How to plan an RV campsite with an awning and slide-out
An RV site plan has two layers: the rig itself, and everything that comes out of it once you park. Slide-outs and awnings can add many feet to the width, and that’s usually what decides whether a site works.
1. Know your rig’s parked footprint
- Overall length, including the hitch or tongue, ladder and any rear-mounted storage.
- Body width. Many trailers and motorhomes are around 8–8.5 ft wide, but check yours.
- Slide-out depth when fully extended, measured from the side wall. Note which side each slide is on.
- Awning projection (how far it reaches out) and its length along the rig.
- Tow vehicle or toad, if it has to fit in the same site.
If you can, take these from your own measurements rather than a brochure. The measuring guide covers what to include.
2. Read the site before you place anything
Look at the official site information or campground map for:
- Width and length, and whether slide-outs and awnings must stay inside that space.
- Back-in or pull-through, and which side faces the road or lane.
- Where hookups are (if any), and where your tow vehicle is allowed to park.
- Trees, posts, fire rings or tables that are fixed in place. Add them as custom rectangles.
3. Place the rig, then attach the slide-out and awning
In FestivalPlot, add a Travel trailer, Small camper or Large RV, set its length and width, then use + Awning and + Slide-out in the item panel. Attached pieces move and rotate with the rig, so you can try different positions without rebuilding them.
- Slide-outs are solid. Nothing else can stand where they extend, and they need clearance from posts and neighbors.
- Awnings are overhead cover. Chairs, tables and a mat can go underneath. The planner won’t flag the slide-out under the awning, because that is normal.
4. Check the width first
Add up the side-to-side numbers: rig width, plus slide-out depth or awning projection on the living side, plus any room you want beyond the awning edge. In the example, an 8 ft trailer with an 8 ft awning needs about 16.5 ft before any walking room. Here is the same layout dropped into a 14 ft wide site:
Options when it’s tight: extend the awning partway (enter a smaller projection), skip the awning and use a smaller canopy, or park the tow vehicle somewhere else if the rules allow it.
5. Leave room to work around the rig
Think about walking from the door to the tow vehicle, reaching hookups, and getting the slide-out back in when you leave. Set a walkway target in the campsite settings; FestivalPlot warns when vehicles, campers and tents are closer than your target.
What the plan can’t tell you
A 2D plan doesn’t know about overhanging branches, slope, soft ground, or height limits. It can’t confirm that a site meets any festival or campground rule. Use it to arrive with a plan, then check the real site before you extend anything.