gwoodward Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I have never RVed before and am considering Rving full time for a while. I am retired and my wife passed away 6 months ago so I would be doing this alone. I have been looking at a new 25' Leisure Travel Van with the murphy bed. I have also been considering a 7' x 14' cargo trailer for my toys. I fly large gas RC airplanes and would also be hauling a 250cc Honda motorcycle and a Zodiac inflatable. The RV and trailer would be about 42' long. Would this length greatly limit the parks I would be able to park in? I've been reading a lot of posts by full timers and like the idea of Boondocking. Thanks for any advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Welcome to the Escapee forums! We are happy to have you join us. A combination which is that length could have some situations that limit you but not in a major way. As you plan places to go it will be a good thing to let any commercial park know your length if you make an advance reservation but I'd be surprised if it were much of a problem. There will be some state parks that have limited sites but most Corps of Engineers parks have ample room. A total length of 42' is not excessive. We tow a small travel trailer with an SUV and are close to 40' in length. There are many RVs out there which are as long as you are in just the RV alone. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosita Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 I'd be more concerned about the weight of this combination than the length. The MB van's GVWR is 11030; there is no information on the Leisure Travel site on how much of that is taken up by the van build, i.e., how much CCC one has, and not a peep about the type or classification of the tow hitch or the tow weight limit. A 7' X 14' trailer (what's the weight of the trailer itself?) loaded with the stuff the OP described may very well exceed the limits of this rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 That was my thought, as well, Rosita. Assuming the cargo trailer and toys is a "must have" for the OP, I'd certainly want to do some research into how much the cargo trailer + toys will weigh and how much the van is capable of towing before making the purchase. LindaH 2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K 2011 Kia Soul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandsys Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 We owned a 2008 Leisure Travel Free Spirit which was smaller than the new Murphy bed model. After all they included our remaining CCC was ~800 pounds. I would not buy one of these without running it over a CAT scale first to see what they did to that capacity. Linda Sand Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/ Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosita Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Well, since "gwoodward" hasn't been back, I guess the advice he received wasn't compatible with what he wanted to hear. No worries; some dealer will provide that service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Well, since "gwoodward" hasn't been back, I guess the advice he received wasn't compatible with what he wanted to hear. No worries; some dealer will provide that service! Actually, according to his profile he was last on the forums yesterday at 4:43 pm. That sounds like he is reading the responses but has chosen not to respond. Might be he is rethinking things? Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosita Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Might be he is rethinking things? ----- Could be...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganto Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 it will be interesting to see what he picked out if anything yet he might still be shopping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimalberta Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Gwoodward.....from my experience I would be rethinking a little bit. With the setup you are talkng about you are limited in your activities in a few ways such as getting the toys to their usable location without breaking camp every time. Personally from having done this I think my choice would be a 3/4 ton pickup pulling a not too large toyhauler. ( TT or fifth wheel) This would allow you to keep the toys in the garage area but still be able to transport them with the truck to wherever you need to go with them. A truck and toyhauler should have no trouble in both boondocking and accessing state and national parks. I see them there all the time. The truck would also give you the flexibility to run into town or go sightseeing. Breaking camp everytime you want to do something gets to be a pain, believe me. <p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well. IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa_desert_rat Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I'd do it the way JimAlberta describes it. None of the items Gwoodward wants to take along are big enough to have any issues with a 26-28' toy hauler and a regular 3/4-ton pickup would tow the package pretty easily. Plus he wouldn't have to break camp to go get 20 more gallons of water to tide him through a fun weekend boondocking. 30' is a pretty typical "maximum recommended" length for USFS primitive campgrounds and an easy fit for even older National Parks. Plus he would get more living space, a chance to find a good combination on the second-hand market, and rooftop room for solar panels. What's not to like? WDR 1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks 1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires Raspberry Pi Coach Computer Ham Radio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganto Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'd do it the way JimAlberta describes it. None of the items Gwoodward wants to take along are big enough to have any issues with a 26-28' toy hauler and a regular 3/4-ton pickup would tow the package pretty easily. Plus he wouldn't have to break camp to go get 20 more gallons of water to tide him through a fun weekend boondocking. 30' is a pretty typical "maximum recommended" length for USFS primitive campgrounds and an easy fit for even older National Parks. Plus he would get more living space, a chance to find a good combination on the second-hand market, and rooftop room for solar panels. What's not to like? WDR heck i'm cramped in a 22 ft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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