Camping with a Voltage 3950 - Dutchmen Owners
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Dutchmen Owners > Dutchmen Brand RVs > Fifth Wheel
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 11-20-2014, 07:52 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Thom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Youngstown
Posts: 712
Florida
Camping with a Voltage 3950

We are scheduled to pick up our new 3950 on Saturday and thought we would go from the dealer to a state park for our first night in our camper.
While looking over the available sites on the reservation map, I was surprised to see the local state park (St. Andrews in Panama City Beach) doesn't have any sites over 35'. My wife checked with a friend over hers who travels all over Florida and stays in state parks and they told her 35' is the norm in all Florida state parks.

So now the question is where do owners of the long TH camp? (other than boondocks).
As much as we love the space in this thing, I would hate to think that the only place we could go camping is our own yard....
__________________

Thom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2014, 09:41 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Tucson
Posts: 872
Arizona
I checked http Panama City Beach, FL Campground Reviews - Best of Panama City Beach Camping - RV Park Reviews and found many rv parks that have big-rig access and pull through parking in Panama City Beach.

BTW - if you check St Andrew's website you will find, as I did, that maximum RV length is 45'. You'll be fine, so it seems.
__________________

__________________
2014 Voltage 3600
2013 Chevy 3500 CC DRW
2019 RZR 1000XP Trails and Rocks Edition
azdryheat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2014, 11:27 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
I'm always surprised how good fiver owners are at cramming those giant rigs onto spots I would find cramped with my tiny rig. Makes me chuckle.
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2014, 11:31 PM   #4
Site Team
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Sprung Leak
Posts: 3,157
North Carolina
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawniewest View Post
I'm always surprised how good fiver owners are at cramming those giant rigs onto spots I would find cramped with my tiny rig. Makes me chuckle.
We took our little 16' Coleman camping one weekend and they put us between two 45' behemoths, we had lots of room to spread out on that site! Only bad part was they blocked the TV signals.

Aaron
__________________
There is madness to my methods
2015 Coleman CM16FBS(traded) 2016 Concord 300DS
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid following along
wahoonc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2014, 01:33 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
Quote:
Originally Posted by wahoonc View Post
We took our little 16' Coleman camping one weekend and they put us between two 45' behemoths, we had lots of room to spread out on that site! Only bad part was they blocked the TV signals.

Aaron
Haha, I can set up my entire camper set up before a voltage gets its 10th slide open.

.
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2014, 04:05 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Desert Hot Springs
Posts: 1,761
California
What I've found is on the older parks it has more to do with how the sites were put in & not so much on there size. I've been in quite a few NP & State parks that the site was long enough. Problem was the room to back in was at a 90 degree
It's kind of like these new Home Depot or Lowes parking lots they have put in.
Try & get a 20+ foot long truck into those 90 degree spots. The guy who designed those spots must think everyone buying lumber drives sports cars.
__________________
Mike
2002 42' Monaco Signature Triple Crown tow 2014 F-150
2014 Voltage V3605 Sold 5/3/17
2012 F-350 6.7l CC 4X4, Sold 10/10/17
DesertRat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2014, 05:20 PM   #7
Site Team
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Sprung Leak
Posts: 3,157
North Carolina
Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertRat View Post
What I've found is on the older parks it has more to do with how the sites were put in & not so much on there size. I've been in quite a few NP & State parks that the site was long enough. Problem was the room to back in was at a 90 degree
It's kind of like these new Home Depot or Lowes parking lots they have put in.
Try & get a 20+ foot long truck into those 90 degree spots. The guy who designed those spots must think everyone buying lumber drives sports cars.
Tell me about HD and Lowes!

Walmart has larger parking spots!

I have a buddy in the Denver area that is an architect. He was telling me about a bank he designed that went in somewhere in Montana. They were striping the parking lot based on his drawings when the bank manager told him it would never work, that everybody drove pickups not cars in that area. So he redrew the parking lot design. He went out there to do the final inspection after the bank opened, said there were 12 vehicles in the lot and NONE of them was car.

My lumber getter is a F350 DRW CC long bed and it is one of the old ones with the beam axle, takes 20 acres just to turn around. When I go to Lowe's it either gets parked in the way under the contractor canopy or I take up 2-3 spaces in the parking lot....

Aaron
__________________
There is madness to my methods
2015 Coleman CM16FBS(traded) 2016 Concord 300DS
2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid following along
wahoonc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2014, 11:48 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: South East
Posts: 234
Mississippi
We have the same rig, we always book 60' or more RV sites, you want to be able to unhook truck and pull up before you hit auto level. We do mostly boondocking in National Forests, the main thing to worry about is the height, plenty of times had to get up on roof and cut branches down to back in. Have a large plot of land so set up cones to practice backing up. It is much harder from your blind side (passenger) so book sights you can back into from the left or get a pull through.
__________________
David
2014 Voltage 3950
2013 F-350 DRW Lariat
lakebuster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 01:46 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Dalzell
Posts: 714
South Carolina
Thom, first of all, congratulations on your new Voltage! I'm sure you and your family will love it!
This discussion brings to bear the current dichotomy in today's campgrounds. On one hand, there is the traditional park, very often water/elec only, and designed for smaller RVs where the campers will, as the weather allows, cook, eat, and entertain outside. Most state parks that I've seen fall into that category. On the other hand, there are RV parks/resorts, which cater to large pull-through sites. You seldom see these people. They pull up, plug in, and stay inside their traveling motor home. They don't walk around, or cook outside, or visit with the other campers. These are, of course, generalities, and neither is right or wrong. But you, as a new RV owner will see, we fall into our different "types." Not even counting Pop-up and "Tent People!" LOL
MartyG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 02:39 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
wildwest450's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sparta
Posts: 1,726
Tennessee
Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyG View Post
But you, as a new RV owner will see, we fall into our different "types." Not even counting Pop-up and "Tent People!" LOL
These are the people I want to hang out with. Salt of the earth beats out 90K 5ers every time.
__________________
2014 Aerolite 213 RBSL
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
wildwest450 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 11:48 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Fanboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Chesapeake
Posts: 343
Virginia
Thom, congrats on the new rig! A little forethought and planning goes along ways while toating it along. We have stayed in some smaller parks as well as some resorts and have enjoyed them both. While making a reservation somewhere, let them know your height as well. It may save a problem later.
You've had some opinions chime in about size, to clicks, to people's habits while at the campground. I disagree with a few.
Judging people simply by what they haul into the campground is shallow. If one has negative opinions of different "types" of people camping, perhaps they have not spent enough time outside walking around and visiting.

Scott
__________________
Scott n Cindy
2011 GMC 3500 4x4 DRW
2014 Voltage 3895 Epic3
Fanboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2014, 12:27 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: South East
Posts: 234
Mississippi
Sad day then, when I can not camp in my 90K voltage next to my friends 500K Tiffin Zephyr, no for real dawniewest we camp with all types of people and we do mingle from the tent campers to the large tag axle buses. We all have the same goals; Party, ride SxS's and sit around a fire and cook!
__________________
David
2014 Voltage 3950
2013 F-350 DRW Lariat
lakebuster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2014, 02:53 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
waytoogood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 160
California
Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by lakebuster View Post
Sad day then, when I can not camp in my 90K voltage next to my friends 500K Tiffin Zephyr, no for real dawniewest we camp with all types of people and we do mingle from the tent campers to the large tag axle buses. We all have the same goals; Party, ride SxS's and sit around a fire and cook!
Well said Lakebuster !!!
I agree 100 % .
__________________
2013 3895 Voltage/Full Paint
2007 Chevy C5500
waytoogood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 12:36 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: South East
Posts: 234
Mississippi
Sorry about the grammar! Typing on phone is not the easiest.
David
__________________
David
2014 Voltage 3950
2013 F-350 DRW Lariat
lakebuster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2014, 01:16 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 57
When I book my sites I choose sites that fit 32feet or more. My 5'r measures 41 feet total and I have never had any issues squeezing into sites for 32 or more feet! Campsites are often conservative on allowance because some people cannot back in to save their own lives and clog the streets in the parks!
__________________
2012: '12 Ram 1500 / Palomino S17
2013: '12 Ram 2500 / Denali BH311
2014: '14 Ram 3500 / Sabre 35QSIK
Sebber83 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2014, 04:08 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
arlan in arizona's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Quartzsite
Posts: 682
Arizona
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sebber83 View Post
some people cannot back in to save their own lives and clog the streets in the parks!
HEY, I resemble that remark. Sad but true. I'm selling my 3905 and moving up to a diesel pusher.
__________________

__________________
2013 Voltage 3905
2013 F350 4x4 DRW
2013 RZR XP 900
arlan in arizona is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dutchmen RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT. The time now is 07:40 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2020 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.
×