Trailer Length and Campground Length Question

[LizzyWA]

When I reserve our favorite campground, we have always been able to clearly answer "trailer size". Now we have a Trailmanor 3023. We're not sure what to state here. Either 23' (closed) or 30' (open). What should we state? Of course the 30' answer may limit some campsites...

[wbmiller3]

I normally use the 'open' number just to make sure we can fit (in case there is a tree or something at the back of the campsite).

[mecicon]

I would use the 30' answer. Very few sites are going to limit you at 29'.

[tentcamper]

I use the closed number since the back will open over the curbs that sites have at the end of the pad.

never had an issue.

[Riwright]

I camp in a lot of forest service campgrounds and state parks. A lot of them have shorter lengths listed for the sites.

I have a 3124. It is 24 feet closed and 27 feet open.

What I normally do is scout the campground in advance. I know that if I pull the truck in to where the front wheels touch the parking stop at the rear of the campsite that the tongue of the trailer is where the back bumper of the truck is. This gives me a good idea of whether or not I will fit. You can put the butt end of the camper pretty far out over the rear parking stop. But you do need to know if there is a tree or a rock there.

You also have to keep in mind that sometimes the length limits have to do with tight turns on the roads and not with the campsites. If you go scouting keep an eye out for those hairpin turns.

campsitephotos.com has a lot of campsite photos for my area. A lot of times you can see how the site is laid out.

The rule I've seen enforced consistently is "all wheels on the pavement." I haven't seen a place that doesn't let you drop a stabilizing jack on the dirt (even Yosemite, which is very strict). Perhaps others have different experiences with this.

I have never had anyone measure the camper. If it fits in the site, then you are OK. If you don't fit them sometimes they will try to move you, but you can't count on that.

Oddly enough the only time I had a problem I was under the length limit. The trailer fit nicely but there was no room for the truck. I parked the truck in a campsite across the way and offered to pay for the extra site. The camp host let me park there for free. The sites were cheap and the campground was not full.

[rvcycleguy]

Since the OP was asking when reserving and not scouting a site, I would suggest offering the open length just to ensure there are no obstructions. The TM is less than 8ft wide which allows it to fit nicely width wise in most sites, but you would hate to have a site too short after you arrive and no other sites available to move to. In my case, I prefer to tell or choose a Pop up site as that is generally closer to the river, lake, bathhouse, camp store, office, and away from the bigger TT, 5th wheels, and MH.

[HIKERZ]

I go with open as that's what I need when camping

[Padgett]

First measure it open. Bet it is more like 26-27' overall than 30 since the 42" part that extends over the tongue does not add to the length.

[Bill]

Being a belt-and-suspenders guy (and having experienced a couple problems in this area), I normally say that "It is a collapsible hard side, 27 feet long when open, 20 feet long when collapsed." This normally draws a deer-in-the-headlights look - yes, you can hear that look over the phone! But it makes the agent think a moment before he simply jots down a number.

If I am doing an electronic reservation, I give the long dimension. I figure that the system is expecting an upright trailer, and the long dimension of the TM is closest to the answer I would give I had one. I figure that a few extra feet is welcome, whereas a few feet too little is a disaster.

Bill

[mecicon]

Originally Posted by Riwright

campsitephotos.com has a lot of campsite photos for my area. A lot of times you can see how the site is laid out.

Thanks, I will add that to my bookmarks.