Some of the campgrounds were developed long ago when RV's were relatively short. we would like to see some of those campgrounds have some sites that are able to handle the longer RV's plus a Tow Vehicle. in some cases, this would also mean radiusing the entrance to those sites so it is easier to back the longer RV's in.

I'd also like to see low limbs trimmed on interior roads and sites. Longer RVs almost always mean additional height...some as high as 13'. We're only 11'10" in height, but often encounter low limbs that scrape on the roof and sides of our RV.

I would like to see NF stay as natural as possible making sites larger or trimming is taking away from the very reason you go to a national forest. I for one do not want to camp next to a super size RV who is going to run their generator. Leave our national forests as is!

Would you have a problem camping "next to a super size RV" if they didn't run a generator? IMHO noise and limbs are two separate issues. No need to combine them.

We have a 40' motorhome. Even so...national forests are our first choice for camping. Even though our "home" is large (we've been full-timers for 15 years), that doesn't mean we should be excluded from staying in the forests. We enjoy the forests as much as a tenter would. We enjoy nature, hiking and fishing. We have succeeded, with the help of Dow's website, in finding some campgrounds that we can fit; i.e. large parking spaces with trees trimmed along roadside and campsites. We're not asking for trees to be taken out but we do appreciate overhanging branches to be trimmed. We don't ask for hookups (we have solar panels which give us minimum power even under trees). We would love to be able to utilize more campgrounds.

For the last several years, we emphasize to Forest Service staff the need to trim branches and not forget to look up. More often than not, when trimming is done, overhead branches are overlooked. RV vent covers, A/C covers and solar panels can easily be damaged. Our roof has been hit many times by such branches mostly w/o damage. However, once amazingly, a vent cover was ripped off. During another time, even more amazing, branches had been trimmed into which I backed and punctured a hole into the top rear side of our trailer.

Guess we need to look up too, huh.

I cannot take credit for Fred's quote above.


Speaking of looking up, I have more than once, while backing into a spot, stopped, grabbed my pruners(that I now carry all the time), climbed my roof access ladder, and clipped the branches. and repeat as necessary as I move further back. If the FS maintenance crew would just carry pole mounted pruners, with, lets say a thirteen foot total combined height, they could just walk the park access road at the first of the season and they would be done for the year.

Did Fred ever tell you about the time he backed the TT into a campsite onto a limb somebody had prune at an angle. Speared right through the rear outer skin of our rig. White duct tape (who know they offer duct tape in a wide range of colors) to the rescue. Now we look up, down and all round when parking our rig.

One question - have you ever had a challenge with driving through a campground? We have seen a number of campgrounds with a teardrop shaped interior road which means to drive through again one has to exit the campground, find a spot big enough to turn around, and re-enter the campground. Annoying.

You are right about the pruning...I've done the same thing myself! When they get hidden by a little new growth, pruned limbs limbs can be just as bad a hazard as uncut branches. So keep looking up and make sure you see what you are looking at!

The National Forest has to plan for a lot of different uses and users. Perhaps there could be campgrounds for the larger rigs that are separate from tent only campgrounds. Or perhaps certain part of a campground could be regulated to tent only or walk in. The same with generators. Some campgrounds could allow them, some not. I have camped in many National Forests all of my life using tents to trailers. Different folks go to the Forest for different reasons. Seems that what is missing more than anything is respect for ones neighbor. That is something that the National Forest cannot plan for.