Too big a camper

[asquared]

We went from a 30' TT to a 40' fiver. The TT never had an issue finding a spot or getting in and out of at state parks etc. The fiver has been more limiting than the TT. There are many CG's I have seen that have a max of 40' and those are often tighter getting around as well. I took my fiver to Kerr Lake once. There were sites that were plenty big, the problem was the road around the park was awfully tight for a rig of our size. Honestly, I would not mind being a couple feet shorter but DH prefers the length (I drive it not him).

I do think the 35' in a tt would be doable but remember backing in tight spots will be much more difficult for you. And yes, longer trailer does mean sacrificing some of the nicer sites you like but you would likely have the same sacrifice at 28-30'.

[Johntgif]

I have a 36.5 ft TT (FR 321BHTS Surveyor) and the only time I had a minor concern was during spotting the camper, my TV was slightly out in the edge of the road but as soon as I dropped the camper and moved the truck to the side, no problems.

The more room inside, the happier "Mama" will be. Married almost 50 years and plan to stay that way.

[Evereddie]

Might need a trip to a really big RV show. Is the show in Hershey's laid out by dealers or by manufacturers?

[Evereddie]

Originally Posted by asquared

We went from a 30' TT to a 40' fiver. The TT never had an issue finding a spot or getting in and out of at state parks etc. The fiver has been more limiting than the TT. There are many CG's I have seen that have a max of 40' and those are often tighter getting around as well. I took my fiver to Kerr Lake once. There were sites that were plenty big, the problem was the road around the park was awfully tight for a rig of our size. Honestly, I would not mind being a couple feet shorter but DH prefers the length (I drive it not him).

I do think the 35' in a tt would be doable but remember backing in tight spots will be much more difficult for you. And yes, longer trailer does mean sacrificing some of the nicer sites you like but you would likely have the same sacrifice at 28-30'.

I read somewhere on this forum that a longer TT can actually be a little easier while backing. Any truth to this?

[SailorSam20500]

I'm really happy with the length on my Flagstaff 26FKWS. Has fit in every State Park, COE campground we have been to. With hitch, I'm just under 30'. Other than that, I agree with what everyone else is saying - too long is dependent on you. In my case over 30' was too long for my DW...

[JohnD10]

I started out with a 26ft TT, then a 28ft TT, and now a 34ft 5'ver.

Funny thing is the bigger they get, the less people they sleep!

But they have a lot more creature comforts!

I recently became single again and just went full-time two months ago.

Between me and my four Mainecoone cats, we've got plenty of room!

I've had this 5'ver three years next month and so far haven't had an issue finding a spot.

But I don't do a lot of forest parks anymore.

[rmac04401]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

Might need a trip to a really big RV show. Is the show in Hershey's laid out by dealers or by manufacturers?

Laid out by manufacturer/brand for the most part then within that section a particular dealer will have theirs together

https://www.prvca.org/

https://www.prvca.org/upload/2017_sh...oming_Soon.pdf

2017 map layout above

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

I read somewhere on this forum that a longer TT can actually be a little easier while backing. Any truth to this?

Yes. Trailer's with longer wheelbases don't react to turns of the steering wheel as quickly as shorter ones do. This gives a greater amount of control while backing up. Short trailers will jackknife on you really quick if you aren't super careful.

[MilCop4523]

WE STEPPED UP FROM A 27 FOOT TO A 34 FOOT... BACK TO A 27 FOOT AND TRADED IT WITHIN 8 MONTHS TO A 38 FOOT 5TH WHEEL. space is a huge factor for some like us. I don't want or need to be tripping over little people trying to make meals or use the bathroom.
never had an issue with any campground lots hauling the 34 and the 38 foot 5th wheels.

[Evereddie]

Such great response, thank you everybody. We are going to really get this right and hoping to make it to the big show in PA.

[rmac04401]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

Such great response, thank you everybody. We are going to really get this right and hoping to make it to the big show in PA.

Just to let you know that if you are specifically looking for toyhauler and a certain model they may not have them displayed at the shows. I went to two RV shows this spring and they did not have the smaller Toy hauler we were looking at. I scoured the internet and found a dealer 2 1/2 hours away that had the two I had narrowed down to and was able to get in them to see which I liked better.

Tried to get competitive prices from locals, then they were so far off on price I went with RV Wholesalers.

Both times I was in market for toy haulers the shows did not have any of the model I was interested in. You could get lucky.

My grey wolf no one had local so we drove to Ohio for the weekend to view the models we were interested in.

Hershey is a big show but they don’t have every model.

Last year we went to Hershey and wanted to see the KZ toyhauler model. It was not there.

Good luck in your search.

[PSUFan1]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

Such great response, thank you everybody. We are going to really get this right and hoping to make it to the big show in PA.

Unless you know exactly what you are looking for at the show you may need two days to see the whole thing. It’s HUGE. And if your comparing two units which we were two years ago it can be a long walk. Good luck.

[pgandw]

From a different point of view:

When I was a boat owner, I noticed that the big boats in the marinas often (not always) never seemed to leave their slips. I noticed that the smaller boats got used a lot more often.

Trailerable sailboats seemed to have similar trade-offs. If they were big enough to live on more than overnight, they were a pain to launch and rig. If they were easy to launch and rig, the accommodations were sparse at best. The smaller boats were limited in what they could do, where they could be used, but their ease of use made them great for day sailing.

Same has applied to us as we moved into camping. Since I'm still a working stiff, we are limited to long weekends and perhaps 2 longer (usually only one) trips a year. On a one or two night trip, quick setup and tear down is of the essence to make the trip fun. So is garage storage so we can leave on an hour or two's notice.

We started with a 12ft box pop-up, and found the extended length to be a problem for getting into tight but very desirable spots in some state parks. And we never used the toilet or shower inside the PUP, and seldom cooked inside. Setup and teardown was a lot of work for an overnight stay.

This time around we "down-sized" to an A-frame. Same 12ft box, but no extensions to hamper maneuverability. Setup and teardown is incredibly simple. Not a lot of space inside, so we tend to live outside and sleep inside - which is our camping style. Overnight trips based on weather are very practical, ideal is 2 nights in the same place.

But again, it all depends on how you want to camp.

just our thoughts and experiences
Fred W
2014 Rockwood A122 A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[babock]

My parents started out with a tent trailer, went to a 24 foot airstream and then to a 30 foot 5th wheel. After having that for a few years and wanting to go back to Alaska, they went down to a Lance slide in camper. Spent 3 months traveling in it at a time.

[moose074]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

I read somewhere on this forum that a longer TT can actually be a little easier while backing. Any truth to this?

There is some truth to shorter trl in general being more difficult to back because the cut fast and can be hard to bring back but after so many feet you start have an issue with room to back not a good ideal to jack knife TT like a can a 5w

[Velosprout]

Only you can decide what size is best for you. We camped for 9 days with 4 adults in an 8-foot popup and now take 4 adults and two grandchildren in a 21’ hybrid. If I was buying again I would stay with a 21 or 23’ hybrid. For me, it is about “getting away from it all” instead of “taking it all with us.”

[Paul and Debbie]

We started camping for 10 years with a big (24’ when open) Starcraft tent trailer which was tight with 4 kids but was awesome beach camping at our favorite location Carpinteria State Park in So. Cal. I could choose any site no problem. Then I switched to the biggest Lance camper mounted on a long bed truck (by now we had 6 kids and they begged to bring friends). Loved that Lance ! But most kids slept in tents or in the truck cab. Did that for 15 years. Now not only did we have unlimited access to any and all sites but we could bring the boat with us.
Once the youngest headed off to college DW and I bought a fantastic Crusader 325RES Touring Pkg 5th wheel. Holy mackerel!! Talk about space and luxury. But we had to say good bye too our beloved beach sites and many other sites that we had memorized because of so many repeat reservations.
The greatest thing now is what a magnet the Crusader 325RES is for our kids with their spouses and our grandchildren regardless of rain or heat.
The ‘too big’ trailer may not fit into our old sites but is packed to the brim with love, laughter, food, babies and diapers and life jackets (we double tow our boat), and a new generation of campers under our feet. I wouldn’t want the Crusader 1” longer or 1” shorter.

[CaptnJohn]

This was our 3rd camper, bought new in 1980. Our 2 daughters still have happy memories of the 24,000 miles we traveled in it. It was all of a 28' box. Now the girls are grown and we take a small dog along in a 43' 5er. He loves to go as much as the girls did.

[asquared]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

I read somewhere on this forum that a longer TT can actually be a little easier while backing. Any truth to this?

yes a longer trailer backs easier but you also need more room sometimes to swing your rig in. For example a tight campground with a narrow road and TV's overhanging into the road will be very challenging... been there done that with both my old 30' tt and my current 40' fiver.


Another consideration is gas stations and on the road stops can be more challenging with a larger rig as you have to really plan your entrance and exit when you stop. With planning and surveying an area before going in, you are fine but don't think you can squeeze into a fast food parking lot any more. Now you will be parking back with the trucks at rest stops and truck stops. Keep an eye out for gas stations that are parallel to the building instead of perpendicular as it will be easier to get in and out.

All things said, I still love the room my large fiver provides inside. I think we all want a rig that is 15 ft long when towing and 45 feet long once parked. Where you want to compromise is a personal choice.... do you want the creature comforts and space a larger rig provides or do you want less of a hassle towing and the ability to get those smaller sweet camping spots? Camping is not a one size fits all hobby. Enjoy figuring out what fits you best.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by asquared

yes a longer trailer backs easier but you also need more room sometimes to swing your rig in. For example a tight campground with a narrow road and TV's overhanging into the road will be very challenging... been there done that with both my old 30' tt and my current 40' fiver.


Another consideration is gas stations and on the road stops can be more challenging with a larger rig as you have to really plan your entrance and exit when you stop. With planning and surveying an area before going in, you are fine but don't think you can squeeze into a fast food parking lot any more. Now you will be parking back with the trucks at rest stops and truck stops. Keep an eye out for gas stations that are parallel to the building instead of perpendicular as it will be easier to get in and out.

BIG 5ers require a diesel truck to pull comfortably. Fueling is easier than pulling a small rig with a gasser. Just use the truck lanes with the semis when the 5er is hitched. Never worry about getting stuck at the pumps again. Pilot, Flying J, Loves, Travel Centers of America, Petro, and many more. Gassers can get lucky at Flying J RV lanes or fight the guy in the Prius that put 4 gallon of gas in, left the car for 25 minutes in front of you for the rest room and a stale donut at the local station. Truck stops have parking available if you want to spend that 25 minutes or even spend the night.