Parking Travel Trailer Next To Stone Retaining Wall?

[jonshonda]

We have a small 19' Travel Trailer (5k lbs loaded) that we are currently parking at a rental spot, which is across town and just a hassle. Hoping to park the camper at our house, but have limited options on space need your thoughts on parking it next to a stone retaining wall.

The illustration below shows rough details of the location, and the retaining wall is literally just 6-12" stones stacked on top of each other, with some landscaping fabric behind them. They have been there for over 30 years and don't show many signs of movement, but I am worried when I put the weight near the edge they wall might not hold up.

Initial thought was to replace the stone retaining wall with one made from 5x5" ground contact timbers, but the costs add up pretty quick and might take away from the look of the wall. My second thought was to pour a concrete pad with a 3-4' deep footer on the retaining wall side to prevent too much movement.

 

[matt_i]

I would do the pad + vertical retaining wall in one monolithic pour (or, could be two pours as well). Rebar to keep it all together (if you do one, bend them at 90 deg, if doing two pours either leave short pins sticking out, or long pins but bend them over when the first part is cured for a few days). Working quickly in good weather, you may be able to just earth-form the vertical part. Not sure if you can excavate right next to the stone wall (probably not with a tracked hoe as it has to straddle the centerline of the trench) or it would be best to unstack it, form with wood or metal panels and then restack.

 

[ard]

I see matti is proposing a poured vertical retaint wall!? Which is not one of your options....




5k lbs loaded? So maybe 2000lbs per wheel when stored? I'd give it a shot, see how it holds up. Restacking the wall if it subsides isn't a big deal. (I can't see it from here, but I'd like to think a total and complete failure, resulting in the trailer tumbling down the hill is not a real risk.) The small pad to distribute the weight isn't a bad plan either, a simple Saturday job,

I woudl ABSOLUETELY NOT replace the stone with wood. Wood will not last 30 years as the stone has. Maybe 10-15. Even 'treated' wood. If you will replace the stone, use an engineered interlocking retaining wall block, they are usually good for 48 inches without site-specific engineering.

 

[firebirdparts]

That's not a lot of weight at all, but a little pad just under the wheels does spread it out if necessary. You won't know if you need that until you try it.

 

[firebirdparts]

I see matti is proposing a poured vertical retaint wall!? Which is not one of your options....




5k lbs loaded? So maybe 2000lbs per wheel when stored? .

More like 1000.

 

[jfitz]

I have my fifth wheel beside a retaining wall I built with a product called Techo-Bloc. It is 4- 41/2 ft high, goes together without cement. You can even offset each row 1 inch back which gives the wall more vertical strength. If you want some pics, let me know and I can dig them up (Ha) and post them

 

[jonshonda]

I see matti is proposing a poured vertical retaint wall!? Which is not one of your options....




5k lbs loaded? So maybe 2000lbs per wheel when stored? I'd give it a shot, see how it holds up. Restacking the wall if it subsides isn't a big deal. (I can't see it from here, but I'd like to think a total and complete failure, resulting in the trailer tumbling down the hill is not a real risk.) The small pad to distribute the weight isn't a bad plan either, a simple Saturday job,

I woudl ABSOLUETELY NOT replace the stone with wood. Wood will not last 30 years as the stone has. Maybe 10-15. Even 'treated' wood. If you will replace the stone, use an engineered interlocking retaining wall block, they are usually good for 48 inches without site-specific engineering.

I did refer to a vertical portion in my post, so his suggestion isn't too far out of line and a do agree it is a good idea.

It is a tandem axle trailer, so maybe I will just poor a small 4'x1.5' pad on each side of the camper for the wheels to rest on, then maybe one for the tongue jack. Maybe go thicker then normal (12"?)on the side closest to the retaining wall to help ensure it will last.

Think I would need rebar, or just fiberglass reinforced cement? Guessing an expansion joint in the middle of each pad (between the tires of the trailer) would be a good idea?

 

[Lelandwelds]

I do not see a problem. I bet in 30 years someone has parked there. I bet everything has settled by now.

Well, actually, it's your bet.

 

[Bretny]

It hasnt moved in 30yrs and now your going to park the same weight as a large SUV next to it and feel the need to re do it? Leave it alone and park the RV next to it. If it moves and keeps moving then and only then would i do anything with it.

 

[tthornto]

Leave the existing stacked rock wall, but put mortar between the stones to stabilize it, just be sure to leave spaces at the bottom of the wall without mortar to allow water to drain through the wall.

 

[Trochu]

Just for reference, a human standing on one foot is approximately 80 kPa while 454 kg (1,000 lb/tire) parked on a 0.61 m x 0.61 m (24"x24") cement patio block transmits approx. 12.5 kPa to the ground.

 

[ChaseDE]

Just get 2 of them snazzy circular pavers and recess them into the ground, done.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pavesto...Red-Round-Concrete-Step-Stone-71351/100346093

 

[jonshonda]

Trochu bringin' the maths and ChaseDE bringing the snazzy pavers!

I was over thinking it I am sure, but we don't want our brand new camper tipped over when we come home after work one day!! haha

Wife would be pissed, and I don't think me explaining that the guys on GJ said some snazzy pavers were supposed to be just fine!

 

[Commendatore]

It’s been there for 30 years... without any surcharge against it. How tall is the wall, what kind of condition is it in, and how close to the edge do you need to park?

A couple of pavers on the fill side aren’t going to do anything to prevent failure, but if you park it there and monitor the wall, you can probably move the camper if anything starts to give.

 

[wssix99]

and how close to the edge do you need to park?

This. As long as you have good drainage, the forces are small.

The trailer's tires should impart less than 10 psi on the ground. That force dissipates exponentially, with the square of the distance the weight is away from the wall.

The weight should spread down to very small forces before it gets to the wall.

 

[teamextreme]

How close to the edge of the wall you'll be parking is key. With a 4 ft drop, that's pretty considerable. You could do a test by parking your pickup there since it will weight roughly the same (probably a bit more) and could be moved quickly if things start going south.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Sheet pilings.

 

[dfiler2]

Wouldn't adding the small concrete pads just add more weight to the area you are worried about putting weight on? I know it would spread it out some but the effect on the wall would be the same.

 

[jonshonda]

Camper is 8' wide but wheel base is prob 6.5-7', so parking it pretty close to the wall.

Wouldn't adding the small concrete pads just add more weight to the area you are worried about putting weight on? I know it would spread it out some but the effect on the wall would be the same.

My thinking is the pads will help stabilize the area and distribute the weight over a larger area. Plus they will help me locate the camper more accurately when parking. Not too much room for error in this case!

 

[ard]

Wouldn't adding the small concrete pads just add more weight to the area you are worried about putting weight on? I know it would spread it out some but the effect on the wall would be the same.

correct.

one single pad for all wheels best.

 

[XRlifer]

It hasnt moved in 30yrs and now your going to park the same weight as a large SUV next to it and feel the need to re do it? Leave it alone and park the RV next to it. If it moves and keeps moving then and only then would i do anything with it.

^^^this - it seems the risk of backing the trailer over the edge is much higher than the wall coming down or moving.

 

[garagelogician]

Has this area been used for parking in the past? What kind of soils do you have? Do you have good drainage? Are the "rocks" round or angular? Any slope in front of the walls? Do you have any photos of the wall(s) in question?

I did a quick calc assuming a 12" boulder, phi 30 soils (silty/pit run sand) and flat toe slope. You may be okay if you can keep the wheels at least 2-ft away from the back of the wall. If it does fail, you're not likely to see a catastrophic failure...it would be a slow creep. Keep an eye out for any shifting or any sign of overturning (top of wall tipping out). The bottom of the wall could slide out as well.

A concrete pad probably isn't going to hurt, but it won't really help the wall either. Make sure you direct any concentrated drainage (downspouts) away from the wall.