Bus Parking Pad

[mung]

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

[bevans6]

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

[sparkplug188]

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.

[John316]

We went with concrete, and love it. I wouldn't want anything else. It is always there, stable, and looks nice.

[mung]

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. 

[John316]

.......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?

[eagle19952]

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...

[mung]

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.

[mung]

Eagle, the inside would have to be below grade, but could be reinforced with rebar along that edge. 

[John316]

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! 

[eagle19952]

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...

[eagle19952]

i would put both edges below grade

[mung]

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. 

[TomC]

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

[mung]

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.