We've picked out a trailer. We love the floor plan, price fair, good dealer, close to home, and within the towing limits of our truck. Getting ready to pull the pin on it. Only one thing bothering me. It is ball hitch style and 29'7" long. I'm wondering if there is a length that would limit us from lots of camping spots. Or put another way....Once you get to a certain length everything about it becomes "much" more difficult. what would that length be? Thoughts?

We bought our 26.5 ft 5er with a very livable floor plan and will fit in a 20 ft site if clearance in the rear....also have cc long bed truck for longest wheel base for towing....total length of rig is under 45 ft....a ball hitch off the bumper trailer same size would be over 53 ft...drawback is 5 er height....but is not issue for us so far

The majority of campgrounds ask the legnth of your trailer when booking a site. They are aware of what fits where within there campground, and try to put larger trailers on larger pads, smaller on smaller. This does not mean they will not push that envelope if it means an empty site (no money) or squeazing you in there (making money). Often it will come down to your ability to back the unit into that smaller site.The big thing is to be comfortable backing the unit into those---barely fit---sites. Everyone on here can probably tell the story were once the trailer was unhooked, they had to find a place to park the TV cause it was blocking the street.In most instances, larger trailers are easier to back up than smaller trailers. It is a wheel base thing that keeps the trailer from jackknifing so quickly that you can hardly react to it. I am sure somewhere on this wonderful web there is an explanation of how that works.

Your question is very subjective and to be answered correctly you need to look at where you want to go with it, how much experience you have driving a long rig and what your patience is. I have a TT nearly 34' long but I have a lot of experience driving and camping. We also spent the last 20 years exploring the country every chance we got. I think the 28-30 ' length is still very doable most everywhere. I also think that in that length you need to do a little planning as there may be sites and certain camps that are too tight. I am on that new adventure as to where we will go to areas and set up camp for a week or more and then use the TV to go exploring. So sit down with the family and decide what type of camping you want to do and then decide if the TT fits the need. As far as backing etc.. that becomes easier not more difficult as long as you have the clearance. I used to take my 10' motorcycle trailer and back it most anywhere with my 35' DP that is much more difficult than backing my 34' TT with my Pickup.

We are at 28' which is just a bit shorter than what you are considering. As other replies to your post have said, commercial CGs will ask the length of your rig and put you in something suitable (in MOST cases!!). In over 20 years of towing, we have yet to encounter a CG that didn't have a site large enough for our TT and I suspect you will have no issues, either. Quite frankly, at 28'-30' you will have a much larger selection of sites from which to choose than the folks that went out and bought the biggest RV they could find. I have zero sympathy for those who do so and then whine incessantly about their sites being too small. JMHO

We tow a 36ft TT with an F-250 short box and have never had a problem finding or getting into a site. Total length for us is 56 ft.

Trailer Length (generally speaking) | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

krobbe
Explorer
Jan 21, 2015
Shorter is always better if trying to stay at many rustic campgrounds. But a little planning will get you in where you want to stay. I was able to squeeze my 34' Bullet into a site for shorter length rigs(my sig photo) with very little effort. Just figure out the limits of the rig you have and everything else is "All Good".
mosseater
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2015
I've put our 34'er into quite a few 30' spots with no problem. We are blessed in Pa with prodigious numbers of State Parks which cater to longer rigs. Haven't had an issue anywhere I've gone, out west or around home.
sourdough2224
Explorer
Jan 20, 2015
Most campsites I've seen start being limited at around 35'. Ours is 37' OAL and I have to check ahead usually but haven't ran into an issue getting a developed campsite. If you are going to go to remote areas or small campgrounds length of the campsite might be an issue but I suspect maneuverability will be the worst thing. Our 24' trailer was MUCH easier to just pop between the trees.
Downwindtracke1
Explorer
Jan 19, 2015
It's not just length, it's also how tight you can turn. We have, wife was directing, a dent in the checkerplate from my taillight. That tells you how thin the checkerplate is. On the todo list is a longer tongue.

After years with an 7'6" tent trailer and a Jeep Cherokee," That's a walk in tent site!" Our 20'TT is pretty limiting.
rbpru
Explorer II
Jan 19, 2015
We have a 26 ft. Bumper to ball TT and have never had a CG issue. We have been in some CGs that had a limited amount of 30 ft. Plus spots.

Before buying our TT we guessed at the size we would need, then rented a similar size model. 10 days of towing and camping showed us a lot.
Heavy_Metal_Doc
Explorer
Jan 19, 2015
I saw lots of the "don't go too big / long" warnings before we bought our first TT and did think about it some during the shopping. Since we ended up with a 32' TT (actually 35" bumper to hitch) I have been constantly on the lookout for the length issue when making reservations for campsites. Now we have only had a dozen trips in a little over one year, but I have yet to find a place (even in state parks) where I could not get a site or where length was restricted enough to keep us form going there.
Yes, some SP sites are restricted (maybe even some commercial CG's), but I haven't found a park that we where interested in going to where ALL sites are restricted. Also, I have not had the issue come up where all the sites I could fit in are booked up, but I know it could happen.
For our purchase of TT, Momma had to be happy. I could live with a TT under 20' and be fine, but if she where not comfortable with the kitchen space as well as the living room for times stuck inside, then we would have just gone back to tent camping.....so I work with the long length just fine.
wrenchnone
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Thanks so much for all the comments (what a great forum and site). Your comments have been exactly the input I was look for. Funny thing happened today. I decided to drive my toe vehicle over to the dealer. I backed up to our potential trailer to try to "size it up" and decided it was just too long. Well while trying to figure out our next plan I realized I was backed up to an identical trailer other than that it was a toy hauler and 6' longer! The one we are considering looked fine compared to that one lol
dadmomh
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Agree, depends on how you camp and for sure is subjective. Our HTT was about 24' bumper to ball. We could fit most anywhere unless there was a tree at the rear that would interfere with the rear bunk or a steep drop off at the rear that hindered setting up - we encountered both. We have since moved to a 26'4" box, approx 30' bumper to ball. We have lost out on several of our favorite sites. Not because of the overall length necessarily, but the maneuverability with trees, ditches, etc. Many feel bigger is better and no problem. Our thought is that we bought what we felt we needed and were comfortable with, no more, no less. Even with our HTT, when the campground asked about size, rather than try to explain a HTT I just told them 30' and let it go. Usually worked out.
Bobj616
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Are ya'll talking about box size or ball to bumper? I am looking at new trailers and it seems the ones I like are 30-32 ft. ball to bumper. I never really considered length before because my Hybrid is only a 21 ft. box unfolding to around 27-28 ft. National parks have put me in sites where I couldn't use my awning(trees were too close) but length was never a problem.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Jan 18, 2015
Dog Trainer wrote:
Your question is very subjective and to be answered correctly you need to look at where you want to go with it, how much experience you have driving a long rig and what your patience is. I have a TT nearly 34' long but I have a lot of experience driving and camping. We also spent the last 20 years exploring the country every chance we got. I think the 28-30 ' length is still very doable most everywhere. I also think that in that length you need to do a little planning as there may be sites and certain camps that are too tight. I am on that new adventure as to where we will go to areas and set up camp for a week or more and then use the TV to go exploring. So sit down with the family and decide what type of camping you want to do and then decide if the TT fits the need. As far as backing etc.. that becomes easier not more difficult as long as you have the clearance. I used to take my 10' motorcycle trailer and back it most anywhere with my 35' DP that is much more difficult than backing my 34' TT with my Pickup.

I agree. Figure out the type of "camping" you want to do. Are you going to stay at RV Parks all the time? In that case, the size is unlikely to be a problem.

Are you going to go to national forests, state parks, national parks, etc.? Then size could be an issue. Are you going to travel all over the country or just stay within a certain distance of your s&b? If the former, then size could be a bigger concern at these places. For example, at some national forest campgrounds in California, you wouldn't be able to maneuver your TV/TT into the campground and/or through the campground, let alone into the campsite.

Are you going to boondock? In that case, size will be limiting. The smaller the rig, the easier to find an acceptable spot.

Odds are, if you are only going to places with full hookups, you probably won't have a problem with the size.