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  1. #1
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    How do I know if I can get camper where I want it?

    Hello all,
    This is my first post. Goofy question. I am not sure where to put it or how to word it, so here it goes. We are not new to fifth wheels, but it has been some time. We pick up our new 390RK this coming weekend (towing with dually long bed). We are staying in an Airbnb for another month before hitting the road full time. We would like to park the new camper in the driveway so we can load/organize/customize some things before hitting the road. We have never had a rig as big as this one. The house is at the end of a road just before a small cul de sac. The driveway is roughly 48' from house to the road. The road has curbs. Road is roughly 3 cars wide. The driveway is 2 cars wide. So, I think I can do it, but I am not sure. Like I said, never had a rig this big. No place to turn around so either park, or have to back rig out about 1/4 mile.
    Looking to see if anyone has any tips/calculators/formulas, etc to help with this. Maybe we have to find a parking lot and make a mock of driveway, etc to see if I can do it. IDK. Thank you for reading this.

  2. #2
    Paid my dues 😁 FT4NOW's Avatar
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    Welcome to the forum. It definitely sounds doable, my road is about the same width, no curbs, but my neighbor across from me would not be happy if I drove on the grass. The entrance to my driveway is single car wide and then opens up towards the back. I was able to get my Momentum in the driveway, the Momentum is about 43' long and i pull it with a long bed CC truck. If you're unsure, make a mockup in parking lot like you suggested.

    To make it easier, make sure you can pull up to the driveway with the driveway on your driver side of the TV, you'll have much better visibility.
    Last edited by FT4NOW; 02-19-2023 at 05:56 PM.
    2023 Momentum 398M-R
    2023 Ford F-450

    SOLD - 2021 Reflection 311BHS
    SOLD - 2017 Momentum 399TH

  3. #3
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puma1973 View Post
    Hello all,
    This is my first post. Goofy question. I am not sure where to put it or how to word it, so here it goes. We are not new to fifth wheels, but it has been some time. We pick up our new 390RK this coming weekend (towing with dually long bed). We are staying in an Airbnb for another month before hitting the road full time. We would like to park the new camper in the driveway so we can load/organize/customize some things before hitting the road. We have never had a rig as big as this one. The house is at the end of a road just before a small cul de sac. The driveway is roughly 48' from house to the road. The road has curbs. Road is roughly 3 cars wide. The driveway is 2 cars wide. So, I think I can do it, but I am not sure. Like I said, never had a rig this big. No place to turn around so either park, or have to back rig out about 1/4 mile.
    Looking to see if anyone has any tips/calculators/formulas, etc to help with this. Maybe we have to find a parking lot and make a mock of driveway, etc to see if I can do it. IDK. Thank you for reading this.
    The only answer I have is, "Practice, practice, practice!"

    Find a very large parking lot, or a lonely stretch of road and practice backing the rig up. If in a parking lot, you might want to buy or rent about a dozen traffic cones to help you mark out your driveway and the street.

    Have your partner stand outside and talk with them in a cell phone. They should be standing at the back (not behind) the trailer to spot you and tell you which direction the back of the trailer needs to go.

    My learning came from working on a working ranch, backing up a 53' flatbed gooseneck trailer loaded with over 20 tons of hay. I only had 1' in each side of the trailer once inside the hay barn.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  4. #4
    Site Sponsor NB Canada's Avatar
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    The great thing for you is the longer they are the easier it is

    Much easier to back up a 53 foot reefer trailer than a jet ski
    2021 Imagine 2400 BH
    2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 Crew 1840lb payload

  5. #5
    Site Team Redapple63's Avatar
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    Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new rig.

    I think it’s doable, but it will be tight. The chalky will not be the width of the driveway, but of the road. At 3 car lengths wide it will be tight to position your rig to back up at a good angle. Since it is a fiver you can cut it much closer than. TT. I would would practice with just your truck and do some preliminary measurements to maybe figure out approach angles and position in the road.

    Bill
    2019 GMC 3500 SRW Sierra Denali Duramax
    2020 Reflection 315RLTS

  6. #6
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    It'll take some patients but it can be done if you have enough road to pass the house to maneuver. If not is it feesable to back down the road to the drive? Having a double wide drive will go far and make it easier

    We have a narrow drive and the street is not wide, 3 cars wide at best. But we have the luxury of choosing which direction to attack it at.
    We get home and park a bit from the drive then ask a couple neighbors to move their cars so we have the whole street width to maneuver. (we have good neighbors, plus it helps we all have been there a long time) It is still tight and we have no choice but to go up the curb on one side. We do that very slowly. The truck is a long bed and Gary backs it in with some tight angles that I don't have the stomach for, at times it takes some jogging back and forth especially if there is a car straight across from the drive and no ones around to move it.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
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    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by WhittleBurner View Post
    It'll take some patients but it can be done if you have enough road to pass the house to maneuver. If not is it feesable to back down the road to the drive? Having a double wide drive will go far and make it easier

    We have a narrow drive and the street is not wide, 3 cars wide at best. But we have the luxury of choosing which direction to attack it at.
    We get home and park a bit from the drive then ask a couple neighbors to move their cars so we have the whole street width to maneuver. (we have good neighbors, plus it helps we all have been there a long time) It is still tight and we have no choice but to go up the curb on one side. We do that very slowly. The truck is a long bed and Gary backs it in with some tight angles that I don't have the stomach for, at times it takes some jogging back and forth especially if there is a car straight across from the drive and no ones around to move it.
    Sounds like you have almost the identical situation. We only have one way to attack it, but there are never cars around (at least until we pull in for the first time with the new camper . The I already imagined that the front tires of the truck may have to go up on curb. We have all the time in the world to make it happen, just want to be sure it CAN happen. I think some cones will go with us and we will hit up a big parking lot on the way home to test it out. Hopefully my wife will still have patience since it is a 11 hour trip from picking up camper and our 2 GSD kids will be with us If we are not confident, it will have to go to a storage spot for a month.

    Thanks to all for the responses and we will let you know what comes about. Also, please stay tuned for all our other crazy questions I am sure we will be posting.

  8. #8
    Setting Up Camp
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    It definitely doable, we have almost the exact situation except our drive is only about 35 ft. long. We have a 375RES soon to be 376RD, I think the same length as yours, as well as a 1 ton cc dually. Just hug the road on the same side as your house, then when the front of the trailer is even with drive steer as sharp as possible to opposite corner of cul-de-sac. Have a spotter as you back up. You may have to pull up and then back a few times to starighten, but you'll get her in. Best of luck and congratulations.

  9. #9
    Paid my dues 😁 FT4NOW's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puma1973 View Post
    Sounds like you have almost the identical situation. We only have one way to attack it, but there are never cars around (at least until we pull in for the first time with the new camper . The I already imagined that the front tires of the truck may have to go up on curb. We have all the time in the world to make it happen, just want to be sure it CAN happen. I think some cones will go with us and we will hit up a big parking lot on the way home to test it out. Hopefully my wife will still have patience since it is a 11 hour trip from picking up camper and our 2 GSD kids will be with us If we are not confident, it will have to go to a storage spot for a month.

    Thanks to all for the responses and we will let you know what comes about. Also, please stay tuned for all our other crazy questions I am sure we will be posting.
    I'd also recommend finding a place to stop a few hrs away from home or park on the road when you first get home. Since you haven't done this, you want to park in the driveway while it's daylight outside.
    2023 Momentum 398M-R
    2023 Ford F-450

    SOLD - 2021 Reflection 311BHS
    SOLD - 2017 Momentum 399TH

  10. #10
    Rolling Along
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puma1973 View Post
    Hopefully my wife will still have patience since it is a 11 hour trip from picking up camper and our 2 GSD kids will be with us.
    I'm not certain if you are implying you will make the trip home in one 11-hour day, but if so, my recommendation is not to try a first-time, likely stressful backup after 11 hrs of driving. Especially in the dark.

    EDIT: @FT4NOW types faster than me.
    2022 Solitude 378MBS-R
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    1966 Shasta Astroflyte (1 year restoration project that is going on year 6)

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