RE: RV Pad next to house

[Y-Guy]

 
Hi folks,
 
 Well my DW and decide to build our next house now that we ve looked around the area.  One of the things I want next to our house is a pad for our Hybrid.  I m seeking any thoughts/advice from those of you that have one or have thought about it.  Any points to consider or not to miss?  I am looking at a 12  pad from the outer corner of the house, 30  deep with a 30amp outlet.  If I can find out where the waste water lines run I may opt to add one.  But its not a high priority.  Any thoughts or comments?

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Y-Guy
Alright!  A full hook-up site when we come visit you.
 Hope all is well Steve.  We sure missed you this past w/e.
 In true NNC form, I have absolutely no answer for you regarding a parking pad, lol.

[Ab Diver]

 Y-Guy
Alllll-Right! A new home deschnitzification even before the home is built! Youdaman, Steve!
 
 Gunna pour cement, or lay gravel/rock/pavers? If you re figuring on cement and have never done that kind of work before, just remember that mistakes stay there a looooong time. []
 
 Steve, I ve poured a coupla yards of mud on my projects. I m no pro, but three driveways, four sidewalks, two patios, one garage floor, three retaining walls,  and both exposed aggregate and polished surfaces, says I ve burned a calorie or two doing  crete work.  If you re thinking about cement, ping me privately and I ll be happy to point out some tips. But if you ve never done  crete work before, this is one area that might best be left to the pros.
 
 Otherwise, just make sure you run water and electrical  to code, so it doesn t come back to bite you in the butt later on. I always add a " whaddif line"  as well. What s a whaddif line, he asks? It s an extra pipe large enough to run whatever you might decide to add later on. Much easier to fish another pipe or wire through an existing pipe than dig a trench through an expensive pad. Don t forget drainage, not only getting water off the pad itself, but where it s gunna go from there.
 
 Determine the max load you re likely to ever put on the pad, and build to suit. That means if you plan on getting a 15,000 lbs. 5th wheel trailer in 6-7 years and parking it there, make sure the pad can support it without cracking. Or, if you plan on digging a pool some day, and a backhoe will have to cross over your pad, a couple extra inches in thickness now will save a cracked pad then.
 
 Hope this helps a bit.

[Y-Guy]

 Y-Guy
Dave thanks for the advice.  Since its a new house I m going to have the concrete done when the poor the driveway and other work.  Seems to be cheaper then rather than to wait and do it again later.  I like the idea of the pipe too, I ll keep that in mind.
 
 Sorry I missed camping this past weekend.
 
 Oh Jeff... good thing you kept up the true NNC attitude and provided no real assistance (grin), but your comments are almost always welcome (yes that was a small disclaimer).
 
 Happy Camping folks!

[Surfcal]

 Y-Guy
Hey Steve:
 
 You might as well provide a line for cable.  I ve seen posts where people have the complete hook-ups at home, water, etc., and then the trailer becomes a guest house.  I don t know if it applies to Hybrids, but some have also installed a large eyehook or something to chain their Pop-Ups to the ground to prevent theft.
 
 Hey, we re carrying on at NNC like there s no tomorrow.
 
 Surfcal

[campertime]

 Y-Guy
Inserting some rebar with a loop or u shape into the concrete near where the tongue will sit will allow you to chain the tongue but I would also consider doing the same thing near one or both sides of the wheels. That way you could put a chain thru the wheel and frame.
 
 Just a thought.

[Ab Diver]

 campertime

 

ORIGINAL:  campertime
 
 Inserting some rebar with a loop or u shape into the concrete near where the tongue will sit will allow you to chain the tongue  (snip)
 
 Just a thought.
 

 Actually, that s a very good idea. Since there s gunna be plenty of rebar laying in the forms before your pour the mud (unless you go with the fiberglass reinforced stuff). But, take it one step further: instead of having a loop of metal sticking up above the surface, go to the hardware store and get a surface drainage box with a plastic grate. They come in all shapes and sizes: round, square, 1,2,3, and 4 direction pipe inlets, and as small or large as you want. Position the box where you want it, run a hefty piece of metal through the box below grade, and pour the crete.  Then all you have to do is lift the grate and run your chain under the pipe. When not in use, the grate keeps everything good looking and safe to walk by in the dark.
 
 If you run drainage pipes around your house, you can even tie this into that system so the RV pad and the surrounding area drains properly. It will look like part of a designed system instead of a lone eyesore.

[SactoCampers]

 Y-Guy
Only suggestion I would add is to build a " carport"  type thing too, to protect your new baby. Heck, the incremental cost spread over 30 years is negligable, right? Actually, I have no idea. I m kinda like Jeff, I ll chime in but have little to offer.
 
 Oh, also, be sure to make it wide enough so it s not impossible to maneuver your Kiwi onto it. This was a mistake my dad make. He had a very narrow, gradually curving driveway about 40 yeards long installed on a sloping hill that only allowed for about six inches of clearance on either side. I tried backing up their 34  Alfa Gold into his parking spot (he did set it up with full hookups, BTW) and that was quite a chore.
 
 Finally, think about the landscaping/yard in front of the pad. When backing in, remember to realize that you will be turning the front wheels a lot, sometimes without even moving, to correctly park the Kiwi. That can wreak havoc on a grass, but with gravel or decorative rocks would not be a problem. But you probably already knew all this.

[Surfcal]

 Red neff Barchetta

 

ORIGINAL:  Red neff Barchetta
 In true NNC form, I have absolutely no answer for you regarding a parking pad, lol.
 

 Neff:
 
 That s because we re not in their league and these guys are way above us.  I ve seen those Hybrids at the campgrounds from afar, but the fencing around them and guard dogs keep riff-raffs away.  These are people who eat ice cream and bake pies at the campground.
 
 Who are we to make suggestions?
 
 Surfcal
 

[SactoCampers]

 Surfcal
I heard they can actually make ice cubes too []. What s next, a self-retracting awning?

[Surfcal]

 Y-Guy
Steve,
 
 In fact, to call it a pad is to denigrate its true nature.  Why not call it a runway?
 
 Surfcal

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Y-Guy

What s next, a self-retracting awning

Brian, wouldn t that be something!  One can only dream.  I bet they even have bathtubs.
 
 

In fact, to call it a pad is to denigrate its true nature. Why not call it a runway?

Yeah, imagine how steamed those fancy Hybrid owners would be if they had to get the tires dirty.
 
 Steve, you won t find  such helpful answers to your questions like this anywhere else.  You re lucky to have friends like us.  Although Dave is starting to scare me.  I think he s much too knowledgable for the group.  We ll have to get him drunk and dumb him down a bit.

[SactoCampers]

 Red neff Barchetta

Although Dave is starting to scare me. I think he s much too knowledgable for the group. We ll have to get him drunk and dumb him down a bit.

 I think he s Chuck S reincarnated. He s got the Bayside and Prodigy, all he needs now is the  02 Explorer []. Dave s a great guy...but he does make the rest of us look bad! [&:][][8D].

[Y-Guy]

 Y-Guy
Geez with friends like you who needs enemas!
 
 I was thinking rather then runway maybe parkway but that brought back that age old question to mind, " Why do you PARK on a DRIVEWAY, and DRIVE on a PARKWAY."  Oh man that s deep, I think I ll go call Jack Handy.

[6Quigs]

 Y-Guy

I am looking at a 12  pad from the outer corner of the house, 30  deep with a 30amp outlet.

That s not going to be big enough for all of us to park our Popups and your kiwi when we all hold a rally in Oregon!! (the kids love the idea of the pool in the back yard too)
 
 I have to agree about providing Power, water, sewer, cable, phone as the Kiwi can be used as a guest house.
 Friends of ours sleep in their 5th wheel whenever the temps get over 100 degrees here in San Jose, as it has A/C and their house does not.