Parking pad ideas? Rental.

[scott4]

Problem
I'm temporarily at a rental house in Florida. I have a classic car, and I don't want to park it on the grass. Parking a car on grass helps create a corrosive environment (rust).

I need to figure out some sort of parking pad option. Car will be driven only once a month.

Situation
This area has no municipal codes regarding parking on the grass.
There are no paved areas at this unit.

I am currently parking behind the house.

Question

Which option sounds the least stupid?

Ideas so far from cheapest to most expensive

Park car on tarp & use a car cover

1. In the center of where you want the car/tarp to be place 2x4. (This is to make a high point in the tarp and get any water that might blow in to drain out from underneath.)
2. Lay down a non-porous, heavy-duty tarp.
3. Where each wheel of the car will be place a couple 16x8x4 solid concrete blocks sunk in the ground
(This keeps the tires up so air can flow through the tread and keep them from dry rotting. )
4. Stake down the tarp as much as possible, at least on the corners and once in the middle for the front and rear and twice along each side.

Costs: About $40 + $239.75 Car cover​

Gravel Pad
This is a "ask forgiveness later" option.

Standard gravel pad behind the house. Dig down 4-6 inches, put down a border (wood), put down gravel, when I leave in a year, scrape off the top two inches and resod.

Costs: ~$150 + $239.75 Car cover​

Concrete pad

I like this one the best. The landlords have said they havent had the time to look at it. Its been a week, and I'm going to assume they are not interested.

I got a $475 quote for a 8x13 foot pad. I offered to pay $100 of this, so they would have a permanent improvement on their property. I checked with the appropriate people regarding the municipal codes. No permit required.

Costs: $475 + $239.75 Car Cover​

Storage unit

$88 a month. 1.9 miles away. Somewhat inconvenient.

I would need it for 10 months. That said, I wouldn't need to spend $230 on a Noah fabric car cover, which is part of the cost for every other option.

Costs: $884.1 (No car cover needed)​

Edit - Added known costs.

 

[zhaddock]

Just get your landlords blessing for the concrete pad and pay for it yourself. It's near half of what you would spend for the storage unit.

I have rental property and if my tentant wanted to have slab poured I maybe would allow it but I wouldnt put up any of my own cash for it since its not a necessity to the home.

 

[scott4]

Just get your landlords blessing for the concrete pad and pay for it yourself. It's near half of what you would spend for the storage unit.

I have rental property and if my tentant wanted to have slab poured I maybe would allow it but I wouldnt put up any of my own cash for it since its not a necessity to the home.

(I just ended up putting up the figures above, since it was not very clear before)

Let me do the math so I can eyeball it

Concrete pad cost
$475 + $239.75 car cover
$714.75

Storage unit
$88.41 x 10 months
$884.1

$169.35 difference

 

[Lx460]

Park the "classic" on the driveway and your daily driver on the grass. Problem solved.

I'd be more worried about rats, mice and squirrels taking up residence if parked outdoors and used infrequently.

 

[turfgnome]

how about race deck then you can take it with you to a new place.

 

[readhead]

Gravel does not solve the moisture problem. Rent a space.

 

[APEowner]

How about race deck or a parking mat on the grass?

 

[scott4]

How about race deck or a parking mat on the grass?

I assume this is what racedeck is.

http://www.racedeck.com/residentialgarageflooring.html


I can't find, specifically, what you are suggesting on the website.

If you don't mind, could you please you provide a link to the specific race deck product?

 

[danfromsyr]

I would lay out that heavy rubber cow mat over a layer of plastic sheeting.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubber-mat-black-4-ft-x-6-ft

 

[readhead]

Race deck would just be an expensive tarp. Rubber mats are a good idea and fairly inexpensive.

 

[zhaddock]

(I just ended up putting up the figures above, since it was not very clear before)

Let me do the math so I can eyeball it

Concrete pad cost
$475 + $239.75 car cover
$714.75

Storage unit
$88.41 x 10 months
$884.1

$169.35 difference

My mistake but still cheaper in the long run

 

[scott4]

My mistake but still cheaper in the long run

I was not very clear with the costs in the first post before the edits. I talked to the homeowner again. She is not saying no to sharing the cost of the pad, but I don't get the impression she is saying yes, either.

Park the "classic" on the driveway and your daily driver on the grass. Problem solved.

I'd be more worried about rats, mice and squirrels taking up residence if parked outdoors and used infrequently.

There is zero driveway. I only have one car. The daily driver is a bike.

I would lay out that heavy rubber cow mat over a layer of plastic sheeting.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubber-mat-black-4-ft-x-6-ft

Interesting. Thanks. Perhaps something built with 4x4s and plywood, too.

 

[scott4]

Other ideas

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56986

 

[48RON54]

I did the car cover thing with a classic car for awhile as there was no garage space for me.

The biggest issues I had were cats getting between the cover and the car, thereby leaving tons of claw marks in your paint.... and also the mice move in rather quickly once they realize its a safe space.

 

[cybrdyke]

Google CarCapsule. They have an outdoor version.
CD

 

[CNGsaves]

+1 for the tractor supply rubber mats that you put down on plastic sheeting. Then car cover. You'll take the rubber mats with you when leaving that rental so you'll get future benefit. Rubber mats will kill grass, but since a parked car would kill grass anyway, I'd say landlord can't squawk about it.

Would also do EVERYTHING you can to limit vermin taking up residence in the car. Disconnect battery cable. Put lots of traps/poison out for mice/rats so you are pro-active in killing OUTSIDE the car. Consider 100% every-day baited 5 gal bucket of death.

 

[dave89iroc]

http://carcapsule.com/outdoor-carcapsule/

 

[kbs2244]

storage unit
it isn't a DD so the inconvenience is not a big problem
you just swap car locations when you want to drive it
it is indoors for weather protection and security.

 

[thatguysb]

Storage easy.

 

[sublimate]

You can get a pallet of cement pavers for $300

 

[bobemmerich]

Whatever you put down under it is going to kill the grass. Check with the homeowner first.

 

[T_R]

10 months in Florida? Put down a couple blue tarps down. Drive the car on them. Put the cover on. Pull the sides of the tarps on the ground up and tie them up with rope over the top of the cover. Put another blue tarp over the whole thing and tie it down real good, should be fine. I can't see wasting money on anything more for less than a year.

 

[Blue]

Eh, I vote for storage. Find something climate controlled.

Also, this thread needs some pics! What kind of car?

 

[Gotcha640]

Driving once a month, I'd absolutely go for the storage unit. You might even find somewhere a little cheaper and farther out, but without a second car, you'd be begging or paying for rides out there.

If you can get away with putting down a pad, you might also get away with putting up an awning, and then slap some walls on it. You could do a decent shed for $850, but it would be difficult to take it with you, and wouldn't be as good as the storage unit.

Also, I'm sure you're aware, tires should be tossed when they expire. Just because you get them out of the grass and they look good, replace every 7 ish years.

 

[taumac]

Storage unit. It's covered, secure and less risk of animals.

 

[ASHMAN_AZ]

Another vote for thick rubber mats. I got this one from a friend it looks like patio pavers, dont know where he got it from. 4ft x 6ft.

I like using it for off to the side dirty projects or cleaning.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

I don't see anyone forming and pouring a car sized pad for $475. It still needs rebar etc.

 

[chops101]

Storage.

Quickest way to wick moisture into your classic is with a cover.
I couldn't imagine doing that to my car.

With the type and intensity of rain, and high humidity in the mix, covers don't work here. Sorry. May work everywhere else in the country but not here.