Hello All, Looking for inspiration and ideas from you knowledgeable folks. Finally going to pour a parking pad on the side of the house and trying to decide on the paving across the front yard to get to it. Currently grass with a tree that will be trimmed up to allow passage next to it. The run is about 40' from where the new gate will be to the sidewalk. I'll fab some metal ramps to put in the gutter when I need to traverse the sidewalk.Current options: Stamped Concrete strips. Not a huge fan of the strips but have seen some done well. If we did this, maybe some leggy low ground cover that would cover most of it. I could cut it back if I needed the traction. We only take the trailer out a few times per year. I looked into the turf blocks that allow tufts of grass to grow through but in our climate the summers would likely kill anything that tried. The blocks would just be little kilns surrounding anything temporarily green. Stamped concrete driveway. Would match existing but would leave only a small section of yard for anything green. Pavers look nice but wont match any other concrete we have. Of course the driveway probably should be done soon too so that could be a larger integrated project, with a much larger price tag. Gravel or decomposed granite- no freaking way. The older I get the less I want to nitpick clean up. I'm just too busy. If my leaf blower or power washer wont clean it, It's off the list :) I'm sure many of you get to park your rigs at home. If you added parking, how did you tackle the access while not looking like an airport runway? Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Depending on the sort of soil you have (and how picky you are about a perfectly manicured lawn), doing nothing and driving on the grass the few times you need to do so may be an option as well. That's more or less what I do to get my motorhome from the driveway to the de facto parking space next to my garage (and, to a rather greater extent, in the back yard to turn it around).

Gravel parking pad. Simple and easy to remove/enlarge/repair.

Use Grass Pave, there not made out of concrete blocks like the others. clicky

Mine is all cement, been there for 20 years. Yes it looks like an airport runway,20 some feet wide.

Expanded metal grating. I have surplus military cargo pads. Metal strips with holes in them. Grass (lawn) has grown thru and unless you know where they are they can't be seen. I mow across them and generally never think of their existence. With your drier Western climate I don't know if they would be covered as well.https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=marston+landing+mat&id=F62B38B6A4247FF938DB7329CF4C9D0365859F80&FORM=IQFRBA

Parking strips or driveway? | Good Sam Community

CharlesinGA
Explorer
Aug 06, 2018
pitch wrote:
Expanded metal grating. I have surplus military cargo pads. Metal strips with holes in them. Grass (lawn) has grown thru and unless you know where they are they can't be seen. I mow across them and generally never think of their existence. With your drier Western climate I don't know if they would be covered as well.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=marston+landing+mat&id=F62B38B6A4247FF938DB7329CF4C9D0365859F80&FORM=IQFRBA

PSP or Perforated Steel Planking, originally known as Marston Matting. Its military runway matting. The Viet Nam era runway mat is different and doesn't have the holes.

Charles
harryjr
Explorer
Aug 05, 2018
down home wrote:
Local Paving Contractors are the best consultants but not the ones who just want to pave a drive way with one year guarantee.

When we repaved our driveway, I asked for the addresses from jobs 3-4 years ago, not last year. Boy did that weed out the incompetents. A couple were quick with the info. Others had all kinds of excuses as to why they couldn't.
down_home
Explorer II
Aug 05, 2018
I don't know your soil composition but best idea is a broad concrete driveway reinforced with rebar. The bigger the surface spreads the considerable load out. Your Mh might be 28,000 to 60,000 lbs.
Another alternative would be about foot deep of 1 3/4 stone packed and the new mim that is far better than crush and run and then on top of that big thick pavers all properly compacted. Won't crack and provides a pleasing surface, but if need be pavers can be replaced or removed and reset.
You soild may not need such. Local Paving Contractors are the best consultants but not the ones who just want to pave a drive way with one year guarantee.
H20ENG
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
We will be pouring a concrete pad that goes all the way back to my workshop in the back corner of our lot. I'll install a sewer clean out before pouring the pad since it's close to the kitchen plumbing anyway.
I'd like to put one of the metal carports over the top of it but need to figure out if code-wise it can be next to the fenceline. A nice set of wide gates in front will round it out.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 04, 2018
Asthetically speaking, since that's what your after, my 3 options would be
Nothing, drive over the grass, since it's infrequent.
Grass pave type device if you experience wet soft conditions when. Moving the camper in and out.
Match your driveway with stamped concrete strips.
atperci
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
We live in Benicia and have the same climate as the OP. In the wet season, he will most likely have problems if he tries to move it, obviously. But if he just leaves it on the dirt/grass, the moisture will shorten the life of the tires.

The original owner of our house poured drive strips about 30' up from the sidewalk to the fence/gate to the side yard. The strips stop there, which is kind of odd, but is fine as that part is about 3' higher than the street. We placed only wood chips in the parking area behind the gate at first. This worked fine for the TT we originally had. However when we bought our current MH, even a little bit of rain caused a major problem. I almost ended up calling a tow truck when it got stuck. When we returned home from that trip, I pulled the chips aside and placed 3 - 4" of gravel in the ruts and then covered it back up. Where the tires and jacks always end up, I left the gravel exposed and made the "pads" level with each other. This will hopefully keep the tires a little drier than sitting right in the wood chips or even the ground.
H20ENG
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
Well that sounds like the cheap and cheerfull solution to me! Our lawn is rarely soft, unless the middle of winter, and we likely won't be camping then anyhow. Plus there is very little slope so no wheelspin.
Thanks all for your thoughts
harryjr
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/grass-safe-driveway

I planned on using the above between the street and our gravel pad. The contractor researched them and recommended leaving well enough alone. His reasoning was that you end up with about 4" of top soil on top of the reinforcement vs the 14" topsoil we had and the grass will die during any dry spell. As mentioned in a previous comment, unless you're driving over the area every day the grass will rebound within a day or two. If your soil is always soft and wet, they might be a good solution though.
valhalla360
Navigator
Aug 04, 2018
A couple times per year...unless it's soft and muddy (doesn't sound like it from your post), just drive across the grass.

Unless you start spinning the tires or doing something silly, the grass should be fine.
Dick_B
Explorer
Aug 03, 2018
We basically laid a gravel driveway with 4 x 4 landscaping timbers on each side to hold it in. Used Grade 8 limestone. Do NOT use those cute round stones.