cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Patio Mat Anchoring

RobWNY
Explorer
Explorer
For those of you that use a patio mat, how do you keep them held down if your site has a concrete pad or don't you bother putting one out? If we are on a grass site, no problem. We just use tent stakes through the loops but on concrete you can't do that. I thought about weights in the corners but I see myself tripping on them all the time. Anyone have a good way of doing this?
2020 Silverado 2500HD LT, CC, 4X4 6.6 Duramax
2021 Grand Design Reflection 311BHS

I asked him to do one thing and he didn't do any of them.
19 REPLIES 19

B_O__Plenty
Explorer II
Explorer II
B.O. Plenty wrote:
I use gutter spikes they are long are about 6 inches long and are normally used to attach rain gutters to houses. I slip a fender washer on them and drive them flush with the carpet.
B.O.
Just another example of some idiot answering a question before he read it all...OOPS! that was me, sorry.

B.O.
Former Ram/Cummins owner
2015 Silverado 3500 D/A DRW
Yup I'm a fanboy!
2016 Cedar Creek 36CKTS

spoon059
Explorer II
Explorer II
BB_TX wrote:
B.O. Plenty wrote:
I use gutter spikes they are long are about 6 inches long and are normally used to attach rain gutters to houses. I slip a fender washer on them and drive them flush with the carpet.
B.O.

On a concrete site? :h

I'm assuming with a sledge hammer too. Personally I would either use a cut nail or a powder actuated nail gun if I had to have a mat. Otherwise, I'd be satisfied with the concrete.
2015 Ram CTD
2015 Jayco 29QBS

MFL
Nomad II
Nomad II
dedmiston wrote:
MFL wrote:
...


I deleted the post from the spammer who bumped this old thread, but now it makes Jerry look like a goober for bumping the thread.

While Jerry may or may not be a goober, he's not the one who resurrected this conversation and please don't hold it against him.

And as for anchoring the patio mat, I bought a bunch of these photo studio sand bags about six years ago and they're perfect. The soil where I usually camp is too hard to drive in any pegs (not too different than the concrete pads). So I put one or two of these on every corner. I also put on in the bottom of the collapsable trash/recycle cans so they can't blow away or tip over.

If you decide to use them, make sure to fill gallon Ziploc baggies with the sand and then add those baggies to the sand bags. Otherwise the sand will slowly seep out and make a mess.

Link to Sand Bags

(Sorry Jerry. 😉 )


goober... maybe, depends who you ask? :C

I should have written deleted (old post)

The OP of this thread is a good forum friend, a nice guy, that I often communicated with. He has not been posting for a long time, and my first thought when I saw this thread, was welcome back!

Jerry

AllegroD
Nomad
Nomad
Not on concrete.

Sjm9911
Explorer
Explorer
dedmiston wrote:
MFL wrote:
...


I deleted the post from the spammer who bumped this old thread, but now it makes Jerry look like a goober for bumping the thread.

While Jerry may or may not be a goober, he's not the one who resurrected this conversation and please don't hold it against him.

And as for anchoring the patio mat, I bought a bunch of these photo studio sand bags about six years ago and they're perfect. The soil where I usually camp is too hard to drive in any pegs (not too different than the concrete pads). So I put one or two of these on every corner. I also put on in the bottom of the collapsable trash/recycle cans so they can't blow away or tip over.

If you decide to use them, make sure to fill gallon Ziploc baggies with the sand and then add those baggies to the sand bags. Otherwise the sand will slowly seep out and make a mess.

Link to Sand Bags

(Sorry Jerry. 😉 )

Lol, didnt notice the original date. Hope they figured it out by now!
2012 kz spree 220 ks
2020 Silverado 2500
Equalizer ( because i have it)
Formerly a pup owner.

dedmiston
Moderator
Moderator
MFL wrote:
...


I deleted the post from the spammer who bumped this old thread, but now it makes Jerry look like a goober for bumping the thread.

While Jerry may or may not be a goober, he's not the one who resurrected this conversation and please don't hold it against him.

And as for anchoring the patio mat, I bought a bunch of these photo studio sand bags about six years ago and they're perfect. The soil where I usually camp is too hard to drive in any pegs (not too different than the concrete pads). So I put one or two of these on every corner. I also put on in the bottom of the collapsable trash/recycle cans so they can't blow away or tip over.

If you decide to use them, make sure to fill gallon Ziploc baggies with the sand and then add those baggies to the sand bags. Otherwise the sand will slowly seep out and make a mess.

Link to Sand Bags

(Sorry Jerry. 😉 )

2014 RAM 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually long bed. B&W RVK3600 hitch • 2015 Crossroads Elevation Homestead Toy Hauler ("The Taj Mahauler") • <\br >Toys:

  • 18 Can Am Maverick x3
  • 05 Yamaha WR450
  • 07 Honda CRF250X
  • 05 Honda CRF230
  • 06 Honda CRF230

Sjm9911
Explorer
Explorer
I use the matt on concrete, i have my kitchen set up on one side, and firepit on the other. Table and chairs near the camper and a cooler. So no anchors needed.
2012 kz spree 220 ks
2020 Silverado 2500
Equalizer ( because i have it)
Formerly a pup owner.

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
Concrete, why bother???
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

MFL
Nomad II
Nomad II
...

CDEW
Explorer
Explorer
We camp often in OBX North Carolina and gets pretty windy. I bring empty 5 gallon buckets with lids. After we set out our mats I fill the buckets with water and put the lids on. After they are filled and sealed I place them on the corners of the mats. This has worked well and mats stay put. When we leave I just empty the buckets, stack them inside each other and they are ready for the next trip. They also double as a small table next to our chairs when set up.

RobWNY
Explorer
Explorer
Dutch_12078 wrote:
Most of the time when we use a mat, I anchor the corners with painted plastic coffee cans filled with water. The two outer corner cans have an 'X' cut in the lids that holds a solar light to avoid night time tripping.

That's a great idea Dutch!
2020 Silverado 2500HD LT, CC, 4X4 6.6 Duramax
2021 Grand Design Reflection 311BHS

I asked him to do one thing and he didn't do any of them.

Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Explorer II
Most of the time when we use a mat, I anchor the corners with painted plastic coffee cans filled with water. The two outer corner cans have an 'X' cut in the lids that holds a solar light to avoid night time tripping.
Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F53 chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
Bigfoot Automatic Leveling System
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/Blue Ox baseplate

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
We have doors on both sides of our 5er and use mats (almost) all the time. If we are truly stepping down on grass, we don't use mats. But if stepping down on gravel or dirt, almost always do.

Our situation for doors on both sides are handled, as you can see in the photos below. We don't use any kind of stakes or anchors, we just simply put heavy objects on top of the mats. The corners may blow up sometimes, and sometimes in the morning, they are blown over, but never blown "away".

This week-end we are at Mississawana State Recreation in Indiana and the weather is about as perfect as it can get. No high winds predicted or anything. So, the mats are not held down right now, except with the door steps.

Back Side: Mat held in place by the door steps. If windy, I'll place rocks or logs on the corners to hold them down. Doesn't matter, dirt or concrete, they are never staked down.

This is the campsite we are at right now at the moment:





Front side of the camper. This week-end is an exception. We have great shade, so I left the picnic tables in the grass. Normally, the picnic table is on one of the mats to hold it down.



This was last week-end, same campground, different spot. Door steps hold one mat, picnic table holds the other. They don't blow away!



We've been to only one private campground that did not permits mats in all our years of camping. I suppose that's because we do almost exclusively State Parks with an occasional overnight at KOA's or Good Sam parks.

BB_TX
Nomad
Nomad
B.O. Plenty wrote:
I use gutter spikes they are long are about 6 inches long and are normally used to attach rain gutters to houses. I slip a fender washer on them and drive them flush with the carpet.
B.O.

On a concrete site? :h