Should I be worried about an RV that is too long?

[abednego]

The wife and I are going to get an RV within a few months. We're going back and forth on the length that would be appropriate. Based on our non-negotiables (king sized bed w/bunkhouse) the models that I like are closer to 40'. I am curious as to what I should expect when towing such a vehicle.

Would a 32' TT be easier to maneuver than a 40' FW? I have no experience towing an RV; furthermore, I'll be buying a truck to tow this. I say this to indicate I do not currently own or drive a truck.

Given my lack of experience, is it a bad idea to get a 40' FW? I live in the Denver area and we're looking at local/CO campsites for fun on weekends and longer trips as vacations up to South Dakota/Utah/Wyoming.

I realize that I'll need to practice driving around locally which is not a problem. I can give the wife a walkie-talkie for guidance. Me personally I'm not worried at all. I'll learn. The wife feels a bit different and doesn't want the RV experience to become cumbersome and not fun for the family. I plan on getting a Ram 3500 Mega-Cab SRW with 4.10 gears.

Your help and advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

-abe

[abednego]

Veebyes wrote:
Ummm, you wanna check your weights again? Sounds more like a trailer only weight.

Truck, I think, is around 8000 pounds, the TT is around 9000 (2013 model). Add the family of four, bunch of gear, fuel, water, etc. etc. etc. I thought 19,000 was reasonable.

Geez, if that trailer weighed 19,000 pounds... Holy crap. 😉 I think it's only rated to carry about 1500 pounds. Lemme look... Ah, here it is. The GVW for the trailer is 9950, so... Yeah, it's the truck plus the trailer.

[Goostoff]

K3WE wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Think about where you wish to park. A 40 foot unit may not fit into places such as National Parks, or State Parks.

X2...

Remember, 40 and 50-ft semi trucks go almost anywhere (I'm always impressed at some of the narrow delivery spaces that exist in older cities and trucks do great...but the size of your campiste and the size of your driveway is where it will make a difference.

Also keep in mind that those semi tractors can turn a LOT sharper than most pick up trucks. I can turn a school bus around in a tighter area than I can my x-cab chevy dually. I hate the turning radius of my truck and am already in the process of looking into a HDT or even a MDT just for turning radius reasons, and better fuel economy.

[appd221]

I've towed many trailers and many different lengths. As stated practice makes perfect. I like to do the spotting myself, even if it means getting out several tomes to check. Just remember your longer and you should exaggerate your right turns. Having a good set of mirrors is important to see the trailer as it turns corners. Empty parking lots work great. Set up some markers and practice. I would not buy because of too long or too short, I would buy what is going to work for you and yours.

[resmas]

Veebyes wrote:
"The very first trip we took was to South Dakota. I stopped in Cheyenne to refuel and weigh the rig. Came in just under 19,000 pounds, including the truck of course." Ummm, you wanna check your weights again? Sounds more like a trailer only weight.

I was curious about that, too. I looked up the model TT he bought, and it has an empty weight of 8400 and a max wt of 9950.

So he could possibly be 19K overall if he is traveling light...

I didn't look up the weight for a F450, but assumed it was probably near the weight of our Dodge mega-cab dually, give or take a few hundred...

[2gypsies1]

abednego wrote:
I just happened to be checking my email address and saw that people had replied. A lot. You guys are awesome!

Ended up going big on the truck but not so big on the trailer. Got an F-450 and a Cherokee 294BH, which is a 37' trailer. Altogether I'm 62' from bumper to bumper.

I've been really fortunate with the towing, parking, and maneuvering. I just take it slow and be patient.

Thanks for returning and giving us an update! Glad you and that 62 feet are doing well. Enjoy!

[Veebyes]

There is a whole heap of difference between a 32 & a 40' besides that 8' of length which will stop you from getting into a bunch of campground sites that you would like to visit.

There is the weight & the truck needed to pull stop it. 40' is fine if it is going to sit as a seasonal somewhere but if the plans are to do some real traveling smaller is much better.

"The very first trip we took was to South Dakota. I stopped in Cheyenne to refuel and weigh the rig. Came in just under 19,000 pounds, including the truck of course." Ummm, you wanna check your weights again? Sounds more like a trailer only weight.

[NanciL]

"Should I be worried about an RV that is too long?"

YES

Jack L

[mileshuff]

wintersun wrote:
Personally I find it hard to understand why people think they want to go "camping" when they need to also take every single creature comfort they have at home along with them on the road.

Most people that tent camp would say that anyone using any type of RV is not camping. I'm too old to sleep on the ground these days!

[mileshuff]

sharker6 wrote:
"Would a 32' TT be easier to maneuver than a 40' FW?" No, it's more the other way around. After you pull it a dozen times it will become second nature.

Most say a FW is more difficult to maneuver than a TT. Since the pivot point is forward on a FW the response to TV turning is slower when backing into a spot.

Pulling a FW is where the big advantage over a TT is. Generally sway is a thing of the past! There are other advantages of a FW such as greater outside storage but maneuvering isn't one of them in my opinion.

[abednego]

I just happened to be checking my email address and saw that people had replied. A lot. You guys are awesome!

Where have I been? RV'ing, of course! Although I think the term should be "glamping", not "camping". 😉

Ended up going big on the truck but not so big on the trailer. Got an F-450 and a Cherokee 294BH, which is a 37' trailer. Altogether I'm 62' from bumper to bumper. It has a king bed, but not walkaround. The TV is a joke, but it's there if we want to come in from outside and watch a movie. I wish they'd get rid of the couch and shorten the whole rig because I find the two-person couch to be pretty useless. But, watcha gonna do? It was relatively cheap! 🙂

I've been really fortunate with the towing, parking, and maneuvering. I just take it slow and be patient. I picked up some Cobra walkie-talkies but for the most part I just need someone to tell me if I'm going to back into something. I have a very clear view of the sides of the RV, and I'm getting better at backing up but I can always use more practice. I always look up.

The very first trip we took was to South Dakota. I stopped in Cheyenne to refuel and weigh the rig. Came in just under 19,000 pounds, including the truck of course. There was only one really close call when I turned around in a relatively small parking lot, but, no damage, no scrapes, and one very big sigh of relief!

I realize the F-450 is overkill for that trailer but at the time we were still considering a fifth wheel, and the truck was a longer delivery, so I had to go ahead and pull the trigger. I am in no way shape or form sorry I got the large dually. It's fantastic, and I use it for Boy Scout trips as well.

Just put in a Line-X bedliner, and I'm thinking about a combo tool box/fuel tank for the bed so we don't have to refuel until I drop the trailer. We'll see.

Thanks for the advice folks! Do appreciate it!

[wintersun]

Go to any RV directory online and see how many places have unlimited length pull through campsites. They do exist but 99% of the time they will be private RV parks where you will pay twice as much as at a public campground.

Friends traveled around for years with a 28' 5th wheel and sold it and bought a 35' one. They regreted the decision on their very first trip as the extra 7' in length greatly reduced the number of places where they could stay.

Many campsites will be long enough but will require a tight turn and a 65' long tow vehicle and trailer combo will simply not make it.

Personally I find it hard to understand why people think they want to go "camping" when they need to also take every single creature comfort they have at home along with them on the road. Got to have the king size walk around bed. Got to have the full size fridge and freezer. Got to have the 42" television and the satellite dish. Got to have the full bath and shower. Got to have two high power AC units. Got to have a generator to power it all. This is not camping but cocooning.

[2gypsies1]

I don't think the OP is coming back....this post was started by him in August 2012 and he hasn't posted anything on this whole site since September. Perhaps he changed his mind about a RV? 🙂

[doc_brown]

wbwood wrote:
It's going to be a learning curve for you no matter what. Get what you want and enjoy it!

Exactly. My first RV is my current 40' DP and I tow. It took awhile to get comfortable with the driving and parking but this is the lifestyle I wanted, so I was ready for all the challenges. After 9 years and 55,000 miles I'm very comfortable, but always learning new things.

[ryhed]

K3WE wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Think about where you wish to park. A 40 foot unit may not fit into places such as National Parks, or State Parks.

X2...

Remember, 40 and 50-ft semi trucks go almost anywhere (I'm always impressed at some of the narrow delivery spaces that exist in older cities and trucks do great...but the size of your campiste and the size of your driveway is where it will make a difference.

Never seen a semi plow through bridger national forest, nor would it make it very far. your in 4x4 diesel dual rear wheel territory with a 40ft.