and understanding about my novice artic experience, and the upcoming expedition.

Now I have to educate myself about winterizing the car at a level I really didn't want to understand, and attempt to pass on what little information I can gather to the local Colorado dealer, and see if they can make the minimum modifications to keep my car from dying on the road.

For the record, for the typical vehicle properly outfitted for artic duty, one should invest in a block heater and coolant at a 60/40 ratio antifreeze to water to bring the temperature to a -60 degree rating. These are the first two critical components. Then one should add a battery heater, oil pan heater, and transmission heater. This gets buttoned up to a 4 way plug and a cord that sticks out the front of the car.

From what I can tell, the block heater and battery heater are make and model specific components that I was able to order from my local Jeep dealership. They had never installed one of these and I now have an appointment to install the components without any estimate of labor cost.

"We just don't do these all the time."

Great.

They have no knowledge of oil pan heater or transmission heater, and cannot assist me on these items. I opt to go for the 'critical' components based on the advice of the arctic professionals. Maybe someone in Canada can install the oil pan and transmission heaters. Apparently these fall into the aftermarket, and are only widely known somewhere north of where I currently live.

Apparently Blizzak tires are also highly recommended, but as my tires are in good shape, I simply can't justify new tread for the Jeep.

One would think this would end the dilemma, but this is only one of 3 vehicles. The bike will have to just make the trip. I won't be relying on it to start on the trip up north, as long as everything goes well. I may write about the motorcycle a bit more as the blog goes on. Shannon's car is another story. We won't be driving it, but it will be shipped to arrive some time after we arive in Fairbanks, and it promises to be the second phase of winter by then. This prompts us to pursue at least minimal winterizing of the block heater and coolant here in the lower 48 as well. Evidently the Kia dealer needs to find a block heater that will fit the Kia, so tomorrow I have my work cut out for me, as this all needs to be done within an 8 day window.

Oh, I might have forgot to mention that the movers haven't returned our calls, and our moving quote is 3 days late, so we still have no idea how much this is going to cost for the moving, which we're still not sure what impact this may have with the agreements between Shannon and her employer. We move in 8 days, and we still don't have a mover scheduled for next week. Fortunately I'm reasonably relaxed over this seemingly impossible situation, simply recalling the words first spoken by Shannon's employer, "Don't worry about the move".

I suppose the worst that can happen is that we have to postpone, add my car to the shipping containers, and fly ourselves out there. I'm just not sure December is a reasonable time to be driving to the arctic circle. Or perhaps next April during the spring thaw.

K. Chadwick