Does 2 feet really make a difference

dahkota wrote:
People who have larger (36'+) rigs will always tell you that they have no problems fitting where they camp. I would guess they camp at places that have sites large enough for them and don't pay attention to the campgrounds that don't.

We'll...we traveled constantly and our 40' motorhome fit in every place we wanted to go and 90% were public parks (national, national forest, state, COE, county and city). I bet I could make of list of hundreds of public parks and boondocking spots we've fit in.

No, you won't fit in every one but if you do your research you can find ones you will fit. Why would you have to fit in every campground out there? Even the national forest campgrounds in the West have re-done many - with bigger sites, new roads, and some even with electric.

To the OP.... you seem to be in the East. I would suggest that you look back at some of your favorite places to stay and decide if a longer RV will fit in that park. We've stayed in many state parks and COE in the east but our main camping was in the west.

If your plans are to do much traveling in the west, I can assure you that you will not have a problem. We've stayed in these parks and their dry campgrounds: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Zion, Grand Canyon and many more. We've stayed in the awesome Oregon coastal state parks.

It just depends on where you plan on camping and do your research. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the opinions and insights. Nothing like real world experience. Sounds like we have to really nail down the style of camping we expect to enjoy and the trade offs associated with those decisions. Thanks, again....

The only correct answer to this question is "it depends".

My fifth wheel is 32'. No issues at all parking it on my property or driving it down a highway. It sure makes those tight forest service roads feel extra tight, though, and maneuvering it around trees and over uneven terrain can be tricky. We generally prefer dispersed camping out in the national forests out west and you really start to notice the length as the roads get less and less traveled.

If on the other hand you generally stick to main roads and improved campgrounds, two feet is probably no big deal at all.

So again, it depends.

onthefarm wrote:
Hello all, long time lurker, first post. Spent many many months now looking and touring fifth wheel plans with the intent of nothing larger than 35'. Most of our planned camping will be boondocking, state/national parks and the like. We've finally narrowed it down to two units one being 36', missed our mark by a foot, and another at 38'. My gut tells me if I can stuff a 36' unit on a spot 2' longer won't make a difference. Am I pushing the boundaries to far here for the type of camping we hope to enjoy?

We sometimes camp in those conditions in state and fed and private campgrounds. However some of those places are limited to a 26' trailer. Thats actual feet and not a model number....and no a 28', especially a TT, will not make into the campground.
I have no idea where you camp or RV so I wouldn't know if a 38' trailer will fit just because a 36' might.

donn0128 wrote:
Site length is not always the problem. Access roads can be. Many NF or FS camp grounds are more than 30 years old by now. Built when a large RV was maybe 25 feet long. Add the forest growth in the years since it was developed, and there will be places you might squeeze a 32 foot fiver through and a 35 footer could get damaged.

^^^^ This.

Pulled a 19' TT, then a 30'TT, then a nominal 36' FW that measured at 39'.

Routinely camped at several of the same state parks (TX, MS, GA, NC, SC, FL) with all 3 trailers. Never found a site that couldn't accommodate the big a** 5th wheel but in at least two state park CG's, we had to enter opposite the one-way traffic pattern to avoid either overhanging trees or turns that were too tight to make with a long combo.

It was all do-able though.

We went from a 36' DP to a 40' DP. We knew it would add a few more challenges, but you typically buy for how you intend to use the coach. It's silly when someone says you really need a 22 footer to get into a spot where someone else likes to camp. You know where you like to go, will you fit.

I can give a couple of examples in Montana;
Glacier Meadows RV Park (Glacier/Waterton Hamfest); length doesn't matter. Unless you made reservations three or more years ago, you will be in "Over-flow" parking in the meadow. Anything will fit.
Lost Johnny Point Campground on Hungry Horse Reservoir; IIRC, there are two sites where length doesn't much matter. However, some of the other sites will barely hold a Dodge 3500 dually with an 11 foot TC on it (been there, did that), and there are some tight turns on the road.
Copper Creek Campground, near Lincoln, MT; Again, one or two sites for larger rigs, others that will barely take a 27 foot Class A.
Malmstrom AFB FamCamp, Great Falls, MT; Definitely big rig friendly.
So, as you can see, it varies. Good luck.

If you take the sum total of all campsites available nationwide, they do come in all different sizes. Obviously an extra foot (no matter what length you start with) will limit you to fewer total sites. There are, for example, a good many campsites that are not accessible with a vehicle of any sort, and must be accessed on foot...be it a short walk or a long hike. There are others that fit a pop-up or teardrop trailer but not much anything bigger. At the other end of the scale, of course, are places with pull-through sites that could accommodate a couple of 45' bus conversions nose-to-tail and maybe still have space left over.

As for whether your extra foot will prevent you from camping where you wish to camp, that's a lot harder to figure out...it depends on the facilities at the parks you camp at. Probably most of the time it wouldn't make a big difference...but there may be occasions where the biggest site left is a little bit too small.

Since moving up from a 29' TT to a 36' MH we found the roads within some campgrounds are impassable for us, We barley made it with the TT. As for the sites, If I could get to them I can certainly get in. It's the growth of the trees, The overhanging branches and such. Even entering into my neighborhood I can only get to my house one way due to the trees.

Not sure how you do your site reservations, but at texas.reserveworld you enter your rig length and it will tell you if there are any sites that accommodate you.

My dad and I have trailers on opposite ends of the spectrum(mine is under 20ft, his is 35ft+) and more often than not when we try to book a weekend together he cant reserve near me, or at all due to whats available with his criteria entered. The easiest solution for insuring a bigger rig can fit, book a 50 amp site, regardless of what your rig actually is. Ive never seen a 50 amp site around here not accommodate huge rigs