Help with the length of a motorhome

Mondooker wrote:
In a previous thread I posted "I want to buy a small DP somewhere in the 30 - 34 foot range! I went on to say that my wife wasn't all that wild about my motorhome idea. After reading your posts to her she has become much more receptive to the discussion.

More than one of your posts said that a 30 t0 35 footer may not be the best choice from the "feeling closed in and room for personal items" standpoint! So my question is, what size do you think I should consider?

You haven't mentioned what is perhaps the most important thing in regard to size considerations. How do you intend to use it and where are you going to stay?

If you are going to stay primarily in well developed commercial RV Parks or "Resorts" size limitations will not be an issue. If you are going to stay in State and National Parks, or boondock on some BLM land, length limitations and other size factors may be an issue.

It is not uncommon for public lands, state and national parks, to have length limits within sites. The most common is 30' though I have seen state and national parks with length limits as short as 26-27 feet. Some have length limitations based upon the nature of their roads They don't want a rig too long to fit around their curves or switchbacks.

In some, and depending on the nature of the sites, you can fudge on the limits without issue. In others if it becomes apparent to rangers that your rig is too long, like sticking too far into the roadway, they WILL make you leave. I've been in both situations. If you intend on staying in state and national parks, it might be a good idea to check their sites for size limitations.

Another consideration may be just how far you intend to venture off the smooth pavement. Ground clearance, overhang and distance between axles can become an issue on some primitive roads.

We frequently boondock in remote dark sky sites for astronomy where anything larger than our 30 footer would be an issue.