53 feet RGN or 48

48 foot.

That's plenty.

Some states will chase you based on overall vehicle length and nail you. Get the 48. Absent any other choice.

 

Yout will not be able to make 5th wheel to first axle /axle center that is required in some states for 53 ft trailers. Some may exempt special hauling equipment and some will require permits to move loaded or empty. 48 ft may be grandfathered in to some for the same rule.
The extra 4.5 ft of deck sounds great if you can utilize it often enough, but in my experience 29 ft is about the most you need on a tandem RGN unless the customer looks for a stretch. There are many on here that can give you more detailed regional information.

 

48’s grandfathered? I thought 48’s were legal everywhere

 

they are but the wheelbase exemption for specialized hauling equipment is what I was referring to as grandfathered.
An example is the off-track rules for secondary highways in ID. A 48ft flat with sliding axles may not make "off-track" if the axles are all the way back and can be subject to a fine if caught but a 48ft step or RGN with the same wheelbase is exempt from the "off-track" rule(read grandfathered) where a 53ft is not exempt and subject to a fine if caught.

 

There might be a few limited examples like that but there are literally thousands of 48’ trailers running all over the country. I wouldn’t think it would be a problem.

 

I switched to a 53, in the last year I've needed the extra well 2 times. 34 foot well. There a pain to get around with and park, 5 feet is alot when its actual wheelbase. That being said I dont mind it but I think my next one will be a tri axle 53, that way atleast you get some use out of the length.

 

No, you will break the kingpin laws of Tennessee, Florida, California, and I believe Connecticut.

For most rgn loads, a 29ft well is more than plenty.

 

The better option is the one that fits the majority of the freight you're hauling. Our tri axles have a 30-4 well and there are plenty of times we use it all. If you're not in a routine with a regular setup on freight, the 48 trailer will be a lot easier on a number of fronts, and you probably won't have to pass up a ton of loads that require a full 30 in the well.