Core of Engineers camping

Hmmm...I wonder why COE campgrounds have length limits. Perhaps it is to protect you and your rig and other guests and their rigs.

We often stay at a COE campground that has pull thrus that are far longer than any 40'+ RV. But that is an exception. Whether you will fit, or be refused admittance, will likely vary considerably on the campground and the personnel operating that campground.

All depends on the campground that you want to get in. I see a lot of 40+ foot rigs in some, while some you cannot get anything longer than 30'or so between the trees.

Some have short limits to keep you from backing into the water, In others they really hate to cut down trees when you get a big 5th wheel wrapped around a tight corner and can't move either way. It really makes a mess for traffic in the whole CG to have a big rig in the middle of the only road. And yes, as a campground host for several COE campgrounds, I have seen it happen several times.

I have stayed in many COE campgrounds in Georgia and Alabama. I have a 30 ft TT plus my truck fit on many sites. I would just te ll them you have a 40 unit and see it they have sites for you.

AH yes I am entitled even though the rules say no.

Sometimes its not the individual site length but narrow interior roads, sharp turns and limited room to either back into a site or pull out of.

I you want to give it a shot do you home work beyond picking a park and camp site. Use the available satellite or birds eye aerial view of the camp ground. Check the interior roads, turns and such. Give the prospective camp ground a call. Many times the contact station and phones are manned by work-campers who will understand what you are asking.

90% of my outings are government facilities and even with my 30' home on wheels I check new park out as much as possible. A pull thru site is no guarantee either if your rig can't make the turn to avoid the drainage ditches, trees, site markers, boulders and such on both sides of the road.

We've stayed at several USACE parks we're over 53' and usually don't unhook the TV. Most have been west of Mississippi but not all.

I've found Google Earth to be very useful when looking at some COE sites and trying to identify a specific camping site. If there's not too much tree cover, you can get a pretty good idea if the camping site is a short or long pull-through or has enough room to back in, etc.

We frequent COE parks and haven't run into any issues with our 36' and we usually have either a tow dolly or the jeep toad. But those may just be the ones in our part of the world.

Check the COE Campgrounds at Recreation.gov. Click on the camp site number on the map and it will give you, a photo, the site length and hookups.