Help with parking area

[tim1970]

I am looking at having a parking spot built for my (soon to be new) 5th wheel. I want something that will last, but do I really need a 40 X 8 concrete pad built? Could I go with just a pad under where my 4 tires will rest and then put 4 small concrete blocks under where the stabilizers will be, and then fill in with gravel everywwhere else below the camper? Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Tim

[ro_sie]

Certainly some good idea here. We did add a roof and walls on our parking pad. Mainly we wanted it because the Carolina sun is so intense and fades things virtually color free. We figured it would be better for the paint and the tires, not to mention , if we want to work on it, it protected us a bit from the weather.

Tim1970, you sure opened a lively discussion here.

[Bird_Freak]

I had to fill in a lot for my pad and used concrete wash out from the local plant. Material was free and they just charged a delivery fee. Leveled with tractor and it packed hard as concrete.

[tegu69]

If I went to the trouble of pouring a pad like that, it would have walls and a roof.
Actually, the title of this thread should be post your ideas of a parking area and have at it. OP gone?

[Campinfan]

18 x 40 that is a nice size.

[mbrower]

I had my RV on both and for cleanliness and ease of working on one, concrete wins in my opinion hands down. I had 18X40 pad pored for around $2,000. Money well spent.

[Campinfan]

Maybe If I stay here long enough, I will add the concrete over my "base" of limestone.

[ro_sie]

Something to add here. You guys putting in the gravel. it is a nice base for someday doing the concrete. Pretty smart move you are making.

[cbshoestring]

I think concrete was roughly $120 per yard the last time I needed some. Gravel about $25.00 per yard.

Concrete requires framing, rebar, raking, floating, trowelling, etc....(beer and pizza for the guys I would need to help)

Gravel can be raked over a weed barrier. (wife/son helped--they already eat/drink here).

I would love to have a pad to roll around on, but for less than the cost of a single yard of concrete....I placed, levelled, 2x2 concrete patio stones for each tire and the tongue, filled in the rest of the space with gravel.

[Cummins12V98]

Poured a concerete pad with 50A power, frost free hose bib and sewer. RV sizes change, I now hang over each end of my 30' pad. Do it once and allow for future RV's. I do wish I had made the pad 1-2' wider but it does work.

[momentum_rv]

Concrete sure is nice while doing inspections and maintenance on the underside. A creeper rolls around much easier on hard surface than on gravel or dirt.

[Campinfan]

Halmfamily wrote:
We park our 14600lb fifth wheel on a 4" gravel pad. Leveled the site, layed the gravel and compacted with our dually. 5 years and still solid. Total cost $250 for gravel.

Roughly the same for me...works great.

[Jebby14]

My old POS sits on a 12 foot 2x12 cut in half in my buddies field in the off season and on my cement driveway during camping season

[ro_sie]

sure you could. me, I'd do it right and construct a proper covered pad with an electrical post. and if zoning permitted I'd have a water and sewer connection

As Rich said, We have our house on a slanted few acres. We built a pad that has the rear end almost 4 feet in the air. It has concrete blockson the in the air end and then gravel and then dirt packed in. On top of that we have about 5 inches of concrete for the pad and then a building on top of that then another driveway to the street, Maybe 100 feet or so. When we were first plnning, we got some pretty werd suggestions. One went so far as to tell me we werent parking a 727 on there. But, we did it our way and very pleased with the result. We have an electric on a stancion, water and sewer hookups. The building is wide enough that we can open all of our slides and still walk around the MoHo. even store our lawnmower and other thngs in there. Build what YOU like and what YOU can afford. Just dont forget, the better you take care of that rv, the better it will work for you.

[pitch]

I used two Marstin Mats. Military pierced steel that they use for combat pads.
Mine have been down for 7 or 8 years. Grass grows through them and I can mow right over them.

Check some Military surplus yards.