concrete pad vs gravel for winter

Thanks for all the good comments! I appreciate the information.

Dayle1 wrote:

troutrod wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the insights and experiences. Do I understand correctly that the primary benefit from the skirts is to block the wind to reduce the wind-chill effect?

Yes, and skirting can be sealed more effectively on a concrete base than on loose gravel. W/O skirting, the I-beams on the trailer are exposed to the wind and there is no insulation along the sides of the I-beams, so the steel frame will get cold.

Skirting may help hold in a little heat, but inaminate objects do not feel the "wind-chill" effect. They cannot get colder than the ambient temperature. Wind chill is how cold an aminate object will feel with the added effect of the wind making it feel colder than it actually is.

I had a concrete pad poured next to my shop when we moved in, previously I kept the trailers on gravel and I did notice increased rusing on my undercarriage - not sure if it was really tied to the gravel or not.

Alex

troutrod wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the insights and experiences. Do I understand correctly that the primary benefit from the skirts is to block the wind to reduce the wind-chill effect?

Yes. A lot of people will run a couple 100w bulbs (incandescent), or even a small ceramic heater, to help keep the tanks and lines from freezing. You can go fancy and have snap-on skirts made or go cheap and find some straw bales to fill the gap.

Lyle

I dug up our flower garden along our driveway and did a 5" concrete slab with 1/2" rebar grid at 16" squares. Did a rolled pattern that had a straight line at 9 ft so I cut the concrete using a special blade on my skill saw and caulking the control crack. 60 ft long and still no cracks. Odd because the soil is clay. Plywood under the tires at home and during the 6 months on gravel in Arizona... The pattern on the concrete sucks if I want to use the car creeper to inspect under the fifth.

chevman

troutrod wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the insights and experiences. Do I understand correctly that the primary benefit from the skirts is to block the wind to reduce the wind-chill effect?

Yes, and skirting can be sealed more effectively on a concrete base than on loose gravel. W/O skirting, the I-beams on the trailer are exposed to the wind and there is no insulation along the sides of the I-beams, so the steel frame will get cold.

If you have a pad you should put something between the tire and the concrete eg. plywood. A gravel `pad' doesn't crack and can be refreshed with a new load of gravel at any time. I think the gravel to use is Grade 8 limestone.
Do NOT use the pretty little round pellets the a pad. The gravel needs to `lock' against each other to form a firm base. The little pellets just move around which makes it more difficult for a wheel to go thru it.

If you are actually using the camper over the snowy months, then by far, concrete is better.

Old house was on gravel and we used the camper throughout the winter. But shoveling snow off the gravel was not easy. No matter how hard I shoveled, it still left a bit on the gravel, and then it would melt (sunsine) and puddle and refreeze.

On asphalt (which would be comparable to concrete ... it's a solid surface), our current house is no problem. Of course I can use my snow blower and get all around the camper, there no danger of throwing rocks and once the snow is removed, the asphalt is dries in the sun. The asphalt is MUCH easier in the winter than the gravel ever was.

About the camper itself. I did not notice any difference where the camper was parked. There is such a space between the ground and the bottom of the camper, it doesn't make any difference. Air still blows under the camper. Neither gravel, stone, dirt, asphalt, or concrete retain enough heat (or cold) to make any noticeable difference with an object sitting 2 feet above it. In the summer, black asphalt will throw a lot of heat, but it doesn't throw any noticeable "cold". When it's freezing outside ... everything is cold!

If you do go with the crushed granite, I still suggest you put boards under the tires. This will raise the tire a bit and also keep water from puddling around the tire. Water won't hurt the tires, they are made to withstand the elements, but gives a good solid base for the tires.

More important than where you park (granite or concrete), is to keep your tires covered. UV sun rays will do more damage to the tires when a tire is not being flexed (driven) than anything else. I keep my tires covered when parked at home all the time.

If you have the choice, go with the concrete. And if you have snow, use store bought ice-melt for driveways or sidewalks. Don't use water softener salt or rock salt, or table salt. The salt will cause concrete to form pits, which are tiny holes. These tiny holes hold water. Water freezes, and those tiny pits begin to crack, making a bigger hole, or a bigger crack. Those hoses now hold more water, which freezes and causes larger cracks, and in a few years, a concrete pad has turned back into a gravel pad. Use the store bought ice-melt.

Good luck!

The heat loss difference between gravel and concrete is negligible.

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the insights and experiences. Do I understand correctly that the primary benefit from the skirts is to block the wind to reduce the wind-chill effect?