USGS, footnoted to the National Geodetic Survey. The state survey measures the monument itself at 447.85 ft and the ground just west of the road at around 450
Delaware Climate Office. Mean annual temperature runs from 54.0°F in northern New Castle County to 58.1°F on the Atlantic coast
Buying a vehicle for this state
Delaware rewards modesty in a vehicle. The permit only works on a two-axle vehicle registered for public highways, there is no terrain that needs ground clearance, and the state forests will not take a camper of any kind on a campsite. A capable mid-size truck or wagon covers everything the state actually allows.
If the plan runs south into the federal seashore, the constraints tighten and are worth checking before buying: four-wheel or all-wheel drive is required there, along with a maximum of two axles, four wheels per axle, 26 feet of length and 8 feet of width, and rental vehicles are refused outright.
Buying a finished vehicle trades money for time. Someone else has already made the thousand decisions, and you can be traveling this season. A dealer who knows these vehicles can also tell you what a used one has been through.
What they offer
01New expedition vehicles, campers and vans
02Used and consignment vehicles
03Trade-ins, financing and delivery
04A proper walk-through of every system
05Service after the sale, or a referral to it
How to buy a finished vehicle
The questions are the same whether it is new or used.
01Ask for weights: empty, loaded, and the gross rating. Overweight expedition vehicles are common.
02Ask for the build documentation: wiring diagrams, component manuals and service history.
03On a used vehicle, have the chassis and the house inspected independently before you buy.
04Ask who services what after the sale, and where.
05Drive it, on dirt if they will let you.
What to have ready before you ask
Know the trip before you choose the truck.
01How many people travel, and for how long
02Where you want to take it, and what you need to park it
03New, used, or either
04A budget range, and whether you have a trade
05When you want to be on the road
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to buy a finished vehicle or build one?
A used, finished vehicle is often the least expensive way into a capable rig, because builds rarely return what was spent on them. A new custom build costs the most and fits you best. Building it yourself costs the least money and the most time.
What should I check on a used build?
Weight against rating, water damage and leaks, the age and type of the batteries, heater and appliance service history, and the condition of the frame and suspension. Then have a mechanic check the vehicle underneath the camper.
Can I finance an expedition vehicle?
Often, through RV or specialty lenders, depending on the vehicle and how it is titled. Dealers who sell these regularly know which lenders will.
How high is Delaware?
From Rehoboth Beach at 1 feet to Ebright Road, at the Pennsylvania line at 448.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
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Feet above sea level
Towns
WilmingtonThe Brandywine Valley byway, and thirteen Underground Railroad sites on the Tubman route91 ft
HarringtonTaber State Forest country, and the inland pond parks59 ft
GeorgetownThe county seat below Redden State Forest53 ft
SmyrnaThe turn for Bombay Hook and for Blackbird State Forest32 ft
DoverThe capital, and the John Dickinson Plantation out on the bayshore road28 ft
LaurelNanticoke byway country and the southern end of the Woodland Ferry run27 ft
MillsboroInland services on the Indian River, west of the inlet24 ft
SeafordThe Nanticoke River crossing and the northern ferry approach23 ft
MilfordMid-state services between the bayshore refuges and the coast13 ft
LewesThe ferry landing, Cape Henlopen and the Beach Plum Island crossing13 ft
MiltonThe approach to Prime Hook and the bayshore marshes11 ft
New CastleThe northern end of the Delaware Bayshore Byway10 ft
Bethany BeachThe break in the state park between Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island6 ft
Fenwick IslandThe southernmost drive-on beaches and the Maryland line5 ft
Dewey BeachThe northern end of the Delaware Seashore barrier strip5 ft
Rehoboth BeachFull services between Gordons Pond and the Delaware Seashore beaches1 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Ebright Road, at the Pennsylvania lineThe state high point, in New Castle County. USGS publishes 448 feet, footnoted to the National Geodetic Survey; the Delaware Geological Survey measures the benchmark at 447.85 and the ground just west of the road at around 450448 ft
Iron HillOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in New Castle County335 ft
Chestnut HillOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the piedmont of New Castle County297 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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