Difference in finding camp spot or towing w/ 28' v 30 v 32'?

Our 27RLS was 32' long. Our previous tt, a 22FB, was 24' long. That 8' made a huge difference to us. There were less campsites we could fit into, making us have to book further in advance if we wanted specific campgrounds. Some of our favorite campgrounds we could no longer get in to at all. But, we prefer forest service sites and alternatively frequent State and Federal campgrounds. We rarely ever used private campground which, from what we hear, have no problem with lengths.

We are now 34' long. It limits the number of sites we can get into and sometimes it completely eliminates campgrounds. But again, these are public campgrounds, not private ones. Other people seem to have no problem but I think it really depends on where you camp.

Our previous one was 27'. The new one is 32'9".

State parks are where we've had the toughest time with the additional length. There are still sites we fit at the parks, just not as many. On any given weekend, there may not be any sites remaining that we can squeeze into, even if there are still shorter sites left. We can (and usually do) just book earlier to avoid that problem, but spontaneous trips are a gamble.

Regular campgrounds have generally been fine. Just a couple of sites where we barely fit, but did manage to get into. Never had to change sites or campgrounds.

Depends where you want to camp.

I went from 28 to 32 with no problems at all.

fugawi wrote:
Would the extra 2'-4' significantly limit camp spot availability compared to a 28' trailer?

Depending on where and how you camp, yes, it can limit site availability.
I have found there's a big difference in available spots for 30' sites, versus 35' sites.
We have a 28' and our two friends have 32' TT. We camp together about 4 times a year and it can be a pain trying to get sites for them. It seems like there are many for the 30', but limited for the 32'. This would also be a problem for us as we like to camp at popular state parks that are in demand anyway. There's enough competition without having to restrict ourselves only the 35' or greater sites. For this reason, we've decided to keep our length to 30' or under. RV parks may not be a problem, but state parks might be an issue. It all depends on how and where you like to camp.

asullivan920 wrote:
To me the extra 2'-4' is no big deal. It will be that jump from 19' to 28'-32' that you will have to get used to. I would strongly recommend a WD hitch as well going to that size. I have almost the same truck as you but its a 2012 and no air suspension. I use a WD hitch with my 19' toy hauler and when loaded up the trailer is about 8500 lbs. I have never had any sway problems but never tried to tow it without the WD hitch either.

As far as camp spots... from my experience some (not all) primitive campgrounds will be the place with a 25' and under length restriction but most RV parks are set to handle trailers all the way up to 40'.

X2, DW & I both agree that the trade off is worth dragging our 34' 5V versus the 27.5' trailer we had previously.

In my opinion,I will say no and no.

To me the extra 2'-4' is no big deal. It will be that jump from 19' to 28'-32' that you will have to get used to. I would strongly recommend a WD hitch as well going to that size. I have almost the same truck as you but its a 2012 and no air suspension. I use a WD hitch with my 19' toy hauler and when loaded up the trailer is about 8500 lbs. I have never had any sway problems but never tried to tow it without the WD hitch either.

As far as camp spots... from my experience some (not all) primitive campgrounds will be the place with a 25' and under length restriction but most RV parks are set to handle trailers all the way up to 40'.

Camping with longer trailers takes a little bit of effort to find campsites, but we've never had any problems getting into any campground we've wanted to stay at... none! It just takes a little more thought when looking and making reservations.

We went from an 18 foot, to a 31 foot, to 35 foot, and we noticed nothing different. Actually, parking the longer camper is easier because we select longer campsites now, and we select campsites that are not so tight with trees. Even the smaller trailer was challenging to get between trees. So if you automatically look for more open sites, you never have an issue.

About towing ... no difference going from 31 to 35 feet ... none! You will want a weight distribution hitch system with the longer trailer though. It's not an option, it's a must!

We just went from a 24 ft to a 34 ft trailer and I found that it isn't a lot more challenging to drive. I do pull a 55' trailer for work almost daily though.

I would say I haven't been to any sites yet where I've said" we should have bought a shorter trailer!" I notice that going from the old trailer that I could put anywhere to this one, you need to be more selective because the little sites just don't work. That being said, if the one you choose is 32', get it! You'll get used to pulling it and it will be just as comfortable as a 28' would be.