We are on the way. Left Monday afternoon and now are near Portland OR. Visiting my Wife's niece and kids this AM and will be heading to Seattle for this afternoon/evening and more visiting friends and Mike if you are around. Will contact you a bit later.

VERY HOT run up I5 but the Breakaway and Amigo toad doing just fine. Settling in with the towing deal being extra cautious until I get used to the idea.

After a few more days running, I will have more facts to share but for now, I am VERY pleased.

Pictures will be coming later.

Lou, will you be anywhere near Seattle in the next couple of days?

Hi Ed,

I have my phone and will be looking for your call!

Mike

For those of you traveling I-5, I wanna just offer up a gravel parking space with power next to my shop. I plan on being home over the holidays, and if it works for you, you are more than welome. I would love to meet another Barth owner. IF this fits for you, you can call or text me. 360-915-2980, or pm me, however I am not always looking at the site. I am in Olympia, about exit 102. Happy Trails.

Ed, glad you were finally able to go. Enjoy and we all look forward to your pics and posts
Jim

Ed,

Good you are able to go to Alaska. Wow!

We are in Sandpoint, Idaho, and will be heading to Coeur d'Alene, ID and then over to Spokane, Ritzville, and the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pabco and Kennewick with a destination of Umatilla, OR.
Tomorrow will be a full day.

Saturday we will head for Portland, OR, and will be staying in Troutdale. Sunday we hope to be in Myrtle Creek, OR, ready to take on Rt. 5 in California starting on Monday.

Looks like we will just miss you by a day or so in Portland.

We thought we could see Mike and Karen, but we'll all simply have to meet elsewhere on the road in the hopefully not-too-distant future. Hope you and Mike, et al, can meet up.

Be safe, write often, and send pictures!

Best regards,

Had a great visit with Mike (Raincatcher) and Karen over the 4th. Thanks guys it was wonderful to meet you!

We are at Prince George BC now for the night.

Everything seems to be going well, the Amigo is towing very nicely! Hardly know it is there. Fuel mileage is not much different, got 10.4 MPG on the first fill but after that, hills and more hills, got 9.8 MPG next. This is not far off my normal MPG BUT, I am driving slower. 60-65 MPH.

Got a scraping noise from the right rear, I hope it is just a rock or something in the brakes, the pads looked fine when I left but it sure sounds like metal to metal. Will try to find a truck repair here to look at it before I leave PG.

Have had NO cooling issues at all! Actually, it is running cooler! I have noticed that the normal oil spots on the rear of the coach are not there, but the Amigo below the bumper has caught oil spots. I think the Amigo is drafting the Breakaway and changing the airflow pattern and perhaps reducing some of the back pressure allowing better cooling.

So far so good!

Looking forward to seeing Bud_YXY in Whitehorse. Bud, I sent you a PM.

Ed & Jane, glad all is going well. We enjoyed meeting and visiting with you guys, hope we see you on your way back South. I mentioned Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park as being a great stopping place. Here is the URL for the Park. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcpar...parkpgs/liard_rv_hs/. The park is a little over 100 miles before you cross into the Yukon Territory. What did they say about your tires?

At Watson Lake now. Tire issue seems to be a balance issue, Les Schwab could not balance the aluminum wheels so I had them rotate the outer tire almost 180 degrees, much better.

TURD FAIRY GOT ME!!

Just after get into Canada I heard some bad noises. Sounded like a brake pad had gone. Not wanting to turn back, we continued onward until Ft. Saint John. Because I had broken my breaker bar, I had to find someone to take off the wheels. By this time I knew it was a brake pad problem. It was strange as I did inspect all brakes before leaving. I had 50% on all pads and they were fairly well evenly worn side to side of each caliper.

I jacked up the rear and found the noise was coming from the right side. Definitely a severely damaged or worn pad.

NAPA in town found the correct pads and had them the next day. I found a muffler/tire shop that could get the wheels off.

The inner pad on the right side was totally gone. We found the caliper had frozen. I finally got it broken loose, worked it in and out a few times and am satisfied it will work until I return. Calipers were not found there so no choice anyway. Replaced all rear pads and have no issues. Brakes are good.

Amigo is following well, I am still amazed how easy it pulls and how good the MPG is.

Not sure if we go to Whitehorse on the way in or on the way back. Lots is rain the last 2 days. MOSQUITOS!!!!!!

Sorry to hear about your brakes.
For the balancing try to install Centramatics behind your wheel, they balance your tire continously. Work excellent on our semi, 300,000 miles on the drive tires and no cupping or unusual wear.

And oh yes I remember the mosquitos. They eat you alive and will find any spot not covered by DEET. Try Tahini Hot Springs in Whitehorse and do stop in Liard Hot Springs. Beautiful and bring your swim trunks.

We are in Whitehorse now, arrived yesterday and toured the city. Weather has cleared a bit and is better now. Had a great stopover in Teslin at one of the Provincial Camp grounds with a site just above the water at the lake.

Had a great cookout and enjoyed some terrific steaks/wine. The local mosquitos also had a great meal of me!

Internet has not been good, Bud, I sent you a email this AM, I just got your response from July 7, If we don't hook up today, we will on the way back in a couple of weeks.

We are 2700 miles out, should be in Alaska Su nday/Monday.

Will post some pictures when internet is better.

Ed & Jane, whatever You do, You have got to hook up with Bud and His lovely Wife. They are great folks. You will probably hate this, in June we had no mosquitoes except North of the Artic Circle. Have fun and travel safe. See ya T & N

Tom, is that normal to not have the mosquitoes in June? If so, that would be the time I would choose to go.
J

we had plenty mosquitos in May and June that we spent in Alaska. And July. Some places worse, none in Homer at the ocean but inland everywhere. I thought it was the state bird

When I lived there, the mosquitoes were bad enough, but the real pests were the no-see-ums.

I don't know Jim. All I can tell you is we had no mosquitoes the last week of May and the first 3 weeks of June until we crossed the Artic Circle on the Haul Road. We may not be as sweet as some others, Who knows!