:Parking Pad for storing 5 ton RV

spoon059 wrote:
I poured two sets of 6" thick 30"x60" leveled concrete pads for my tires, and dumped 3/4" gravel everywhere else. Gets my trailer level, the concrete pads spread out the eight over a larger area. Cost me less then $100 in bags of concrete at the home center. Spent more on the gravel that surrounds the pads.

Works great thus far, been 4 years now.

x2. Thinking of doing the same.

I guess I wasn't very clear in my using of the quarter minus stuff. I did mark where all four wheels would sit in the yard. Backed the rig away, dug down about 8 to 10 inches and about 10 inches bigger than the tire marks, and removed the dirt. Added the QM to a inch or so above the ground level and wet as I was putting it in and compacting it as I went. It is extremely solid and the Mh sits without sinking and just slightly above any water that may get into the yard after rains.

I poured two sets of 6" thick 30"x60" leveled concrete pads for my tires, and dumped 3/4" gravel everywhere else. Gets my trailer level, the concrete pads spread out the eight over a larger area. Cost me less then $100 in bags of concrete at the home center. Spent more on the gravel that surrounds the pads.

Works great thus far, been 4 years now.

From what you describe - no way! It would be a total waste of money.

Now I don't know where Baytown is so I really can't offer any options I would stand behind. But generally speaking, when you use the term "black gumbo", digging a hole and putting gravel in it, without providing any drainage in the hole, is probably a bad idea. Something on top the ground that water can drain away from is going to be better. Trapping water is pretty much not good for heavy loads.

But again, I don't know where Baytown is. So generalities is all I can offer.

What's under the gravel (or blocks, or concrete pad, or asphalt) will determine how much you need to dig out to replace with a crushed stone foundation. That answer comes from coring the soil and running compression tests.

On something you describe as gumbo the answer is unlikely to be three inches. Might be six inches or a foot or more. Your soil conditions might be why concrete work is crazy expensive in your area, i.e. cost of building a foundation to support the concrete pad, or a pad strong enough to spread out the load and float.

Gravel is a great medium for parking on. 3" is not thick enough, depending on soil type 6" is a better choice at least where it supports most of the weight.

We are on a gravel pad but just a few inches on clay soil in the Midwest. Periodically more gravel has to be added. Not sure where it goes!

I park our 37' Southwind on gravel. No problems.

After "framing" an area with "treated" 4x4s I used 7 tons of "3/4 crush" stones.
Delivered in a dump truck and I spread them out.

Worked fine for years, not expensive. FWIW.

stripit wrote:
I just used what they call quarter minus, small crushed granite, or maybe it is crushed stone of some type. It compacts like concrete, and I made 4 pads about twice the imprint size of the tires. Giving a solid parking base for the rig to park on in my back yard. Cost was less than $50 and works great till I decide to pave that area.

polar opposite bearing capacity of any soil/sand around southern AZ and gumbo, i.e. mud.
Kinda depends how well the lot drains, but like track rig said, 3" IMO is not enough to bridge over soft soil.
Dig out the wheel tracks deeper like track rig said, or use a layer of geo grid fabric under the compacted base, or other means to spread the load.
You could dig in 2 rows of patio blocks under the wheel paths then gravel
Assuming the ground won't hold concentrated weight as it is when wet.
Another option to gain a little more structural strength out of a thin section is use recycled asphalt or concrete for the drive pad. Grade it out perfectly and compact it.
Both will get pretty hard. Not as good as an asphalt drive but much better than compacted gravel alone.