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camper pad size

Thinking of pouring a cement pad for my FT at the farm.  40' U280.  my question is 40 x ?    was originally thinking 16' wide but that seems too skinny.  Thinking 20' now?  Curious of others ideas?
Dan 1989 U280 40'

Re: camper pad size

Reply #1 –
Quote from: WC7610 –
Thinking of pouring a cement pad for my FT at the farm.  40' U280.  my question is 40 x ?    was originally thinking 16' wide but that seems too skinny.  Thinking 20' now?  Curious of others ideas?


10-12' if just for parking on?  20' sounds good if you want to have a patio space outside your entry door.  20' would be more than 95% of the campgrounds we visit offer.
Dan - Full timing since 2009
2003 U320 40' Tag 2 slide

Re: camper pad size

Reply #2 –
I would consider 16' a minimum for width. I would also consider 45' a minimum for length if your motorhome is a 40' model.
David and Carolyn Osborn
1995 U320C SE 40' Build 4726 Feb 1995
FMCA 147762
Motorcade 17186

Re: camper pad size

Reply #3 –
Our favorite park has a 7' pad outside, perfect for most everything!  If you're going to pour a pad to take the whole coach, I'd make sure there is a ton of re-bar reinforcing it, especially on the edges!
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: camper pad size

Reply #4 –
"I wish I had made my RV pad smaller" said no one, ever  ;)

If you want to work on or load the coach on the pad, definitely consider making it large enough so that the edge of the concrete doesn't present a trip hazard/ankle twister when you're taking a step backwards.

As others have suggested, go longer, too.  Easier for when you're working on the generator, engine, or washing the windshield.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: camper pad size

Reply #5 –
On both sides, room to have your joey beds extended all the way out, plus room to walk around them without falling off the edge of the pad.

And, make sure it has some "slope" in some direction, so water does not pool under the coach from washing or rain/snow.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: camper pad size

Reply #6 –
Ours is a 16' x 55' (including the connector to sidewalk)

'02 40' U320t  4010WTFS Build 6036 1 slide
Motorcade # 17841
SKP 151920
Retired truck driver
 5 million miler
Still have itchy feet for travel

Re: camper pad size

Reply #7 –
yes, a living space, not for storage.  Want to have some patio space with basic outdoor furniture and be able to use the basement storage without walking on the grass.  Don't want to be on the grass and have to move it regularly to mow, spider webs, etc.  Place to take off shoes and keep clean with a garden hose.
Dan 1989 U280 40'

Re: camper pad size

Reply #8 –
Imagine a slab with a building on it.  How big does it need to be (including the thickness of the walls and doors) to open every bay door, every slide out,  the engine hatch and the generator hatch open and have comfortable room around it to work.  Maybe a workbench. Assume someday you might get a 45 ft coach.  And then if you want to pull the big awning out and have some friends over.  24x60 maybe?  My barn is 14' wide, 13'-6" inside because that was all I could do.  Just enough room to get around, most bay door can open if the doors are open, no slide though.  Go big.  And when you build the barn, 14' inside height or more if you can. 

Pour the slab thinking you will build a barn. Figure out where column loads will be and increase thickness and width of the slab edge accordingly.  Do a 12x18 thickened edge beam and a five inch 5000 psi concrete pour. Saw cuts for crack management.

What fun it is to build!
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: camper pad size

Reply #9 –
We have a 60 x 48 steel building, lots 'o' room with an 8" thick floor with 'wild mice' that's wire mesh in the pour. When we poured the outside pad we blew off the steel and instead put in fiber as the steel in the pour will tend to rust and blow out your pad. This water related blow out can be seen on any concrete highway, after a while the joints start to separate and then it's just a matter of time. Any hoo THE most important part of any pad be it asphalt or concrete pad is the quality of the sub-grade if that is not put down anally, good compaction and quality materials then what ever you put on top will FAIL ! Dig down deep and come back to grade in small ( 2" ) lifts and lots of compaction.    The reason we have an 8" thick floor is to load and unload trucks with 30 +tons of steel  back when I had the steel fab. business.
88 Grand Villa 36' ORED 3208 (throwaway)Cat.
 Build # 3150
Happiness is the maximum agreement of reality and desire.

Re: camper pad size

Reply #10 –
In the South we do not have as much shifting of the soil during Spring thaws. When I poured my pad

I had a 38' coach and poured the slab 48' long. There was room to go around the coach and not get

your feet muddy when trying to pack when it was wet. As far as how wide I went 24' wide and left left

rebar sticking out for future development on one side. They were below grade so they were never seen.

Get the pad well above ground level. I have seen many that were too low and as the ground "got higher"

over the years from dirt and grass, suddenly you have nice grass that is above the slab level. I like to use

the 8x8 concrete wire mesh along with some rebar. I only poured a 4" slab but where the wheels would

drive over I dug down 4 more inches and where the wheels would rest an additional 2' with rebar in place

too. I measured the coach and knew where the wheels would go either driven in or backed in. I also made

a bumper to stop the coach in the same place. i got a piece of 3" galvanized pipe and laid under the slab

for an air line. The large size acts as a holding tank for reserve air so if I wanted to run a large air wrench to

change tires I had all the air I needed. I also ran a piece of 1" PVC for conduit in case I ever wanted to add

electrical and another  3/4" for water over there. I poured the beam around the outside with rebar in it and dug

down some in case I needed a footer for corner posts. Slabs are nice, slabs with a cover are so much nicer.

Then you have a man cave for when the ladies social club is in the house.

Happy slabbing,

Carter-

Re: camper pad size

Reply #11 –
This is ours at our old house. It was 18 feet wide.
Mark
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Mark and Tanya
Milton , Florida
US Navy Veteran (DV)
1999 U270 Special 40' CAI , 2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

Re: camper pad size

Reply #12 –
Lots of good ideas on how to spend Dan's money.  My brother-in-law pours concrete for a living as did I for a few years (long ago when I was bullet proof).  X2 on ground prep.  Around here it takes a hammer to drive a nail in the clay in the summer so knock off the top soil put down a couple inches of 1" rock and lay down the crete.  In more fluffy or wet soil you may need to start with 3" or larger then 1" rock to establish a good base.  Make sure the top of your slab is about 12" above surrounding grade.  Add fill dirt sloping away from the pad and you should have no issues.  6" thick 5000 psi (5 bag mix) will probably be ok if you have a really solid base.  Now remember you only need this (or thicker) where the MH is going to roll over.  4" is fine for everywhere else.  Use rebar in the high weight areas or eveywhere if you choose.  Saw cut in half longways then divide up 3 or 4 equal crossway cuts.  Concrete will crack.  If you don't want concrete to crack...don't pour it.  Best you can do is make it crack where you want it to.  Great ideas on future use/expansion.  You can always extend your pad if you need to.  Hammer drill and drive rebar into existing slab.  Good luck. 
Mike and Mari
'98  36 270 WTFE
Build #5272
Club #17504