Desert Captain wrote:
Also missing but frequently found in this discussion (it is after all a regular event), are the folks who lie about the size of their rig when making reservations and or checking in. Then there are the folks who just ignore the rules altogether, you know, the "Rules are for other people crowd".
These are the folks with their TV's, Toads or even portions of their coaches encroaching into the access roads or adjacent sites(see it all the time). Often it is not the site size that is the issue but the tight access to reach it. Block even a small amount of that road and how will those emergency vehicles (fire trucks, paramedics etc.), get through at O'dark thirty when your neighbor has a heart attack?
I understand the many benefits of having a larger coach but with the benefits do come some compromise. If the site says 26', 36' or 40' Max and you are larger than that find another site/CG/Park.
Those are excellent points Desert Captain, but let me throw in an additional wrinkle. What exactly does "fit" mean? I think most people here would say that if your coach fits within the boundaries of your camp site, your coach fits. The length restrictions only address the coaches. But what about the toads, dollys, car carriers, grills, bikes, etc.?
I just came from Golden Shore RV Resort in Long Beach California and most sites can accommodate a 45 foot coach and a small car. The sites are barely 37 feet long so a 45 foot coach will extend 8 feet into the grassy area behind the site, but in virtually no case will your car fit in front of your coach unless your coach is 25 feet or so.
The end result were cars trying to fit in front of their coaches at odd angles and Toads aligned next to the coaches but sticking out into the road. I'd say that a good 40% of the tow vehicles encroached on the road but none of the coaches did. None of the pickup trucks fit nicely on the sites.
At Golden Shore it isn't such a big deal because the street is wide and leaves plenty of room to pass but I've been to campgrounds including Fort Wilderness that has one way streets and you can barely pass, if at all, when folks try to fit in their toads. I've often had to have people move their tow vehicles in order to get by even when I was driving a 31 footer.
Furthermore, I am always surprised at the number of campers who bring two cars or have regular guests with cars at their sites. If you think campers are bad at following the rules, I'd suggest that camper friends are even worse.
There may even be room on a site for the extra equipment but most folks would rather push their stuff towards the perimeter to give themselves extra room.
