At what legth are options limited?
We are interested in a Coachman Freedom Express 298REDS Trailer. The total length bumper to hitch is 35' 2". I know some state/national parks have size limitations. Is there a comprehensive list p...
Forum Discussion
No, there’s no list, there’s too many variables to develop one. As said, though, you can go to the campground links and get an idea. Whether you’re limited or not depends on where you want to travel and camp. But you can expect that as length increases so do the limitations. Rv’s are all compromises between comfort and flexibility in where you can camp and go.
If you visualize mountains and national forest campgrounds the smaller the better. The tradeoff, of course, is space and amenities. If you’ll mainly stay in commercial cg’s with hookups then size is much less important, get as big as you like. The tradeoff there is access to many scenic roads and less developed cg’s. And you’ll have to be more selective about the parking lots and gas stations you select.
When you get near 30’ you’ll have lots of space and amenities and comfort. Sort of like a mobile motel room. The tradeoff is you’ll have limitations on where you can go. Some scenic roads and less developed campgrounds will be off limits. You choice of campsites will be reduced too, and you’ll likely have to make reservations to ensure you can get a site. Just because a cg has big enough sites doesn’t mean someone with a smaller RV hasn’t taken them. I don’t think many people buy a big unit to dry camp either; they’ll want hookups for the most part. Most campgrounds don’t have hookups, e.g., Yellowstone and the Tetons only have one cg each with hookups so many people stay in commercial cg’s outside the park.
I’d say that at that size you’d have severe limitations in national forest campgrounds except for the ones right along the highway and well developed for big rigs. Often it’s not that there’s not a spot you could fit in but that you can’t maneuver the tight roads. You can get into many state parks and there are many you won’t. The same goes for many “scenic” roads. Still many people find the tradeoff acceptable and are perfectly happy with the big rigs.
95% of my camping is in the western mountain states and I like to camp well off the beaten path in the NF’s, and I have a 16’ TT. I can ignore cg length limits, access problems with parking lots, gas stations, etc. And I’m a wanderer so I don’t want schedules or reservations and I can always find a spot to camp. Of course, that’s almost always dry camping.
So to me the flexibility in where I can go far outweighs the added comfort and amenities of a bigger rig. If I were to give up my backcountry camping and try to balance off size with flexibility of access, my limit would probably be about 24’. So you have to weigh the pros and cons yourself and decide what is the best balance for you.
If you visualize mountains and national forest campgrounds the smaller the better. The tradeoff, of course, is space and amenities. If you’ll mainly stay in commercial cg’s with hookups then size is much less important, get as big as you like. The tradeoff there is access to many scenic roads and less developed cg’s. And you’ll have to be more selective about the parking lots and gas stations you select.
When you get near 30’ you’ll have lots of space and amenities and comfort. Sort of like a mobile motel room. The tradeoff is you’ll have limitations on where you can go. Some scenic roads and less developed campgrounds will be off limits. You choice of campsites will be reduced too, and you’ll likely have to make reservations to ensure you can get a site. Just because a cg has big enough sites doesn’t mean someone with a smaller RV hasn’t taken them. I don’t think many people buy a big unit to dry camp either; they’ll want hookups for the most part. Most campgrounds don’t have hookups, e.g., Yellowstone and the Tetons only have one cg each with hookups so many people stay in commercial cg’s outside the park.
I’d say that at that size you’d have severe limitations in national forest campgrounds except for the ones right along the highway and well developed for big rigs. Often it’s not that there’s not a spot you could fit in but that you can’t maneuver the tight roads. You can get into many state parks and there are many you won’t. The same goes for many “scenic” roads. Still many people find the tradeoff acceptable and are perfectly happy with the big rigs.
95% of my camping is in the western mountain states and I like to camp well off the beaten path in the NF’s, and I have a 16’ TT. I can ignore cg length limits, access problems with parking lots, gas stations, etc. And I’m a wanderer so I don’t want schedules or reservations and I can always find a spot to camp. Of course, that’s almost always dry camping.
So to me the flexibility in where I can go far outweighs the added comfort and amenities of a bigger rig. If I were to give up my backcountry camping and try to balance off size with flexibility of access, my limit would probably be about 24’. So you have to weigh the pros and cons yourself and decide what is the best balance for you.
