Wooden parking platforms?

[suprz]

Has anyone made one? Right now i park on 2X8's. But i would like to build some actual platforms made out of 2X8's (2 side by side for the front, and 3 side by side for the rear duals.) the problem is i don't want to use wood screws to make the platforms for fear of the screws working loose, and i doubt any glue is going to hold up to a 7 ton rv being parked on it. Right now, gravel and concrete are not a economical consideration... Any ideas?

[Airstreamer67]

I always have used treated planks. The tires haven't complained yet.

[suprz]

Another thing i have always wondered, is if pressure treated lumber would be bad for the tires ? I can usually get about 2 years service out of regular non treated boards.

[wa8yxm]

Actually Glue works very well with an RV parked on TOP of the thing.

In fact. I made some "Stair Steps" a few years back I'm no longer using them because of where they are stored I have other plaking that is easier to use but when I made them I stacked them, Drilled down through 'em for wooden dowling (Small dowwls just enough to keep 'em from sliding around till the glue died)

Jacked up my car. Slathered the shorter step with glue and slipped it over the
Pins (Dowels) on the longer slab then slathere the still shorter one and slapped it on and set my car on top of it.. Next AM I backed the car off (Did two at a time) and did the next set.

THey held up very well.. Very well indeed.

Common Wood Glue, nothing special

[Jebby14]

patio stones? cheaper and easier

[TNGW1500SE]

Use gravel.

[mowermech]

I think the OP simply wants to keep his tires off the dirt when the RV is not in use.
I have gravel under my tires. No, not a gravel pad the full size of the coach, just four spots of gravel where the tires sit. It works for me.
For what the OP wants, I would cut 10 pieces of the chosen boards about 3 feet long (after thinking about it, 2 feet would probably be plenty!). Put them side by side, 2 each for the front tires, 3 each for the rear tires, then tie them together with heavy duty (1/8 inch thick by 1 1/2 inch wide) galvanized steel straps secured with 1 inch wood screws. Use at least three straps per joint, more if desired. Installing the straps on both sides of the boards (2 on one side, three on the other) might not be a bad idea, but IMO it probably isn't necessary.
Coat the boards with a good preservative paint or stain, place them where they need to be, and drive up on them.

[PartyOf_Five]

I'm assuming your purpose is for leveling, so how about some 4*4 or 6*6 chunks that could be driven on after going onto the 2*8- assuming your platforms will be that large.

[SoundGuy]

suprz wrote:
Right now i park on 2X8's. But i would like to build some actual platforms made out of 2X8's ... Any ideas?

SoundGuy wrote:
Agree with DrewE - what is it you're hoping to achieve? :h

suprz wrote:
I want to build 4 individual platforms that would be put on the ground that the rv's tires would rest on instead of just individual boards that can move, or shift etc

I'm still missing it - what's the purpose in raising your rig on "platforms" rather than just having it sit the ground? :h Maybe a pic showing what you're dealing with would help.

[DrewE]

So it sounds like you're just stacking them together and want to attach them to each other? Pretty much anything will work fine for that. Boards held against each other with a ton or more of force don't slide or shift on their own without any bond, at least in my experience. I have sometimes had trouble with them sliding along the ground when I try to drive up onto them depending on the ground surface, but gluing up blocks wouldn't help with that any. They use loose cribbing to hold up railroad bridges and the like when working on them.

Carpenter's wood glue (preferably waterproof), construction adhesive, epoxy, doweling, screws, nails, bolts, etc. would all work just fine for this application.

[HadEnough]

An epoxy bond is stronger than the wood itself. If you are absolutely going to adhere wood to itself in this project, you can't get anything more robust.

[suprz]

SoundGuy wrote:

suprz wrote:
Right now i park on 2X8's. But i would like to build some actual platforms made out of 2X8's ... Any ideas?

Agree with DrewE - what is it you're hoping to achieve? :h

I want to build 4 individual platforms that would be put on the ground that the rv's tires would rest on instead of just individual boards that can move, or shift etc

[SoundGuy]

suprz wrote:
Right now i park on 2X8's. But i would like to build some actual platforms made out of 2X8's ... Any ideas?

Agree with DrewE - what is it you're hoping to achieve? :h

[Sam_Spade]

In the south, a lot of "parking places" are made with a decorative type of concrete block buried in the ground on it's side.

But if the soil where you park is well drained, I personally think that you don't need anything......and should be moving it a foot or so every 30 days to help prevent "flat spotting" the tires.

[DrewE]

I'm not quite sure what you're envisioning in terms of platforms. Are you just layering together planks laid one on top of the other? In that case, screws going through them will hold up just fine; countersink if you think it needful.

If you're thinking of something more along the lines of a little deck, with joists and posts or legs, then the joists should rest on top of the legs so the weight is directly transferred and fasteners etc. are used only to keep things in proper position.

If you're having joists that rest directly on the ground, with decking above, screwing the decking into the joists will work fine and won't work loose in any reasonable length of time. Countersink the screws a bit if it makes you feel better.

In any case, I would try to ensure that the base of the platforms where it contacts the ground has sufficient area that it won't sink too much.

In general, a properly made glued joint in wood, with modern wood glues, is stronger than the wood itself. A poorly made joint is not so strong, of course, and not all glues are suitable for all uses (in particular, some are not waterproof/water resistant).