Meadow Lakes couple starts chauffeured RV service

WASILLA — For some making their once-in-a-lifetime dream trip to Alaska, roughing it in The Last Frontier is part of the allure. For those who don’t think roughing it is much of a relaxing way to spend a vacation, there’s Alaska’s Fresh Tracks.

Owned by Dave and Karen Haunroth of Meadow Lakes, Alaska’s Fresh Tracks offers a fresh idea for vacationers in Southcentral — chauffeured RV rental.

For a minimum three-day booking, Dave will not only rent you his brand new recreational vehicle, he’ll provide full chauffeur service. He’ll drive, clean up, take care of all the RV maintenance and upkeep, then when the rig stops for the night, he’ll make tracks and leave you alone.

“That’s the idea I’m trying to get across,” Dave said. “This is a chauffeur service, not just a driver or a rental. I’m the driver, I’m with them the whole time.”

What’s different from other RV rental services is that Dave not only does all the driving, he makes sure the vehicle is gassed up, parked and leveled correctly and that vacationers always get where they’re going without getting lost. Also is the added benefit of not having to deal with the unpleasant task of emptying out and cleaning the RV’s commode facilities.

It’s an idea that came to the Haunroths while visiting a sick friend in the Lower 48.

“A really good friend of mine I grew up with back in Chicago was not doing well, and he said I needed to come and visit,” Dave said. “I’m like, ‘man, I’m unemployed right now and it’s not a good time.’ But he said, no, you need to come.”

So Haunroth had an idea; he’d buy an RV while in Chicago, then drive it back up to Alaska and sell it here.

“I offered anybody from our family and friends a ride,” he said. “This thing’s got room for four more if anybody wants to do a trip to Alaska on my dime. You get a free ride then you can fly home.”

Both Dave’s and Karen’s mothers took them up on the offer, and raved about what a pleasant trip they had.

“They had such a good time, they said they’d have done the trip even without us,” Dave said. “So I thought … why not drive people around in it?”

Upon returning with the RV, Dave said he thought he had a job lined up, but that fell through. That, along with his new RV, gave the couple their window of opportunity.

“Nobody’s doing anything like this,” Karen said. “Everybody we talk to says that when they have family coming up to visit that this would be just perfect.”

The RV is a Tioga Ranger, and although the manufacturer says six can travel comfortably in it, Dave and Karen recommend no more than four. That allows for ample room to spread out while traveling, as well as freeing up the co-pilot’s seat for a person to ride shotgun.

But don’t think Alaska’s Fresh Tracks is just a couple with an RV looking to make a few extra bucks. This is a legitimate business and the Haunroths are doing their due diligence. They’ve procured the proper insurance and have spent hundreds of dollars obtaining the proper licenses and authorizations to move about and camp in the area’s state and national parks. They’re also Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce members.

While the company will offer several travel packages, they also are happy to cater to their clients’ own agendas, Dave said.

“Everyone knows that cooking is far more fun than the cleanup afterwards, so don’t,” reads the company’s brochure. “We will clean those dirty dishes for you. As we all know, camping can get dirty, so when you’re busy with an activity, we clean the inside to make your stay even more comfortable.”

Alaska’s Fresh Tracks also is building partnerships to offer discounts on other activities for their clients, like flightseeing in Talkeetna or renting ATVs to take along for the trip.

It’s a new venture for those seeking new adventure, the Haunroths said. For more information about Alaska’s Fresh Tracks, call (907) 354-8989.

Contact Greg Johnson at 352-2269 or greg.johnson@frontiersman.com.