Welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of RV travel, 512Climber!
My husband and I are National Parks (NP) enthusiasts with four cross country NP trips under our belt – 1 with a tent and 3 towing a 30’ TT. I do agree with many posters here that the smaller your rig, the more options you'll have within the NP system. The larger your rig, the fewer sites available to you in each campground and the harder you’ll work to get one. NPs have campgrounds and campsites of all shapes and sizes – that’s where solid research prior to your RV purchase and before your future camping trips will pay off. Rvparkreviews.com has been extremely helpful to me in determining whether or not a campground is a good fit for us, and I have called a NP campground directly in the past to ask questions about specific sites and whether or not we would actually fit.
All that being said, before you purchase your RV, give serious thought to exactly how you plan to use it and in what size you would be most comfortable. If your highest priority is camping within the NP system, then choosing the smallest RV in which you and your wife would truly be comfortable makes perfect sense, as Jim K mentioned. If your highest priority is visiting the NPs and you’re willing to camp in other public or private campgrounds when you can’t fit in a particular NP, then restricting the size of your rig becomes less important.
Previous posters have mentioned that there are a number of other public campgrounds to consider besides those in the NP system. That is so true! We’ve had excellent experiences in Army Corps of Engineers (COE) facilities, National Forests, State, County and Regional Parks. (We hardly ever stay in private RV parks.) You’ll find that there are many more options for the outdoor enthusiast out west than there are here in the northeast. Although the northeast has some absolutely gorgeous State Parks!
We recently moved on from our 30’ bunkhouse model to a 32’ rear living TT. This decision was given serious thought and we researched options for over a year before we bought the longer TT. Based on our past NP experiences, my husband and I decided that we were willing to give up some opportunities to stay within the NP system in order to have the extra living space the longer TT provided. (This TT is technically our retirement home - we determined that we preferred a rolling one over a stationary one.) Additionally, my husband is a big guy who prefers open spaces and a TT that would fit in most NP campgrounds would prove to be extremely uncomfortable for him. While we do prefer to be camping within the NP we’re visiting, when we can’t fit we’re willing to choose another public facility nearby. This decision was the right one for us, but it would not have been the right one for others.
The bottom line is that it comes down to what’s most important to you and your wife. I truly believe that the more thought and research you put into your decision now, the happier you’ll be with your new rig when you begin your traveling adventures. Good luck!
