Down sides to being a TT Camper?

[Blanco1]

I never gave it much thought till I'm getting closer to buying a TT?

How often do camp grounds that have a limited RV spot have an issues with the truck?

Do most allow you to park for free elsewhere?

I've gone to a few that have a double wide Camp spot & no issues...

But what if its a smaller spot that only fits the trailer & do some of them charge you twice to take another spot to park your truck?
OR????

[DoberGirl50]

The state park where I stayed for 3 weeks had parking next to the camper pad with overflow parking conveniently located right across from my spot. When looking at parks out of state, there was always parking next to the pad.

[Jbrowland]

I also live in Los Angelos. It can be a major issue in California. I just moved to a 23 foot TT from a 25 foot class C. I have almost completely changed how I travel. Now I sit in one place longer with the TT and I stay outside of the parks and drive in with my truck. The class C was better for travelling from A to B and bathroom breaks and quick in and out and for state and national parks and boon-docking and dry camping. The TT not so much. The TT is better once I get there. If you are going to move around a lot, especially in California, you may want to take a closer look at a class C or the like. State and National Parks in Cali tend to be surrounded by dramatic landscape that can put severe limits on length and maneuverability inside a campground with the truck and RV. That said, most places have overflow parking for your truck if you need it.

[LVJJJ]

Been towing since '87, never ever had a problem parking the TV in the campsite.

[falconbrother]

It all depends on what you want to do. We have pretty much had at least one of every kind of RV, other than a class C. Before the TT we had a class A motorhome. Those are truly self-contained. But, the yearly maintenance is no joke. We like to go hook up in a campground and chill, or at a dog show with hookups. So, we very much prefer the travel trailer. The downside would only exist where we had no hookups and wanted AC and 110 volt power. I see people using portable generators all the time (at dog shows) with their travel trailers where there is no shore power. It's not preferred because you have to fill it up every few hours and people like to use those contractor grade generators, not that anyone seems to care at the dog shows. Nevertheless, the best case scenario is that the generator is running on fumes every 7 hours. On the motorhome we could go for a few days with a full tank of gas before it hit the magic level in the tank and starved the generator out, which never happened. Other than than, I'll take a travel trailer for the extra usable room and the ease of ownership/low relative maintenance.

[rbpru]

We looked at a class B motor coach briefly but we do so much day travel that we would be constantly setting up or putting away. Plus we would miss the large bathroom. 🙂

[mailman-ret]

If it hasn't changed since 2010, the Estes Park, Colorado KOA has several sites on three rows where you all unhook and park your vehicles in a designated parking lot. RV's are so tight in this site that there will be a guide that will take you to your site and guide you in. Slide can open, but not the awnings. Would love to spend more time in Estes Park, but not that KOA. I hadn't done my homework and didn't know of the other CG's.

[Dirtpig]

Coming from a truck camper I would say a TT has some big disadvantages but also some advantages!

Pros -

Interior space and storage
Ease of hitching and unhitching (<5min) easier freedom to use vehicle
Use of truck box for stuff, firewood etc.

Cons - (vs a truck camper in my case)

Overall length makes some wilderness campsites simply inaccessible
Lost ability to tow a boat / quad/dirt bike trailer. Though there are ways around this.
Ease of travelling isn’t in same league as a TC
Long term durability ripping down gravel roads unknown.
No ability to stealth camp.

With our family of 4 the space and storage advantage outweighs all the cons but once our boys are old enough that they wish to tent it or stay home we will once again upgrade to a truck camper.

[Passin_Thru]

There never has been any downside to parking. Once we had a guy in the next spot tell us to move, his friend parked there every year. (He never showed up,we never moved)Only been in 1 that had us seperate but it was because someone had a huge wedding and they all need spaces too. That was fun anyway. We have had to park crossways to our TT front for space in Upstate NY to avoid being in the street. This is a total of 28 years.

[rbpru]

If you do not own a TT then rent one for a week or so on the road. You will learn, in short order, about what you like and do not like about pulling one of these barns down the road.

10 mpg, crosswind buffets, 250 mile days, 55 to 65 mph are the things you will notice more then the size of the campsites. You will learn about the abilities of your tow vehicle and a bit about what is the "right size" TT for you.

When your are done, you give it back and reflex on what you want and do not want in a TT. That is what we did.

Later we choose a 25 ft. TT with a bed you can exit without crawling over your spouse, a large bath, pantry and linen space, we gave up extra sleeping space because it is just the two of us. Our TT is small enough to wind through city streets to find shops etc. or pull into the back of a bank parking lot for a quick lunch.

The biggest drawback is also its greatest asset. It is so convenient you lose the feeling of camping. Of course this is not an issue if you do not like the sound of wind on canvas with critters scurrying around at night.

[Lwiddis]

Yes, some California state parks have short TT limits but the restrictions are online. Stop worrying.

[Ron3rd]

I've never had an issue with my truck in 14 years

[frisbeekev]

I always google earth the campground and site. You can gauge the length and width of sites. Its even better if there is a trailer and truck or motorhome are on there and you can see how much of the site it takes up.

[toedtoes]

Oh, and if you choose to park your tow vehicle in the campsite next to you they WILL charge you for that site.

Always look for a parking area to park your RV. You may find a parking area designated for tent campsites, so do not park in those unless directed by the camphost/ranger.

And do not park along the access road unless directed by the camphost/ranger as you may block other folks from being able to move in and out of the campground.

[toedtoes]

Most reservation systems will account for the tow vehicle when you enter "trailer" and the length of the trailer only.

Most of the federal forest campgrounds out here have a designated "overflow area". This area provides parking for your included vehicles (all campgrounds allow one vehicle per site, some allow a second at no extra charge) and/or for an "extra" vehicle (some campgrounds allow you to pay an extra fee to park one vehicle more than your included count).

The overflow parking may be right in the loop or it could be just inside or outside the campground.

If you arrive at a campground and the only site available will accommodate your trailer only, then I recommend talking nice to the camphost and being happy to park your tow vehicle in an overflow area. If you make a fuss, they can simply refuse to let you stay.

You should NOT have to book a double site to accommodate your trailer and tow vehicle. A double site is meant to accommodate 2 RVs (as in 2 trailers and 2 tow vehicles). A single site is meant to accommodate 1 RV.

[pasusan]

Down sides to being a TT Camper?

Not being able to pull off the road when you see something interesting along the way - like an attraction or a farmer's stand...

That's why we got our B, but we still use our trailer for longer trips.


As far as parking in a spot at a CG we've never had any problems with our trailer and truck. They usually have extra car parking - I suppose if your trailer takes up the whole spot you could park there.