What Will Be The Primary Use For Your Elio?

[ks6c]

a person can ride a moped from ocean to ocean but that doesn't mean a moped is designed and built for that purpose .... fully realizing that none of us have hands-on experience with an Elio, I'd appreciate your general observations/recommendations .... given a stock Elio, with the knowledge base that you have gained by driving the ALCAN 6 times, what upgrades/mods/changes would you project making prior to driving one to Alaska .... what concerns about the vehicle would you want to address prior to pulling out

Jim

Surprising to many, but the AlCan is now completely paved from Milepost 0 at Dawson Creek all the way to the terminus at Fairbanks - except where it isn't <lol> The only places you will find gravel are those that are actively being repaired . I was up and back on the AlCan late May/early June this year and hit a grand total of 3 miles of gravel. That said, I hit another 100+ miles of serious frost heave damage that they hadn't begun repairs on, yet.

I saw all sorts of vehicles on the road including family sedans and VW buses, and will be taking my Elio up there essentially un-modified.

 

[Dustoff]

a person can ride a moped from ocean to ocean but that doesn't mean a moped is designed and built for that purpose .... fully realizing that none of us have hands-on experience with an Elio, I'd appreciate your general observations/recommendations .... given a stock Elio, with the knowledge base that you have gained by driving the ALCAN 6 times, what upgrades/mods/changes would you project making prior to driving one to Alaska .... what concerns about the vehicle would you want to address prior to pulling out

Jim

Jim,

Each trip posed it's own challenges.
The first trip in Feb. 68 was done with two 2.5 ton bobtail trucks, one towing a 55' mobile home. We carried 20 mounted spare tires and two extra leaf springs for the trailer. Upon our arrival in Anchorage we had used and destroyed 19 of the 20 tires and one leaf spring. In 68 the big problem was the extremely rough, frozen winter road.

April of 75 was in a brand new 74 Toyota Land Cruiser towing a 16' travel trailer. The biggest problem with that trip was the windshield being pummeled by gravel and rocks. I had outfitted the Land Cruiser with a metal wire screen to protect the windshield and it worked very well. Arriving in Anchorage I had to replace the windshield but it only took one hit and was still serviceable (but cracked).

In the summer of 76 my wife and I drove her Olds Cutlass and had to replace the windshield. Dang rocks.

The next three trips were in 78 and 79 in a 78 F-150 and that cost three windshields.

I have to say that the front glass was the weak link back then because the road was dirt, gravel and small rocks. When a large truck was approaching you got showered with rocks/gravel.

I have read that the road is now paved and the windshield would stand a much better chance of arriving intact.
http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/akhwy.html

Gas is plentiful and available almost every 50/75 miles.

I camped in my vehicles/trailers and stayed in lodges/motels which are plentiful.

Given your experience in the RV business and current lifestyle I believe you may be the go to guy for planning a trip to Alaska.

In the Elio, with the road in much better shape, I wouldn't worry about anything except maybe a moose getting in the way. I believe a tire repair kit if not a spare tire would be in order. A small trailer or a good roof cargo pod should be enough room for all the driving and camping accessories.

With a caravan of Elios the potential problems would be much more manageable.

I don't see any comparison with an Elio and a Moped. I own a Whizzer.

 

[Music Man]

It will be; " over the hill and through the dell to grandma's house we go!"

Really wish that were so, but Grandma left this place many long years ago. . . . . . . . . . Hmmm. . . , wonder what her thoughts would be if she could just come back for a day, to see this "new fangled" machine we all want to strap ourselves into?

 

[JEBar]

Jim,

Each trip posed it's own challenges.
The first trip in Feb. 68 was done with two 2.5 ton bobtail trucks, one towing a 55' mobile home. We carried 20 mounted spare tires and two extra leaf springs for the trailer. Upon our arrival in Anchorage we had used and destroyed 19 of the 20 tires and one leaf spring. In 68 the big problem was the extremely rough, frozen winter road.

April of 75 was in a brand new 74 Toyota Land Cruiser towing a 16' travel trailer. The biggest problem with that trip was the windshield being pummeled by gravel and rocks. I had outfitted the Land Cruiser with a metal wire screen to protect the windshield and it worked very well. Arriving in Anchorage I had to replace the windshield but it only took one hit and was still serviceable (but cracked).

In the summer of 76 my wife and I drove her Olds Cutlass and had to replace the windshield. Dang rocks.

The next three trips were in 78 and 79 in a 78 F-150 and that cost three windshields.

I have to say that the front glass was the weak link back then because the road was dirt, gravel and small rocks. When a large truck was approaching you got showered with rocks/gravel.

I have read that the road is now paved and the windshield would stand a much better chance of arriving intact.
http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/akhwy.html

Gas is plentiful and available almost every 50/75 miles.

I camped in my vehicles/trailers and stayed in lodges/motels which are plentiful.

Given your experience in the RV business and current lifestyle I believe you may be the go to guy for planning a trip to Alaska.

In the Elio, with the road in much better shape, I wouldn't worry about anything except maybe a moose getting in the way. I believe a tire repair kit if not a spare tire would be in order. A small trailer or a good roof cargo pod should be enough room for all the driving and camping accessories.

With a caravan of Elios the potential problems would be much more manageable.

I don't see any comparison with an Elio and a Moped. I own a Whizzer.

thank you for the info and for taking the time to post it .... it would be interesting to know if the curved windshield use in an Elio is a specialty item or if it is used in other applications .... if it is a specialty item, finding one in Alaska my be problematic .... the cost of having one shipped up there would probably be high .... as noted I've never made the trip but have spent many hours talking with folks who have .... even with the improvement in the roads, many campers manufactured today have a really tough time handling the stress .... I've seen some that have come back with more problems than is economically feasible to repair .... the point I was trying to make through the Elio/Moped example is the Elio has been designed will be built for commuting over roads that are far different from the ALCAN .... its one thing to fire up a vehicle and commute X-miles to work and back .... its quite another to take off to Alaska .... Elio Motors and the RV industry are both heavily preoccupied with reducing the weight of their products .... in the RV industry to cut weight they have to cut steel .... you can cut all of the Styrofoam insulation you wish and you really don't save much weight .... unfortunately, too many frames have been cut to the point that they just can't stand up to the pressures of bouncing down the road .... it will be interesting to find out in the real world just how durable the frame, suspension, construction techniques, and components prove to be

sorry for getting long winded ..

Jim

 

[Mike W]

Boy, I thought I was going to be adventerous in saying daily commuting and some longer road trips! The AlCan is one of the ultimate long haul road trips in North America and one I've not even considered. At one time, like Dustoff said, it was a safari and a real test of a vehicle's stamina, now it' still a long way but not quite as hazardous, except maybe for the windshield.

 

[Fred Yerrick]

I'm just curious. Since the Elio is primarily made for commuting to work or running errands what is the primary use for you getting this vehicle? I'm retired so my primary usage will be for play. Something to tinker with and cruise around visiting family members without using a lot of gas. Maybe even a budget tent camper for long trips.

 

[Fred Yerrick]

I'm just curious. Since the Elio is primarily made for commuting to work or running errands what is the primary use for you getting this vehicle? I'm retired so my primary usage will be for play. Something to tinker with and cruise around visiting family members without using a lot of gas. Maybe even a budget tent camper for long trips.

Just for Fun!

 

[ks6c]

a person can ride a moped from ocean to ocean but that doesn't mean a moped is designed and built for that purpose .... fully realizing that none of us have hands-on experience with an Elio, I'd appreciate your general observations/recommendations .... given a stock Elio, with the knowledge base that you have gained by driving the ALCAN 6 times, what upgrades/mods/changes would you project making prior to driving one to Alaska .... what concerns about the vehicle would you want to address prior to pulling out

Jim

Jim, a member of a motorcycle forum that I frequent just posted this video of the trip he and his wife made to Alaska on a Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited - a rolling Barcalounger if ever there was one (it's what I ride, too)! <lol> IOW, it's a bike made for touring, not for any kind of off-road travels, and they really, really, really don't like gravel.

This video will give you a gazillion reasons for wanting to make the trip but, more importantly, it does a great job representing the types of roads you'll will see - paved roads built to modern standards. Don't worry about the wood-plank bridges he shows, they were intentional excursions off the main roads.

 

[JEBar]

Jim, a member of a motorcycle forum that I frequent just posted this video of the trip he and his wife made to Alaska on a Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited - a rolling Barcalounger if ever there was one (it's what I ride, too)! <lol> IOW, it's a bike made for touring, not for any kind of off-road travels, and they really, really, really don't like gravel.

This video will give you a gazillion reasons for wanting to make the trip but, more importantly, it does a great job representing the types of roads you'll will see - paved roads built to modern standards. Don't worry about the wood-plank bridges he shows, they were intentional excursions off the main roads.

thanks for posting the link to the video, beautiful, simply beautiful .... I was really surprised at the condition of the roads .... one thought, making that rip in an Elio you could get by with considerably less heavy clothing ..

Jim

 

[zelio]

Jim, a member of a motorcycle forum that I frequent just posted this video of the trip he and his wife made to Alaska on a Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited - a rolling Barcalounger if ever there was one (it's what I ride, too)! <lol> IOW, it's a bike made for touring, not for any kind of off-road travels, and they really, really, really don't like gravel.

This video will give you a gazillion reasons for wanting to make the trip but, more importantly, it does a great job representing the types of roads you'll will see - paved roads built to modern standards. Don't worry about the wood-plank bridges he shows, they were intentional excursions off the main roads.

I wish I could see the video but the "owner of the video" does not permit viewing on a mobile device. Sigh :-) Z