Campground Park Spaces and Newell Coach Size

Lindsay · 09-15-2012, 02:46 PM

Hello All, we have not been on the road since the 1st part of 2005. Back then we owned a 38', 102 Bounder that fell apart. But we always heard from the park mangers another couple of feet and you wouldn't be allowed in here". Now that we have a 45' Newell Coach picked out from a private party in New Jersey, I would like to know if the parks are set up to handle the big rigs and What parks should we stir clear of if any?

T.Lindsay

The Newell · 09-15-2012, 04:13 PM

We've traveled a lot and never been turned away from a park because we were too big. I'm sure those parks exist but they haven't been a problem for us. We've been in places where the Ranger said that some of their sites were too small for us but for us to go ahead and find something big enough and then let him know where we parked. Then again we did not own a 45ft Newell. I'm sure others will chime in with more info on the topic.

NEWELLWIZARD · 09-15-2012, 05:04 PM

Never had the problem, more and more RV parks are making it friendly for big rigs.

Will Procter · 09-15-2012, 06:48 PM

You might have problems in a few places but not many

The Park Service campground at Grand Canyon South Rim enforces a strict 30' limit. If you want to stay at the Grand Canyon, you will either need to go to the concessionaire-run "Trailer Village" or stay outside the park, in Tusayan. The North Rim has a nominal 35' restriction, but the rangers there are more laid back, and will usually let you hunt for a space that you can fit.
Many, many California state parks have limits well below 40'. Of all the states we've visited, only California has presented this issue. Many parks we simply can't do; a handful have a site or two where we fit.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument actually measured us with a tape.
Lots of Forest Service and other primitive campgrounds list limits lower than 40', but usually do not enforce this if you can find a way to fit.
Many private parks charge extra by length.
Death Valley NP restricts you to certain sites by length.

If you have anything attached to your coach that makes it longer than exactly 40', most of California will also be off limits. All that said, we have rarely been unable to go wherever we wanted. We've never been stopped and measured anywhere (except Organ Pipe). There is one road and one campground in Death Valley from which we were restricted, and a handful of roads with low clearances where we have to go around on an alternate route (such as the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway).

tuga · 09-16-2012, 01:59 AM

If you use the Big Rigs Best Bets book you will always find a park that can handle a 45' coach. If it is not listed in that book keep on driving!

NewellCrazy · 09-16-2012, 02:19 AM

Tuga, I have not heard of the book. Where can I find a copy?

Sean

fulltiming · 09-16-2012, 05:20 AM

Home is the website. They now offer the book (currently the 12th edition) and an online version accessible from a PC, Mac, iPad, etc.

We always travel with the book. I haven't tried the online version yet.

Randy J · 09-16-2012, 08:11 PM

No trouble so far. I will check into the bigrigs book.

RussWhite · 09-17-2012, 01:01 AM

There are lots of campgrounds out there that would love to have you, but you wouldn't or couldn't stay there. I say if there are some that are willing to admit they cannot handle a full sized 45' bus, good for them. Turning radius, tree limb heights, and changes in grade, and length of the site are very important when parking the big Newell.

We found no better resource than the Big Rigs Best Bets already mentioned in this thread. Don't leave home without it.