I currently have a Truck Camper and pull an enclosed trailer. Thinking about making the jump to a 40' to 43' Toy hauler with a 14' Garage. My biggest concern is running into trouble finding sites large enough when I am traveling. We spend most of our time going to brand new locations all over the US so it is hard for me to say from my current experience how big an issue this will be. Would love to hear some feedback from you guys that have the big rigs.
Thanks, Todd
Dodge 3500 DRW Crew Cab LB 4X4, 2013 Voltage 3905, Stable Loads, Air Lift Bags, Big Wig Sway Bar, LED Lights, Yamaha SX240 Boat, KTM 500 EXC, Polaris RZR 800, Mini Big Green Egg Maiden Voyage
If you go to www.rvparksreview.com you can check out the parks listed for the areas you travel to see if they are big rig freindly. We pull a 37ft 5th wheel with a MDT. In all of our travels we have found RV Parks with spaces big enough to fit with no problem.
Most campgrounds have an overflow section which is parking spaces on grass, dirt or gravel so worst case would be to boondock for a few days if no other space available.
Where we have had problems is in state or national parks. You may not be able to stay inside the SP or NP but RV Parks Review will help you find big rig spaces in a RV Park/Resort nearby.
don't see much difference between 40 and 43 feet. Most locations that can handle 40' won't have any trouble with 43'. Problems show up when going from 30-32' up to 40+.
Noel and Betty Johnson 2005 GulfStream Ultra Supreme, 1 wife, 1 Poodle
Todd... I'm a full timer in a TC and will be making a change to a larger RV upon retirement next year. Currently, I travel all over the east on business. Based on that and my observations in government (Federal/State/County & City) parks, as that is about all I use anymore, your camping style will change drastically. That's not a bad thing if you are prepared for it.
Most commercial parks will be able to accommodate the 40-43' size. Government parks (particularly those built in the CCC days) will have limitations especially during the camping season. While many, but not all, of those parks can handle 40' campers, the number of large spaces generally pales in comparison to the total number of available sites. Traveling on Sun-Wed can mitigate that problem to some degree. But it will be a continuous challenge. Although, not as difficult during the off-season where the campgrounds are open. Finally, as alluded to, you're just not going to fit into some of the parks you may now enjoy because of access roads or smaller sites. With that in mind, size is a trade-off you might be ready to accept. Good luck.
I don't pull a big rig, but I spend most of my time camping on public lands. I think you'll be pretty much restricted to commercial parks and you may want to confirm in advance that they can handle your rig.
Your major problem will be public lands, national parks and forests and state parks. Most won't handle that big a rig and there are far fewer sites for big rigs than smaller ones. So if one just wandered in without an advance reservation they may not find a spot even if the campground could accommodate them. You could boondock, though, on public land if you stay close to the pavement on the periphery of an area.
I ran into some issues with my 39' Raptor. A couple of times I had sites that were technically long enough but not enough room to back into them. I had to give up on one site, another I was able to swap with another guy. I looked at a number of USFS sites but never risked giving it a try. It is something you need to be aware of and plan ahead if you are camping at USFS and some State campgrounds.
You will have people tell you it won't be a problem but for us it would be. We have a 26 ft. 5th wheel and can get into most sites. But even that small, there are lots of sites in national parks and national forest that can be a problem. So, I think it depends on whether or not you will be content to bypass a lot of those campgrounds or else research them thoroughly or just use private RV parks only.
You may want to spend some time reading from the big Diesel pusher Class A's too. Those tag axle rigs are often around 40-43' so they are likely to have the same site issues you may have. I fell in love with a 43' pusher, but after I looked at all the places we camp at I figured now wasn't the time.
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