Our 6 x 10' cargo trailer has been an integral component for our many camping adventures for 3 years. I tow it behind our 24' Class C usually loaded with either our Rzr SXS or my Can Am Spyder. Destinations determine which toy to bring and we have nearly 25,000 miles towing the trailer.For the last year I have squeezed in onto the north side of my driveway but it encroaches too much and is far from level. I finally made the run to Home Depot for 8 - 9" x 7" by 8' railroad ties that will form the pad for the trailer. The guys at HD loaded the ties 2 at a time {they weigh 150# a piece} using a forklift. I wrestled them out of my Honda Ridgeline ONE at a time.Once they were stacked adjacent the build site the digging commenced. I hope to get the site dug down 4 to 6" and backfilled with small gravel so as to be level with the asphalt driveway. I'll drill the ties with a 3/8" bit and drive 2' 3/8" rebar to secure them in position. The last step will be to ramp gravel at each end.Here are a couple of pics... definitely a work in progress:Yep ,my little 570 RZR tows the {empty} 1200# trailer just fine.Done for the day and at my age {70 next month} it is time for an Ibuprofen and a soak in the jacuzzi... I'll get back to it tomorrow {maybe?}:B

One mistake I can see already; Should of done the digging before you picked up the ties. Then you could park close to where each tie belongs before unloading.I did not get this fat working harder than I needed too.

Point taken but... you assume that I actually know where each tie is going. :hLMAO... but seriously I plan on creating g a 16' X 4' box with a couple of stringers dug down flush with the top of the asphalt driveway. This I will back fill with small course gravel with a couple of inches of the larger concrete gravel on top.I utilized this formula with good results when I expanded the concrete driveway to a create a larger footprint/pad for the Class C. Obviously nothing is set in stone {sorry, pun intended}. I hope to end up with a smooth enough approach to the pad that I will be able to move the {empty} trailer off of the driveway and onto its pad using just a hand dolly.Film at eleven!:B

Here is a shot of the pad after two days. The finished pad will be 27' X 6' {turns out the rr ties are 9' long} so two more sections identical to this one to go. Once the framing is complete I'll bring in a few thousand pounds of gravel.:C

Why not simply lay ties along fence and at each end? Dig down next to asphalt and save the tie along there.

The three fence posts all have a concrete footing that precludes placing the ties flush with the chain link. On the driveway side the asphalt is 3.5" thick and angles down and away at a 60 degree angle. I did not want to chop into asphalt to try and make the edge vertical and leave it subject to possible erosion.Today I will add several thousand pounds of fine gravel which I will then pack down and compress. Wetting it thoroughly several times and recompressing should set it up. Finally I will add a top layer of larger concrete rock gravel.Here is a shot of the pad at the end of day 3:I still need to build up ramps at each end to facilitate rolling up onto the pad. Hopefully I can wrap this up in just a couple more days. On the bright side doing a project like this eliminates any need for a gym membership. :BI used the same basic formula when I widened the motorhomes parking pad which I expanded with the 3.5' X 24' box. This pic shows the pad after the fine gravel had been laid and compacted but before the larger concrete rock was added to fill the "box"::C

Latest project...parking pad for our cargo trailer

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Oct 18, 2021
Deleted again, nice!
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Oct 17, 2021
Thanks... I am more than happy to share the details of my projects which is pretty much the point of this thread. Having done a very similar project last year to widen the pad for my coach this one was fairly straightforward to design and execute.

There are reasons for every thing I do on a job like this and unless you are on site some things might seem odd. I hope to wrap it up tomorrow with a ton {mas y menos} of the larger gravel that will be my top coat. My Honda Ridgeline has been getting a work out hauling all of the materials but with 1,477# of Payload it handles the loads well. I'll follow up with a final pic for two once I'm done. Thanks for the support.

:B
dedmiston
Moderator
Oct 17, 2021
pitch wrote:
Looks like a fine job. It appears that you know just what you want and exactly how too achieve that.
Too bad that instead of cheering your initiative,some feel that their advice and criticism is warranted.

I couldn't agree more.

It's a sad twist of irony for you guys to be lectured on manners and compassion from pitch.
pitch
Explorer II
Oct 16, 2021
Looks like a fine job. It appears that you know just what you want and exactly how too achieve that.
Too bad that instead of cheering your initiative,some feel that their advice and criticism is warranted.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Oct 15, 2021
Another update...

Got the crushed Granite gravel down today. It took 4,000# and that was just barely enough. Oh by the way.... 2 tons of gravel set me back a whopping $30. I've been compacting it by driving the Rzr over it {me + Rzr= 1,500#} and then soaked it down thoroughly. I'll continue alternating between compacting and wetting it down. Once it settles a little more I'll drive my truck {4,300#} up and down it and then Monday I'll add the top layer of the larger gravel, probably need another ton.

Here it is...

:B
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Oct 15, 2021
Simply fill the gravel to the top of the asphalt grade, no need to chop anything off.

I used RR ties to add parking at a previous home. To secure the ties I drilled a hole near each end and in the middle of each tie and drove 2' x 1/2" rebar down thru the holes and flush to the top of the ties. Worked like a champ and didn't have to look at metal straps.
dedmiston
Moderator
Oct 15, 2021
Glad to see it's coming along.

I can't tell where you live, but it looks like perfect weather for this project.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Oct 15, 2021
The three fence posts all have a concrete footing that precludes placing the ties flush with the chain link. On the driveway side the asphalt is 3.5" thick and angles down and away at a 60 degree angle. I did not want to chop into asphalt to try and make the edge vertical and leave it subject to possible erosion.

Today I will add several thousand pounds of fine gravel which I will then pack down and compress. Wetting it thoroughly several times and recompressing should set it up. Finally I will add a top layer of larger concrete rock gravel.

Here is a shot of the pad at the end of day 3:

I still need to build up ramps at each end to facilitate rolling up onto the pad. Hopefully I can wrap this up in just a couple more days. On the bright side doing a project like this eliminates any need for a gym membership. :B

I used the same basic formula when I widened the motorhomes parking pad which I expanded with the 3.5' X 24' box. This pic shows the pad after the fine gravel had been laid and compacted but before the larger concrete rock was added to fill the "box":

:C
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Oct 14, 2021
Why not simply lay ties along fence and at each end? Dig down next to asphalt and save the tie along there.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Oct 14, 2021
Here is a shot of the pad after two days. The finished pad will be 27' X 6' {turns out the rr ties are 9' long} so two more sections identical to this one to go. Once the framing is complete I'll bring in a few thousand pounds of gravel.

:C