alternative to dirt around campsite?

[al7601]

We have our 33 foot TT at a seasonal site and were looking for options to put down over this area of dry powdery dirt that is on our site. Our 2 boys playing always find a way to get their shoes very dirty every weekend. We can't use mulch because of the campfire and have considered an RV mat or outdoor rug but do they really help? any other tips are appreciated and thank you

[al7601]

thank you for all the suggestions. we did have some smaller river rocks placed down covering a lot of square footage and are looking at some mats near the door. My 2 boys are 7 and 11. We do always take our shoes off before entering, the boys do have crocs, and now with the rocks cleaned from the rain it has helped. thank you all for the suggestions. everyone on here has been so very helpful.

[trail-explorer]

al7601 wrote:
and have considered an RV mat or outdoor rug but do they really help?

Yes they help, because they cover the dirt.

[2gypsies1]

OP: Has any of this helped?

[myredracer]

I've seen some fairly thin indoor/outdoor carpeting that would work. RV mats may not be long or wide enough in some cases. We have 2 exterior doors and the standard RV mat isn't long enough to fit under both steps and we may get an indoor/outdoor carpet.

A no-shoe rule might work. We remove our shoes and change over to flip-flops when we're going to be in and out of the TT. I made an opening the back of our dinette seat next to the door (about 12x12") to keep flip-flops and shoes in so they aren't all over the floor.

Our long-haired dog is pretty good at tracking in tree needles and dirt and it's a constant job to keep the floor clean. We installed a built-in vacuum cleaner 2 years ago and it's been one of our top upgrades. Gets used a lot, even when the dog isn't with us.

If you have an outdoor shower and can use it to wash dirt off the kids, thick rubber anti-fatigue mats can be used to keep their feet off the ground. We bought one at Lowes that is 36x36" and cut it into 12" squares to make a path to the door. The 12" squares are easier to store too.

[westend]

I'd suggest a mat at the door and shoes off when entering.

If you're in a location that gets adequate rainfall, broadcast Dutch or Alsike clover on the rest of your campsite. It establishes fast, is low in stature, smells good when blooming, and will actually improve the soil. It's also inexpensive and tolerates shade.

[catkins]

Two small bys and gravel might not be a good mix. If you are not on grass, I would get an outdoor carpet or large RV patio mat and "nail" it into the ground. Good luck!

[mowin]

Our previous seasonal site I had pea stone. I hated it. Stones were small enough to get stuck in tread of shoes and deposited in camper.

Our current site is getting #2's.

[MNGeeks61]

Grit dog wrote:

bukhrn wrote:

Naio wrote:
If your concern is the shoes getting dirty, how little are the boys? Are they small enough to stay on the rug? If not, I can't see it helping.

For boys who venture off the rug, I'd say you need some designated 'camping' shoes (maybe something easy to wash like crocs) or bare feet.

X-2, I have to agree with Naio, I mean, you are camping, as it were, and they are boys, dirt is part of the equation. 😉

Lol.
By the same token, having a long term campsite that is a dust bowl when dry and mud pit when wet pretty much sucks.
Seasonal campsite isn't roughing it out in nature, it's a place to relax and be comfortable and while my kids get dirty on a regular basis, I wouldn't want them running around all summer looking like orphans that hadn't showered in a month. Not to mention the mess in the camper, daily.
For an instant solution, gravel it. But don't use pea rock, it never stops moving. Get a dump truck load of crushed rock. Couple hours spreading it out and permanent, clean fireproof solution.
Won't help this year, but if it's dirt, why not plant grass? Maybe deal w it this summer and plant grass late summer or next spring.

What I've used at our seasonal place to reduce mud/dirt is 1/2"-3/4" river rock. Various shapes and sizes under 3/4 of an inch. Could go smaller I suppose, just not pea gravel. My neighbor says our lot is annoying to walk on, but it's fantastic for drainage. Our lot almost never has any standing water and the rock dries very quickly.

[2gypsies1]

Mr. Camper wrote:
Check with the campground for permission first.

This is true. The patio rugs actually kill any grass that's there - even the lightweight mesh-type. There are RV parks that have nice grass that don't allow them.

However, it doesn't sound like the OP has a site like this so if it's a permanent site, ask if you can gravel it and then also get a patio rug for ease of walking on it and the boys can sit on it and play.

[APT]

First rule - no shoes worn inside the RV.

To help with this, we have a large patio mat, actually 3 of them depending on what the campsite is. We tend to wear easy to put on/off shoes at campgrounds. Crocs are a favorite, and flip-flops. Easy to clean up.

[Grit_dog]

bukhrn wrote:

Naio wrote:
If your concern is the shoes getting dirty, how little are the boys? Are they small enough to stay on the rug? If not, I can't see it helping.

For boys who venture off the rug, I'd say you need some designated 'camping' shoes (maybe something easy to wash like crocs) or bare feet.

X-2, I have to agree with Naio, I mean, you are camping, as it were, and they are boys, dirt is part of the equation. 😉

Lol.
By the same token, having a long term campsite that is a dust bowl when dry and mud pit when wet pretty much sucks.
Seasonal campsite isn't roughing it out in nature, it's a place to relax and be comfortable and while my kids get dirty on a regular basis, I wouldn't want them running around all summer looking like orphans that hadn't showered in a month. Not to mention the mess in the camper, daily.
For an instant solution, gravel it. But don't use pea rock, it never stops moving. Get a dump truck load of crushed rock. Couple hours spreading it out and permanent, clean fireproof solution.
Won't help this year, but if it's dirt, why not plant grass? Maybe deal w it this summer and plant grass late summer or next spring.

[bukhrn]

Naio wrote:
If your concern is the shoes getting dirty, how little are the boys? Are they small enough to stay on the rug? If not, I can't see it helping.

For boys who venture off the rug, I'd say you need some designated 'camping' shoes (maybe something easy to wash like crocs) or bare feet.

X-2, I have to agree with Naio, I mean, you are camping, as it were, and they are boys, dirt is part of the equation. 😉

[rockhillmanor]

al7601 wrote:
We have our 33 foot TT at a seasonal site and were looking for options to put down over this area of dry powdery dirt that is on our site. Our 2 boys playing always find a way to get their shoes very dirty every weekend. We can't use mulch because of the campfire and have considered an RV mat or outdoor rug but do they really help? any other tips are appreciated and thank you

I do a lot sporting events with my RV. And the sites are often on dirt or sand.
I chucked those heavy,stinky, and slippery RV mats out years ago! :B

Here is what I use.
Sun shade screen fabric. Go to Lowes or Home Depot. Many of the stores sell it by the foot off a roll. If not look around they will be packaged in various lengths.

Lightweight comes in different colors. I have one the entire length of my MH. I fasten it down to the ground with those states that have a circle metal piece over the stake. You can also add those rubber grommets with a hole in the middle to each corner too.

Pros. You can easily wash it, it dries in seconds in the sun AND it folds up into a FLAT 12" square for storage. AND you don't slip on it like you do with those RV mats. Keeps the sand and dirt out of your RV and when it rains the water goes right thru it. Picture of color swatches off website does not do it justice it really looks a lot nicer than pics.


http://www.lowes.com/pd_318319-304-74040_0__

[evanrem]

I was at a campground that had large permanent rubber like mats over the entire site. A bunch of sites had them. The ground was a bit sandy.