Making RV Port

[Jeff in NC]

The OP stated he had significant cracking in his 4" concrete after 10 yrs. THAT is why I suggested the upgrades I did. Because as we know "doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is the dffinition of insanity" ;>)

[poohbear]

We are in the process of building a weld up 20x45 with 14ft posts with a 2/12 pitch giving me almost 16 ft of clearance in center. Use concrete, asphalt fine for the driveway.will bring down 3 sides 4ft. Its a shed not a building as we have it on some acerage that will be used for " camping " & wanted views. I did have a " tin ledge " & 14 ft door ramp formed on the concrete if ever wanted to enclose.
We had a 20x40 that went with our business when we sold out. Build for the next owner or possibly your next bigger rig.

[FeatherFam]

Originally Posted by spoon059

Why do you want to get away from gravel? I have a Carolina Carport (10' legs, 31' long, 18' wide) that was delivered and installed for $2400. Not sure where you are, but that includes extra bracing in Maryland for snow load. I couldn't have built it cheaper myself. It is quite solid, held up to 3' of snow and strong winds with no issues at all. They came in the morning, had it set up in a couple of hours. Its fantastic!

I have gravel inside the carport and poured two level pads for my tires so that my trailer sits level and off the gravel while in storage and it works just fine for me.

How is the Carolina Carport set in the ground?

[Gypsea]

Spoon059 - I'm also considering a 18'X31'x10' (or 11' sidewall) metal RVport. Where did you get your Carolina Carport & how low did you bring the metal down on the rear and side walls? Any concern with potential wind loads? Did you use mobile home anchors? Could you post photos? Many thanks. Lee in Eastern NC. 2010 Jay Flight 22FB

[bluegill1]

Plenty of RV dealers have their units on simple gravel parking lots. And they sit there all year round!
Make sure you make the garage/RV Port or whatever you decide on is wide enough to be able to get in and out of the unit while stored. RV's are very wide, and the trucks that tow them are very wide also. Better a foot too much than 2" too narrow.
Also consider making it wide enough so you can extend the slides.

[01tundra]

Just finished building ours yesterday.

We were originally going to buy a metal carport but we wanted the structure to fit in with everything else on our property, so I designed this one in AutoCAD and built it myself. Pricing came out comparable (approx. $2,250) but we ended up with a much more substantial structure, plus it matches my blacksmith shop up by our house.

It's 16' clear width, 25' long and 12'-2" to the bottom center of the scissor trusses. The trusses are 10'-1" high at the top plates at the posts. Trusses are built with sandwiched 3/16" steel plates and 1/2" structural grade bolts. Can extend the slide and still have plenty of room to walk around the TT.

We have a dedicated 50-amp service and water at the structure as well.

It was nice being able to wash the nasty roof yesterday knowing that it would stay clean for more than a day now

[norty1]

Here's mine, keeping what's left of Irma off my truck and rv.

Sorry for the blurr, the winds blowing.

[Pfflyer]

Originally Posted by FeatherFam

How is the Carolina Carport set in the ground?

Mine is not a Carolina Carport but has about 8ea 3-4' anchors per side bolted to the bottom plate. I went with asphalt millings.

[maromeo]

We also built an RV port to protect our TT from the sun. We put down a concrete driveway and used two of these kits to make the unit 18' X 34'. We purchased through Home Depot.

https://powerssteel.com/structures/canopies.html

[vcbice]

Concrete or asphalt is more about the base than the surface. A proper base is critical if you don't want the concrete to crack. If making a garage I'd do it like a house foundation with footing around the perimeter. You still need expansion joints at the proper places or it will crack where you don't want it to.

I'd not use asphalt but that's just me.

If you just want a carport then gravel is a good base. Still need it done well or you'll get 'ruts' in the gravel.

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by FeatherFam

How is the Carolina Carport set in the ground?

It is set on top of the ground. There are 6 pieces of rebar hammered into the ground to keep it from moving, that is standard. Due to wind and snow load requirements for my area, there are also 6 mobile home anchors (3 each side) that screw down about 30" into the ground and are bolted to the lower rail.

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by Gypsea

Spoon059 - I'm also considering a 18'X31'x10' (or 11' sidewall) metal RVport. Where did you get your Carolina Carport & how low did you bring the metal down on the rear and side walls? Any concern with potential wind loads? Did you use mobile home anchors? Could you post photos? Many thanks. Lee in Eastern NC. 2010 Jay Flight 22FB

Got mine from https://www.alansfactoryoutlet.com/ . I didn't bring any siding down, as it is plenty wide enough to keep debris off the sides. I got the 10' sides, knowing that the center peak is 2 3/4 feet higher than the sides. That gave me a foot of clearance for my AC unit.

We've had some fierce thunderstorms and never had any issues with movement. The roof is relatively flat pitched, so it doesn't act like a sail. We don't have any sides to catch wind either. There is enough room between the camper and the underside of the roof to allow wind to flow right through. Yes, it required 6 mobile home anchors due to snow and wind load. We are VERY pleased with ours!

Can anyone suggest a good way to post pics now? I haven't found an adequate substitute for Photobucket...

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by bluegill1

Also consider making it wide enough so you can extend the slides.

Great suggestion, that's why we made ours 18' wide. Plenty wide enough to have the slide out. Plenty wide enough to have dry storage next to the camper to dry out chairs, hammock, popup shelter, etc when we get home. Plenty wide enough to have dry ground to pack or unpack without getting mud inside.

[farnik78]

I got this from carportsandmore.com.
18x35 with 12' side walls on dirt with 6 mobile home anchors. I am going to build a back wall onto it because it will sway a little in a strong wind. I have 20 amp service to my garage right next to it so I can keep it plugged in.




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[FeatherFam]

I currently have ours on gravel. I want to be able to work on my RV and autos. I often use jacks and jack stands. Our driveway is sloped, not a good option for jacking and not covered. The garage is small (truck won't fit, nor will RV). That is why I think we want a covered concrete port.

[bdreinv]

We live in a rural area outside of Phoenix. We have parked are last two fivers on 3/4 size gravel for last 12 years.Takes a lot of gravel I think a ton covers 100 sq.ft. Not real fancy works OK!

[FeatherFam]

Due to cost, it looks like we are going with asphalt. We are looking at a 6-8" pack and 3" of asphalt. I will have to use wood for jack work. I do not understand why we camp on asphalt at several CGs and the pavement stays in excellent shape. Folks stay long-term and live in heavy class A, fiver, and TT units in these parks, and the asphalt is fine. I am not sure what to think(?).

Concrete would be great, but we also have to build a couple of retainig walls, remove and reinstall a/c condensing unit, install 20A, 30A, 50A box, and purchase carport/shed. The concrete I wanted was 5" with rebar for the drive and 6" with rebar for the RV pad. It's just more than we can spend for this project as we have other major projects for our home after this one.

I can tell you this: Wranglin' pavement contractors for estimates and project recommendations has been a big pain. I have been stood up and monkied with for two months. I hope the one that I chose will be reliable and honorable (for the most part anyway).

[Sundancer330]

I would save my money and do it down the road when funds are available to do it right. You don't need more than 4" of concrete for the drive or pad, but yet you are only going to use 3" of asphalt, if it gets lots of sun your TT will make nice ruts that are going to crack. The reason CG asphalt holds up better is the specs of the materials, it costs more than the stuff typical residential guys use.

[o2silverado]

If you want solid asphalt you need a solid base . Plenty of stone ,fabric and good drainage it will outlast your rv and the next persons rv.

[Cannon]

I've been out of general contracting for about 10yrs. now and I know prices have changed a lot so I probably don't know what i'm talking about. When I was doing it I could put in a 4,000psi pad for about the same price as asphalt. You can also get 5,000 psi. or fiber crete. I would consider a 4" fiber pad over asphalt if the price is close. IF you let it cure for 28 days most will cure 4,500 to 5,000psi.