Premium or Preferred?

[Mrs. Toaster]

We just purchased a new 5th wheel RV. It is 40 ft. long and has slide outs on both sides. Does this size automatically mean that we need a premium site? We will not have a tent with us, just the RV and our truck.

 

[jbrostek]

I have a 40' 3 slide camper, and have had no issues with some preferred sites but not all of them. We did premium this year, but last year the original preferred site I was assigned too was too shallow to fit the camper much less the truck and camper. I ended up with the same preferred site in the 300 loop as the previous year that fit the camper, but I had to take the truck to overflow as there was not enough room for it and the golf cart. Since I had the golf cart it was not an issue for me to do that. This past February I stayed in a premium site 400 loop, the site was easier to get into and could accommodate the truck, trailer and cart without issue. We are doing premium again for the August trip with my GFs children. I chose that because it is easier for her to spot me into the site then a preferred would be, plus the extra elbow room will be nice.

 

[Mrs. Toaster]

Thank you so much for your reply! This is our 3rd RV, and by far our largest. Based on your description, I can already tell my husband would prefer having the extra space. We plan on getting a golf cart, but I know he would like to have the truck close by.

 

[kcp1377]

We prefer premium too. Sites are larger and we love the site placements. It's also nice to have a little more landscaping between the sites. Oh, and no gravel (our kids loved the gravel a little too much and tracked it into the camper!) Your kids are older so I'm thinking that wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Mrs. Toaster]

No gravel is a great thing! I find that in the camper all of the time!

 

[kcp1377]

No gravel is a great thing! I find that in the camper all of the time!

Right?! I swear the fairies dump shovelfuls in during the night... It's even worse when we camp at the beach. Sand for months!

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

We prefer the premium sites for the same reasons, we have a 43 ft fifthwheel and with some of the preferred sites aren't larger enough for our camper, let along the camper and the truck. With a large camper a preferred site would feel cramped especially if there is alot of trees and bushes around the site.

 

[Teamubr]

Mrs. Toaster,

Sometimes a picture says it all. Here are a couple of pics with my old 30 ft 5er in Loop 100 (Preferred). It's hard to tell, but the wheels on the trailer are pushed all the way back to the cochina (sand) pad and the rear wheels on the trailer are sitting on boards on the sand.

I'll agree with everyone else. You will want a Premium site. My new 5er is 42 ft long. Despite really loving the Preferred loops and being close to the Settlement and marina, I already have a Premium site booked for next year. A Preferred site would be tight, but I'm also concerned trying to drive a 60 ft combo through Loop 100. It has some tight corners.

j

 

[Maligator]

For us the added foliage between site in premium is worth it alone. If close access to the settlement is the draw to preferred, loop 400 is a good compromise IMO between closeness and benefits of premium.

 

[Teamubr]

If close access to the settlement is the draw to preferred, loop 400 is a good compromise IMO between closeness and benefits of premium.

I agree. 400 would be ideal, but it's a 1:11 chance and actually less since we don't have pets. I really like 100. There are only 2 non-pet Preferred loops so getting 100 becomes a 50:50 proposition.

What would really suck is if I requested 400 and got a non-pet 1100, 1200 or 1300. No offense to people that love them. I just like to be an easy walk to the Settlement and the marina.

I've never rented a cart before, but I'm already planning on it given the chances of not getting 400 or 700.

j

 

[Maligator]

I am hoping my online check in request for 400 gets honored when we check in this Thursday. We do have the pooch with us too. The 500 was not bad either if I remember right but either way we are getting a cart so it shouldn't be a big deal. Honestly I'd probably be happy anywhere in the Fort

 

[Mrs. Toaster]

Thank you all so much for the advice and the pics! I just booked our Premium site for Thanksgiving 2017. It's our first time at the Fort, and we are super excited!

 

[jbrostek]

I like the 400 and 500 for premium, 300 for preferred personally, but I am always after the pet loops.

Personally I do not see any reason to have my truck at my site. This year I we are going twice and this August I do not expect the truck to move once. We go each year in the winter on an adult only trip for 2 weeks, Caren usually cannot stay the entire time so she has to fly back for work. This has been my trip for years before we met so other then not getting to stay the whole time she is ok with going back. During that 2 weeks there I use the truck once, that is to take her to the airport. While I am out I make a Walmart stop for any supplies running low. So I am more then happy to park it in overflow and regain 19x8' of space in my site if I need it. The last premium we had I did not have to do that, but I was still considering it for the extra space.

 

[jv3cv1]

We have always done Preferred 300 but this year going for premium hopefully we will get 400 or 500 we like being able to walk to catch the boat. But with bigger camper it was hared to get in our site last Christmas and had to Park truck sideways and camper was all the way back hanging over the grass area.

 

[Sarubo]

Quick question. I'm making ressies for our Sept 2017 trip already and I'm wondering if I should book a preferred instead of premium site. We have a 32ft Motorhome with a slide-out, we won't be towing a car or anything. So would we fit in a preferred loop?

 

[jbrostek]

31' would have no issue in preferred or premium. One of the families we vacation with had a bay star (30') with 2 slides and towing and never had an issue with any of the sites. My 38' diesel bus I did not have any issues with but needed patience getting into some sites. My 40' 5th wheel with 3 slides, that one is a little more selective when it comes to preferred sites.

 

[faithhelen]

Jumping in here as our first trip to FW is next June. We are bringing our dog with so we requested a pet loop. We have a 2016 Jayco X213. This is our first year with it so we are staying local and then taking the plunge and driving down to FW with it next summer. We booked a full hookup in the pet loops, but not premium. Any recommendations?? Change my ressie?

 

[2goofycampers]

I like 1600 1800 in the full loops.

 

[sippican]

We are frequent visitors with. 35 foot, 3 slides rig. The 1700 loop (full hook up, pet friendly) is our preferred area.

 

[Maligator]

Jumping in here as our first trip to FW is next June. We are bringing our dog with so we requested a pet loop. We have a 2016 Jayco X213. This is our first year with it so we are staying local and then taking the plunge and driving down to FW with it next summer. We booked a full hookup in the pet loops, but not premium. Any recommendations?? Change my ressie?

The only thing I've noticed that would concern me about preferred over premium with our dog is the preferred are sometimes less shady. Even the first site we were allocated this time in premium wasn't too shady so I went back to the outpost and got a new one that we had saw which was very shady all day. So far so good. It is already like 90 right now nd the RV is 68*. Our RV AC seems to start to struggle if we are in direct sunlight all day and we like it frosty. Some of the preferred sites I saw yesterday had very little shade. The 500 loop has a lot of shady ones and is right near the dog park as a bonus.