[Grandpa]

Is it hard to find campgrounds that will accept a 45 ft. Motorhome? What length RVs are acceptable in most campgrounds?  I'm looking at Newels, but I'm not sure how often I'll run into a problem finding a campground that accepts the length. Do most national and state parks accept the long RVs?

[hexspeed]

Varies a lot so you have to do advanced research before making plans. As an example, out of California's 90+ State Parks and State Recreation Areas, only 2 list the ability to take a 45' RV (www.parks.ca.gov/rvlength). National Parks are also campground-by-campground -- info is available on each park's web site. In many cases, it's not the length of the individual camp site so much as the tight turns, narrow roads and limited space to maneuver a long wheelbase vehicle. Most National Parks are well served by nearby private campgrounds that cater to larger RVs -- you would use your toad to visit attractions within the park.

There is a lot of discussion on this topic on various RV forums -- Google something like "RV lengths in public campgrounds" and you will have several hours of reading at your fingertips.

[Fulltiming]

Many State and National Parks have RV areas that were built many years ago and due to terrain or trees, will not accept large RV's. The length limit will vary from park to park but I found after I upgraded from a 28' Airstream to a 34' Airstream I had to be much more careful in choosing State and National Parks. I typically don't bother to check public parks since I have had a Newell although some have adequate facilities. Most State and National Parks have private parks nearby that will accommodate large coaches. I have found that other than State and National Parks, the majority of RV parks will accept 45'ers. However, some private parks, especially in areas that are heavily wooded, were designed for much smaller RV's and some that tell you they can handle a 45'er are way to tight for my comfort (I have had some issues with older KOA parks in wooded areas being tight enough that it was difficult if not impossible to avoid scrapping the coach on tree branches). That said, I rarely have trouble finding an RV Park that you can get a 45'er into. If I am not familiar with a park, I use Google Earth to see if it looks like it has wide enough turns within the park to get through. I use RVParkReviews.com to see what kind of comments I find regarding the condition of the park and space limitations. The publication "Big Rigs Best Bets" is a good resource in that it lists specific parks and sites that a 45'er can use. I try to call ahead, even if only an hour or two away from the park and tell them I am in a 45' bus towing a car. Most of the time, the response is, come on in.

All that being said, I rarely have difficulty finding a park that will accommodate a 45'er. Since I like to use my DirecTV dish, I try to avoid parks with lots of trees and when I avoid lots of trees most size limitation issues go away also. There are lots of really great parks for large coaches but occasionally I have to give up a more scenic settings.

Size is relative. In California some really nice public parks along the coast are limited to RV's 28' or shorter. It depends on the experience you are looking for.

[HoosierDaddy]

We use a book and web-site called Big rigs Best bets.....

http://www.big-rigs-rv.com/Home.html

[Chester Stone]

I agree with what is said above, but add that most new RV parks are designed to handle big rigs. The key is to plan and reserve ahead. Another problem stems from the fact that RV sales have grown faster the the construction of RV parks. This last summer I had considerable difficulty in getting reservations in heavy tourist areas. For long stays, a reservation a year ahead is necessary in some locations.

[Beesme]

We just upgraded from 35' gm bus conversion to 40' newell . We stayed in state park last wk on ocean lots of room . This week we are heading up in white mans of n.h. On the kanc. We are hoping we fit . Thankfully I know the parks so we hope ...I'm most concerned with room satellite and ac our old bus had basement air and was a little over 10' and 96"wide

[Grandpa]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. Please feel free to continue posting about your experiences and knowledge about size limits. I've found that many opinions present a clearer picture. Thanks for your desire to be helpful.

[RussWhite]

Bottom line - you are responsible for where you park your coach.
Callling a campground and asking if they are "Big Rig Friendly" will usually result in a positive response. Upon arrival often followed by, "Wow, I didn't know RV's could be that big!"

Google Earth is helpful as are the other suggestions in previous posts. Membership in the forum Prevost Community can be helpful as they have a user supported system of campsite comments. If a Prevost fits there, you will too!
Three trimming height can often be a problem too. Remember it can be very difficult to change your mind once you get there and decide you would like to backup and leave. Russ

[HoosierDaddy]

Right on, Russ. I arrived at a campground that offered "large pull through sites" I called twice the previous week, describing my rig to make sure they had room. When I arrived they told me that the bridge to the large sites was "out" (It had been out all summer) and routed me on a zig-zag through the seasonal sites littered with large rocks on the turns .....It was ugly......
It seems that many of the older campgrounds place the large sites in the back...Probably they were added as the need developed.