Wheat’s Alaskan – Keeping the Classic Telescoping Campers Alive

During a recent search for a used Alaskan camper, we discovered that Bryan Wheat, the former CEO of Alaskan Campers, had started a new business. Known as Wheat’s Alaskan, Bryan’s business is all about servicing and restoring Alaskan Campers. When it comes to keeping these old classics alive, we’re all for it. There’s only two classic truck campers we would ever considering owning and an Alaskan camper is one of them—the other being a classic Avion camper. We’re glad that Bryan is still involved with Alaskan campers in some form. He has a ton of corporate knowledge about Alaskan campers and probably knows more about them than anybody else alive. To learn more about his new business, and Alaskan campers in general, we spoke with Bryan.

Thanks, Bryan, for talking with us. When did you retire from Alaskan Campers and when did you first start working there?

Bryan Wheat: I retired October 2023 soon after the new ownership came in. My dad, Don Wheat, worked for Alaskan campers first, then I started in 1992. My dad bought Alaskan from the Seattle ownership in 1989 and sold it in 2015. He worked as a commission only salesman in 1987 and traveled for a few weeks with a camper to Southern California to try to set up dealerships, but then called the shop and was informed the owner had died, so he drove back and basically bought the note from the bank.

Tell us about your new business, Wheat’s Alaskan?

Bryan Wheat: The official name of my business is Wheat’s Alaskan Camper Service and Restoration. We are located in Chehalis, Washington, a short distance from the Alaskan factory in Winlock. Basically, we specialize in repairing Alaskan campers of all years. We can do minor repairs, full restorations, modifications like adding solar and lithium battery upgrades. The nice thing that happened when I opened is that I didn’t have to source new vendors. Since I had long time relationships with them getting set up was easy. And with 30 years of selling campers to customers I have a good base of customers/friends who may need my services. Also, I have two employees who worked with me at Alaskan who both had five years experience and are actually my nephews, so I didn’t have to train an inexperienced crew.

What type of work do you typically do on Alaskan campers?

Bryan Wheat: The most common service/repair is changing the Pirelli seals. We do re-skins from hail damage, rot repair, upgrades on fridges, etc., basically everything.

Do you work on other makes and types of RVs?

Bryan Wheat: Yes we do. We really work on any RV. We’ve installed new flooring in a trailer and a boat. Inverters in campers and boats and even installed an electrical system in a horse trailers living quarters along with insulating it. My family have been in RV’s since I was born. Travel trailers, Greyhound bus conversions and my Dad even bought the rights to the GMC motorhome, which we were going to remanufacture in the mid 80’s. So RV’s are in my blood and really they are all pretty much the same.

Being that your shop specializes in restorations, what year of vintage Alaskans are the most desirable?

Bryan Wheat: Technically, the most sought after are the earlier vintage with the natural wood interiors. That would be from basically 1958 to 1976. However, the plant in Sioux City, South Dakota made the wood interiors until they closed in the early 1980’s.

What years of Alaskans should buyers shy away from? What were some of the problems?

Bryan Wheat: As far as shying away from certain years, the worst thing I’ve seen is the Seattle plant experimented with spray foam insulation in the late 1970’s. They were trying to be ahead of the time, but the technology wasn’t there. The foam had formaldehyde in it and it tended to break down and sift down through the ceiling panel seams and wiring holes. It tends to make me personally cough and get a slight throat irritation when I go inside one. Some people aren’t bothered by it, but I stay away from them. Those were the years the Seattle plant went to plastic drawers and an photo finish paneling and plastic door trim etc. They were trying to lighten them up and compete with Fleetwood at the time, but it hurt the company a lot. In fact, the original designers of the camper, Don and Irene Hall, sent the Seattle plant a cease and desist letter warning them that if they didn’t go back to real wood they would lose their franchise. Now granted we have seen beautiful campers from this era in great condition. Not sure what kind of legal battle went on, but Seattle kept making them the same until my Dad bought the business in 1989 and went to the Wilsonart Laminate interiors.

In a previous conversation, you told us that classic models with the side dinette in the rear had structural issues? Can you elaborate on that?

Bryan Wheat: On the rear dinette models there’s no rear cabinet to tie the rear and sidewall together, so it flexes a lot. Also, there are two tall cabinets up front, which means there’s no overhead cabinets attached to the center panel that holds the front pistons. That center panel tends to warp and makes the piston brackets tilt and creates a lot of stress on the piston.

Can you talk about the Pirelli seals used on the pop-top? How long do they last and how are they installed?

Bryan Wheat: So the Pirelli seals generally last three to four years on the outside layer and five to seven on the interior, but it just depends on the climate the camper lived in and whether it was stored inside or outside.

New Alaskans have different seals that are made of a black rubber. Can you tell us about those?

Bryan Wheat: I know they are using the black rubber, but I’m not sure of the details on it. I haven’t had any come in to replace it though.

Can you talk about the roof-lift mechanism and the maintenance requirements for it? What is currently used?

Bryan Wheat: So the lift cylinders are hydraulic and use a manual hand pump from day one to about 1989. Then they changed to a standard electric pump. The motor changed a couple times, but the current motor has been used since mid-1997. The cylinders also changed size in 1998 moving from a 1-inch diameter to a 1.5-inch diameter. Then in 2016, Alaskan switched to a cylinder produced by the pump manufacturer Hypac.

Do you have any special insights about the Halldon truck body offered by Alaskan Campers in the late 60s and 70s?

Bryan Wheat: Not much. It was before my time. All I know about the Halldon body (Don Hall backwards) is that they are pretty rare. I believed they were scrapped with the fiberglass camper molds in 1973, when the oil crunch hit and when fiberglass construction became too expensive.

What value do you think older Alaskans have if they are in good shape?

Bryan Wheat: Well the value has shot up since this whole overlanding trend came along. I’ve always said, ‘Alaskan was the first Overland rig.’ One example is back in 2002. I had a local guy in Chehalis, Washington who brought his 1973 Alaskan 10 side dinette to me to put on consignment. It was a 9.9 out of 10, stored inside it’s whole life, and was rarely used. It was close to showroom condition as it could get. It sold for $4,900, which at the time was a lot. Today, I’d say it would go for $10,000 or more. And we aren’t talking about a beautiful restore with all the upgrades from my friends at Pop Top Overland (now Truck Camper Garage). This was a bare bones, stock, no frills camper built 52 years ago.

Do you have any closing thoughts on your business and Alaskans in general?

Bryan Wheat: The biggest thing I’ve taken away from this repair side of things is I was right telling people for the last 30 years, ‘you have to maintain and take care of your camper.’ They are like your house getting hauled down roads and trails flexing, twisting, expanding, and contracting. Constant inspections and maintenance are the key to a camper’s longevity. And this goes for ALL RVs. If there’s moss growing out of the clearance light lens don’t blame the manufacturer if you have a leak.

To learn more about Wheat’s Alaskan, visit the website at www.wheatsalaskan.com.