My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....yep.....and now you know.....

JD.....I sent you a pm last night.....





It wasn't a long hike, unfortunately, but it sure was breathtaking.....



Anytime I'm near a waterfall I'm always tieing the dogs up to something.....that little Tanner makes me incredibly nervous.....



With our hike completed we were soon driving west once again along Highway 3.....and then we drove northwest deeper into British Columbia.....



We stopped for lunch and watched a lone paddler on a somewhat remote lake.....







We would cross a small mountain range, I'd guess maybe 4,000' in elevation.....





After 32 days of travel we would finally pull into the parking lot of our planned destination. I had planned for 14 days.....a drive of 411 miles.....it took a bit more than double that.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Like most RV manufacturers, Northern Lite gives the buyer a 12 month warranty on everything. Living on the road and always being on the move made getting the warranty work performed almost impossible. And when I did get into a service facility the work seemed to be or was subpar. I spoke with the owner (Keith) of Northern Lite this past winter and he told me to send him a list and he said come here to our plant one day and I'll take care of you.....



I had high expectations for Keith and Northern Lite when his crew began the work on my truck camper that morning. But apparently there must have been a misunderstanding between us as later in the day one of the crew said that Keith wanted me out of there, and that he had no plans to fix everything. Keith never took the time to introduce himself nor thank me for my purchase. His crew was great.....they could not have been nicer. As I was leaving they gave me parts that had failed and told me that I'd have to fix it myself. I left Northern Lite that afternoon with some really mixed emotions.....

I did get a very quick tour of the facility and I'll share with you what I saw. I will say that I was impressed with everything that I saw, I love my Northern Lite.....definitely right up there in quality with my Bigfoot.....and not even close to the Arctic Fox.....



















I thought it honorable of Keith to extend my warranty far beyond the 12 months that was given to me at the time of my purchase. I appreciate that.....

 

[jadmt]

Like most RV manufacturers, Northern Lite gives the buyer a 12 month warranty on everything. Living on the road and always being on the move made getting the warranty work performed almost impossible. And when I did get into a service facility the work seemed to be or was subpar. I spoke with the owner (Keith) of Northern Lite this past winter and he told me to send him a list and he said come here to our plant one day and I'll take care of you.....

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I had high expectations for Keith and Northern Lite when his crew began the work on my truck camper that morning. But apparently there must have been a misunderstanding between us as later in the day one of the crew said that Keith wanted me out of there, and that he had no plans to fix everything. Keith never took the time to introduce himself nor thank me for my purchase. His crew was great.....they could not have been nicer. As I was leaving they gave me parts that had failed and told me that I'd have to fix it myself. I left Northern Lite that afternoon with some really mixed emotions.....

I did get a very quick tour of the facility and I'll share with you what I saw. I will say that I was impressed with everything that I saw, I love my Northern Lite.....definitely right up there in quality with my Bigfoot.....and not even close to the Arctic Fox.....

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I thought it honorable of Keith to extend my warranty far beyond the 12 months that was given to me at the time of my purchase. I appreciate that.....

So you drive all the way up there thinking you were going to get taken care of and instead they kicked off the lot? What warranty work did you need?

 

[nathane]

Hmm, not that it should make a difference, but 431,000 thread views for the journey so far. I think I might have popped over to join you for a cup of tea if you visited my workshop Jerry. Actually, come to think of it, you would of course be very welcome next time you pass through Surrey in the UK ?

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

That is bittersweet about NL, glad they got some things taken care of. Hopefully nothing too series.

Some beautiful travels, it was good to see some places close to home as I get close here on the inside passage.

Happy trails and safe travels

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

jadmt.....I would say that that is actually a perfect way to put it. I actually felt bad for the crew that was helping me and left disappointed and uncomfortable. Regarding the issues, probably the most difficult to repair was the carpet on the ceiling not being glued properly. They did an excellent repair job. Previously two RV shops had no idea how to fix it. A few other problems.....a thermostat that never worked properly (they gave me a new one to self install), a running light with a short (they gave me a new one to self install), a piece of paneling with a hole in it (they gave me a new one to self install), sealant around vents on the roof coming off (they repaired), table installed crooked (they realigned), a screen door with a broken handle (they replaced the entire door), a burner on the stove that never worked (they repaired), malfunctioning overhead lights (they replaced 2), two broken kitchen cabinet hinges (they replaced both), several of the large stripping decals coming off (I'll live with it) and I forget what else.....

nathane.....I guess they just didn't realize what an internet sensation that I am (just kidding of course).....

PNWY.....I'm headed north now.....it's getting so good.....



So I had hoped my Northern Lite experience was going to be a good one but oh well. Luckily I have another story to tell which was happening simultaneously and that story would be considered a great one ! I've needed some welding work done on both the truck and the Jeep for quite awhile now but damn it's so expensive, so I've hesitated. Well here I am out wandering around while the Northern Lite is being serviced and I stumble across some welders.....



These guys loved Jeeps and when I enquired within they said go get it.....





Ten minutes later they were under the Jeep welding the Panhard Rod (sway bar ?). These two guys did one hell of a job for me.....



When it came time for payment they said go talk to the old man (Frank the owner) in his office. So Frank sizes me up a few times and then he says "don't worry about it. Glad to help". I then say "wait ! I need work done to my camper and truck as well". He says "go get it" and so I did (after handing the guys $40 for a tip on the way out the door).....



Now back with the truck and camper, they weld two rings on my tow hitch so that I have a place to attach my safety chains....



Then they clean up my camper step (removed a shabby job of mine so to speak.....removed the carpet padding and epoxy glue that held the carpet padding down).....



Then they cut a piece of steel and installed it on the aluminum camper step (the issue here was the step set on the trailer hitch and it was slowly cutting into the soft aluminum).....





By now I had spent most of my day here (cause honestly.....I felt welcomed here). Once again I say to Frank "what do I owe you ?" and once again Frank says "don't worry about it". At this point we are all the best of friends so I try to offer the guys more money and Frank stops me.....he says "my guys are well paid and we appreciate it but this is our gift to you".....



If you ever find yourself in Kelowna, British Columbia, please stop in at Specialty Overload Services and tell Frank and the guys hey. I'm seriously gonna miss hanging out with this bunch of Canadians. Like one of the guys said to me "hey we're just a big family here" and I sure felt that.....kudos to Frank.....

 

[furbucket]

My wife is from North Van, and she has a bunch of family that lives in Kelowna- I really like it there too...!


Sent from an evil pocket calculator with a flashy screen using Tapatalk

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Furbucket.....I loved Kelowna but I only stayed for 2 nights. I would imagine a week at a minimum I would have prefered.....



Now I knew when I came to Kelowna that I would need to make a decision as to where I would go next. The options I mulled over were Vancouver Island, return to Montana, head south for Mexico, or continue north. I chose north.....



It's a gorgeous drive leaving Kelowna, B.C. and as we continued north the scenery only got better.....



We would make our first stop in Vernon, B. C. for fuel and food, as well as a stop at the local tourist office.....



The woman behind the counter enquired of my plans and after we talked a bit I think she figured me out just perfect. And so it was that I changed my planned route a bit and rather than stay the course and drive north into the national parks, we drove east on the "road less traveled".....



The fall colors were a mix of brightly colored leaves as well as the muted colors of leaves that had already lost their vibrant fall colors.....



I was in awe of the beauty that surrounded us so here I'll just share a few pictures of the magnificence of the forest.....









The road would come to an end and here we would board our first ferry of the trip as we crossed the Arrow Lakes.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Now I'm not quite sure what it is about driving onto a ferry that excites me the way it does but I will tell you that excitement best described my emotions at that very moment.....



And I wasn't the only one in the truck that felt that bit of excitement.....



Tanner was bouncing from window to window wondering what the hell was going on here.....Yukon, well, it wasn't her first "rodeo".....



Obviously not everyone aboard the ferry felt the same way as many passengers simply sat in their vehicles for the entire rather short trip.....but not us that's for sure.....





I may be getting up there in the years but I'll tell you right now that the excitement and need for exploration has never waned one bit.....





Once back on land the highway turns north and followed the shores of the Arrow Lakes.....





It could only get better.....

 

[vintageracer]

Sounds to me like KEITH @ Northern Lites Campers needs to go of the USA to Canada to LEARN WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ALL ABOUT!

Would not surprise me if this was not the first time this welding shop had to take up the slack for Keith's inaction in dealing with his customer!

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

vintageracer.....just a guess but my guess is that I was the first. There was no connection between the businesses. I just happened across the welders while I was out with the dogs. Maybe Keith was having a bad day.....it's history now.....and I have a fantastic truck camper.....




That day we didn't get too many miles in since I'm constantly stopping to check out the wonders of nature. As I walked, a pair of bald eagles were hunting along the shoreline.....I must have logged five miles in my leather boots here, maybe more, along that rocky shoreline.....it was truly amazing.....



I found fresh remains of fish carcasses strewn about the rocky shoreline. From what I saw these guys fill their guts often.....



Often the stops along the highway were to simply gaze out at the mountains and admire their reflections on the calm waters surface.....





Temperatures are dropping here.....the days are cool and the nights are cold. I'd guess a woodstove warms a log cabin well.....



We spent that night camping along the shores of the lake.....our site was nothing more than a paved pull out along the highway which is the kind of place that I'll often find myself once the sun begins to set.....





By the time evening arrives, Yukon is generally in the bed having her quiet time.....Tanner and I continue to walk in the darkness.....I like that.....



I live to be outside.....



A quarter moon reflects over the lake.....and we call it a day.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The following morning we're up early.....probably way too early but I awoke with the anticipation of a warm soak for that day on my mind. After a few mugs of steaming hot coffee, a few toast and hard boiled eggs, we were back on the road. This morning the plan is to visit the Halfway Hot Springs. With eleven kilometers (they use that in Canada) of logging roads, I decided to drop the truck and camper along the highway and take only the Jeep.....an excellent plan it turned out to be.....



Some sections of the road were fairly rough but nothing extreme.....



There's just no reason to jostle the rig when I have the luxury of the Jeep.....



Here I spent my morning sharing a pool with a Canadian from Vancouver and her small dog.....traveling in her VW pop up bus. There are multiple pools here and the place is very well kept and really, really clean.....and it's free.....



We had some nice conversation and they only made my soak that much nicer.....



Cleanliness is important to me so I cherish a morning such as this so much.....it was truly difficult to move on but.....you do.....



Europeans arrived as I was on my way out. What an awesome rig.....



Then it was back to Highway 23 driving north once again.....





Later that day the road would end once again.....here we would wait on yet another ferry to return to the other side of the lake. Quite a controversy would develop as we waited for the ferry's arrival.....Canadians were not pleased with their government's recently enacted law.....I too was not so pleased.....

 

[Arjan]

Looks very nice !

As towing on A-frames here is uncommon, how does that work on those trails ?

 

[halseyt]

The following morning we're up early.....probably way too early but I awoke with the anticipation of a warm soak for that day on my mind. After a few mugs of steaming hot coffee, a few toast and hard boiled eggs, we were back on the road. This morning the plan is to visit the Halfway Hot Springs. With eleven kilometers (they use that in Canada) of logging roads, I decided to drop the truck and camper along the highway and take only the Jeep.....an excellent plan it turned out to be.....

View attachment 543115

Some sections of the road were fairly rough but nothing extreme.....

View attachment 543116

There's just no reason to jostle the rig when I have the luxury of the Jeep.....

View attachment 543117

Here I spent my morning sharing a pool with a Canadian from Vancouver and her small dog.....traveling in her VW pop up bus. There are multiple pools here and the place is very well kept and really, really clean.....and it's free.....

View attachment 543118

We had some nice conversation and they only made my soak that much nicer.....

View attachment 543119

Cleanliness is important to me so I cherish a morning such as this so much.....it was truly difficult to move on but.....you do.....

View attachment 543120

Europeans arrived as I was on my way out. What an awesome rig.....

View attachment 543121

Then it was back to Highway 23 driving north once again.....

View attachment 543122

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Later that day the road would end once again.....here we would wait on yet another ferry to return to the other side of the lake. Quite a controversy would develop as we waited for the ferry's arrival.....Canadians were not pleased with their government's recently enacted law.....I too was not so pleased.....

View attachment 543124

The following morning we're up early.....probably way too early but I awoke with the anticipation of a warm soak for that day on my mind. After a few mugs of steaming hot coffee, a few toast and hard boiled eggs, we were back on the road. This morning the plan is to visit the Halfway Hot Springs. With eleven kilometers (they use that in Canada) of logging roads, I decided to drop the truck and camper along the highway and take only the Jeep.....an excellent plan it turned out to be.....

View attachment 543115

Some sections of the road were fairly rough but nothing extreme.....

View attachment 543116

There's just no reason to jostle the rig when I have the luxury of the Jeep.....

View attachment 543117

Here I spent my morning sharing a pool with a Canadian from Vancouver and her small dog.....traveling in her VW pop up bus. There are multiple pools here and the place is very well kept and really, really clean.....and it's free.....

View attachment 543118

We had some nice conversation and they only made my soak that much nicer.....

View attachment 543119

Cleanliness is important to me so I cherish a morning such as this so much.....it was truly difficult to move on but.....you do.....

View attachment 543120

Europeans arrived as I was on my way out. What an awesome rig.....

View attachment 543121

Then it was back to Highway 23 driving north once again.....

View attachment 543122

View attachment 543123

Later that day the road would end once again.....here we would wait on yet another ferry to return to the other side of the lake. Quite a controversy would develop as we waited for the ferry's arrival.....Canadians were not pleased with their government's recently enacted law.....I too was not so pleased.....

View attachment 543124

What is the new Canadian law?

 

[tgil]

From Aug, 2018

Thank you Brian. Yes, Tanner definitely is "quite the character" and I'm so thankful to have him along for the ride. I try not to post so many Tanner pictures, but try as I may.....

I don't think it is possible to post too many pics of your companions? Every one of them is enjoyable to me!
I find it interesting how many hospitable people you meet in your travels, that invite you to stay on their property. You must be as interesting in person as you are on the web. Probably even more so.