Looking for any suggestions on my parking pad for the bus.
We have enough room in the fenced area beside our house to park the bus. right now it is all Florida sand with some old medium sized rock crushed down into it. Our original plan was to make a huge concrete pad to park the bus on so that it wasn't in the sand. I am wondering though, if that is the right solution and if I will be wasting a lot of money on concrete that isn't needed.
Thoughts are, doing the whole thing in brick/pavers. Or doing two paths of concrete for the tires and filling the rest with crushed coquina. Asphalt, but that will get very hot in the Florida sun. Other suggestions?
So does anyone have any insight on the best solution for the money? The less money I spend on the parking area, the more I have to spend on the bus.
Vern
My experience is that anything with asphalt the tires will sink in as soon as the weather gets warm. Gravel works fine as long as you get a good base and with a sandy soil you should be fine. Concrete has a huge benefit of being smooth and stable for jacking the bus, using creepers, etc.
Brian
The best solution for the money is asphalt with concrete pads to park the tires on. Loading docks are built this way because it is cheap and works well enough. Asphalt lasts a lot longer if you wait until it is cool (early morning or late afternoon) before you drive the bus on it. Gravel and sand is cheaper, but not ideal. It makes it very difficult to keep your bus and house clean as it gets tracked everywhere. Also, you will probably spend considerable time kneeling and crawling under your bus. A clean hard surface will save your skin.
We went with concrete, and love it. I wouldn't want anything else. It is always there, stable, and looks nice.
I am really leaning towards concrete pads for each tire (think 2 sidewalks), then digging out between them and using the crushed coquina in the middle. That would give me basically concrete run-up blocks. I am not too big on creepers as they raise you up too much and don't really make it that much easier to move. I would probably just put down a moving blanket to work on when I am under the bus.
Quote from: mung on October 06, 2014, 08:38:24 AM
.......I would probably just put down a moving blanket to work on when I am under the bus.
Ouch. I just cardboard to slide around under the bus. To me, gravel sounds painful, even with a blanket. You have to scoot, and not slide. If you are going to all the trouble of pouring two strips, why not the whole pad?
provided the footing stays well below grade, and you consider drainage....
were i you i would consider a flat plateaued pyramid of adequate height to add 4 - 6 inches of me space...
The two strips I can do with bags and my HF mixer, the whole pad I am going to have to bring in ready mix and it will cost a lot more.
Eagle, the inside would have to be below grade, but could be reinforced with rebar along that edge.
Quote from: mung on October 06, 2014, 08:48:56 AM
The two strips I can do with bags and my HF mixer, the whole pad I am going to have to bring in ready mix and it will cost a lot more.
Now that is a different story. If you are mixing it all yourself, that will save a lot of money. However, I am not one to enjoy that much "hand" mixing. Even mixing 2.5 yards, is a lot to do. Enjoy! ;D
many of Florida's rv parks use crushed shell for parking pads, it drains well.
i would just build the four tire area plateaus adequate for jacking and buy a piece of 1 1/2 plywood some screw eyes and a rope...
i would put both edges below grade
Mixing bags in the mixer really isn't bad at all. I have done a lot with it at the house already. A huge porch, a base for my shed, etc.
With the amount of rain that Florida gets and the sandy base, by all means pour a 6" reinforced concrete pad. I would separate them into 4ft squares for ease of pouring and preventing long cracks. Then in summer if you have to get under the bus, just put a fan aimed to the concrete and at you to keep cool. Good Luck, TomC
With the exception of the last month, our rain on the coast is not that bad normally. Usually quick afternoon showers that dry up as soon as the sun comes out.
Mung Back the bus in exactly where you want it to be, On a fairly dry day of course, then pull it out, you will then see the tracks you made as they will be the most important places to reinforce , rebar oe scrap metal in the concrete and good drainage around the area, we sunk a homedepot bucket in the ground behind the bus and put a sump punp in it, whater pumps away in 20 min following a heavy rain, But parked on concrete, good luck, see you in Arcadia,
Thanks Bill. It is funny because my wife said we need to measure, I said no, we need to park the bus where we want it and mark it.
Wondering now if I should make the pads go across the bus at the axles to make sure I have a stable jacking area. Seems like that would be better use of the concrete than running the length of the bus.
need a extra parking pad for guest. Place to stay for working on bus. ;D Been in Ocola area for several years during winter. Have seen several go down in sandy loam soil there. FWIW Bob
I can fit one in the driveway, that is where mine is now. Just have to park the cars in the grass.
Ocala is a LOT different than over in Melbourne. Where I am sitting I am right next to a creek and 13' above sea level. Mostly hard packed sand.
If you are planing to work under the bus you might consider pouring the concrete above grade thus giving you 6 or more inches of wiggle room along with that much additional room for jacks etc. I have 10X10 inch steel plates that I use as bases for the jacks and I can move and remove them when not in use. They travel with the bus cause I have sunk jacks into hot asphalt. On a grass lawn the plates do sink in some, but not more than an inch or so and then up goes the bus. On my bus the blocking and jacking points are pretty much in line with the wheels so a wide concrete track serves two purposes but still allows room under the center of the bus or motor home.
PO of my house got his hands on some large concrete blocks (think cut up highway) reinforced with rebar and buried them in the dirt alongside the pole barn as RV parking. Over time they have bucked and heaved and are not entirely level anymore. I've considered digging up the center strip of them to give myself a trench of sorts to crawl under. It would be a puddle 9 months out of the year here in Oregon though.
I'd give consideration for sure to having a way to "park higher" for work underneath... Like some of the ideas I'm seeing here on that.
On the other hand you don't want things such that you drive off the pad and are stuck.
You have a very valid point Thor, that is why I am thinking of doing the pads across the width of the axles instead of down the length of the bus. The coquina can be down lower in the middle while still being high enough to drive on if I miss the pads. But then again if I put it all of the way across it will be harder to get under the bus.
I need to do some real engineering here to get everything to be the best for my situation.
Just finished pouring a 60'by 72' 6"concrete slab with rebar and concrete wire under a 60 by 72 pole barn with 14ft eaves, My crawling around in the dirt, mud, and sand are over with,, Going to have elec,heat and water too. Don't ask about cost ,I'm afraid to even think about what it cost. Good luck
Just do it right the first time and pour a full size pad. Sure,it'll cost some bucks, but it'll be done right Useful even after you get out of busconversions if that might happen in future. Also probably be more beneficial if you ever sell your residence in future. Don't skimp on pad size. You may go to a 40 footer or larger in future when you can't pass up a fantastic deal.
But what makes that right? I mean if it is the best ROI for me I am not afraid to pour the whole pad, but is that the best for my situation?
Your Decision-my opinion
Quote from: pete36330 on October 07, 2014, 05:57:33 AMJust finished pouring a 60'by 72' 6"concrete slab with rebar and concrete wire under a 60 by 72 pole barn with 14ft eaves, My crawling around in the dirt, mud, and sand are over with,, Going to have elec,heat and water too. Don't ask about cost ,I'm afraid to even think about what it cost. Good luck
Having recently done a 22x48 (6", deeper "footing" edge) slab, I don't want to think about it either! Sounds like you're going a have a super setup.
Duplicate - please excuse ...
Quote from: mung on October 07, 2014, 06:10:35 AM
But what makes that right? I mean if it is the best ROI for me I am not afraid to pour the whole pad, but is that the best for my situation?
Every time I've cheaped out on some project I have ended up regretting it. When I dig down and do it right initially it may be hard to swallow but I've never regretted doing it right. Anything less than a full pad with a minimum of 3 feet clear all around the bus is a compromise which you will someday regret. IMNTBHO & YMMV
But is there not a benefit to having the center of the area lower than where the tires are? Also isn't there benefit to having the coquina under the leaky areas of the bus?
I mean I can build a form, have some redi-mix dropped in there and flatten it out with the best of them. But would I later regret that? It would be a lot easier later to move some coquina vs ripping up a slab if it ever needed to go. Also, if I really need to be under the bus and I have an issue with being in the coquina, I can always put the bus in the driveway where it is currently.
Found a good deal on asphalt millings and have read that they make a great pad.
I would hope you don't spend much time under the bus after initial repairs!!Wide run up blocks will help on height.
If I am going to be under the bus for any major work, I will move it to my concrete driveway where it is parked now.
20 tons of milled asphalt, graded and compacted for $600. They will be out on Friday. So I will have a full pad, will just have to make sure to spread the load if jacking the bus up on it. But again, if I have a choice I will do that work in the concrete driveway. I am going to try to run a sewer line before they get there.
Just got a crazy thought ! U should've seen my wife's face omg!!, I said to her why don't we add 5 feet to the pool deck on both sides and I'd have a hell of a pIt !!!! Hahaha if looks could kill omg lmao I can't stop laughing at her ..... See she loves the pool ... It's all work to me ... But think bout the bus pit pit's got 45 feet of concrete pad one by 8 ' deep .. Guess what she's not going for it ! Please baby....
Well at least you would be cool while you are working on the bus.
Quote from: loveshack on October 07, 2014, 01:48:02 PM
Just got a crazy thought ! U should've seen my wife's face omg!!, I said to her why don't we add 5 feet to the pool deck on both sides and I'd have a hell of a pIt !!!! Hahaha if looks could kill omg lmao I can't stop laughing at her ..... See she loves the pool ... It's all work to me ... But think bout the bus pit pit's got 45 feet of concrete pad one by 8 ' deep .. Guess what she's not going for it ! Please baby....
Yep, I can see it now a two track bridge over the pool, bus parked stretching across the 5' level and you underneath in a float tube , umbrella, cool drink and a 3/4 drive air wrench.
You need a Geotextile mat between the sand and the milling the 20 tons will cover 480 sf ft 6 inches deep non compacted figure 360 sf ft compacted
The sand has a lot of gravel mixed in it because it was once all gravel that got pushed down. I think it will be a fine base. I am sure when the guy gets here he will be able to tell me what we need.
Quote from: mung
20 tons of milled asphalt, graded and compacted for $600. They will be out on Friday.
Quote from: luvrbus l
You need a Geotextile mat between the sand and the milling the 20 tons will cover 480 sf ft 6 inches deep non compacted figure 360 sf ft compacted
Quote from: mung
The sand has a lot of gravel mixed in it because it was once all gravel that got pushed down. I think it will be a fine base. I am sure when the guy gets here he will be able to tell me what we need.
Mung I'd take Clifford's suggestion on this he has been around major construction for many yrs. You don't want to wait until the truck shows up to deliver it before asking what you need to do the job right because the guys not going to tell you
"Hey you need a Geotextile mat that we'll have to order and get next week and then put this down an spread it!"He's going to tell you. "OH your base is just fine I do these all the time!" And dump, spread and split with the $ !
Then later when you discover Clifford was right you'll be the one paying to have it dug out and redone right.
;D BK ;D
Ok I just made a suggestion the Geo matt will distribute the load the millings it's self have no strength it's only as good as the base underneath same applies to hot mix asphalt ;D you can get about 60 % compaction it will always be loose
The base itself is pretty solid. I parked the Winnie there and never had issues with it sinking or getting ruts.
Quote from: mung on October 08, 2014, 08:04:07 AM
The base itself is pretty solid. I parked the Winnie there and never had issues with it sinking or getting ruts.
Bus weighs way more than a winnie but as they say do it your way your mileage may vary!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: mung on October 08, 2014, 08:04:07 AM
The base itself is pretty solid.
Compaction can be tested properly for very little dollars...a plate compactor can be rented now and ran for a few hours prior to deposit....and it will tell you in minutes what it really is....pre delivery compaction will rreveal what you better know....and your going to need it any way, ask them how long their compactor will be on site....20 minutes or 2 hours.
How much water are they using to compact pre and post delivery ?
Yeah, about twice as much.
Here is another thought, concrete all you want, the more the better of course, BUT stop all concrete at the rear axle. I used to own land in Md, and one day the starter went out, just as I tried to move it to get ready for a trip. That was in our 05 Eagle, now there is no way my belly would fit nunder that coach, SO I dug a hole under the rear below the engine, I slid in the hole unbolted the starter and my wife slid a plank down to me from above, I rolled the starter onto the plank and she pulled it up the plank like a ramp, Re installed the new one the same only in reverse of course, pulled the bus front and backfilled the hole. Thats one way, emergency PIT..
That was kind of my original thought, but now I am just covering the whole thing with the asphalt millings. I do have 2 air compressors one that stays on the bus, so I can air it up without a problem, then jack it the rest of the way if need be. But actually, the way it will be setup, I would only have to roll the bus back a few feet to be able to dig as well.
This is what the parking area looked like before it was packed down. The 20 tons was way more than needed, but now I have a really thick parking area and not so much of a step down from my music studio. Don't think weeds are going to grow up through that.