Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-28-2013, 08:12 AM   #1
2 Rivet Member
 
2007 31' Classic
Buhl , Idaho
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 34
Long (34') trailering advice

We are considering purchase of a 34' Airstream. While I have "drug" trailers all over the US, they were mostly stock and utility trailers with varying lengths (some even longer than 34') but with an airstream things are a bit different since we will be looking into "staying" in one place or another for a length of time. In my "wanderings," I have, often, found I could not get into some gas stations because of the total length of my "outfit" but never had the delemma of finding a place to "stay!" So, for those of you that have "drug" those "long" trailers around the countryside, what kinds of problems would we run into as we sojourn around this great country?
goodshepherd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 08:54 AM   #2
Rivet Master
 
SteveH's Avatar
 
2005 39' Land Yacht 390 XL 396
Common Sense , Texas
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,319
Don't have a 34', but do travel with some folks that do, and I think the ONLY restrictions you will find is with most of the national forest campgrounds.

Never seen an issue with State Parks or commercial parks, and if you've towed large trailers, you already know the perils of refueling and such.
__________________
Regards,
Steve
SteveH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 09:00 AM   #3
Rivet Master
 
ZoominC6's Avatar
 
2004 30' Classic Slideout
2021 33FB Classic
Colleyville , TX
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,540
Plan ahead!!!! We tow a 30 footer and have never had a problem finding a suitable place to camp after good planning.
State parks are sometimes limited to certain lengths; however, most have indicators on their maps that allow you to pick a site suitable for length.
National Parks are the same.
Having said all of that; I wouldn't advise just dropping in on a State Park for the night, expecially in peak months, and expect to find a site that would fit your rig. We'd never attempt it in ours.
I don't think you'll have a problem. Have fun out there!
__________________
In dog years, I'm dead!
ZoominC6 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 09:02 AM   #4
Rivet Master
 
ZoominC6's Avatar
 
2004 30' Classic Slideout
2021 33FB Classic
Colleyville , TX
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,540
Steve is correct regarding National Forests. Most are length restricted and often restrict advance reservations; however, not all. Good luck and go for it.
__________________
In dog years, I'm dead!
ZoominC6 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 09:46 AM   #5
Rivet Master
 
AirsDream's Avatar
 
1999 23' Safari
Perrysburg , Ann Arbor
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 916
I think the advice above is good. And you note that you have experience with gas stations. With a longer coach, you may spend more time fueling up in "truck stop" types of stations, which usually have larger, flatter concrete aprons and so avoid the dreaded "tail drag" that can occur upon entry or departure from a place with a significant angle between the apron and street. Also consider places like Flying J, which have RV specific lanes and often have dump stations (but which often also have higher fuel prices!).
AirsDream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 01:02 PM   #6
Wise Elder
 
Jammer's Avatar
 
2010 30' Classic
Vintage Kin Owner
South of the river , Minnesota
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,169
Quote:
Originally Posted by goodshepherd View Post
We are considering purchase of a 34' Airstream. While I have "drug" trailers all over the US, they were mostly stock and utility trailers with varying lengths (some even longer than 34') but with an airstream things are a bit different since we will be looking into "staying" in one place or another for a length of time. In my "wanderings," I have, often, found I could not get into some gas stations because of the total length of my "outfit"
In general I try to plan my trips so that we either refuel when unhitched or at large stations on major highways. I've never had anything I'd consider a "close call" where I was unable to depart without assistance or unhitching, let alone hit anything. That said, the worst problems I've had have been fuel stops in areas under construction where some of the driveways were closed, and small grocery stores where the rows of cars are too close to the corners to permit a turn.

Quote:
but never had the delemma of finding a place to "stay!" So, for those of you that have "drug" those "long" trailers around the countryside, what kinds of problems would we run into as we sojourn around this great country?
I have never run into a situation where I was unable to stay at a campground with my 30' but would have been able to stay with a shorter trailer. Campgrounds usually have a mixture of shorter and longer sites, and sometimes we've been unable to fit into a short site that was better located within the campground than the longer site we ended up with.

That said, the situation varies regionally and also depends on the kinds of places you plan to stay. Some of the older national parks have the most restrictive policies.
__________________
To learn to see below the surface, you must adjust your altitude
Jammer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 02:30 PM   #7
Rivet Master
 
JimGolden's Avatar
 
Vintage Kin Owner
1977 31' Excella 500
Berkeley Springs , West Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,637
Images: 7
34 = Good JooJoo

34 footers are great! You get used to one of those and it's hard to go small again. I've pulled mine thousands and thousands of miles. I've had one gas station I can ever remember where I pulled in and the diesel pump was on the other side and it was so tight that I had to get out of the truck and check a couple times when backing up, but that one was so tight I'd have done the same thing with a 27 footer. They're not that bad.

Towing wise, I defy anyone to tell me a shorter one tows better. With three axles, they naturally want to track straight.

I have read of parks that you can't fit a big trailer into. I've not run into one personally yet though.

Face it, even a 34' Airstream is a small trailer compared to these monster fifth wheels you see out there. You can squeeze it in about anywhere.

One last point: My 34 foot triple axle is actually an Avion. Avion measures their trailers at the box; so a 34' Avion has a 34' box. It's actually 35'-11" long overall. Airstream measures bumper to ball (at least they used to), so an 34' Airstream is actually 34' overall and the box would be about 32'. The point being, if I can get my Avion into these gas stations and it's 2' longer than the Airstream, you will be just fine with the 34' Airstream.

Get one and have a ball!
__________________
- Jim
JimGolden is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 02:53 PM   #8
Rivet Master
 
kscherzi's Avatar
 
2013 27' FB International
El Dorado Hills , California
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,023
Images: 24
Coming from a pop-up to a 27' trailer I worried about campsites too. I finally rationalized to myself that almost any site will take the trailer by itself. Worst case would be having to park the tow vehicle in overflow parking and walking back to the campsite. Also, most times what the rangers seem to care is that the wheels are on the pavement. This means you could hang several feet of the rear off beyond the back of the pad.
kscherzi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 03:48 PM   #9
Rivet Master
 
1967 17' Caravel
Pocatello , Idaho
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 944
Hi Goodshepherd!

We have an '86 34' and have had no trouble finding places to camp. We have fixed dates for camping with two young A/S families each summer--Memorial and Labor Day weekends--usually in a national forest campground just north of IF. You have to be a little careful pulling in the curved individual campsite drive, but we manage just fine because we don't have the width or height of the SOBs. No one has ever asked us how long our unit is.

We love the '34--we're living in it right now in TX for a 9-mo period, and still love it. Although we did notice when we attended the Intnl in Madison, Wis, that diesel was not available at many city gas stations and turns were definitely tighter in city gas stations, but if you have towed long flatbeds then you would know that already. We learned to fill up the tank just before hitching if we had dropped the trailer somewhere. We still have our 23' '78 Safari but take the 34 more often because of the 34's greater waste tank capacity.

Buy the 34--you will enjoy it!

Vivian
Landshark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 06:43 PM   #10
Vintage Kin
 
Fort Worth , Texas
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,014
Images: 1
The problem is "the swing". Up to 28' most TT's are easy . . but that extra six feet takes attention when that long tail is swinging outward. Happens pretty fast. I'd say that is the hardest thing to get used to. So be sure your towing mirrors are the genuine item and that one can truly see along the entirety of the TT from both sides at all times. All too often I see RV'ers trying to compensate by moving the trailer tail one direction or another to see what it behind them. The longer trailer makes this a problem to solve at the beginning.
slowmover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2013, 09:02 PM   #11
2 Rivet Member
 
Paul Ouellette's Avatar
 
2002 34' Classic
Windsor , Ontario
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 88
Images: 15
Hello GS & welcome to the Airstream 34 Group !!

Join us & enjoy all the pictures of our A'34's !!
__________________
Cheers, P
---------------------
Calling all Airstream 34's...
Join the Facebook A'34 group today !!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/206443579449380/
Paul Ouellette is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2013, 11:57 PM   #12
4 Rivet Member
 
Hodum's Avatar
 
1995 34' Excella
Corinth , Mississippi
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 304
If there is a disadvantage in a 34 it is quickly overshadowed by a greater advantage. I love my 34. It is one of the greatest pulling and most easy backing of any trailer I have ever hooked to. Don't hesitate, buy it.
__________________
Why settle for anything less?
1995 34ft Classic Excella 1000
2012 Kings Ranch F-250 FX-4, 6.7 diesel, 6 speed auto trans.
TAC # MS-8
Hodum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2013, 06:49 PM   #13
2 Rivet Member
 
2007 31' Classic
Buhl , Idaho
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 34
You spoke, briefly, of some disadvantages of the 34' trailer. Since you own one, what would they be?
goodshepherd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2013, 07:25 PM   #14
Rivet Master
 
Aviator's Avatar
 
1997 34' Limited
1970 27' Overlander
South of Atlanta , Georgia
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,709
Images: 2
I am not aware of any "disadvantage" to having a 34'. I haven't run into any campsite issues in any of the parks we have been in the Southeast. (I live in GA). I am quite careful about the entry and exits to fuel stations as it is easy to drag the tail if there is a rapid pitch change to the entry area. As to towing it, I have taken it on some roads I shouldn't have been on, but had not ill effects. While I certainly don't recommend this one, US129 through Deals Gap, TN, it is doable.
__________________
Craig and Carol
1997 34' Excella 1000
1970 27' Overlander, International
2009 Ford F150 5.4L
ProPride hitch with 1400# bars

AIR 41028
TAC GA-8
WBCCI 10199
Past President Southeastern Camping Unit (12)
Aviator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2013, 09:08 PM   #15
Rivet Master
 
1988 32' Excella
Robbinsville , New Jersey
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,134
Well 1 disadvantage is 2 extra tires to buy when it's time, OK people with Bambis say 4 extra tires.
Wazbro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2013, 10:28 PM   #16
4 Rivet Member
 
Hodum's Avatar
 
1995 34' Excella
Corinth , Mississippi
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 304
Quote:
Originally Posted by goodshepherd View Post
You spoke, briefly, of some disadvantages of the 34' trailer. Since you own one, what would they be?
I personally know of no disadvantage to the 34's but to some the length seems to suggest: limited parking spaces, limited fueling stops, hard to maneuver, and other things that are easily overcome with reasonable driving skills and a little caution. I pulled mine over 11,000 miles last year alone with no problems. There is just my wife and I, and we really would not want anything else. Go ahead and buy it instead of wishing you had.
__________________
Why settle for anything less?
1995 34ft Classic Excella 1000
2012 Kings Ranch F-250 FX-4, 6.7 diesel, 6 speed auto trans.
TAC # MS-8
Hodum is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
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 the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:28 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.