30 foot limit

[alamo47]

I have read/been told that I should not get a motor home over 30 feet because some places, like national parks,have length limits. How often is this an issue?
Thanks, Alamo47.

[Gjac]

bobndot wrote:
I have not found length to be a problem yet but I can see how it could be a problem.

what I have found so far:
1. The entrance apron is too steep and the rear over hang drags entering the site.
2. The site itself is not level enough.
3. Overgrown vegetation. I have found state park managers with issues trimming trees that scrape my roof and sidewalls.
They advertise and charge for an rv site and ask 'how many feet long you are" but the entrance to the sites are often only wide or tall enough to fit cars.
I am not possibly damaging and scraping my rv on tree branches and shrubs, I have asked at the park offices that their advertised rv sites are too size restrictive. They usually send someone with a pole trimmer to cut branches back.
UV over time makes roof vents and skylights too brittle to play games with even thin low tree branches.

This is very true. Most places I camp like first come first served CG's don't specify lengths and I never had a problem fitting in. However Bob's description in 1,2,and 3 have all been a problem. I have a cracked AC cover, a puncture in my rear side wall, a cracked front end, a bent ladder to prove it, all of which I had to repair. Another problem I encountered was a hidden rock in weeds at Glacier NP that scraped one of my baggage doors when entering into the site. I found that staying in NFS CG's outside the NP's had larger sites and were more secluded and were better options for a 32ft MH. I am looking at downsizing to a 24 ft C that has more GC and that would be better suited for this type of camping.

[dieseltruckdriv]

From personal experience, I can tell you that Wind Cave NP has many spots for a very short, as in shorter than our 27-5L, RVs. They do not have many sites that are able to handle a 40' rig, even though it is listed as unrestricted on that list that was linked to.
Many of the National Park campgrounds were made when people had 20' campers, and they haven't had the money to update them yet.

[Desert_Captain]

Whatever your length, wherever you go please know that lying about your actual length is never, ever acceptable. I'm sure all of us, if we were being honest, myself included, would love to have an RV that is a bit to a lot larger than what we have but...

Buy what you want, hopefully what you can live with but lying about it makes you someone that no one really wants to be. As noted many length restrictions are based not just on the site length but but on the access roads in and out. Not only do you risk damaging your RV on overhanging trees, encroaching boulders etc. you know you do not belong in a 30' site with a 30'+ RV. additionally you likely will creat problems for fellow campers.

I have seen access roads partially to fully blocked by folks who simply did not even come close to fitting into their site with their RV/TV encroaching onto the access road. That might work until a neighbor has a heart attack at O'dark thirty and emergency vehicles can't get in {and God help you if that happens}. :S

Years ago when I was attending San Diego State a professor brought in a guest lecturer to discuss integrity, honor etc., as I recall he was a retired judge. He droned on for nearly an hour stressing that it was never, ever acceptable to lie. He pointed out that integrity is like virginity... once it is gone it is gone forever. Fnally in conclusion he hit this point one last time wrapping up his lecture with the following:

You must remember that it is never acceptable to lie... unless someone asks you to help them move.

:B

[Chum_lee]

bobndot wrote:
I have not found length to be a problem yet but I can see how it could be a problem.

what I have found so far:
1. The entrance apron is too steep and the rear over hang drags entering the site.
2. The site itself is not level enough.
3. Overgrown vegetation. I have found state park managers with issues trimming trees that scrape my roof and sidewalls.
They advertise and charge for an rv site and ask 'how many feet long you are" but the entrance to the sites are often only wide or tall enough to fit cars.
I am not possibly damaging and scraping my rv on tree branches and shrubs, I have asked at the park offices that their advertised rv sites are too size restrictive. They usually send someone with a pole trimmer to cut branches back.
UV over time makes roof vents and skylights too brittle to play games with even thin low tree branches.

YES! We are very similar in our thinking/experience and have been going to the same types of places. (in general)

Others experience may differ widely.

Chum lee

[wowens79]

Many state park and COE sites that I book have limits for each individual sites. As an example, I was looking for a site at a FL state park, and my camper is 32'6", and I had 33' in the criteria for camper length, and nothing was available, I changed the length to 32' and one site was available, and sure enough the max site length was 32'. I started looking at each site, and the max length was different for each site.

[bobndot]

campsitephotos.com

I use this for viewing state park sites but I think they have been adding private CG's as well.

[pnichols]

ron.dittmer wrote:

pnichols wrote:
I know National Monuments and the various National Preserves and Reserves don't allow camping

Just FYI: Many national monuments offer camping. We've camped in many.

Thanks Ron for the info.

Our experience with just a few National Monuments has been that they were for day trip visiting only at certain very special places and that they were not necessarily very large in land acreage, unlike other public land areas where camping is allowed. Maybe this is just due to our experiences here in the West, as other types of public land areas out here can be expansive and maybe more suitable for camping.

We would really prefer to drycamp at National Preserves for their pristine settings, quietness, and closeness to nature - but it's very rare that they allow camping at the few we've checked out. We have just been able to drive through some for observing, taking pictures, day-hiking, and maybe picnicking.

We are by no means well versed in our knowledge of these areas, however.

[ron_dittmer]

pnichols wrote:
I know National Monuments and the various National Preserves and Reserves don't allow camping

Just FYI: Many national monuments offer camping. We've camped in many.

[pnichols]

rr2254545 wrote:
Depending on your style of camping regarding hookups you might choose to stay outside the national parks

There are 50 National Parks in the lower 48 including the newest White Sands and Gateway Arch in St. Louis
Of the 50 - 34 do not have hookups or any camping - 8 have full hookup and 8 have electric only

That's news ... some National Parks don't allow camping of any type?? I thought that was what "park" meant.

I know National Monuments and the various National Preserves and Reserves don't allow camping, I would have thought that a very high percentage of National Parks allowed some type of camping - at least tent camping and car camping. Many car camping spots on public lands can take at least a Class B or small Class C motorhome for drycamping.

We have a small Class C and sometimes I'd like to camp in the drive-in tent camping areas of public lands, but often that is not allowed even if one has a motorhome small enough to fit.

[bobndot]

I have not found length to be a problem yet but I can see how it could be a problem.

what I have found so far:
1. The entrance apron is too steep and the rear over hang drags entering the site.
2. The site itself is not level enough.
3. Overgrown vegetation. I have found state park managers with issues trimming trees that scrape my roof and sidewalls.
They advertise and charge for an rv site and ask 'how many feet long you are" but the entrance to the sites are often only wide or tall enough to fit cars.
I am not possibly damaging and scraping my rv on tree branches and shrubs, I have asked at the park offices that their advertised rv sites are too size restrictive. They usually send someone with a pole trimmer to cut branches back.
UV over time makes roof vents and skylights too brittle to play games with even thin low tree branches.

[rr2254545]

Depending on your style of camping regarding hookups you might choose to stay outside the national parks

There are 50 National Parks in the lower 48 including the newest White Sands and Gateway Arch in St. Louis
Of the 50 - 34 do not have hookups or any camping - 8 have full hookup and 8 have electric only

[_1Flyboy]

..... The longer the RV the fewer camping spots that will accommodate said RV....Especially at busy campgrounds without reservations...

[rockylarson]

I'm 31.5, more like 50 with tow. Don't normally overnight in places that have length restriction. Not that I check, just not our style. Turns out some of them did. I will say I have had second thoughts on many access roads to campgrounds and remote attractions where there should have been a warning but were none. Only had to disconnect and turn around twice in 16 years and 110,000 miles.

If it is paved on the way in it is better than gravel. Also reading branch clearance and trunk rub/damage will come with experience. Be especially aware of roof top side clearance because rough terrain can cause a foot or more of unexpected sway.
Good Luck Have Fun Stay safe.

[ron_dittmer]

We almost exclusively camp in national parks and monuments. Our rig is under the 24 foot length. Because we travel without campsite reservations, our short length has saved us a number of times.