How long is it

[2PawsRiver]

Was looking at a boondocking website and campgrounds, checking to see where our 43 footer would go.  When they say 40 feet or 30 feet, or what ever, are they just talking about the length of the trailer?  Our Trailer is 43 feet, but hooked to the truck we are a total of 55 feet...???.thoughts.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Length of the trailer once you are disconnected from your truck. 

 

[2PawsRiver]

Length of the trailer once you are disconnected from your truck.

Thank you

 

[cpaulsen]

It depends.....a lot of Oregon State Parks.......the length of the site includes the tow vehicle also

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Both the above answers are right, depending on where you go.  They are talking about the usable length of the campsite, but what you put on it is your choice.  Some sites don't have an alternate place to park the tow vehicle, so that available length has to handle both trailer and vehicle.  Others may have separate parking spots or room along side (a wider site) where you can park the tow vehicle. Maybe at the expense of a place to put your lawn chairs or bicycles or whatever.

In other words, you cannot assume that your truck will fit on a site labeled as 43 feet - your 43 trailer might fill it completely. On the other hand, it  may have a parking spot of nearby parking area where it could be placed. Only experience at each park will tell you for sure (or call and ask).

 

[Arch Hoagland]

We were at the Normandy Farms RV park and wanted to stay longer but they said all they had left were 25 to 30 foot sites. I went and looked at one that was at least 75 feet deep and about 30 feet wide.

I ask them why they said it was small and the girl explained it didn't have sewer nor electric so they assumed big rigs wouldn't like it. I took the spot!

So as Gary said...it depends on where you go.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Very nice park I might add.

 

[John From Detroit]

The only way to be sure is to visit the site.. One park I reserve at in the early spring the advertised length is 24' Tents and PUP's only.. I'm 38 feet and I can fit comfortable... It is a pull through site so if I do not wish to unhook right away there's room for my car.. and once I unhook I can move the car to the FRONT of the RV so I don't have to carry groceries etc so far and .. there is plenty of room there as well.. tha's over 60 feet of parking but they say 24'.. I love it cause it's not often reserved.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Maybe the best way to think of it is that the quoted length is for the RV pad, i.e. the portion of the site intended to hold the RV itself.  There may be more room on the site, but maybe not.  The park operators know that most campers will have at least one vehicle besides the "camping  unit" and some will stipulate that the site accommodates one (or more) vehicles.  Others, however don't say and may have applied other value judgements such as what John alluded to. 


There is no standard method of stating it, nor even of measuring how long it is.  One common variant is the rear overhang of the RV (behind the axles). Many sites will have room to let the rear of the extend beyond the actual site "pad", but this extra space is almost never counted in the measurement.  For that reason, it may well be possible to put a 35+ foot RV on a 30 foot site.

 

[cadee2c]

My coach is 38 ft. I always say 40 ft, just to give myself 2 extra feet of room. Some spots are pretty tight and I think if I was really 40 ft, I would not have gotten into them.