RV can’t make it into driveway. Bottoms out hard.

[92GreenYJ]

Hey all. So we just purchased our new 32 foot Sunseeker and upon getting it home discovered a bit of a problem. While I have plenty of space for it in the driveway, I can’t actually get it up into the driveway. The hitch guards scraped just a hair turning onto my street, but turning into the driveway was a huge can of worms. I got the RV about halfway in when I heard the guards start to scrape the asphalt in the street.

Me being me I decide to back it up and give it a bit more speed. Big mistake. I hit a point where the hitch guards dug into the sphalt so much that I couldn’t move either way. Tried putting some 2x4s in there. No joy. It was stuck good. So I hooked up a strap to my Hemi Ram 1500, tossed the wife in the drivers seat of the coach and yanked it out with the truck.

So for right now it’s parked on the street until I figure out what to do about this. I ordered a set of rollers to go on the bottom of the hitch but I’m not sure that’s gonna be enough.

Because the big dip at the bottom is right at the street I don’t think I could have the driveway leveled out at the bottom out into the street. Not sure if putting a culvert in there would fly with the county but I suspect not.

What have you guys done in this situation? Heavy duty ramp of some kind from driveway to street to raise it enough that the ass doesn’t drag?
Dump a yard of pea gravel at the bottom to build up the dip? (Again not sure this would be allowed)
Open to suggestions.

Here are a couple of pics of what I am dealing with.

[covered_wagon]

Best thing we ever did was to get out on country acreage. It will afford a better way of living for you with an RV.

[fj12ryder]

^^^^^^^^^^FWIW I wondered something of the same and he replied that he lives in a rural area, so city prying would be a non-issue.

[PAThwacker]

troubledwaters wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Don't ya love people's opinions about how you're affecting others lives.......

This site is full of other people's opinions including yours. So who's to say who's opinion is valid and who's isn't?

All I asked was how does he fit all those units on a city lot: typical size .25 acre. City could challenge every mod and raise an eye on parking on grass. City is 100% worse than any HOA out there.

[troubledwaters]

Grit dog wrote:
Don't ya love people's opinions about how you're affecting others lives.......

This site is full of other people's opinions including yours. So who's to say who's opinion is valid and who's isn't?

[John_Wayne]

Could you angle up the driveway from the street and park the MH up on the grass where the Jeep is. Then park the rest of the toys on the driveway.

[jkwilson]

I think I'd just have some aluminum pieces made to set in place when going in and out. Fast and no compliance issues.

[Grit_dog]

92GreenYJ wrote:

Hammerboy wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
92YJ, unless I’m missing something, there’s no “low” spot to fill in. From the pics, your driveway goes up from the gutter line, correct?
You can’t re work the curb and gutter and street grade, you’d have to lower the driveway.
I don’t see a solution by filing anything in. But ICBW.

I think its doable. It looks like if he excavates that sharp bend on the drive about 6-8' from the street he will make it. My drive is much steeper and I make it fine. Just needs a more rolling surface with no sharp bends in the driveway

Dan

Take another look at the pictures of it in the driveway. Where that big stack of pavers goes out in a line is the low spot I am referring to and what ultimately stopped me getting it in there. The rear tires of the RV dropped into that low spot and that was what hung me up on the rear. By building that “bridge” out of pavers/ timber the rear stayed up high enough not to hit the road on the way in. So I think the ultimate solution is going to be to fill that low spot in and build it up as I did with the pavers, but this time do it permanently with concrete. That way I don’t have to spend 45 minutes building my bridge every time I want to take it out.

Don't ya love people's opinions about how you're affecting others lives......lol.
I see what you're saying about the grade break between the driveway apron coming off the curb, up to the first joint. Yes if you straight graded that, lowering it a bit, to the second joint it would help a bit with break over angle down at the curb, but I dont think it will help with the RV. Wheelbase too long. This was the other fellows suggestion.
If you're simply building up the little dip in the pavers inside the curb line, that could help and if it's enough to get the camper "over the hump" that's great.
But look at the pic of your truck with front wheels in the gutter line. There's not much you can do about that overall condition except to basically lower the whole driveway. Which isn't really feasible.

[1320Fastback]

When there's a will there's a way!

[Mickeyfan0805]

92GreenYJ wrote:

Where that big stack of pavers goes out in a line is the low spot I am referring to and what ultimately stopped me getting it in there. The rear tires of the RV dropped into that low spot and that was what hung me up on the rear. By building that “bridge” out of pavers/ timber the rear stayed up high enough not to hit the road on the way in. So I think the ultimate solution is going to be to fill that low spot in and build it up as I did with the pavers, but this time do it permanently with concrete. That way I don’t have to spend 45 minutes building my bridge every time I want to take it out.

If they let you do that, more power to you. Come back and let us know what happens. From the 'outsider' perspective, looking at those pics, it is hard to imagine someone doing what you are suggesting. Trying to level that out without touching the street (which would not be allowed by the municipality) or creating a 'curb' entering onto the driveway (which very well could be a code problem), it is hard to see how restructuring the drive will work.

That said, you see it in person and have the best view of all of us. Let us know what your concrete company says, as it will be interesting to see what options (if any) they provide.

[92GreenYJ]

PAThwacker wrote:

92GreenYJ wrote:

turbojimmy wrote:

92GreenYJ wrote:

What's the blue thing with chrome bumpers? Appears to be a classic Mopar cruiser?

Yet another of my toys. 1971 Dodge Charger

You have too many toys for postage size city lot. Most camper trailer I could fit on my sloped driveway at my house was a 21 footer. I had mere inches to spare from front hitch and rear bumper scraping the road and driveway. Where does the half ton truck, mopar, truck camper, flat bed trailer, 33 ft class c, modified jeep, and wife's ride fit?

Well the truck camper is gone. The RV now takes the left half of the driveway, my wife’s Grand Cherokee takes the top spot on the right side, my daily driver Ram truck is parked behind her car. Right now my 71 Charger is on the street in front of my house and my Jeep is parked on my dead grass behind the bushes of the front yard off the driveway. I will be replacing the dead grass with 1/2 artificial grass and half pavers to make an additional parking space there for the Charger and the Jeep will then take over the spot on the street in front of my house parked on the flatbed trailer it will be towed to the desert on.

[92GreenYJ]

fj12ryder wrote:
Is that parking going to pass muster with the city? I mean it's blocking the easement/sidewalk area. And right up against your neighbor's property line. If your city lets that go after your neighbor rats you out, then it's a much more liberal city than ours.

There is no sidewalk. I’m in a rural area way up on the hill on a quiet street. Only about 10 houses on the whole street and it doesn’t go thru so it’s only traveled by people that live here. The retaining wall along my neighbors little walkway there is actually on my property.

[92GreenYJ]

timmac wrote:

92GreenYJ wrote:
Well I got it in the driveway. A combination of the hitch rollers, a stack of pavers, and four 2x4x8s did the trick. That said I do NOT want to have to do this every time so this is a temporary solution at best. I have contacted a local concrete guy to get an estimate on reworking half of the driveway for the RV.

All those toys and no deceit area to park them without blocking neighbors views, I can maybe see why she complained why it was parked in the street blocking her views to get out of her driveway, also the way the motorhome is parked in the driveway also blocks views form her front door and such, I made sure when I park my motorhome at my house including my boat and Jeep its not blocking views out front of house, its all behind a 5 foot fence set back in property as to Vegas codes..


You would be a problem for me as well, you want big toys than buy a house to properly accommodate them..

Just my opinion..

And your opinion is dumb. You don’t have the whole picture at all. The steps you see there are access to the side yard there from their ample driveway/ garage area which is where their front door is and where they enter/exit from. In the 5 years we have owned our home I have never once seen them use those steps or even walk along that side yard. There is also that very large hedge and a huge wall behind it blocking their view of the street entirely from their front door. At most they saw the roof of the RV at the very top of the wall.

[92GreenYJ]

Hammerboy wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
92YJ, unless I’m missing something, there’s no “low” spot to fill in. From the pics, your driveway goes up from the gutter line, correct?
You can’t re work the curb and gutter and street grade, you’d have to lower the driveway.
I don’t see a solution by filing anything in. But ICBW.

I think its doable. It looks like if he excavates that sharp bend on the drive about 6-8' from the street he will make it. My drive is much steeper and I make it fine. Just needs a more rolling surface with no sharp bends in the driveway

Dan

Take another look at the pictures of it in the driveway. Where that big stack of pavers goes out in a line is the low spot I am referring to and what ultimately stopped me getting it in there. The rear tires of the RV dropped into that low spot and that was what hung me up on the rear. By building that “bridge” out of pavers/ timber the rear stayed up high enough not to hit the road on the way in. So I think the ultimate solution is going to be to fill that low spot in and build it up as I did with the pavers, but this time do it permanently with concrete. That way I don’t have to spend 45 minutes building my bridge every time I want to take it out.

[PAThwacker]

92GreenYJ wrote:

turbojimmy wrote:

92GreenYJ wrote:

What's the blue thing with chrome bumpers? Appears to be a classic Mopar cruiser?

Yet another of my toys. 1971 Dodge Charger

You have too many toys for postage size city lot. Most camper trailer I could fit on my sloped driveway at my house was a 21 footer. I had mere inches to spare from front hitch and rear bumper scraping the road and driveway. Where does the half ton truck, mopar, truck camper, flat bed trailer, 33 ft class c, modified jeep, and wife's ride fit?