Max. Trailer length - NP and state parks

MFL wrote:
.............a bumper pull trailer will start to turn quicker, when backing, due to being hooked to the very rear of the tow vehicle. A FW turns much slower when starting to back, but turns very quickly, once the angle starts to make a major change..........

MFL is correct. Also, I have determined, particularly in FL, that the length of a particular space is longer than posted on the reserveamerica.com site. I suspect the same for their listings in other states. I have to admit to fudging (lying) about the length of my unit when making reservations. Only one time have I had to approach a space from the other direction to be able to turn into the space from the road, and the reason was a tree at the front corner of the space. I have also observed folks with small trailers having more difficulty getting into a space than some with large FWs, so experience has a lot to do with success.

Even though I have what may be termed a "shorter" 5th, between the trailer and the truck, I always look for sites that are greater than 50', which usually give me just enough room to drop the 29' fifth, and then still back my truck all the way in when unhitched. Even that is kind of tight.
As noted, another issue is the width of the access road, and what is directly across from the entrance to the site. Not a lot of fun backing into a high angle site, with a solid row of trees on the other side of the single lane track they call an access road! If reserving, I always try to find a site that has another sites entrance directly across from it, to give me a little more room to maneuver. Of course, you rarely know what rocks or trees may be flanking the entrance until you get there!

MFL wrote:
.............a bumper pull trailer will start to turn quicker, when backing, due to being hooked to the very rear of the tow vehicle. A FW turns much slower when starting to back, but turns very quickly, once the angle starts to make a major change..........

MFL is correct. Also, I have determined, particularly in FL, that the length of a particular space is longer than posted on the reserveamerica.com site. I suspect the same for their listings in other states. I have to admit to fudging (lying) about the length of my unit when making reservations. Only one time have I had to approach a space from the other direction to be able to turn into the space from the road, and the reason was a tree at the front corner of the space. I have also observed folks with small trailers having more difficulty getting into a space than some with large FWs, so experience has a lot to do with success.

We have a 38ft 5th wheel. If a NP or SP will not allow us to use a site due to our size; in the area around most NP and SP there are private RV Resorts or Campgrounds with spaces to accommodate bigger RVs & Trailers.

We don't mind using these private parks since they offer more amenities than the NP & SP campgrounds. We drive into the NP & SP daily to see the sights.

The size restrictions may have more to do with the narrow and tight roads than length or breadth of a site. There have been a couple of times where (with the park ranger permission) we have driven the wrong way on a campground interior road to get to a site.

if the camp ground was built before 1980.. expect Short sites.. and tow vehicles must park beside trailer or sideways in front... 5th wheel or TT...

and some campground were originally built in the 1950's so extremely small and tight.

AND depends on the angle the site is to the road...

if less then 30 degrees.. a peice of cake..
if more then 70 degrees.. a real Pain...

my opinion.

bodomalo wrote:
..........
So the campsite itself might be much longer, as you need to park a trailer and a towing vehicle there (I would say there have to be campsites which are at least 42-45" long in total)........

"might be much longer", but also might not be. Sometimes the area to park the tow vehicle (or towed vehicle) is beside the space for the RV, not in line with it. So the actual RV space may be only a few feet longer than the specified max RV length.

In my experience an "RV" generally refers to a motorhome. A "trailer" refers to a 5er or a TT.

I would say that if you have a site that says [max RV length 27' ] and [max trailer length 24' ] the difference is that a trailer will have an additional 3' ± for the length of the tongue. The usable length of site will probably be real close to 27-feet total. The site will fit a RV or TT that is 27-feet long in total.

You should not expect to be able to park the tow vehicle in front of the TT. The tow vehicle most likely will have to go "along the side of the TT" or "across the front of the site". The width of the site will allow you to park the TV across the front, further down from the RV/TT.

When I book a site, my TT is 30-feet long tip to bumper. I look for sites that will accommodate at least a 35-foot RV.

"Now my question: Is there a difference in the ability to drive backwards with a normal trailer compared to a 5th wheel trailer?

"In total a 24" trailer + car might be a few feet longer than a
24" 5th wheel on a Pickup Truck (I would say 4-6 feet at least?)

So if there is a trailer limit of 24", would you say that you can still get into that campsite with a (example) 26" 5th wheel? Or doesn't it make any difference when trying to get into a spot? "

Our previous RV was a 32" TT. Our current is a 35" 5" fifth wheel. We have found that we can get into the same spots that we fit the TT. When you say drive backwards, I'm assuming backing up. There is a difference in TT vs FW because a FW is much more responsive. You're right about roads in and turns. We've found CG's with great sites, but forget about getting in. What I do often, is to check out Google Maps and I use the measurement scale at the bottom of the screen to measure the site and use other RV's seen as a comparison.

As stated by one other person here, we haven't found any problems with SP's, but NP are different. They built their campgrounds back before all these modern RV's and those can be a problem, but not inpossible with a shorter FW or TT.

My thoughts are that the smaller the overall length, the less room needed to maneuver. With the pivot point of a 5er being in the truck bed, It seems logical to me that it could maneuver easier than a same length trailer and truck.

We purchased the smallest 5er that fit our needs because we prefer the out of the way, more remote FS campgrounds that are more difficult to access. We still can't get into all the sites. And sometimes the reason is the access road.

As far as descriptions of the space, I would like to see them give the dimensions of the site parking area (length & width), and let me make the determination whether or not my setup will fit - because, yes, it does get confusing.

I have been in many situations where my 21ft box/24ft trailer barely allows my truck to park perpendicular to the TT

That was at state parks, amusement parks, and resorts.


Shorter TT the better