Gravel rv pad?

Speaking from experience I wouldn't have a gravel pad. I have a 6" deep gravel pad for my 5th wheel that weighs about 10,000 when loaded. In good dry weather...not a problem. In wet rainy weather like the Northeast saw this spring, it's a nightmare. I should have had a few loads of road millings delivered instead so it would have hardened up and I wouldn't have had the issues I had. I was barely able to get unhooked and had to use 4 Low to get my truck out. Then my camper sat buried to the rims and unusable for three weeks until things dried out enough to get it off the pad. Once out, it spent the better part of month in our driveway because the pad was unable to be used.

suprz wrote:
How deep would a gravel RV pad need to be for a 32ft long X 10ft wide pad for my 14000 lbs Rv

It depends a lot on the ground under the gravel. If it is in a well drained area and you use a roller on the gravel as you put it in, you really shouldn't need much. If you really want to do it a little better, make some 3' X 8' X 6" wooden forms for where your tires will sit and fill with concrete. Before adding concrete drive about 10 3 foot pieces of rebar into the ground as anchors for the concrete. Your tires will never sink into the ground.

Our TT sets on a gravel pad which is approximately four inches thick. Over time another layer may be necessary because the stones settle. We use Grade 8 limestone. On one side and the back we have the flat lannon stone and the other side is concrete squares for a walkway. This provides the frame. We've used this arrangement forever for our RV and boat on a trailer previously.
Do NOT use the pretty decorative round gravel as you will never get the rig onto the pad because the pellets just move out of the way and one is always going uphill.

In Az. My ground was like concrete and it didn't even soften after rain. 2" of crushed gravel made a solid base. I had it done with concrete and then I could use a creeper and no more sliding around on cardboard. Craig

I put pavers where my TT tires contact the ground/gravel. Couldnt notice a bit of sinkage.

As mentioned, depends.
Does it need to be somewhat structural, or can the trailer sit on it now without it sinking, getting soft (even in the rain and spring thaw)?
If so, just 3-4" of crushed rock to pretty it up.
If not, need 6-12" of road base, compacted, then cap it with a little gravel.
Even softer? Layer of fabric/geogrid then base and gravel.

Best to put down a vapor barrier for 2 purposes. Keeps excessive moisture out of the subgrade and controls weeds.

The key to anything I. Life is drainage. If you just dig out a whole In The lawn and fill it with 6” of gravel you now made a mud pit. The gravel is more porous then the clay and top soil so it will just fill with water. I suspect that is what happens with the one pictured above. If there was a way for the water to drain out of the gravel it would probably be zero issue

The type of sub base and the overall site drainage are the key. If you lay gravel on (what eventually becomes) mud, when wet, the gravel will, over time, sink into the mud and your efforts will most likely be wasted.

Does the ground rut easily now? (when wet) Consider your approach area as well as the actual parking place.

Chum lee

You will get plenty of answers not a one will be correct for your existing conditions. Talk to a local excavator.

I agree w/ talking to someone local who is familiar w/ your soil types.

In our case, we used 4-5" of asphalt roadbase, used a bobcat to spread it then smash it down as best it could, then drove the big truck over it back and forth many many times.

We used peagravel in our dog run area and I wish we had used larger rocks. The gravel just moves around too much.