Inexpensive pad options

[TinCanCookie]

We're trying to ready our yard for our new trailer and that includes knocking down a wall and building a pad. Because we just purchased a new trailer, possibly need a new tow vehicle, and need some money left over for repairs, we want to do it cheap. We are considering gravel or DG, or concrete if there isn't a better option. So I want to hear some opinions. What have you done and would you do it again?

We are also going to need to do some work on our front yard. We currently would need to drive over lawn and don't want to put in a driveway or concrete strips. Is it worth the expense to put down turf stone or something similar? Can we get away with driving over the grass a few times and putting something in later? FYI, our house was built on top of clay soil. They scraped the top off a hill and left us with terrible dirt.

Thanks for helping us decide : )

[AldeanFan]

My Airstream, Trillium and Car trailer all live on a Gravel pad that we drive accross the lawn to get to. That part of the lawn is off to the side of the house and not part of the lawn directly in front of my house. The grass is not great there but it's green most of the time and I'm willing to live with it that way. The truck only sank once when it was an unusually wet spring and I got too close to the fence where the soil is less compacted. That left a tire track I had to fill in with soil and re-seed, its long gone now.

The gravel pad started as an area to park the truck, then we expanded it to hold the truck and car trailer, then againg for the truck, trillium trailer and car trailer. Right now the Airstream and Car Trailer live there and I'm planning to expand it once more so I can park the truck infront of the Airstream. Gravel is good for me because it is much easier and cheaper to change my arrangement as my trailer need change. My neighbor mentioned maybe selling part of his lot to me, which would result in building a barn to hold the trailers and the current gravel pad would be turned back in to lawn. I like the flexibility!

[featherbedder]

I have both brick pad and cement pad for A.S. brick allows drainage easy to repair or change designs or eliminate I will not park on gravel at home, have gravel drive to barn & machine shed with cement floors, house has asphalt & bricks, gravel does draw moisture, I do not recommend gravel, also grass is good to park on as my son keeps toy hauler on grass

[purman]

IF you want concrete but not a huge pad just run two 16" wide strips, however long for the AS to park on.. Then gravel or grass around them.. I have seen this a lot. I poured a pad for my wheels to sit on then had extra concrete from a neighbors job to make it bigger. No it nearly goes up to my Jack stand...

[vswingfield]

You probably need to check to see what your local requirements specify.

For instance, Little Rock has recently spelled out the requirements for parking in yards. At least for those in the city limits. (This applies to more than RVs)

See the attachment.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

You probably need to check to see what your local requirements specify.

For instance, Little Rock has recently spelled out the requirements for parking in yards. At least for those in the city limits. (This applies to more than RVs)

See the attachment.

I second that motion. Where my parents live, RVs on residential property must be stored on a concrete pad, by city ordinance. Definitely check with your local municipality before you build anything.

Besides which, you might need a building permit in order to construct any kind of storage. If so, that also means dealing with a building inspector, and if you don't build according to code, the very least you can expect is to be required to rip it up and start over.

[purman]

WOW, glad I live in the country. No building codes either. (which can be scary) I could park it on my roof and no one could do a thing about it.. wonder if I could build a ramp that high??

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by purman

WOW, glad I live in the country. No building codes either. (which can be scary) I could park it on my roof and no one could do a thing about it.. wonder if I could build a ramp that high??

Me too.

By the way, these regulations are new for Little Rock. Before I moved out of the city limits, I kept my Trade Wind in the front yard on the grass with no problems. Not an option now.

[Landrum]

I'm in Little Rock as well. I think the new ordinance only applies to the front yard??? Anyway, do you happen to belong to WBCCI or know if the local chapter is very active? We are very new to air streaming with our purchase last week.

BTW I think I've read on this forum somewhere it is better not to store campers on concrete. The concrete can degrade the tires.

[withidl]

I used "trailer blocks" from Home Depot. They are 16" X 16" X 4" and weigh 64 pounds each. I used them because I wanted the option to remove them at a later date. The blocks stagger stacked two deep where the trailer wheels track. You can see them in photos on the 4th page of the following post link: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...s-68808-4.html

[AWCHIEF]

"BTW I think I've read on this forum somewhere it is better not to store campers on concrete. The concrete can degrade the tires."

My opinion is that is an urban myth. If so, I have never seen any study that proves it. Millions of cars, trucks, aircraft and trailers are stored on concrete driveways with never the first hint of a problem caused by the concrete.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by CaptainNecro

I'm in Little Rock as well. I think the new ordinance only applies to the front yard???

That or "corner street side yards." The ordnance also states that gravel is acceptable.

Given that, my experiences with Little Rock's Code Nazis have not been particularly positive. It's been a while though. Maybe now they are interested in reasonable compromise rather than finding fault.

Originally Posted by CaptainNecro

Anyway, do you happen to belong to WBCCI or know if the local chapter is very active? We are very new to air streaming with our purchase last week.

No I'm not. I'm stationary right now, living in my Excella. Got some mild home improvement projects going on. I'm more looking forward to retirement in a few years.

In the past there was more activity with forum members in central Arkansas. The Airstream dealership was a company in Searcy then, and they were very active in the forums. There were also active forum members that no longer live in the area.

Originally Posted by CaptainNecro

BTW I think I've read on this forum somewhere it is better not to store campers on concrete. The concrete can degrade the tires.

I also belong to the group that thinks this is not an issue. Besides, trailer tires are more likely to need replacement from getting too old to be safe anymore rather than any damage from pavement, sun exposure, or tread wear.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

"BTW I think I've read on this forum somewhere it is better not to store campers on concrete. The concrete can degrade the tires."

My opinion is that is an urban myth. If so, I have never seen any study that proves it. Millions of cars, trucks, aircraft and trailers are stored on concrete driveways with never the first hint of a problem caused by the concrete.

Have to agree. The only damage you'll see from storing a trailer on its own tires on a concrete pad is that the tires will eventually develop a flat spot in the tread if the tires sit too long without rolling.

Even that's not permanent. Keep the tires properly inflated even in storage. Take the trailer out and tow it from time to time, and the faint ker-chunk, ker-chunk from the flat spots will go away after the tires flex a little on the road.