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Old 03-27-2011, 10:43 AM   #1
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Ideas for the Perfect Third Driveway...

My wife and I have a 22' Sport that we currently store in a barn that is about 10 miles from our home, and has no electricity or running water. We would like to add an additional driveway that would allow us to park the Airstream beside our home. The yard slopes from the front to the rear of the home, so it will need to be filled and landscaped to do the job right.

This will not be a permanent storage location, so it does not need to be covered. However, we want to be able to park it overnight and prep for trips, while charging the batteries and filling/draining the water tank. We will install a 30 amp outlet so that we can plug in, and there is already a water spigot available.

I would love any ideas and especially photos... An additional drive seems like a trivial project, but we don't want to complete it and then wish we had thought of something after it's too late.

Thanks!
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Old 03-27-2011, 12:08 PM   #2
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If possible and it's not to far from you new pad, think about a dump setup for your grey and black tanks. Is there a cleanout near the parking spot? If not a sewer solution can be used to "pump" a long way from the new pad. This would help in cleaning up after your trip for storage and not worry about getting home with the tanks empty.

A 30amp 120V RV outlet is great but if you are running a new line, think about a spare 120V outlet in the same service box for use when you are working on the trailer and do not want power to it. This addition to a new line is minimal to the total cost.
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Old 03-27-2011, 12:19 PM   #3
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Hibby:

Here's our solution.

We poured a pad next to the house and that's where the AS stays when we're not traveling. I have electric & water within reach in the back of the house and have thought about a macerator pump for dumping purposes as the sewer cleanout is about 50 ft. away.

As you can see, I only have a short hop across the lawn before I'm in the street and down the road. The lawn usually recovers by the time we return. It looks pretty bad now because the slab was poured 10 days ago and I just moved the AS there this morning.

It sure is nice having the rig near the house for loading / unloading and removes another barrier to spontaneous camping excursions now that Mama and I are living the good (retired) life.
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Old 03-28-2011, 08:20 PM   #4
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Clancy Boy and Forger,

Thanks for the ideas! I will add both the extra 120 outlet and the dump station to our list... Neither occurred to me, which is exactly why I posted this thread!

Keep any ideas coming.
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Old 03-28-2011, 08:52 PM   #5
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I would bet that once you get it home your not going to want to take it back to that mouse filled barn. Why dont you (if allowed) build a roof structure to store it under that can bear the weight of snow and such. Then your ready at a moments notice.

We love having the airstream home. I tinker with it all the time and like to have it close by.

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Old 03-28-2011, 10:48 PM   #6
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I cleared the area on one side of the house. As luck would have it, there was a sewer wash out near the rear of the area on which I put a threaded fitting just as you find at an RV park. Also, there is a water outlet against the rear corner of the house. I went through the house wall on the other side of a 120v outlet inside and installed an outside outlet. It is only 20 amp, but that is plenty for vacuum or other tools. I put down "weed barrier" fabric and gravel.

I did ask the guy next door if he had any objection to me keeping our Airstream in that area. He had no problem. He keeps a boat on a trailer in his driveway, so I figured he would not have a problem with it.

We are in Sacramento County and there is no rule against keeping the trailer there, just can't keep it hooked up. No problem.
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Old 03-29-2011, 06:17 AM   #7
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Between two wings of my home I made a pad using “Trailer Blocks” which are concrete blocks 16” X 16” X 4” readily available from Home Depot. They weigh 64# each and are normally used to stabilize mobile homes. I used them because they would allow an easier removal option. I leveled the ground with sand and set them as per pave stones. Where the trailer tires track I laid the blocks two deep, i.e. the lower ones are staggered such that the four corners of the upper ones are centered over the center of the lower ones. This keeps them from settling due to static tire pressure.

I am fortunate to already have a 20 amp receptacle in my shed adjacent to the AS which is literally just 2 feet from the main breaker box.

Additionally, I am also fortunate to have a sewer clean out just about 20 feet from the AS to which I can gravity flow.

As stated above, it is REALLY nice to have the AS next to the home as it allows for convenient “tinkering”, maintenance, security and packing/unpacking.
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Old 03-29-2011, 06:38 AM   #8
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You might want to consider a 50A instead of 35A outlet. Many of the new RVs are going to 50A and you never know when you might decide to trade in for a newer one. You can use a 50 to 35A adapter in the meantime.
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Old 03-29-2011, 06:04 PM   #9
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Yep, going to a 50A outlet makes sense.... Airslide, I'd love to keep it home but unfortunately our subdivision doesn't permit them to be on the property for more than two days, so no permanent parking. Fortunately, I've had mouse traps set in the barn for two years now and we've never seen evidence yet. I know it's probably a matter of time, but it's a newer pole barn with smooth concrete floors and tight construction.

I've been unable to find a sewer cleanout. There is a significant slope between front and back yard, though (about a 6 foot drop) and I was thinking I could just run a drain tile from the new drive down to the neighbors back yard. Think they'd notice?
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Old 03-29-2011, 07:26 PM   #10
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Hibby... that sounds like a nice barn.. I would elect to park mine there too. Its only 15 minutes away. Not too bad.

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Old 03-30-2011, 10:34 AM   #11
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I park mine on a two-lane gravel drive that leads back to my barn. Since the gravel drive has a light slope from one side to the other, I poured two concrete pads for the wheels. These are strips about 2' wide and 6' long and the tops of the pads are level with each other, which is tricky when setting up the forms.

In addition to having the trailer level when parked on the pads, they also act as a target point when backing into the wide driveway so I know I have it in the right spot and room for a vehicle to pass to get back to the barn.

There is a 30 amp outlet just inside the barn behind the trailer, with an RV power cord grommet/notched cover for getting the cord in and out of the barn. Could have put a weatherproof outlet on the side of the barn but that would have been more expensive.

Christopher
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Old 03-31-2011, 07:35 PM   #12
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Christopher, you have a very nice setup. One of these days, our goal is to move into a home with a pole barn on-site that we can pull right into with the truck, trailer in tow. The home is optional; I'd be content to live in the barn. I'm not sure I'm willing to go to full time Airstream though since I wouldn't feel as though my weekends were an adventure anymore!
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