Community Forums

PeterFTH · 01-30-2022, 02:39 PM

I have a 40' DP and the only times I've been turned away for length were in older mostly state campgrounds that were built before big rigs existed. As they modernize and rebuild they will all accept larger rigs. I cannot think of a single Florida campground that has length limits under 40' ... although some should - it was a tight squeeze in Hanna Park here in Jacksonville, FL. But no I think you will have plenty of options in a 40' rig but especially in these times you HAVE TO BOOK EARLY.

belfast1949 · 01-30-2022, 02:43 PM

We travelled the first few years with a 26' Class A and obviously had no problems. The only park we might have had an issue in was Bridges NP in Utah. We grabbed the last site and we were at the max ...almost hanging out into the roadway. We moved up to a 30' and still no issues. The only issues were the larger you are the more limited selection of sites available to you. Not an issue if you book ahead but as we prefer to freelance and wander being shorter certainly has advantages.

HMCSW · 01-30-2022, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAM3014

We are considering moving to a larger Class A RV. However, we have been told that most state and national parks (which we love to frequent) have very few, if any, spaces to accommodate RVs over 35ft.

I am hoping someone will be able to shed some light on this subject. We plan on moving up to as much as 38ft.

I appreciate any input. Thank you very much.

BAM

We were getting ready to buy a 37-40 Thor. Our sales rep talked us out to that and we got an Aria 3401. Glad we did. We live in the Pacific NW and something g larger would have been tough in many of our parks. As our rep said “ if we lived in Az or other open areas a 40 would be great. With our tree cover even with our 35 we have to prune some branches to make room. Good luck with decision.

mtflybox · 01-30-2022, 02:50 PM

We moved from a '43 to '33 Newaire because of the flexibility it provides. We don't travel full time, and the point is get the best spots, the best views and have flexibility.

Also keep in mind the wheel base, and the associated bottom clearance differences as well as ability to get level. Had a pretty costly repair trying to get my larger rig over the kind of humps you routinely see in state parks at least on the east coast, and had to use blocks all the time. No more.

No regrets staying small. The whole point is to be outside, at least for us.

So it really depends on how and where you will use it.

Mr Taxpayer · 01-30-2022, 03:04 PM

State and National parks limit to 2 weeks. If your over 35’ there is limited availability.

RSiemer · 01-30-2022, 03:05 PM

If you want an idea for CA, see https://www.parks.ca.gov/RVlength Here's an article which covers a number of the popular parks: https://www.rvingknowhow.com/nationa...-length-limit/

As has been pointed out, there will be more small spaces than long ones.

If you want amenities, you may want to look at the 2022 Tiffin 31'.

ldfeat · 01-30-2022, 03:42 PM

Well, I think a lot of that is exaggerated bit. We had a 36 footer and never had a problem using state or federal parks. Many would say nothing over 30-35 feet or so. When we were asked the size of out RV, we fibed a little bit and told them we had a shorter RV to fit the size of their largest lots they had. We never had a problem with space to fit our RV and even noticed some 40 footers in some of those parks. I don't think they cared a whole lot what size our RV was as long as we were happy. We even asked if they had a bigger spot once because it was too small and luckily they had one. But overall, those state and federal campgrounds had no problem with our 36' motorhome. Happy trails. Larry 2014 Reyo P.

drpaul78 · 01-30-2022, 03:47 PM

Never had a problem with our 45’ getting a place close to or in the parks we wanted going both across the U.S. and Canada coast to coast. Get what you like and work around it!!!!

Lakeman1 · 01-30-2022, 03:57 PM

If they ask just tell them 35 feet. We have a 38' Pace Arrow and have never had a problem. We stay almost exclusively at state parks and have never had a problem.

freestyle_freddy · 01-30-2022, 04:44 PM

We've been fulltime for 12 years & have visited many of the National Parks. The longer your rv is, the harder it is to find space in the parks. We started out looking at 38 ft 5th wheels, but after considering this question myself, we decided to go with a 34 ft 5th wheel. We feel it was the perfect choice. Even with that length, we've had some close calls in trying to get into a few NPs, & older private campgrounds. Based on our 12 years of experience, I would highly recommend you stay below 35 ft for less stress & hassle.

Ranger John · 01-30-2022, 04:54 PM

We have a 31 ft Class A and stay at many National Park campgrounds. I don’t think you can stay at these same campgrounds with a 38 ft rig. And there are distinct advantages being inside the Park especially since many are going to a controlled entry system. If you are in their campground, you are in the Park.

jconsidine · 01-30-2022, 05:10 PM

There are indeed some older parks that have much smaller sites, some 25’ and even less. There are also many, many larger sites in National and State parks. Login to Recreation.gov and Reserve America, plug-in your length and check the parks you think you may want to visit. Booking early will also help as they may have many sites but only a few that fit your rig

frexd4 · 01-30-2022, 05:29 PM

one thing we have found with our 43' Tiffin is to request a pull-through site. Those seem to be plenty long enough to accommodate. As devious as it may seem we have fudged sometimes on RV length and said 40' So far never had a problem. On the other hand it is extremely aggravating when a CG says they can accommodate your 43' and on arrival you find they can't. We've been to several that were extremely tight and only experienced drivers would be able to negotiate.

Steve Rankin · 01-30-2022, 05:58 PM

Yes, there are state & national parks that have sites large enough for a 40' MH.

We've also experienced parks that said the max was 25'. I thought how hard could it be with the 29' we had then? Turned out it was impossible.

The bottom line is that the larger the RV, the more places it is NOT going to fit, and the more places that only some sites will be large enough, and the more often you will find them already taken.