Community Forums

Fla2RI · 10-24-2008, 04:16 AM

We're considering a rather large fifth wheel and going cross country. I'm worried that a 37' fifth wheel may limit our campground selection, especially among state parks. Is this a valid issue? Should I look for a small rig?

Fla2RI · 10-24-2008, 04:16 AM

We're considering a rather large fifth wheel and going cross country. I'm worried that a 37' fifth wheel may limit our campground selection, especially among state parks. Is this a valid issue? Should I look for a small rig?

Hitchhiker · 10-24-2008, 05:31 AM

Mine is 37' 6" long and I get into just about any place I want to go. We've had it in State Parks, Corps of Engineer campgrounds, US Forest Service campgrounds and numerous private campgrounds. Granted, there are usually a few sites in any of these facilities that we have to pass on but so far I've not had to abort staying at any.

Occasionally, maneuvering will be required to get in or out, especially when there are obstructions such as trees, posts, power poles, etc. I'm not too proud to have to pull forward several times, see-sawing the rig into a tight fit. It's all about how bad you want to tow a large rig and how much effort you're willing to expend using it.

450Donn · 10-24-2008, 06:32 AM

Will you be limited? Yes, most definitely you will to the extent of your driving and backing abilities. If you are not comfortable driving and backing over fifty feet of combined rig, then get smaller. I have found my three slides more of a hindurance than my length, 35-1/2 feet. But that is just me. You will find that the larger your trailer the less available spaces you will have to choose from in older parks of all flavors. So if this is a concern, stick with something under 30 feet and you will be rewarded with way more choices.

LindaH · 10-24-2008, 11:01 AM

Yes, it will be a concern in some parks. Even with our 32' fifth wheel, we are limited in where we can go. Even if some place like a USFS campground has a *space* long enough for you to fit into, manuvering within the campground can often be a problem...narrow roads, tight turns, overhanding trees.

Steve Rankin · 10-26-2008, 02:09 PM

A 37' 5ver is about the same length over all as a 32' TT. Having pulled a 32' TT all over the country I'll say that the length was only sometimes a problem. Width due to slide design was much larger problem (2 large slides going all the way to the bottom of the TT).

The sites at state parks and such tend to be on the smaller side, so if that's what you want to do, then you either need to accept that you will have difficulties ranging from not getting the site you'd prefer to having a variable degrees of difficulty getting in/out of the site to sometimes not getting a site at all. Only you can decide what your priorities are (the sites you prefer or the comfort of the larger 5ver) just as only you can say what your abilities are to maneuver into a tight site while not damaging the coach or the marriage.

As I said, we used to have a 32' TT (35+ overall) and went to a 37' DP. We went back to a 29' TT (30' overall) and we love it and the only thing we miss is the washer/dryer.