Does size matter?
We receive at least an average of a100 emails every week. Sometimes our readers ask us for advice in purchasing a recreational vehicle. The following is one such query.
We are considering either a 26′ or 30′ RV in the very near future. From your travels, could you estimate the number of campsites where a 26′ would fit but a 30′ would be too long?
First question – Where to you want to camp?
Although many sources identify a variety of Forest Service campgrounds as having parking apron lengths that accommodate travel trailers up to only 22′, our research found only a few actually with this restriction. If you check our website, www.forestcamping.com, you’ll find we have discovered parking aprons are much more generous and will accommodate either length you are considering.
The Forest Service has been, at a slow rate, renovating the more “popular” campgrounds. These renovations often include enlarging parking aprons to accommodate recreational vehicles of all sizes plus their tow vehicle. (Remember, you need a parking apron for both an RV and “dinghy” or tow vehicle.) Some of the other RV-friendly improvements to look for are: removal of low overhanging obstacles, making curves within a campground wider, removing hazardous or dangerous trees/bushes/boulders, and leveling off parking aprons. The most often seen improvements do not include water, electric, or sewer hook-ups but such luxuries are being introduced and can be found in a variety of National Forests throughout the country.
Next question – What is your style of camping?
There are a number of people who do not consider National Forests RV-friendly but they are wrong. Perhaps they weren’t in the past, but today 26′, 30′, and much larger RVs will find camping opportunities in all national forests.
A decision of whether to purchase and 26′ over 30′ is better placed on your family’s interactions rather than the number of campsites that can accommodate your rig. Fred and I started out in a 23′ travel trailer. It was a nice rig but after a couple of years of full-timing it was much to small for us.
We traded in 23′ TT for a 27′ one and, as Fred likes to say, it saved our marriage. But it is a true statement.
Last words
In other words, don’t worry about finding a campsite for your rig. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of campsites across the country that can accommodate recreational vehicles of a wide variety of sizes. Look at the floor plan: Is the kitchen designed for a left hand cook or right hand cook?; Can you stand up in the shower stall and not bump your head?; Do your toes hang over the end of the mattress?; and the list of questions goes on.
Are there any size restrictions of any kind in any or all national forests? Mainly length.
Yes, there are some length restricts national forest campground’s but they are few and far between. Check our website’s Campground Description pages for each national forests and grasslands.