Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-16-2016, 09:31 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Justice12t's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Western, NY
Posts: 438
Yellowstone Camping and Rig Length

Sorry if this is a repeat, I searched the site but was not able to find the threads I remember reading...

19ft Truck length and 32ft 10in trailer length

So we have reservations booked in late August early September for Fishing Bridge in a 35FT site...booked it online, will be tight but have read a lot about site sizes...and how they (YS) get a little crazy about it...

Now today I called the campground booking agency because my wife would like to stay somewhere with a little more room between sites and be able to have a fire... So I found Bridge Bay had some 40ft sites available...

The person on the phone refused to transfer my booking because I was over sized even thought I explained that I have talked to several people bigger than me that have camped in YS and even watched videos of rigs bigger than me camping in YS.

So do I just book the new site and hope everything is ok? Do I just stay somewhere else?

I know several of you have done this, so I am looking for some guidance and experience as to how to handle this situation. Thanks everyone!
__________________
2016 Prime Time Crusader 294RLT
2021 RAM 3500 Laramie Mega HO\CTD, CC, 4x4...ect

Days Camped in last 3 years - 79
Planned Days in 2021 - 50
Days Camped in 2021 - 0
Justice12t is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 09:45 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Justice12t's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Western, NY
Posts: 438
My rough measurement of total length is right around 45ish feet...
__________________
2016 Prime Time Crusader 294RLT
2021 RAM 3500 Laramie Mega HO\CTD, CC, 4x4...ect

Days Camped in last 3 years - 79
Planned Days in 2021 - 50
Days Camped in 2021 - 0
Justice12t is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 09:49 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Saint Louis
Posts: 1,458
i will let you know after June when we attempt this.. I have a 21 FBRS and a Crew CAB 2500 Ram booked in a 40ft site. The reservation agent said we must fit in 40 ft. Truck and trailer included. its gonna be tight...

Based on the reservation site and talking to an agent you will have issues. You will be 10 foot over. I would think that you may get away with an extra foot.. but you can eyeball 10 foot difference
__________________
2015 Ram 2500 4x4 6.4l with 2015 Sandpiper 25RLS
Wife, myself and 2 furry kids
Mountndream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 09:52 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
BandJCarm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Between Pickles Gap and Toad Suck, AR
Posts: 6,070
Why do they make such short camp sites? It's like the tiny lots on most subdivisions. Greed is all I can figure........

???
BandJCarm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 09:55 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Justice12t's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Western, NY
Posts: 438
Quote:
Originally Posted by BandJCarm View Post
Why do they make such short camp sites? It's like the tiny lots on most subdivisions. Greed is all I can figure........

???
I tried explaining that my setup is nothing special and just run of the mill length, but he stated that they are "really cracking down."

I think I am going to book the 40ft site, I am pretty sure that I am only about 5ft longer than that with the truck and trailer hooked together. If I have to I will just back the truck under the hitch every time we are there. I mean it is not like we will be there every minute of the day, we are there to explore...lol
__________________
2016 Prime Time Crusader 294RLT
2021 RAM 3500 Laramie Mega HO\CTD, CC, 4x4...ect

Days Camped in last 3 years - 79
Planned Days in 2021 - 50
Days Camped in 2021 - 0
Justice12t is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 09:55 AM   #6
Moderator Emeritus
 
acadianbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Posts: 3,365
The lack of sites for longer rigs is a problem at Yellowstone. And they are VERY adamant about not allowing "oversize" vehicle combinations for their sites.
__________________
https://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp297/acadianbob/IMG_2757.jpg
2021 F350 Lariat 7.3 4X4 w 4.30s, 2018 Wildcat 29RLX
2012 BMW G650GS, Demco Premiere Slider
1969 John Deere 1020, 1940 Ford 9N, 1948 Ford 8N
Jonsered 535, Can of WD-40, Duct Tape
Red Green coffee mugs
acadianbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 10:17 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Oakman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Jefferson County, MO
Posts: 5,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by BandJCarm View Post
Why do they make such short camp sites? It's like the tiny lots on most subdivisions. Greed is all I can figure........

???
It has more to do with when those sites were put in. Back then big trailers were 20 feet long with no sildeouts and pulled by a car, not a crewcab pickup.
__________________


Bob and Joyce
2013 CC Silverback 29RL
2010 Ford F250 XL Crew Cab 6.4 liter diesel
ATU Local 788
Oakman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 10:19 AM   #8
Moderator Emeritus
 
acadianbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Posts: 3,365
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oakman View Post
It has more to do with when those sites were put in. Back then big trailers were 20 feet long with no sildeouts and pulled by a car, not a crewcab pickup.
Yes, good point, the infrastructure there is quite old. Perhaps there are some alternatives just outside of the park?
__________________
https://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp297/acadianbob/IMG_2757.jpg
2021 F350 Lariat 7.3 4X4 w 4.30s, 2018 Wildcat 29RLX
2012 BMW G650GS, Demco Premiere Slider
1969 John Deere 1020, 1940 Ford 9N, 1948 Ford 8N
Jonsered 535, Can of WD-40, Duct Tape
Red Green coffee mugs
acadianbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 10:22 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Oakman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Jefferson County, MO
Posts: 5,449
From personal experience, I would stay with the site at Fishing Bridge and forget about the Bridge Bay campground. That's based on a bad experience at Bridge Bay. Also, remember that at Fishing Bridge you will have full hookups while the sites at Bridge Bay are basic, no hookups at all.
__________________


Bob and Joyce
2013 CC Silverback 29RL
2010 Ford F250 XL Crew Cab 6.4 liter diesel
ATU Local 788
Oakman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 10:27 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Oakman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Jefferson County, MO
Posts: 5,449
Here's one more thing for you to consider, if Yellowstone experiences a very dry year there's a good chance there will be a ban on campfires.
__________________


Bob and Joyce
2013 CC Silverback 29RL
2010 Ford F250 XL Crew Cab 6.4 liter diesel
ATU Local 788
Oakman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 10:38 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Justice12t's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Western, NY
Posts: 438
All very good points. We like the thought of full hook ups but will be fully solar by then with an inverter running our outlets. We like the fact of having a little more space between us the the other campers. If it is dry and there are no fires allowed then we will just have to deal with that. I have considered other CG but really would like to stay within the park. We will see what they tell me moving forward.
__________________
2016 Prime Time Crusader 294RLT
2021 RAM 3500 Laramie Mega HO\CTD, CC, 4x4...ect

Days Camped in last 3 years - 79
Planned Days in 2021 - 50
Days Camped in 2021 - 0
Justice12t is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 11:37 AM   #12
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 5
I always round up to the next highest number +5'.
akula1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 11:42 AM   #13
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: North Dakota
Posts: 25
I called just the other day, I have 24' TT (26' tongue to bumper), and a Ram Quad-cab with 6.5 bed (20' roughly bumper to bumper).

The agent said to book 35' sites, but call in and ask for double-wide so there is room to park the TVnext to the TT. He said all campgrounds offer limited double-wide spots, but you must call in to seek them. There is no on-line method to ensure you'll fit it when you arrive.
__________________


2500+ miles camping 2015:Black Hills, Sioux Falls, Lake Superior North Shore, MN State Parks

2003 Dodge Ram 1500 HEMI 5.7 / 3.92 - 2004 Coachmen Spirit of America 248TBG
davidx2000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 11:54 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Capt. Mike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Franklin County, MO
Posts: 2,652
We were at Fishing Bridge last fall with a 34' (total length) TT. We fit fine in the site, and with the trees and bushes between sites, didn't feel like we were on top of the next guy. My truck wouldn't fit next to the trailer, so I parked right across the road from the tongue of my unit...just pulled off the road on the shoulder. Camp hosts came by several times, but never told me to move the truck. My advice would be to stay with Fishing Bridge.
__________________
Mike and Yvonne
and Sophie, the little white dog
2017 Columbus 320RSC
2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD DRW 4X4 Duramax
“It's not how old you are, it's how you are old.”Jules Renard
"It's not the years...it's the mileage." - Indiana Jones
Capt. Mike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 12:19 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Medina, Ohio
Posts: 155
Avoid Bridge Bay

Quote:
Originally Posted by Justice12t View Post
Sorry if this is a repeat, I searched the site but was not able to find the threads I remember reading...

19ft Truck length and 32ft 10in trailer length

So we have reservations booked in late August early September for Fishing Bridge in a 35FT site...booked it online, will be tight but have read a lot about site sizes...and how they (YS) get a little crazy about it...

Now today I called the campground booking agency because my wife would like to stay somewhere with a little more room between sites and be able to have a fire... So I found Bridge Bay had some 40ft sites available...

The person on the phone refused to transfer my booking because I was over sized even thought I explained that I have talked to several people bigger than me that have camped in YS and even watched videos of rigs bigger than me camping in YS.

So do I just book the new site and hope everything is ok? Do I just stay somewhere else?

I know several of you have done this, so I am looking for some guidance and experience as to how to handle this situation. Thanks everyone!
We spent a week at Bridge Bay last summer. The place is very open and crowded, noise till 2 in the AM, A real zoo. And the camp host was pretty useless. They actually said that if there were complaints about late night noise to go the office pay phone and call 911. After many people complained about noise the ranger did throw out a rowdy group who partied until 4 AM two nights in a row. But back to the issue at hand. The sites are small. Our family had two sites so I had to park my truck in the other site and have a small SUV in my site with a 25 foot trailer. Parking your TV sideways is not much of an option either since the sites are not very wide. As noted the sites were built in the 50's and are not up to modern standards. Even the roads in the CG are really skinny so it was hard getting around with trailers and TV sticking out all over the place which is why they do need to crack down. Try other places like Canyon, etc. They are supposed to be better but are probably full already for the summer.

Sorry off topic but relevant. Another hint about YS. Get up early (6AM) and hit the road looking for wildlife, etc.. Take your breakfast with you and eat at an uncrowded natural wonder. Then return about 10:00 when everyone else is just hitting the road. Stay in camp for the day and relax, run your generator, etc. then go out again about 4:00 when everyone else is coming back complaining about sitting in traffic jams all day. 95% of visitors miss most of the good stuff just because of the crowds.
__________________
2015 Roo 23IKSS
2016 F150 SuperCrew 3.5 EcoBoost
Kanga99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 12:21 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
dmdomokos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Posts: 347
We are at Canyon Village in Yellowstone and are concerned with the same issue. 2014 Suburban and 32' TT. Our solution was to book an extra site for the Suburban. There are two TT going so both cars will be in the other site. If it's not an issue, we will give up the other site.
dmdomokos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 12:28 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Telstar's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: La Mirada, CA
Posts: 528
We always stay at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, check out their website. Located less than a mile from the west entrance and within walking distance to restaurants and shops.
__________________
Gary and Donna
2005 Cardinal 33TS-LX
Trail Air pin box
Center Point suspension
2018 Ram Laramie 3500 6'4" box 2WD
Demco AutoSlide 18k
Telstar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 12:51 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 110
We camped at Fishing Bridge in 2013 with 35' TT's - overall rigs were 55'. Tight side-to-side but adequate room overall. Excellent park I want to return to.
jrmartin67 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 01:18 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: NJ
Posts: 606
We have a 32 ft. fifth wheel towed with a long bed pickup and we camped at Fishing Bridge in 2014. The space we were assigned (sorry, I don't recall the number) was extremely challenging, and we've been in some very tight campsites before. I think it took 45 minutes to back into the site. The roadway was very narrow, the site itself was narrow, and the area across the road was heavily forested, right to the edge of the pavement. Clearances were literally inches when backing in. We would never go back to Fishing Bridge, which is listed as the most accommodating campground in the park for RVs. Other times at Yellowstone we've camped at Flagg Ranch, which is in the national forest just south of the park border and just north of Grand Teton National Park. Flagg Ranch is a private park and has been refurbished since we were there last, so I can't speak for it's current state. The sites were roomy and the full hookups worked okay. At the time, they only had 20 amp electrical service, but I believe that may have been upgraded. Also, when we were there last the facilities were a bit rustic, but quite adequate.
DrLewie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2016, 01:22 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Justice12t's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Western, NY
Posts: 438
Thanks for the info everyone. Always nice to hear from people that have been there and done that...Hoping that a 40ft site will be enough. I will have to wait until the CG actually open to speak with someone there, well that is what the guy I spoke too told me. Still looking into other options but would like to stay within the park if possible...but sometimes things just aren't possible...such a beautiful place that is should a headache to stay at...
__________________
2016 Prime Time Crusader 294RLT
2021 RAM 3500 Laramie Mega HO\CTD, CC, 4x4...ect

Days Camped in last 3 years - 79
Planned Days in 2021 - 50
Days Camped in 2021 - 0
Justice12t is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
camping

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:18 AM.