Hi, new to this and feeling a bit discouraged. We purchased a wonderful trailer with a model number starting with a 33 and assumed it was a 33 foot trailer. We have come to realize it really measures 36. We have made some summer reservations and many places we want to visit are 35 ft. maximum--some are CA state beach campgrounds that are pretty much parking lots and those reservations were hard to get! Now this seems like a silly question but does that foot really make a difference and should we cancel all our reservations? We don't want to show up and get turned away! Thank you for any insight from those more experienced then us.
If in doubt, contact the parks. I know the US Forest Service lists "maximum vehicle length" in one of the campground guides. I asked a ranger about this years ago as it appeared to be on the conservative side. He said their listings were "informational", and not any sort of law, and had to do with the typical parking area size at the camp sites. They didn't want campers getting there expecting to park a bus when there was only room for a pickup camper. However he said some spurs were bigger than others, and as long as someone didn't stick out into the roadway so as to be a potential accident waiting to happen it did not matter. I suspect most parks will not have an issue with it under the circumstances.
Just go for it! Go with 33. RVing is suppose to be a free spirited lifestyle and adventure! It wont make a difference.
Most rv trailers are measured by the manufacturer to not include the tongue i.e. measure the box only if you get my meaning.