question for 34' AS owners

[wannaroam]

In the course of our searching for our 1st AS we looked at a 34' excella. I just loved it but have some concerns about how difficult it will be to haul this around, as we do want to travel with it.
For those of you that have a 34': How much trouble do you have navigating parking lots and campgrounds? How often do you run into trouble getting into CG spaces, and have you been refused anywhere due to size?

My husband can drive it that's not a problem, and as I understand we can tow it with our 1 ton extended van.

[bake315]

We've had little trouble getting where we need to go when towing. That said, we do make a little more effort in planning routes so that sharp turns and tight spaces are held to a minimum. The longer trailer is actually easier to back than the shorter ones, believe it or not. As yet we've had no issues with the length in regards to camping sites, and I know there are plenty of camping areas that simply cannot accomodate it. But there are plenty more that can. Due diligence in the planning department will provide the best chance for a trouble-free experience.

We love our 34', which was our first, and we can't imagine having anything smaller.

[Stream 1529]

We've had our 34' for three years now, and we love it. It tows much better than we anticipated, and backing up is not a problem. Just don't get into a hurry.

If you're planning on camping at a national or state park you do need to check to see if they have length restrictions, many do. Care needs to be taken when turning onto 2 -lane roads because of the length. Once you get the feel for the trailer you'll have a better idea of which roads to travel on. When you have to be on a 2-lane road you'll know your limitations and will respond accordingly, making 3 left turns for a right turn.

The 34' is a great trailer, and you'll have years of enjoyable camping experiences in it.

______________Tom

[nilesrob]

Totally love our 34. We are on our second 34 (1999, 2005 w/SO) and have yet to have an issue with its length. There are some sites you just simply won't fit in (there is a law of physics or something here), and there are some campgrounds that are more suited to tents and short camping rigs. That aside, it tows great and super on space and accomodations!

[empresley]

For the best overall enjoyment & min. stress I would consider a few things:
Is it just the two of you? No children, will you invite guests to go along on trips or meet you at campsites?
Will your travels stay close to home or do you plan on long trips (out-of-state, cross-country)?
Will this be your first camper/trailer?

Based on our short term personal experience:
We purchased our 34 knowing that it was larger than we really needed or cared to tow any serious distance. It had been well maintained, the price was very attractive. If the length became unmanageable I knew we could sell and find a smaller AS.
Our F250 diesel pulls the 34 but it is a full load & not something I would want to do for cross-country touring. i.e. Driving thru Atlanta is nerve racking.
Our one trip to the N. GA mountains was a hard pull on steep grades and stressful on the tight turns and narrow roads.

If you are shopping "new" then the selection is easy. Get what you want.
Used units will reduce the selection as in our case.
Smaller is easier to maintain.
Larger is easier to live in.
Smaller gives you much more flexibility when on the road.
Larger forces you to think way ahead, limits where you can pull in, turn around etc.

We love our 34 but it only travels 50 miles to the family farm for weekends.
Our AS use is an exception, certainly not the norm. If we were going on the road, looking for different campsites, seeing the country, we would choose a smaller more manageable length.

[Davis]

I have owned a 34ft trailer for the past 3 years and had owned 31ft trailers for 14 yrs prior to that. I can not tell any difference in towing and they do tow well.The 34 ft does have more weight but if you have a 1 ton van it should not be a problem. As someone mentioned earlier the state parks may have size limitations in some of the parks. But you can always look up that info online or in a campground directory. We have some state parks in Georgia that I am not able to go to due to size but we will choose somewhere else if that is the case. I have not had any problems at other campgrounds. I think you will be very satisfied with the livability and towability.Good luck shopping. Davis

[wannaroam]

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, we do want to travel long distances which made me debate the comfort/towing issues. It will only be the 2 of us, but my husband is a big guy and we want something that he'll be comfortable in too.

In any case, this particular AS unit is no longer an option. The owner is (in mho) a bit wacky, and when asked what they would take for it increased the price by $3,000.

[genearnold]

I’m big (6’3”) so can sympathize with your man. I don’t mind the headroom at all. The bed is a bit short but I just let my feet hang over and get along fine.

We had an old ’69 thirty-one ft. for sixteen years and replaced it in 1999 with our ’92 Limited thirty-four foot. So far as the challenge of pulling the longer unit, I find little actual difference. However, the psychology of pulling with that third axle took me a while to adjust to. No real problems, but that extra three feet and extra axle was a bit intimidating. One of my problems was my TV which I’d bought as a “fill-in” truck until I could get what I really wanted. The “fill-in” truck was a ½ ton Chevy 5.7 with a ton of miles on it. It did OK for what it was but it had all it could handle with the big trailer. A year and a half later I bought my Dodge Cummins and it is MORE than enough for the trailer so all is well!

As has been stated, you soon learn to allow a little more room to turn corners or to back up, but its but pulling it is not really that much difference from the thirty-one footer.