5th wheelers size and frequent relocation/campsite fit size?

As a previous post pointed out, there is no standard way of measuring the sites. If it might be close, call the CG. My fiver is 32'. On a recent trip the state park web site said their sites were all 30'. I called the ranger, who gave me a list of site numbers which could easily accommodate a 35' or larger rig. The ranger also assured me that there were no tight turns or low hanging branches.
Had a great stay.

I currently have a 34' fiver that I have towed for 22-25,000 miles. My experience is that I like state and national parks and would limit any future purchase to 35' as that seems to be a common limit. You can get more space with 101" wide trailers vs the standard 96".

gareengo wrote:
Hi RVers,
I am a relative newby truck camper guy and am looking at future options. I am looking to prematurely retire and get some form of 5th wheeler/travel trailer and go wandering. I have a dodge ram 3500 diesel dually that should tow anything. I just went to a dealership and looked at the offerings. I found a 32 foot with double king size slides that weighs about 10K that I really liked, but also looked at bigger offerings.
My newby questions:
1) If you are relocating about 10-12 times a year, how practical is it to have a 10K-15K weight 5th wheeler? or are they more for the sedentary folks who stay a long while and should I instead consider a travel trailer?
1.5) Is it the case that 40ft travel trailers are such a pain to tow that you wouldn't want to relocate frequently?
2) The sales guy mentioned that some of the larger 5th wheelers (38+ feet) may have a hard time fitting in certain campsites, along with the truck in front. What are your thoughts about this--can't you park truck along the side?
3) How significant (roughly) would be the difference in fuel economy with a 5K weight difference between trailers?

Thanks for your sage advice

Russell

From what others report, it's the older State and National Parks that tend to have a lot more issues with larger rigs. I'd have to say the same is likely true with just about =any= older CG. You simply have to read carefully the park's info and =call= them and ask if you will have any issues. Simple to post a question about a specific park here, or other RV fora, to see what others' experiences have been. Don't forget that, with a FW, it's not always about length; height can be just as much an issue in older CGs. Personally, we just don't need a large FW, as it's just the 2 of us, so I like to stay in the 30-31' range. You will just have to decide what kind of camping you like to do and buy accordingly. If you only plan on staying at resort-style parks, then go big; if you like to get off the beaten track, then smaller is better in most cases.

If my fairly limited RVing experience is any guide, setup and tear down are pretty simple, and even more so if you get a FW with an auto-level system, so moving really isn't an issue. You do have to learn your boundaries for extending slides, or you might end up with a hole in one or a broken window. (Had a friend do that a few years ago.) As far as weights go, if you're on wide-open roads (i.e. no stop signs), once you're up to speed, mileage won't be badly affected by weight. Yes, grades will hurt you some, but not too bad.

You'll actually get =better= mileage with a FW than with a TT of the same size, as he aerodynamics are better. Now, if you have a shell on your truck, that may change things enough that a TT and FW would be much closer, but most who have towed both have almost always reported better mileage with a FW. The single biggest thing you can do for mileage is STFD. :B

I towed enough trailers while farming that, when we decided to start RVing, I was firmly committed to a FW. Also, having towed a GN firmly solidified that decision.

Lyle

I've towed a 35 and now a 38 footer for 65,000 miles or so. Latest one hits the scales at 20k.

I limit myself to campsites without low trees and switch back turns far more often than the parks do.
I think a 32-33 footer is perfect. But they don't make really high end ones that small that I could find used. I don't mind the weight until you leave the road, then it cuts in bad.

No there isn't a regulation size for sites. In fact there isn't even a regulation method of measuring sites.

Google Earth is your friend. Zoom in on the parks you are interested in and measure some of the rigs to get an idea of what is actually fitting. (doesn't work as well in heavily wooded areas but thos aren't so great for rigs pushing 40' anyway).

gareengo wrote:
OP here: Everybody--thanks for all the great info. That answers most of my questions.

Question: is there a regulation size/length for federal and state camp sites? I assume states would vary, but federal would be the same, but you never know.

From you responses, given that I will be mainly in federal and state campgrounds, not private, it sounds like there there are few sites for 40 footers.

From your responses, it sounds like I want an aerodynamic nose, and maybe keep it under 35 to keep up a maximum of sites available.

You can get a pretty good idea of what the size limits of sites are by going to recreation.gov where a good deal of the forest service sites are listed in the Western states. I haven't used it out east so I'm not sure how it ties in out there. Most of the State parks in my area, and a fair amount of the forest service sites can also be found on reserveamerica.com

Unfortunately, while the sites listed above give good info on many of the spots out there, they don't list details for many of the walk up sites, and you can't generally tell for sure on many of the areas the width of the site, or if there is someplace other than your site where you could park the tow vehicle. They tend to not be inconsistent in describing things.

OP here: Everybody--thanks for all the great info. That answers most of my questions.

Question: is there a regulation size/length for federal and state camp sites? I assume states would vary, but federal would be the same, but you never know.

From you responses, given that I will be mainly in federal and state campgrounds, not private, it sounds like there there are few sites for 40 footers.

From your responses, it sounds like I want an aerodynamic nose, and maybe keep it under 35 to keep up a maximum of sites available.

I really think from 29 to 35 feet would be a good size. I think you will like the towing experience of a heavier 5er better with the truck you have.

With a diesel dually I wouldn't think you would mind the weight you're talking about at all. Most of the vehicle combinations I've had over the years probably had less of a power/truck to weight ratio involved. As previous posters have mentioned, large or small they are about the same hooking up etc. and for the most part there isn't much difference towing on the open road, you just have to work with the length and height which can impose restrictions and where you go, and how difficult it is to maneuver.

That said, camping spots available to you tend to go down as the size of your rig goes up. Most of the forest service spots I've hit over the years aren't big enough to park the truck beside the trailer, some even narrow enough to make opening a small slide on one side difficult. If you have slides on both sides you rule out a few more spots, etc. etc. Once you get to 35 foot or so in length and are in the 14 or so foot wide range with the slides out you tend to be getting to a size that limits you from half or more of the forest service/state park type areas in the more desolate areas. RV parks with hookups much less of an issue if any.

I have a 39 ft toyhauler that weighs about 17K pounds loaded. We traveled over 6K miles this summer. I always tell the campgrounds I have a 40 footer. I had to park beside the fiver at a couple of campgrounds; but I had no trouble parking it or maneuvering it, and it tows very well.