How long is too long to travel In a fifth wheel.

[Bill_I]

We are getting ready to full time live in a fifth wheel as we travel the USA. Have been looking at trying to stay under 38 feet in the fifth wheel but are finding that it is hard to find everything we want in that length. We have a GMC 1ton, short bed PU. Question...how hard is it to find camping spots throughout the USA if we go over 38 feet? Is it difficult to navigate through the east coast with a longer fifth wheel? Thoughts please.

[Me_Again]

goducks10 wrote:
If I were getting ready to FT, I'd make sure I had the floor plan that we both liked regardless of the size. Not being able to get into a certain CG that you might stay at for a week or two would not be my concern. My main concern would be how comfortable and useful my 5th wheel will be the rest of the time. There's 52 weeks in a year. I wouldn't let 3-4 weeks determine the rest of the year.
I'd rather be more comfortable for 48 weeks, than just putting up with a certain 5th length needed for 4 weeks of the year.

That is exactly why our Bighorn grew from 35-36 foot OAL to 39'4" OAL. We wanted the King bed and larger rectanglur shower. That pushed us up to the larger BH3575el model. Chris

[Me_Again]

BTW we hope to travel in our new 5th wheel as LONG as we can!! Chris

[goducks10]

If I were getting ready to FT, I'd make sure I had the floor plan that we both liked regardless of the size. Not being able to get into a certain CG that you might stay at for a week or two would not be my concern. My main concern would be how comfortable and useful my 5th wheel will be the rest of the time. There's 52 weeks in a year. I wouldn't let 3-4 weeks determine the rest of the year.
I'd rather be more comfortable for 48 weeks, than just putting up with a certain 5th length needed for 4 weeks of the year.

[JIMNLIN]

Much depends. One size does not fit all here.

Just because joe smitzh has no problems camping in his 40' trailer doesn't mean beans for other folks who like to camp in various places.

We tend to stay away from RV parks and newer glitzy camp grounds many rvers have come to expect. So yeah even my 32' actual length 5th wheel is limited to where "WE" like to camp. Many times the problem is the road getting in....... getting your palace on wheels to the campgrounds.

I wouldn't worry about where I camped regardless of length as there are campgrounds/rv parks out here that a 40' 13-6" tall unit will fit right in.

[Bob_Shaw]

I have a 40' 5th wheel, and while it has cut me out of some of the older parks and some state parks that were designed for 19' trailers, I haven't had an issue. One time when I tried to register at Bayou Signette State Park in Louisiana Near New Orleans, the lady asked me the length, and I told her 40', and she said "35'?", and I said no 40', and she said "I must have misheard you, because our length limit is 35", and I said "yes maam, it's 35'". I did not have a problem fitting into the space.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Visit the full time forum here - and the Escapees MDT & HDT forums - lots of folks towing loooong trailers with "serious" tow vehicles - resulting in some long "combos".

Here's a thread in the SKPs HDT forum with a similar question as yours -

Where will it fit?



~

[Michelle_S]

Two years ago we traveled up through Alberta, British Columbia, The Yukon, and Alaska with a 40' 5er and 3500 Dually. And while some places were tight we made it.
Last summer we did all the Atlantic Provinces, including Ferries to and from Newfoundland with the same TV and a 43' 5er.
Now we're headed up into Manitoba to Thompson to go on a Polar Bear sightseeing adventure.

[CALandLIN]

Bill I wrote:
We are getting ready to full time live in a fifth wheel as we travel the USA. Have been looking at trying to stay under 38 feet in the fifth wheel but are finding that it is hard to find everything we want in that length. We have a GMC 1ton, short bed PU. Question...how hard is it to find camping spots throughout the USA if we go over 38 feet? Is it difficult to navigate through the east coast with a longer fifth wheel? Thoughts please.

During our five years full timing around the country we visited all 48 connected states and 4 CDN provinces. Our fiver is 38’ with 3 slides. Our Cummins dually has a regular bed with two in bed boxes. The whole rig is about 53’ connected.

Seldom were we turned away because of rig size. We traveled about 70% of the time without reservations. The night before moving days we did our homework. We carried the large printed camp finder catalogs, used internet searches of the area we expected to stay at and always called ahead to see if there were going to be some openings when we were in a high usage area. Reservations were made for stops of two weeks or longer and especially for the 2-3 month seasonal stop-overs.

Here is a link to one of our blogs containing 90 campgrounds we used from coast to coast. They are random and some are military parks/campgrounds.

90 RV Parking Sites

[jtbuilds]

Here in BC the cut off for larger trailer is 32'.

To determine the length when making a reservation they ask for the model number.

If the model number is 28XXX and the trailer is 34'OA they will take your reservation for a 32' site.

BUT.....

If the model number is 33XXX and the trailer is 30'OA they will not take the reservation.

[billyd11]

Over 30ft you begin to limit getting in/out. Private campgrounds, you should be fine. State campground, good luck. Our is 32ft Passed on some state camp sites.

[Veebyes]

This is a much rehashed topic. The answer is always the same. Size matters.

Sure all is fine & dandy if you stick to the commercial parks. They will cram you into a spot somehow. All is also great if you have your few well known CGs that you return to time after time knowing which sites can accomodate you.

If you are launching out into the great unkown doing a long trip to places never visited before & winging it without reservations, prefering the state parks & National Parks, then size really does matter.

The longer you go past the 32 or 34' length the fewer the sites there are available to you. A fact of physics.

There are plenty of 5ers in the lower to mid 30s' range that have all the comforts of a big one. They just don't have the open floor in the middle big enough for a square dance.

[RWjSIM2003]

Our 5er is 42Ft and we have had no issues. we can get into most OR state camp grounds in our area. we have to watch the height for trees but it has not slowed us down any over the last 3 years

[laknox]

Another thing to consider, if the OP likes to get well off the beaten track, is that there =are= roads that have length restrictions. Hell, I don't know that I'd want to tow anything much over 30' on Hwy 1 in Cali, though I'm sure a lot of people do. 🙂

Lyle

[Bird_Freak]

Do you really think another two ft would make a difference? I'm at 38ft and no problems ever.