Public Campground Size Limits?

[Sands]

How strict are RV size limitations in public (Forest Service/National Parks/etc.) campgrounds? We really enjoy back country byways and camping, and see that some campgrounds I'd like to visit have a 16' size limit on RV's. Looks like a Scamp 19' 5th wheel's jacks fit in the same footprint as their 16' trailer, and the total tow plus 5th wheel length is no longer than the same tow plus 16' trailer would be, so would the 5th wheel be excluded from using those campgrounds? Anybody ever have a park ranger pull out a tape measure and say 'Sorry bub, you're over the limit, scramble your egg outa here'?

[Bob Miller]

I haven't seen any tape measures, but I have seen a few get turned away or asked to leave. The usual problem is that they stick out to far and block the road in some manner. In some cases they will let you park your TV away from our site if the combo is to long.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

I haven't seen any tape measures, but I have seen a few get turned away or asked to leave. The usual problem is that they stick out to far and block the road in some manner. In some cases they will let you park your TV away from our site if the combo is to long.

We have run into this issue at two NP. The camp sites were about 3 feet to short to fit both our trailer and TV . We were forced to park our TV in an overflow lot about a 1/4 mile from our campsite . We use our truck for storage so remote parking is a PITA at times. Plus at one park the vehicles in the remote lot were being broken into.

[Sands]

Thanks Guys; looks like it can be a problem, but more one of actual length of tow+trailer than stated length of trailer alone.

[emij]

If memory serves, it was in Glacier NP (It may have been a different park, I'm old ) that they had lines marked on the road at the campground entrance denoting length. If your camper was too long, you didn't get to come in.

[Evergreengirl]

The only problem we've ever seen was that rangers or camp hosts required people to move TVs if they were sticking out into the road. Many campgrounds also have rules about keeping your trailer and TV on the paved or gravel parking area only.

[honda03842]

Length was more of a problem when we had a motorhome. With the Scamp we always seem to fit in somewhere. In older more isolated parks, like Chaco canyon, we might only find one or two spots adequate for something like a long bigfoot, a Scamp 16 has fit everywhere.

[floyd]

One nice thing about it... it could mean plenty of openings when we pull in without reservations. Our whole rig is barely over 28ft TV and all.
I rarely see campers under 20ft unless I'm at a fiberglass rally, and even they are steadily becoming bulgemobiles.

[honda03842]

Floyd, We pulled into Myrtle Beach State Park one busy weekend without reservations. The park ranger said we're really full. We said we're 16 feet long. Immediately, Oh we have spots for you....

Small counts.

[Sands]

Thanks for the info everyone! We've done a lot of back country tent camping; never had to think about things like size restrictions. This site is a fantastic resource of experience!

[stevebaz]

Out here in SoCal in the forest and state parks the campgrounds can get very narrow and the larger RV's have issues with slide outs and awnings. Our eggs don't have that issue. Private campgrounds cater to the larger RV's and they charge well for it.

Out here its tough to go to go to a campground without reservations so you have to pick your site ahead of time. Sometimes 7 months ahead of time so it is best to look at the site specifications before you make your reservations. When I go to a campground out here I get a campground map before we leave and walk the campground and cross off any sites I would not want to reserve or can't fit into. With 24 million people in southern California and another 14 million in northern California There isn't enough free space to go around. early bird gets the worm.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Floyd, We pulled into Myrtle Beach State Park one busy weekend without reservations. The park ranger said we're really full. We said we're 16 feet long. Immediately, Oh we have spots for you....

Small counts.

we have had that happen several times...
Stone Mountain, Ohio Key and even Myrtle Beach.
At Myrtle Beach, when they saw we had a 13 they gave us a spot only eleven sites from the beach. It was between a couple of bulgemobiles with a big tree at the entrance against which none of them wanted to test their parking skills!

[Cathy P.]

We like the Corp of Engineer parks in KS. Smaller is definitely better unless you reserve months ahead. Snowbirds here tend to find a way to work the system so that they spend the summer in the park maybe moving just enough to meet the rules or not. Since both that we go to are 30+ miles away, first-come, first-serve sites don't work since they I have heard they are usually full when one arrives.

When we were in AZ with a pop-up, it was usually easy to find a site in the state or county park for us.

We like camping in off-season.

[Dick & Joanne]

When we had the Casita, we got a site in Skagway because we were the only unit small enough to fit. The manager told me they were full before he looked out the window and saw what I had.

Dick