RV LENGTH

Don't forget to consider the interior roads in campgrounds. Sometimes the campsite is large enough but you may have difficulty getting to it. We have traveled all over the US and Canada in our 40 footer and rarely have a problem finding a campground. As so many others have said already, really depends upon where you want to go and how you want to camp. We are retired and full time so want a larger rv; if you are only going to go on weekend trips and want to dry camp in the wilderness, then you would likely want to go smaller. Or you may fall somewhere in between.

ckary72 wrote:
I'm new to RV's and don't own one yet. I read somewhere that a lot of campgrounds don't allow RV's longer than 30'

Is there any truth to this?

Mostly No.
but seeing you're in California, many California state park campgrounds do have a lot of smaller campsites. there are a lot of their campgrounds that have few or no campsites that will fit a 30' RV.
i've spent a lot of time in many California state campgrounds and i've seen many that can't accomodate large RVs.

Not a lot of campgrounds have limits that short for all campsites. Some of the state parks I go to have some campsites that won't take anything longer than a 20 foot van, but those are supposed to be parking for tent campers. Same parks have other sites as deep as 50-60 feet.

Many older public park campgrounds are full of sites built in the 1930s to 1950's for tent campers and small trailer units, and these areas can get quite crowded when all sites fill with large modern RVs with awnings and slideout rooms. I am familiar with one on the south side of Grand Traverse Bay, and I suspect California also has some crowded campgrounds in older parks.

There are options other than campgrounds, particularly disperse camping in forests, where shorter is better and a tent works better than a vehicle of any size.

Pick a RV size based on how you want to use it. That is a compromise between how big a house you think you need and where you want to take it. The smaller it is, the more places you can take it. The bigger it is, the longer you might be willing to live in it.

We've never had trouble finding our spot with our 40' motorhome in any public parks including national parks, national forests, county, city, etc. They were always our first choice. Now... you won't fit in all of them and you won't fit in every site but it's very doable with research. Get the RV you'd be comfortable in and you'll find places to stay.

ckary72 wrote:
I'm new to RV's and don't own one yet. I read somewhere that a lot of campgrounds don't allow RV's longer than 30'

Is there any truth to this?

No

Much of the time they don't have a clue how long the sites are or what will fit.

Also, when reserving if they ask the length, give the full length from hitch to bike rack in the back if you have one.
I got caught once with the bike rack hanging out the back, no more.

PopBeavers wrote:

The OP and myself life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Normally from May until Halloween there will be no rain storms. Just drizzle for an hour or two in the afternoon around 3.

California State Parks RV Length Restrictions

Welcome to the Forum.

Although I live in the southern part of the state I like to travel and stay in our many state parks,I know about the length Restrictions noted above, and have for many years,that is why when I want shopping for my next RV,and ended up with a Former Rental I chose one that would fit them and my needs.

I have never been holed up inside more than one day because of inclement weather,and I camp year round and have for many many years. That is one thing great about living and camping here in California.

I also go to private parks where length is no problem. It all depends on what type and style of camping you want to do.

Then get a RV that will suit your needs.

Good point, Lynnmor. I want...have...a rig that can go almost anywhere too.

Opinions do vary a lot. Depending how you want to use the RV, there may be many times that a smaller unit is desirable. Personally, I want the smallest unit that will do the job comfortably, because I like to travel. Hardly a day goes by that folks here aren’t asking about roads that they are afraid to use.