As my wife and I start early research for getting a 5th wheel, a common comment we hear from some folks with fivers is that a 35 foot 5th wheel is about as big as some campgrounds will accept. We plan on driving the country, and while there are some desirable features in some 40' and 41' models, we don't want our choice to restrict the campgrounds that we can use.

Of course a longer model is harder to maneuver into tighter spots, but I was interested in knowing what some of you have experienced. Would we be wise to keep our length to less than 36'?

 

The shorter you are, the more spaces you will find available. It really depends on where you want to camp. Even 35 can really limit your choices and the number of available spaces.

Steve

 

For us, 36 feet is the absolute maximum based on what we have seen in our travels around the country multiple times. We are looking at the Montana High Country 313RE which gives us just about everything a bigger model has, in a smaller frame.

Glacier Peak 5th wheels are very nice in regards to size and tank capacities, but the living space is limited.

 

Yeah, I think the term "best" is misleading as it has to be best for each individual. If the most important issue is ease of finding available campsites, there is no debate smaller is better as it will fit in more spaces. But, and that is a big "but", small size does not work for everyone and it doesn't make sense to buy something based on a single factor. I can easily tell someone why we have the size we have, but that is as far as I can go.

When you are just starting out, figuring out what will work best for you is a real challenge. After you buy several RVs, the list of essentials becomes much clearer, at least until the "next last RV" comes along.

Steve

 

State campgrounds in Ca. have a 30' limit. Most privates don't but I've been put into some pretty tight spaces. Thought I was going to tear my equipment up with the articulation needed to get in one spot. Getting out was no problem it was getting in. Whole different set of angles needed.

 

Man, have we been there. We were in one campground where we would have had to drop our fiver in with a helicopter! I think the space issue is getting worse all the time. Right now RV sales at the highest they have been since the 1977 banner year. It takes me two weeks to get air conditioners and three to get awnings. Not sure where all these campers are supposed to go.

For some of our favorite state parks we already have reservations for next May!

Steve

 

I've already got my reservations in for 2017 where I go in the Sierras and couldn't get the spots that I prefer.

 

I am not sure what the answer is here. We are beach campers and I just checked yesterday and could not get a space in the campground we want until the middle of October and the prices are getting nose bleed high. We found we could stay in a Disney property for less money than it would cost us to stay in the campground!

We booked our winter months last January. Is it supposed to be like this?

Steve

 

I realize titling this thread with "best" was misleading and not exactly in sync with my question, but I wanted the title to grab some interest.

For over a year we've had fun batting around different floor plans and different mfrs. Floor plan, quality, and post-purchase support are important, but the point of this thread is to bring out the real experiences people have had with length limitations. Then we will have to weigh our feature and floor plan priorities against length limitations. We're not crawling into a 20' Airstream trailer, but we also recognize a 41' beauty will have some limitations on where we can park.

We plan on touring all the lower 48 states along with trips through Canada and back into our current state of Alaska. (Sorry, won't stay long in California...personal prejudice.) With such a wide range of travel, we'd like to keep our choice of 5th wheel from having too much affect on where we can go.

Honestly Montana 3160RL and Grand Design 321RL (35') are getting the most attention with the preference going to the GD right now.

 

The entire size issue is so dependent on the folks doing it. Same way with any decisions about quality, floor plan, etc. If you are willing to plan ahead, length does not pose a problem. If you want to wander, stick with that 20-footer and let the winds carry you where they will. On the other hand, once you are set up, I have never heard any RVer complain about having too much space.

On the other hand, we always lie about our size when we know there are multiple spaces available, otherwise campground owners will cram us into the smallest space available to save their longer spaces for the "big rigs".

Steve

Steve

 

"BEST" is what works for you! That remark is time tested!

 

Let me rephrase my question since people are focusing on the word "best" too much.

Who has experienced problems finding a campground or park with space available because their 5th wheel was too long? And then, how long was your model and where did you have the problem? One person has already commented about the Cali restrictions.

I'm a planner and NOT an impulse buyer. So I get that "best" is what we want in features that are important. Got that handled. RV's are like homes in that features and wants are offset by cost and (in fivers) length. Also, I've got a fair amount of time in class A's, class C's, trailers, and 5th wheels, and we can do fine in a 30' - 40' model. However, we want to preserve the freedom to camp many places.

Hope that helps refine what I'm asking.

Thanks.

 

Depends on time of year and where. For example, three years ago we waited longer than usual to plan our winter in Florida. Fortunately we had a 26-foot fiver we could use and we still were able to find a few places we could get into. Thirty feet would have been out of the question. There is almost always a place for a shorty and we purposely stay a smidge (an inch) under 30 feet overall length with our current fiver. Pull up the Reserve America on your screen and look as site sizes in the campground of your choice. In some cases there is just not enough space for 35-footers, but even if there are some spaces long enough, there are way more spaces where a shorter model will fit. We have found that to be true for nearly all campgrounds.

Steve

 

Thanks RV Tech. That's the kind of info I was looking to get.

 

Once you get above 30 ft then things get interesting on finding places. For example....in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. Once you get away from the I-75 area the size of rigs goes way down. So if you want to go to copper harbor. Good luck.
So if your travels are going to be mostly in areas not with a lot of traffic. Get the smaller unit so you can fit in most areas. Another thing to consider. If you are going to,be in the rig a lot then you might want the extra room.
Check out the manufacturers web site for different floor plans. You might find the floor plan in a shorter unit that you like.
Good luck on your search!