Humvee in Alaska....2 to 4 man...and exploring the mountains and glacier trails.....

[McSpeed]

Well guys, I did make it from the flat lands of high taxes and crooked politicians to the mountains and freedoms of the last frontier in AK.

Was able to get all my parts moved up that I'd been sitting on to make the 2 to 4 man conversion....

made a way too long - way boring video of that - but we did take up up Hatchers Pass on New Years day before all heck let loose here. We had 90 mph wind gusts for four straight days after that adventure....

Humvee in Alaska 2 to 4 man and ride up Hatcher's Pass Alaska - YouTube


Then - weekend before last I attempted to reach the Knik glacier - this was a bucket list thing for me last summer - I never would have believed we actually were able to pull the trigger and move here. My new job has me really tied down and there is less daylight - so there hasn't been as much free time as I'd like - yet.

I have a WORTH brand four post lift coming soon (I think - all made in the USA - UBER expensive...and being modified wider to fit the Humvee without tires hanging over) - and hopefully it will let me sort my smaller garage space out.

Humvee up Jim Creek Alaska - Wheeling to the Knik Glacier - YouTube

So - I know for sure I need a winch. Got it stuck like a mother lover in the Knik Glacier trail. Also need a couple tall bumper/train/farm jacks I think...but learning as I go. Also, chain saw to get through the narrow trails.

The four door swap over was a game changer for winter...but I'm going to revert back once it warms up here.

 

[Action]

Get some tires chains!
With the 4-man top on, you can still install the 2-man rear curtain to keep heat up front.

 

[McSpeed]

Get some tires chains!
With the 4-man top on, you can still install the 2-man rear curtain to keep heat up front.

That is a great idea - except I modified the two man curtain to close out the four man top as I didn't have one. My top kit was pieced together here and there and parts are a little tough to get - at least with shipping to AK. But - that's a great idea. The thing is...it warmed up nicely. I sealed the rear curtain to the floor with some wide gorilla tape and that cut down on loss of hot air. My wife who is VERY temp sensitive was able to stay warm - this is down to single digits outside... But once we go below zero it is hard to keep anything warm and it really isn't fun going out like that unless I need the truck for utility.

 

[Action]

The arctic kits are nice because the gaps are sealed. Lots of velcro is involved. And the 2-man rear curtain goes all the way to the floor.

 

[mgFray]

They are nice, but the doors still "seal" like HMMWV doors.. i.e. not very well. You can make it fit "better" with a little tweaking, but depending on the outside wind and the speed you are driving there is still a cold breeze to deal with.

 

[springer1981]

How's the heat in that? Do you get extreme low temps? Have you considered a cab and engine heater, I think they are called a multi fuel heater?

 

[mgFray]

Coldest I've driven the HMMWV this winter was -10F.. I had to let it warm up, once it got up a bit.. the cab was cold until the vehicle actually got moving.. but once the engine was up to temp, I found myself turning DOWN the heat! (I have an original M998 so it's leaky, drafty, has the metal dash grill, etc). Also I didn't fully install the arctic top on mine.. the top/curtain are fully in place -- but I didn't install the floor bracket, floor insulation, or the velcro components. It's plenty warm [once the vehicle warms up] for me.

One note, the arctic 2-man I got had a cracked rear window.. (no functional issue), but apparently this is pretty normal with the NOS stuff. It looks like it's pretty easy to over tighten the screws when the windows were installed.

 

[McSpeed]

I find the most difficult part of driving at or near zero degrees F is my feet! I can get the cab warm enough to strip down to a hoodie with the occasional side draft through the leaky doors...but my feet turn to ice bricks. When I first moved here I had the truck shipped up about two weeks ahead. I started it up without a block heater and it was rough at first. Since that time, I've moved it to spots to get the block heater plugged in when outside. I moved into my house a few weeks after that and it has mostly been in a heated garage. Start up at 55 degrees is perfect - then head outside. The heater catches up pretty fast - but I'm getting more acclimated to the cold here every day.

I do need to put some sort of insulation on the firewall though behind the front tires or something. The cold feet situation is not good. I replaced all the heater duct due to a mouse infestation that was there before I bought the truck - so I know the plumbing is complete. It blows plenty warm - just can't get that floor pan warm.

 

[lpcoating]

What do you take for spare parts / tools on these trips? Nice videos, thanks for sharing.

Guy

 

[McSpeed]

What do you take for spare parts / tools on these trips? Nice videos, thanks for sharing.

Guy

I haven’t figured out the right kit to take with me yet. Just basic stuff so far. Thinking about wheeling on buffalo mine trail this weekend.