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Plan_B_RV's avatar
Plan_B_RV
Explorer
Mar 06, 2019

Good boon-docking RV with good ground clearance?

Question: Could you give me example of good clearance RV that you have used or seen to boon-dock?
I have plan to buy huge 5th wheel with bad ground clearance and try to boon-dock.
I will have to increase ground clearance:
from 12” (Angle of departure %7 AKA 12.5 slope)
to 24” (Angle of departure %14 AKA 25 slope)

I could try to calculate clearance and angel of arrival/departure based on your RV suggestion. Then compare to 5th wheel and decide if my plan is sound.


Extra info if interested: Plan to flip axle + slightly bigger tire= extra 6” of clearance.
Plus airbag suspension pumped up to max. when off-road. Hopefully another 6” increase. Totaling 12” extra. But since rear overhang on 5th wheel over 90”, even increase of 12” sounds not enough.
On other hand, I will be towing illegally in most states because 5th wheel height 13.5 feet. By adding 6”, I will make RV height to 14 feet.
  • Plan_B_RV's avatar
    Plan_B_RV
    Explorer
    Mar 06, 2019
    Wanderingaimlessly: Ground clearance on Glacier Peak looks great, but floor plan too small. We need office space and 374th living room has 2 couches in slides that we can remove and put desks. AND we need that garage. Thank you.


    DrewW: Pickup camper indeed has best clearance. About 8” ground, %30 angle of arrival/departure.

    SidecarFlip: I will do one better, I will film it for you and post it on youtube :)
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Mar 06, 2019
    Primitive camping in any RV equals trees and often unimproved roads, washouts, water crossings and other assorted issues for a pull behind. You could do an axle flip to gain ground clearance but the height issue will nail you anyway.

    Why my wife and I have a truck camper in a 4x4 diesel pickup.,

    Tell us when you make your first trip, I want to be an observer when you destroy your fifth wheel, because you will.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Mar 06, 2019
    Only occasionally does ground clearance of my relatively low TT come into play when I camp. Rear overhang is more of a concern IMO. Dont see a bunch of big boys boondocking in ruff country.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Mar 06, 2019
    If you're boondocking in the northeast, where there are lots of trees, I suspect the extra height would be at least as much of a problem as the extra ground clearance reduces. Most forest service roads are not exactly actively maintained with regards to overhead clearances for tall and wide vehicles. Likewise the width and length of a large fifth wheel will pose problems on many such roads even if the height and ground clearance are okay.

    Things are different in the plains and many areas of the west, I suspect, where it's far more wide-open.

    A little trailer, suitably set up, or a pickup camper seem to me the most effective back-road RV (at least that could be afforded by a person of more or less ordinary means).
  • wanderingaimles's avatar
    wanderingaimles
    Explorer
    Mar 06, 2019
    Watch carefully the height at manufacturers listed measurements, if you are looking at full profile %ers they can get too tall quickly.
    Overpasses, gas stations etc, everything gets more complicated.

    Edit add, You may want to look at the Glacier Peak 5ers from Outdoors RV.
    http://outdoorsrvmfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Mountain-Titanium-Brochure.pdf

    They start with a 12'11" height, heavier wall construction. But you wont find any/many on the east coast.

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