Are 5th wheels limited to rv parks?

smarks1632 · 02-16-2015, 05:14 AM

I'm in love with 5th wheels but I'm trying to find out if there are many places to dry camp or boondock. I'd like to avoid rv parks where it's rv after rv with not much privacy. I like truck slide in' s but can't see full timing in one.

spock123 · 02-16-2015, 08:31 AM

Check out state parks. Try to keep the camper around 35ft or try to pull it with a 3/4 ton truck with a standard bed. I plan to dry camp a lot with the new 32RL we just got. It has a 18cf frig and 4 6 volt batteries and I plan to put in another bank of batteries, I already have a 3000 watt inverter plus a 40amp charger, all hard wired. I have 2 Honda's 2000i that I hook together. There's always Walmart, rest area's, and a ton of state parks, all you have to do is look. I like to dry camp. I love backpacking but DW hates it but she will go anywhere in the fifth wheel.

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SilverbackMel · 02-16-2015, 08:39 AM

Corps of Engineer sites are an alternative. I never dry camp. I would prefer the peace of mind of like minded neighbors vs nut bags knocking on my door at 2am. Many so called dry camp areas restrict guns. So, if you are forced to defend yourself, you are in a pickle right from the git go. Just my opinion.

spock123 · 02-16-2015, 08:54 AM

Yea you have to look for the places, some towns have places to stop at. I live in NC and in Raleigh where the state fair is held they have a lot of spots but you need to keep the Cedar Creek on the small side if you can, sometimes a 36CKTS will limit the spots, the 36 is close to 40ft long

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SKnight · 02-16-2015, 09:07 AM

I've not had issue getting my 5er into sites off the beaten path. Biggest issue for me is overall height, but even that's not been much of an obstacle.

jtstromsburg · 02-16-2015, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKnight

I've not had issue getting my 5er into sites off the beaten path. Biggest issue for me is overall height, but even that's not been much of an obstacle.

This is true for me as well. My saber was 39' long and 13'-6" tall at the front AC. We don't boondock, but never had any trouble finding a spot we liked at any state parks in Nebraska or Kansas we've been to.

goduc · 02-16-2015, 10:52 AM

We camp all over the place in our 5th, It's shorter @28' but we are looking to replace it with something with 3 slides and around 33-35'. You really have to get out and test campgrounds to see what you like. Some St parks in Oregon are on the short side and some are easily big enough for 35-37' 5ers. If I were you I would take a day or two and drive around your state or several states and checkout CG's to see what would suit you. There's CG's with room for any size RV and then there's so that you won't fit. We have some that we can't get into with our 28' 5er.

litgrep · 02-16-2015, 03:25 PM

Never had a problem in 22 years of pulling a 5th wheel. Both mine have been under 35 feet but pulled with a crew cab longbed. Haven't boondocked in the current 5er. Would have to add some battery and probably an generator.

Go for it!!

muddyrode · 02-17-2015, 07:25 AM

we have never had any problems we do a lot of county parks here in iowa some offer more remote sites than other there are a lot of back road county parks off of the smaller rivers here in iowa and it's amazing with a little pratice the spots you can get into
happy camping

leland1950 · 02-17-2015, 08:02 AM

"Dry Camping" is what the race tracks call it and that's what we do with a 31' fiver and a CC dually. Never a problem, a little blocking needed at times, but went to 9 different tracks in 11 days (PA Speedweeks} and NEVER un hooked last summer. Just luck I guess. If there's 100 there it will look like an RV show. Just do it.

camper1999 · 02-17-2015, 08:25 AM

Like someone else said keep your FW to around 35' and your truck to a short bed even if you choose a crew cab like I have. We stay in state parks more then we stay in private campgrounds. You do have to be aware of lower trees and get good at backing between trees. But other then that it works.

nikita · 02-17-2015, 09:04 AM

Forget National Parks. Two years ago we camped in Arcadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. We had a 35 ft Sabre, height 12'6" - they told us on the phone and at registration that we would fit in the site they gave us. When we got there my husband said, "you have a choice, it's either the slideout or the awning, can't have both!" Of course it was slideout. Because of the way he had to level it, the overhang was so high up we could sit underneath it. One morning we actually saw a large MH going down the road who "shaved" his awning right off the MH!! The trees were right on the edge of the road, of course NP are "tree hugger" people and they will not cut them down!! So that's my 2 cents, ha ha!

DreiHunde · 02-17-2015, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikita

Forget National Parks. Two years ago we camped in Arcadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. We had a 35 ft Sabre, height 12'6" - they told us on the phone and at registration that we would fit in the site they gave us. When we got there my husband said, "you have a choice, it's either the slideout or the awning, can't have both!" Of course it was slideout. Because of the way he had to level it, the overhang was so high up we could sit underneath it. One morning we actually saw a large MH going down the road who "shaved" his awning right off the MH!! The trees were right on the edge of the road, of course NP are "tree hugger" people and they will not cut them down!! So that's my 2 cents, ha ha!

Thanks for the info!
But I wouldn't rule out ALL National Parks because of one bad experience. Some have huge sites and not all have an abundance of trees!
I think no matter what type of RV we own it is prudent to research the campground as much as possible!

spock123 · 02-17-2015, 10:31 AM

I like National Parks, DW doesn't like campfires but other than that we love it. The military has a lot of RV campgrounds and the ones I have been too the sites are not close, the catch is you have to be retired or active but if you know someone they can get you a spot. The county I live in has a campground and rv's can get in and it has hookups. If you ever go to Niagara Falls check out Four Mile Creek campground, great campground

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merrykalia · 02-17-2015, 10:41 AM

We live in Virginia and have camped all over the eastern US with no problem fitting our 35' fifth wheel. We don't really do any boondocking, but mostly state and local parks and even some resorts in prime locations. The only problem we have ever had was if we needed reservations at prime locations, many times, the longer sites were already reserved.

guerhi · 02-17-2015, 02:02 PM

We live in New Mexico and 90% of our camping is dry. We love going up into the mountains and enjoy the peace and quit. Most of the RV campsites here are small and and cramped. We have the 32RL and just love every minute of it.

rana · 02-17-2015, 03:12 PM

It really does depend on the types of places you want to get yourself into. I started with a class A, then moved down to a 35' 5'r, and downsized again a few years back to a 25' TT.

For me, it was all about height, weight, and length. A lot of places I like to get in to the roads just aren't built to handle those heavy rigs, negotiating corners can be a little tough, trees are often too low to get a 5'r too far in, and it's not uncommon to suddenly find yourself on a dead end landing. It's just too darn rough trying to get a 35' rig turned around. With my TT I have a tundra tire that mounts to the A frame so worst case, I can unhook, strap it on and use a winch to pretty much turn my rig around on a dime (relatively speaking).

That being said, there are a ton of great locations you CAN get into without too much trouble, but if you like the unbeaten track, a 5'r probably wouldn't be my first choice.

spock123 · 02-17-2015, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yarome

It really does depend on the types of places you want to get yourself into. I started with a class A, then moved down to a 35' 5'r, and downsized again a few years back to a 25' TT.

For me, it was all about height, weight, and length. A lot of places I like to get in to the roads just aren't built to handle those heavy rigs, negotiating corners can be a little tough, trees are often too low to get a 5'r too far in, and it's not uncommon to suddenly find yourself on a dead end landing. It's just too darn rough trying to get a 35' rig turned around. With my TT I have a tundra tire that mounts to the A frame so worst case, I can unhook, strap it on and use a winch to pretty much turn my rig around on a dime (relatively speaking).

That being said, there are a ton of great locations you CAN get into without too much trouble, but if you like the unbeaten track, a 5'r probably wouldn't be my first choice.

You are right about that, DW and I like the Blue Ridge Parkway but we can't pull the C/C down it, you can you just have to dodge the tunnels. You just have to make choices. I like the C/C 32RL, it's also a lot more easy to get in Cracker Barrels

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**dcheatwood** · 02-17-2015, 04:47 PM

I'm only limited by height, width, length and where my truck can pull my fiver. The smaller it is (TT or 5er) the more secluded you can camp.

spock123 · 02-17-2015, 05:33 PM

Yes there is a campground in Surf City, NC that has a spot that looks out over the sound that is great, DW and I always ask for it and if it's not available we go somewhere else but you have to be 35ft or less and it has no sewer.

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