We’re beginning to plan a multi week trip with two teen boys to see the great west! Looking for any tips on taking a TT 5000 miles through the major parks (Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Bryce /Zion, Grand Canyon). We want to trade/sell our older 2006 expandable TT and upgrade but having trouble deciding what we need. We definitely expect to keep camping with it after the boys go to college etc (they are 14 & 15 now) but we won’t see as much room then.Tow vehicle is a 2014 F150 with tow package.DH wants about 27 -28 ft with slide and larger bunks. Trying to stay close to 5000 lbs dry weight. I think shorter would be better for all those mountain roads, busy campgrounds etc. I like the 23 -24 ft size but we sacrifice roominess inside and storage. Don’t many parks have limited hook up sites? Smaller to me gives us more options of sites to choose from. Maybe that 4 ft doesn’t make a big difference??Guessing gas mileage will be terrible with any length and we know the truck can pull more weight but still have to load it and pull up all those mountains. DH doesn’t want to stress the engine too much.We like to be out and seeing things but DH may have to do some work days from the campsite to give us the ability to make a longer trip and see all we want to. Interested in others experiences or advice. Thanks!

Your 1/2 tone really limits you to lighter TT. And I doubt there is a best. We downsized from a 35 ft Fiver to a 30ft Arctic Fox TT but it weighs over 10,000 pounds.Four people in a 24 ft TT will get very crowded and it will be impossible to keep the place organized with that many people in it. We found our 35 ft fiver overstuffed with us and two older teen boys. Generally 30 ft and below will get you in most National Parks assuming you can get a reservation. There are some exceptions.

1.Find a floorplan you like. 2.Find a weight your truck can handle. 3.Do not limit yourself to new trailers.

You’d getter better responses if we knew what the weights are that are listed on the two stickers on the drivers door of your truck. There are several weight ratings on theses two stickers. For good reliable answers, let us know what all of those ratings are. For wild ass guesses - carry on as is. For learning and research on your own > clicky

We have found in our state and national park visits that larger campsites are hard to cone by.We have a 26' travel trailer and often we are limited to less than a half dozen sites in a 50 site camp ground. I think that National parks have the least big sites.Sometimes it is not the length of the parking pad but the narrow access road makes it nearly impossible to maneuver into the spot.We had a beautiful site in a park inside Mt. Rainer NP but it was on a corner and we had to back uphill to get into it. It took my wife and I and two other campers to guide it into the spot. It was marked for up to 29' but boy it was hard to get into.When we bought our trailer we thought it was small enough to go anywhere but sometimes we wish we had gone to a 24.We loved camping at Jedidiah Smith in the Redwoods when we had a van camper. But the sites are limited to 24 feet and we won't fit.My advice make an itinerary then look at your options for site size all along the route of your trip, maybe that will give you some help.

Double check the payload figures before going shopping. Figure a 5000lb empty trailer will weight maybe 7000-8000 full, so you need probably 1000lb for hitch weight out of the payload plus passengers and other stuff in the truck.This is most likely you primary limitation with an F150.As mentioned, you can find the stickers on the door jam showing the exact payload. Ignore empty weight numbers unless you plan to run empty. A much better assumption is GVWR with 12-15% for hitch weight.

Best TT in the western parks? | Good Sam Community

PepperUp
Explorer
Mar 28, 2021
jdc1 wrote:
1.Find a floorplan you like.
2.Find a weight your truck can handle.
3.Do not limit yourself to new trailers.

Yep! What we are trying to do. Used are great even preferred but hard to find and seem way over priced due to the current sellers market on RVs.

Think this will continue another year???
PepperUp
Explorer
Mar 28, 2021
jesseannie wrote:
We have found in our state and national park visits that larger campsites are hard to cone by.
We have a 26' travel trailer and often we are limited to less than a half dozen sites in a 50 site camp ground.
I think that National parks have the least big sites.
Sometimes it is not the length of the parking pad but the narrow access road makes it nearly impossible to maneuver into the spot.
We had a beautiful site in a park inside Mt. Rainer NP but it was on a corner and we had to back uphill to get into it. It took my wife and I and two other campers to guide it into the spot. It was marked for up to 29' but boy it was hard to get into.
When we bought our trailer we thought it was small enough to go anywhere but sometimes we wish we had gone to a 24.
We loved camping at Jedidiah Smith in the Redwoods when we had a van camper. But the sites are limited to 24 feet and we won't fit.
My advice make an itinerary then look at your options for site size all along the route of your trip, maybe that will give you some help.

This is exactly the kind I of info I am looking for. Thank you!

Some things all sound good on paper but when you get out there ... you find some things you wish you’d known ahead of time.

I am beginning to work on itinerary but DH is ready to upgrade now hoping to enjoy it some this year locally as well. I am more willing to wait. I also am very curious if the hot buying market will continue this year or if things will turn and newer used campers will come in making them a better buy. Hmmmm...
valhalla360
Navigator
Mar 28, 2021
Double check the payload figures before going shopping. Figure a 5000lb empty trailer will weight maybe 7000-8000 full, so you need probably 1000lb for hitch weight out of the payload plus passengers and other stuff in the truck.

This is most likely you primary limitation with an F150.

As mentioned, you can find the stickers on the door jam showing the exact payload. Ignore empty weight numbers unless you plan to run empty. A much better assumption is GVWR with 12-15% for hitch weight.
jesseannie
Explorer
Mar 28, 2021
We have found in our state and national park visits that larger campsites are hard to cone by.
We have a 26' travel trailer and often we are limited to less than a half dozen sites in a 50 site camp ground.
I think that National parks have the least big sites.
Sometimes it is not the length of the parking pad but the narrow access road makes it nearly impossible to maneuver into the spot.
We had a beautiful site in a park inside Mt. Rainer NP but it was on a corner and we had to back uphill to get into it. It took my wife and I and two other campers to guide it into the spot. It was marked for up to 29' but boy it was hard to get into.
When we bought our trailer we thought it was small enough to go anywhere but sometimes we wish we had gone to a 24.
We loved camping at Jedidiah Smith in the Redwoods when we had a van camper. But the sites are limited to 24 feet and we won't fit.
My advice make an itinerary then look at your options for site size all along the route of your trip, maybe that will give you some help.
wing_zealot
Explorer
Mar 28, 2021
You’d getter better responses if we knew what the weights are that are listed on the two stickers on the drivers door of your truck. There are several weight ratings on theses two stickers.
For good reliable answers, let us know what all of those ratings are.
For wild ass guesses - carry on as is.
For learning and research on your own > clicky
jdc1
Explorer II
Mar 28, 2021
1.Find a floorplan you like.
2.Find a weight your truck can handle.
3.Do not limit yourself to new trailers.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Mar 28, 2021
Your 1/2 tone really limits you to lighter TT. And I doubt there is a best. We downsized from a 35 ft Fiver to a 30ft Arctic Fox TT but it weighs over 10,000 pounds.

Four people in a 24 ft TT will get very crowded and it will be impossible to keep the place organized with that many people in it. We found our 35 ft fiver overstuffed with us and two older teen boys. Generally 30 ft and below will get you in most National Parks assuming you can get a reservation. There are some exceptions.

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