Phriend
Michigan
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Joined: 07/22/2010
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Are larger trailers somewhat impractical for full-time RVers? Do they cost more to park? Are trailers of a certain size frequently not allowed at RV parks? (I just noticed a park in California that doesn't allow trailers over 31ft. Is this common?)
Ideally, I want the largest trailer possible that won't cost more at the parks or get me banned from them altogether. Any advice? How big is too big?
Edit: According to the link below, the smallest TrailManor (26ft) would get me banned from 65% of the parks in California. Is this pretty standard?? 
http://www.parks.ca.gov/trailerlengths/?type=2
* This post was
edited 07/24/10 09:22pm by Phriend *
Special thanks to all of you who have helped answer my questions. I really appreciate it!
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Jim-Linda
Livingston, TX
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Have had either a 38' or 40' since 1991. Not a big deal to find campgrounds. Price is same regardless of size, it what hookups you need and how long you will be there. You will need to choose the proper tow vehicle for the weight. Big trailers weigh more than small. We have a FL60 Freightliner for our 18K trailer.
Jim
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skylos
Cameron, MO
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Larger trailers are not impractical - they are more comfortable, provide more storage, in general a more luxurious lifestyle.
They do not cost more to park, *usually*. There are places that may charge a bit more for their longer spots.
RV Parks may not accomodate RVs of a certain size - some are limited to about 30 feet, for instance, as you have noticed. This is not common, it merely happens in older parks that were built before it was legal to have greater than 30 foot vehicle units, I understand.
If you want complete flexibility, you'll get a 30 footer, so that it'll fit into the old (and often cheap) parks. The relatively minor inconvenience of not being able to use those parks is nothing compared to the luxury of another 10 feet - we're talking 80-100 square feet of space! - on the end of your trailer.
Make sure you get at least the one ton dually long bed truck to pull the big 40 foot fiver, okay? Maybe even a medium duty truck like the international RV haulers. The biggest downside of having a huge trailer is you need a beefy truck to move it around comfortably.
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Dutch_12078
Great Sacandaga Lake, NY
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Phriend wrote:Edit: According to the link below, the smallest TrailManor (26ft) would get me banned from 65% of the parks in California. Is this pretty standard??
http://www.parks.ca.gov/trailerlengths/?type=2
Note that your linked site is only listing state parks, not the many private parks and campgrounds in CA.
Dutch
1995 Coachmen Catalina 322QBXL
F53 chassis, 460 V8, TST TPMS
Quadra Bigfoot EZE Levelers
2002 Toyota RAV4 AWD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/Blue Ox baseplate
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Jayco-noslide
Galesburg,Il., USA
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A lot depends on where you want to camp and other factors. If you plan to stay at only private RV parks, size isn't a problem but if you like the more natural state, national parks and out of the way nat'l forest campgrounds then smaller is better. There are simply more sites available for shorter rigs. Personally, I think small is better for lots of other reasons but I am in a decreasing minority. More size, more weight, more energy required. Bigger tow vehicle required, more difficulty maneuvering around parking lots, gas stations, etc. etc.If you need to pull a house around, better to stay home?
Jayco-noslide
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CEK0515
Near Tahoe National Forest
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In California having a larger rig, will definatly limit your options, in state, and federal campgrounds. Since our favorite places to camp, are the state and federal campgrounds, we choose a 25' fifth wheel.
Chevrolet 3500 LT D/A CC/LB SRW
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cabanaman
florida
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We traded a perfectly nice 28' 5er for our 40' just because we would be living in it fulltime, now that we do we are really glad we did.
Retired Navy
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Dick_B
Palos Heights, IL USA
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Unless you are only going to stay in state parks size shouldn't matter much.
Size IS important for full timing with regard to quality of life and the amount of storage capacity. This according to a Trailer Life article sometime ago.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2011 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
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Phriend
Michigan
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CEK0515 wrote:In California having a larger rig, will definatly limit your options, in state, and federal campgrounds. Since our favorite places to camp, are the state and federal campgrounds, we choose a 25' fifth wheel.
But even 25' will exclude you from most state parks in California. (Do they give you a special exception since you're towing a fifth wheel?)
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dogshooter
Wyoming
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I only boondock so for me, size DOES matter. Took me a few tries to get it right. I started with a 40' 5er TH and couldn't go most of the places I wanted to go. When I tried to push it a little bit, I always tore something up. Got rid of it and went to a PUP TH and could go ANYWHERE my lifted 3/4 ton 4WD would go. Had campsites back where there were NO campers except the occassional tent campers. BUT it was so amall that got old too. Now I have a 27'TT and can get most of the places I like to go and it is SOOOOO much more comfortable. So I finally got it right, at least for me. Your preferred camp sites may or may not dictate what will work for you.
"Life's tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid."...John Wayne
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