Martin

We retired in July and since we have been traveling the country in a 5th wheel. ( We sold our California home ). We have spent most of this time traveling the northwest and we have found this experience to be "remarkable". We are currently in South Dakota and tomorrow we are traveling to see friends in Colorado. 

We can feel winter weather starting to creep in - and I am asking for recommendations on where to stay for the winter on the gulf coast. We would like to  make reservations for like a month or so at a time. I know a lot of people like the area around South Padre Island. Sounds like it gets crowded though.

Any other suggestions?

I appreciate any input.

Would anyone have a recommendation of a great RV site / campground with full hookups around Glacier National Park.

Any advice would be appreciated.

35 foot 5th wheel. Should be in that area for a visit the second week of August. Planning to stay 7 to 10 days.

thank you for the response.

I am traveling from Crater Lake to Glacier and I would like to break this into a 2 day drive and stop for a couple nights somewhere around half way.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Also I am not sure whether to stay close to the interstates or use the state highways to travel from Crater to Glacier.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am towing a 35 ft 5th wheel.

As a newbie that is progressing with experience - I would like to say this to get it off my chest:

Most likely - many of you out there have been involved in sales - so please do not take this personally.

When I was looking for a new 5th wheel I spoke to dozens of salespeople. Every single salesperson that I talked to told me that a 3/4 ton ford diesel was fine to pull a ~ 35 foot 5th wheel that weighed around 11,500 dry with a gross weight of around 14,000 to 15,000 lb. ( this is an average of the trailers that I was considering )

Before I bought my truck or 5th wheel, I posted on this forum for advice and watched many Youtube videos on this subject. I found a significant difference between what salespeople were telling me and what RV people were telling me, which was confusing and frustrating.

I had many 5th wheel salespeople that told me that I was over-thinking it. I just about bought a 36 foot Cameo that weighed 12,000 lb dry / and about 14,500 lb loaded but I was hesitant as I had already purchased a 2018 F-250 with the 6.7 diesel. The salesperson for the Cameo flat out told me that I was way too concerned about weight as he had friends that pull heavy toy haulers with 3/4 ton trucks.

When I bought my truck - I asked the Ford salesperson to tell me the 5th wheel tow capacity of the particular truck I was looking at. He told me it was 19,000 lb. and he boasted his 20 years selling Ford trucks, It is a single wheel - 4 wheel drive. He was wrong - and I figured this out before I bought the truck, but by looking at the technical data sheet, I thought it was more than it really was for this truck based on the VIN number. I found this out after the fact.

With all this said - I ended up doing this:

Instead of buying a Grand Design Solitude, I bought the lighter Grand Design Reflection 337RLS. it is 10,700 dry and I figure around 13,500 loaded while traveling. As it would turn out - at this point, contrary to what all the 5th wheel salesmen and truck salesmen told me, I am close to the "red zone" with the truck capacity. Its not the tow capacity of this truck. This truck seems to pull the trailer almost effortlessly and I have hit some grades. I am safely within the rated tow capacity. The problem is the cargo capacity or pin weight. It is illegal and unsafe to exceed this capacity - my thoughts anyway.

Now I have to face the reality, as I need to drive from California to North Carolina over several months,  that possibly I will need to buy a 1 ton truck before I am finished and trade in my 3/4 ton. Maybe not - but I am close enough to the truck rating to be concerned, and if I do - it could be as much as a $20,000 hit as I bought a new and loaded Laredo.

Just saying - always air on the side of safety and be careful with information provided by someone trying to sell you something. My experience anyway.

No offense to anyone and yes - if you look it up - you told me so.

And also - yes there is a big difference between a full timer and someone towing 10 miles to a campground for a weekend.

There are many of us out there that gratefully accept most any help offered. Lifelong boater,  but new camper. I pulled a new 5th wheel for the 1st time a couple months ago. I feel I am a capable guy, but I was apprehensive about my inexperience. My maiden voyage - my first campground, I was lucky enough to pull in beside a retired Navy veteran in an older 5th wheel, that after he realized by my comments that it was my first set-up outside of the dealership training - which was rushed, spent a hour over my shoulder explaining every move I needed to make. I didn't ask for or need all of this - honestly, but I was very appreciative of all of it nonetheless. My maiden voyage was without incident and this played a part.

Maybe thats the learning curve here. I had an assumption that most national parks had full hookups - or at least power and water.

Is this a wrong assumption?

Again - thanks to all for the responses.

I am trying to get the national park scenario figured out. I have booked a private CG in Crescent, Oregon for the Crater Lake leg, but as a newbie - it just looks like national parks are tricky and its difficult to make full hookup reservations online.

Please somebody - tell me I am wrong. ( LOL )

After Crater - I am headed for Glacier. I'll break it up and probably take a couple day driving break in Northern Idaho.

Thank you all so much for the responses.

Very helpful!

I called them and the agent told me that they do not take reservations for any of the sites that have utilities. Maybe the agent I had on the phone was mistaken or misinformed, because it didn't make sense. How risky would it be to go to Mazama CG on a first come / first serve basis?

So I am starting a journey across the country. I am fairly new to this and trying to figure it out. I am starting in northern California and I have reservations at a private campground at lake Shasta. Next I want to go to Crater Lake National Park - but I find it very confusing. I want to stay for a week or 2 in late July, but apparently the national park does not take reservations for the sites for hookups. They tell me it is first come, first serve.

I have a 35 foot 5th wheel. I am afraid that if I show up there, I will not be able to get a site and then what do I do?

Any suggestions?

Does anyone have any experience with the national park campgrounds at Crater Lake?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

My second question being a newbie and its probably one that has been asked many times....

How much in advance do you need to make reservations to stay in state and national parks ?

I will be pulling a 35 foot fifth wheel. I plan to travel north from California and then head southeast. I'll be on the road for 9 month or so.

How much in advance do I need to plan?  This is a general question so general advice will be fine.