Sight seeing with 5th wheel

[J_E]

When traveling through a city with a fifth-wheel how do you stop to see landmarks? If you are not unhooked in a campground how do you get around and stop to see the sights?

[starcraft69]

We don't sight see in big city But I have never had a problem stopping somewhere (a town) to see something. This fear of stopping or pulling over somewhere baffles me. Most of us can drive through a campground with trees, rocks, tight turns and then back our rigs into a spot with all of the above around us. I have yet found a town or parking lot or shopping center I can't drive through. With that said we find a camping spot and work out in all directions from there to sight see and then move on to the next. But if something to see on travel days I always find a spot or place to park.

[tdsxt51]

J&E wrote:
When traveling through a city with a fifth-wheel how do you stop to see landmarks? If you are not unhooked in a campground how do you get around and stop to see the sights?

Unhook and off you go...
I do understand what you're saying though. If just passing through or see something or somewhere you want to check out, how do you do it with a trailer behind you? You're just going to have to work that one out. That's exactly why we went with a fiver instead of a motorhome, so we could set up camp and then go exploring, whether it be four wheeling in the mountains or looking for a museum in the city.

[billmac]

For over 5 years, we have had 36 volt electric bike kits on our Walmart bicycles. They have a range of 12 miles or so if we don't want to pedal. We often rely on the bikes for transportation while at our rv site too.

[tdsxt51]

This is the whole reason why we bought a fifth wheeler. And a 4WD vehicle to pull it with. I can park in a RV park, campground, boondock, etc., unhook my truck, and off we go. Simple.

[RollandB]

Good use of Google Earth, plug in the address and look around to see if there are parking spots nearby for your length.

[thomas201]

We normally call ahead and see if they have RV parking. Many places might not, but they can usually suggest a place and give you a plan.

My favorite was at Zion to avoid the escort through the tunnel (entering from the East) they said I might be able to park in the turnaround just past the "toll booth" and drop the 5er. They had a warning motorized sign about the tunnel. Perfect, a 10 foot hole behind the sign, so I did not even use up any of the turnaround. Ricky the Ranger liked that bit of thinking.

[Jim2007]

Hi.. We just find a campground near what we want to see and park the 5th wheel and start see in the truck. Happy camping .. Jim2007

[TxGearhead]

I can just about find a place to park in any town. Maybe not on Main Street, but somewhere. The hungrier I get the easier it is to find a spot.
My cabover is super easy...anywhere.

[goducks10]

Call Uber.

[Devocamper]

we make plans to camp near whatever it is that we may want to see, have never taken the trailer sightseeing that's just looking for trouble

[Allworth]

Be creative!

At the National Bison Range in Montana we asked a ranger and then dropped the trailer in a corner of the parking lot, but the lock on the kingpin, and toured the range in the truck.

In Buffalo, NY, we left it in the far edge of a grocery store lot, after asking, and went to the Falls for the day.

In both cases we took Blackjack in the truck with us.

[DutchmenSport]

A 5th wheel, or a 35 foot long trailer, we both share the same problem.

When we sight see an area, we try to find somewhere we can park the 57 foot long train and then walk. So wherever we want to visit, has to be within walking distance of where we park.

We've not had any issues parking. We've always been able to find somewhere. The biggest obstetrical we have to over come is our pets. Cold and winter months is no problem. They stay in the camper while we do our thing. But in the Summer, when it's hot, and were sitting in an asphalt parking lot somewhere, and the inside of the camper and truck is over 100 degrees, the pet's become a real concern. So, the bottom line is, we simply do not visit or go anywhere the dog cannot go. If we do go (say... into a grocery store or something), one of us stays outside with the dog while the other does the shopping.

Sight seeing is almost always outside. We do not enjoy inside man-made, cinema dramatic, artificial, or electronically controlled stimulation. Even when selecting restaurants to eat, we hunt down places with outside seating, so the dog can come along.

Parking? not a problem. Get out and walk. If you have to, see the attraction, then move the camper to a new parking lot. See the attraction there so you don't have walk so far.

If the site offers tours, like buses, coaches, trains, or what-not, then take advantage of those options.

Good luck.

[NMDriver]

Just like without the 5er. Only instead of getting a room, I park in a campground if it is a big city. For small towns there is generally a place to park along the main drag. One of my favorite places to eat in Gila Bend has a big empty gravel lot behind it.

If I do want to go somewhere the 5er would cause a problem at, it only takes a minute or two to unhook and re-hook when we get back.

We have only done that once that I recall. We pulled into a RV park and asked just to leave the RV for a few hours while we visited with my Nephew. They said fine, no charge. We did wind up spending the night but that was not our original intent. In fact, we stayed two days.

[darsben1]

We try to site see by leaving our rig at the somewhere and taking public transportation.
For example Nashville has 2-3 Walmart's with good public transport to get you downtown.
Natchez has the convention bureau where you can leave you rig and take a cab to the historic section.

Western Chicago area has a couple of parking lots at the METRA station that are big rig friendly.

Rockville MD has a place to park your rig and take their public transport to Washington, DC. You have to be gone by midnight

I have left my rig at a Walmart near SEcaucus NJ and taken the Bus to New York Port Authority bus station for 2-3 dollars each way.
Calling the local public transportation authority will usually get you some ideas