Ft. Desoto , big rigs

I have taken my 38 DP in twice. No more. Height clearance was ok, it's the tight corners and encroaching trees while backing in.

We stay in the pet section. Don't know if the non pet is better.

I damaged my coach. There was a palm tree stump hiding behind palmetto fronds and fern. That site was really tite and required lots of back and forth.

There are dozens off trees with years of scars that have caused countless tens of thousands of $ damage.

I'm all for protecting trees but they really need to take a few dozen trees out.

It all depends on which site you get.

The office help was useless and had no sympathy as far as knowing which sites would be better for big rigs.



BTW. there are so many raccoons that they have water drips for them and the rats STILL ate TWO hoses.

2oldman wrote:
This is one of my biggest peeves, lack of tree maintenance. Now they've taken the time to put up a SIGN, instead of trimming them?? Yikes.

No way I'm driving into that.

"now they've taken the time to put up a SIGN..." No, actually Ft. Desoto has ALWAYS had courtesy signs reminding RVers with big rigs to simply be aware of surroundings and use caution as all RVers should (but don't always) do.

Perhaps you may not have been to this campground, but a lot of its beauty is drawn from the old growth hardwoods on this series of Gulf Coast offshore islands that together are preserved as natural space for people to enjoy. (See below - a photo from February taken through our back windows at sunset.) The original poster could call and discuss the situation with one of the knowledgeable rangers there.

Fort D is one of Florida's most beautiful parks, but there are certainly some state parks that work fine for people with very tall rigs who are worried about branches - Jonathan Dickinson SP has a new section, and Curry Hammock has big open sites - both are basically paved lots, but in a great location and no worries.

This is one of my biggest peeves, lack of tree maintenance. Now they've taken the time to put up a SIGN, instead of trimming them?? Yikes.

No way I'm driving into that.

there are lots of skinny spots in the campground. keep a close eye out above your rig as you move.

Our prior setup similar to yours was 13'-9" high and it definitely required a constant awareness of overhead clearances. One exit we routinely used off I-5 had a 14' clearance "pinch point" from the overpass above. I always swung wide on that one but my radio antenna would hit. Branches in parks and roads were a constant concern and I carried a tree trimmer with me. I would always ask permission (if neccesary) before using and never was denied. A lot of parks apparently don't think about it, and in my opinion should always have at least 14' of clearance for us bigger rigs. Anyway, there is no easy answer other than staying aware, avoiding or correcting your path. Just part of having a 'bigger' rig. We never regretted the small sacrifices for all the amenities we had with us in a bigger rig! (-: