Possible upgrade

[NewL51212]

Hi All,
Thinking of upgrading to a bigger RV from a 35' to a 40-45' unit. For those who own bigger rigs my question is this. Have you ever had difficulties with finding campsites that will accommodate your rigs?
Thanks,

[jimspencer741]

Originally Posted by NewL51212

Hi All,
Thinking of upgrading to a bigger RV from a 35' to a 40-45' unit. For those who own bigger rigs my question is this. Have you ever had difficulties with finding campsites that will accommodate your rigs?
Thanks,

We started out with a 33' TT and moved to a 42.5' fifth wheel, no major issues running into campsite accommodations, most sites have x amount of big rig sites for those only and x amount of sites for smaller ones.

[DogFather]

A consideration: Our rig has a 252" wheelbase and, with care, can maneuver through supermarket parking lot aisles without detaching the toad - which is handy for a pit stop for grocs. I think with a longer WB (at least for me) that wouldn't be possible.

At CGs, most have at least some pull-thru sites, so any length should fit whatever you choose.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by DogFather

A consideration: Our rig has a 252" wheelbase and, with care, can maneuver through supermarket parking lot aisles without detaching the toad - which is handy for a pit stop for grocs. I think with a longer WB (at least for me) that wouldn't be possible.

At CGs, most have at least some pull-thru sites, so any length should fit whatever you choose.

Many state parks have not been upgraded in the last half-century as cars, trucks, and trailers have gotten longer. I've seen mention in this forum of 35' limits in some parks. Choose your stops carefully.

[NewL51212]

Thank you all for the comments, a lot to consider.

[Sunseeker16]

I have a friend that had a 40 plus foot toy hauler. His complaint was he was not able to get into some of the better sites at most of the campgrounds he visited. He wasn't happy with pull throughs so he downsized and said it was the best thing he ever did. Not only restrictions at the campgrounds, just general maneuvering was a pain. I guess it just depends on your preferences once you get somewhere.

[tomkatb]

Somewhere there is a listing of parks with longer sites and percentages.

I remember that our 37’ fiver will fit in over 40% of parks.

As I remember only 5% of parks have 43’ spaces.

The longer the rig the harder to fit in.

[DogFather]

Just to complicate matters...

We spend a lot of time in seaside Oregon state parks (highly recommended) as we work our way south in the fall. Booking online generally shows a length for each site. We've found that, in many cases, the length seems to be from the wheelstop to the loop road. We've easily used sites advertised as shorter than our rig by letting the rear overhang extend beyond the wheelstop when there's no obtruction beyond. No way to tell beforehand, but satellite views often give us the info we need to determine if we'll fit.

When we stay at a park repeatedly, we'll scout for the sites that will work for us for future planning - regardless of advertised "length."

[glen1971]

Ours is 34' from hitch to bumper and we've made a list for the campgrounds in our area and which sites we can fit in, and ones we can't. It is handy to have when booking online. We've had a couple of sites over the years that should be nicknamed "the divorce" site, cuz there was more obstacles than shown.

[anaviator]

We have a Berkshire 45A (just shy of 45' long) and tow a Jeep Gladiator. Ohio has been steadily upgrading the state parks over the last 10 years or so, and many can now handle the larger rigs. We spend a lot of time in the summer at state parks all around Ohio and, while there are still a couple that can't handle a rig our size, we usually don't have a problem.

The key is to pay close attention to the site details when making a reservation - Ohio's park reservation system shows pad length along with total site length and width. Most also have pictures so you can look for any low hanging trees or other obstacles. Google Maps is also a huge help to determine how difficult it'll be to maneuver within the park in general.

Good luck with your search!

[Flybob]

I think this depends a lot on where you plan to camp. Most newer and larger campgrounds should easily accommodate the larger unit, Many older and more remote ( especially state ) campgrounds may present a problem with site size, power and even simple maneuvering.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Flybob

I think this depends a lot on where you plan to camp. Most newer and larger campgrounds should easily accommodate the larger unit, Many older and more remote ( especially state ) campgrounds may present a problem with site size, power and even simple maneuvering.

X2

Opinions on this subject will range all over just because of where folks like to camp.

There are lots and lots of newer R/V parks here in the Eastern US that will accommodate BIG rigs and more building out every year. Large pull through lots and huge sites with full patios and fire pits are becoming the thing.

State/Federal parks are behind the curve updating their campgrounds to be big(er) rig friendly although PA has made some modifications to their campgrounds recently.

We have gone from pop-ups to now an almost 40' 5th wheel and have never had an issue going where we wanted to go. We may now not get what we once thought was the perfect little corner site, tucked back in the woods but there has always been plenty of other places to park our rigs as they grew.

[jd4010]

The answer is yes....we have experienced issues with some parks and fitting our rig. As noted, there are many newer campgrounds that not only provide longer and wider sites, but also have the roads that can handle the length of the RV and the tow vehicle.

We've learned since getting our new/larger rig what parks work well and those that don't. We are HUGE Disney Fort Wilderness fans but invariably we wind up asking for a new site lots of times because their roads are too narrow to provide swing space for our RV and 24' tow vehicle. Sadly Disney has not kept up with the times in regards to accommodating larger vehicles. Another campground in Boone NC we found ourselves having to wait for other campers to leave in order to pull out (they are off the list).

That said....we find ourselves with a narrowed list if places we can/will go. I do not like being stressed trying to get in nor get out. And I'll pay the extra coins for less stress!

[KMP44]

Originally Posted by DogFather

We've found that, in many cases, the length seems to be from the wheelstop to the loop road. We've easily used sites advertised as shorter than our rig by letting the rear overhang extend beyond the wheelstop when there's no obtruction beyond. No way to tell beforehand, but satellite views often give us the info we need to determine if we'll fit.

When we stay at a park repeatedly, we'll scout for the sites that will work for us for future planning - regardless of advertised "length."

^^^^THIS^^^^

Depends on where you camp, but for 40'+ its more work to find sites. Sometimes you'll find a listing for a 40' site and there will be trees or other obstructions that make it impossible to get into and other times you find 30 foot sites that easy to get into and more than big enough.

Unless you book a true "big-rig friendly" site, you probably need to scout it out in advance - at least that's been our experience, especially with older parks and state parks we like to go to. And book early in those places, because they may only have a handful of sites that are big enough.

[NewL51212]

Thank you all for taking the time to post a response. It has given me a lot to think about and whether an extra 5' is worth the hassle.
Thanks again,
Bill

[Eric B FR Diesel]

I think the big thing is to consider how to do plan to travel in it? Are you looking to head south for the winter? Are you looking to go out west? Are you trying to stay at the national parks or state parks, or would you rather stay at the rv resort?

[Reverse_snowbird]

We were in a private campground in New York State and our neighbor was complaining bitterly.
It seems he kept upgrading his rig til he could no longer fit in the NYS park that he loved.

Some national parks have a 30' limit.

[moose074]

We owned a 42’ we fit in 85-90% of every were we wanted dropped to a 36’ gained a few places but not a ton now have a I think 38’ fits in our normal close to home places. Had it two weeks but still sure 85-90% of places we will go we can find a spot

[NewL51212]

Once again, thanks all for the comments, I was looking for a DP with a bath &1/2 and most are 40' or greater for travel to the west coast. We are both retired and are starting to use the rig we currently have (35' gasser) more each year. Certainly not full timers but gone between 3-4 months per year. We normally do not stay in state or national parks but usually keep to RV parks. Appreciate all the responses.
Bill

[Eric B FR Diesel]

I would check out the Berkshire 34B for the shortest, its not a bath and a half but is the most popular west floorplan, you could also look at the 39A which is a bath and a half model that is under 40 feet. in the XL's we build one floorplan under 40ft, it is a 37A. a lot of people like the bathroom set up the 37A even though its not a bath and a half. They like the jack and Jill set up with the dual sinks, large shower, and great toilet placement. IF you are planning to stay in RV Parks, and not state or national parks you should be fine for most with any of these lengths.