Is 45 feet too long?

I would want a 50' if they made it.....no big difference in driving at all. You may be careful when manuevering in small areas or backing into sites but with a little help you will get used to it quickly and LOVE the added length.

We pondered this same issue when we recently traded our 36' DP for the 42' we now have. In fact, we could have possibly made a slightly better deal on some of the 45' coaches we saw compared to the 41' and 42' we seriously considered.

My main concern was getting the rig into the fairly tight parking spot where we must store it in our HOA. However, with the lifting tag axle and the wheel cut of the IFS on this coach, I can actually turn in the same space as the 36' coach.

We understood that there might be some camping spots into which we will not fit. We've traveled enough around the US in our other motorhomes to feel like we will always be able to find a suitable RV spot even with the 42'.

UsualSuspect wrote:
State Parks are the biggest issue, very few have spots for it.

You're judging ALL state parks by the ones you have in California -- which is a mistake -- as less than 20% of CA campsites are 40' and greater.

However, nationwide almost 50% of state park campsites are 40' and greater. Check it out.

The biggest problem is not the length. The problem is the driver.

Many cannot back a pick up truck. And they will never go and practice in an empty parking lot.

Watched a guy in a 45 footer back into a spot and it took 25 minutes into an easy spot. He hit his air brakes every couple inches and seemed like 100 times. He was spooked.

Same trip watched a 5th wheel about 32 feet jack knifed every which way for over 20 minutes. Practice so you do not look like that.

Pogoil.

Opinions are one thing but facts are facts. A 45 foot rig will cut down on the number of RV parks you'll be able to use. But if your alternative is a 41 footer, then there isn't much difference. If a 45 footer won't fit then a 41 footer probably won't either. I've never seen a park with a 41 foot size restriction. I have seen 38 foot and 28 foot (if my memory is correct). So if you want something 38 foot or bigger, I'd say it really doesn't matter because you'll have the same restrictions. I purposely bought a 35' because I can get in to most places where I regularly camp. But even at 35' there's been places I can't go only because their bigger sites were already taken. Even if the park can take a 45 footer, they may only have a few spaces that big and they may be taken up.

Now for the good news, there are a lot of RV parks in California that can take a 45 footer no problem. You'll generally start running into problems in locations where land is a premium like some coastal areas and up in the mountains.

My opinion, 45 foot IS TOO LONG. Many cg's won't be able to accomodate it.

Now, it is not too long because they are awesome, roomy, etc. They are great in that manner. If boondocking, they are wonderful.

But you won't be able to fit into many sites.

willald wrote:
...As you're seeing, this is an issue that folks are very 'divided' on. The responses you get will depend greatly on the size of the rig owned by the one talking.

You'll notice based on the responses you get to this question, that the size of the rig in each poster's signature is almost always the PERFECT size - Any rig larger than the one in a poster's signature, would be too big to go anywyere. Anything smaller, would not have enough room. Funny how that works. :)

That said, it IS an undeniable fact, that the larger a rig gets, the more you limit the places you can go. Sometimes, not so much 'cause of campsite size limitations, but because of the roads getting to/from them in the campground or park. Long wheelbases and long overhangs can cause serious problems when negotiating tight turns or steep inclines.

Now, just what length is the 'cutoff' at which you will find that your camping destinations are limited? Everyone will tell you something different, and it will depend on a lot of factors - where you plan to go, driver experience/confidence, how much planning ahead you typically do, etc. I think you'll find, though, that right around 40' is where you really start becoming limited in where you can camp. Still plenty of places for rigs that big or bigger, but you'll have to plan ahead more.

About 55% of my driving time, I think we are too long. About 100% of our camping time, I think we are just right ;) We only drive about 12 to 15 times a year because we generally stay at places for a month.

KampingKris wrote:
In our constant search for a new rig... the one we like the best so far is of course - 45 feet - tag. Right now we have a 36 foot 5er. Our other choice is a 41 footer, but it's not the same quality.
Is there a big difference in driving/backing such a big rig than say... the 41 footer? Or, are we going to regret driving around such a giant house?

My rig is just shy of 42', and we don't regret it. State Parks are the biggest issue, very few have spots for it. As for roads, there are some restrictions in California. For the road restrictions, 40' and above restriction..
In California anything 40' and above requires a Class B non-commercial license or above.
CalTrans also has a web page for information on over 40' rigs CLICKY.
Now with all that, we don't have a tag, but on a trip I was on a restricted to less than 40' road, knew it, and it was tight, but I was familiar with the road. I would not venture out to an unfamiliar road that is restricted, you don't know how tight the curves are, and you don't want to find yourself having to stop on a blind curve and inch around it hoping no one is coming from the other direction.
We were stopped for some supplies and I was talking to one the local CHP Officers, and I asked him about the restrictions. He said the only time they mess with it is when you can't operate it safely, or when it is obvious it is to long, or as he put it, "When I see the 3rd axle they shouldn't be here, and I will let them know". He did not say a word to me about it and I am over 40', but no tag. If I were going to 45', I would want a tag.

Some relatives of mine with two kids have a 45' Country Coach. It is beautiful and it has two bathrooms, which is a good feature with two kids aboard. Their only issue is that they have to carefully plan and research their stops because so many parks just can't accommodate a coach that large. It's not necessarily the size of the site but the interior roads, tight turns, etc.

Personally, I wouldn't want anything nearly that big. Our 36' DP was plenty roomy for the two of us and had more storage than we really needed, even when we full-timed.

Do not rely on RV rules by state "lists". They are often inaccurate. For example, I live in VA so I researched VA and MD as I have a 43'. The MD section cited above is an accurate capture of the base rule but in another section it has a separate rule (45') for Motorhomes and busses.