Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > GENERAL DISCUSSIONS > General Discussions about our Montanas
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-06-2022, 11:35 AM   #1
boisesmith
Seasoned Camper
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Middleton
Posts: 76
M.O.C. #23951
Asphalt parking

We will be parking on asphalt for at least a few months. Any suggestions on what to park the tires on?
 
boisesmith is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2022, 12:06 PM   #2
Daryles
Montana Master
 
Daryles's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Alton
Posts: 2,654
M.O.C. #24086
When we were in Austin TX in August, the KoA made 12"x12" wooden boards to put under your leveling jacks to prevent them denting (sinking into) their hot asphalt pads in the heat of the sun. It was 104⁰F every day we were there (3 weeks).
__________________
Daryl and Marianne,
2019 3130re 20th Anniversary Edition
2016 F350 Lariat
Daryles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2022, 02:07 PM   #3
DadsHemi
Montana Master
 
DadsHemi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Florence
Posts: 945
M.O.C. #20472
I use 12x12x1/2 plastic pads I bought at camper World years ago, if I’m on dirt or asphalt I use 8x16 cap blocks under my level jacks.
__________________

2018 Ram 3500 MegaCab 4x4 Aisin, 4:10 Gears
Titan 50 Gal Tank, Air Lift Wireless Bags
2017 3160 RL
DadsHemi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2022, 02:46 PM   #4
AZ Traveler
Site Team
 
AZ Traveler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Oro Valley
Posts: 3,898
M.O.C. #20477
L D,

I would not put anything under the tires. What is your concern?
__________________
Zack and Donna plus Millie and Ranger
2018 3160RL

"Life is too short to stay indoors, enjoy the ride!"
AZ Traveler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2022, 08:57 AM   #5
BB_TX
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,133
M.O.C. #6433
If the weather will be hot I would put boards or the plastic pads under them. If the weather will be relatively cool, meaning less than 90 degrees I would be less concerned.


Funny story. Years ago traveling across TX panhandle on I-40 into NM with temps on my truck showing 104-106 we stopped at a rest area west of Santa Rosa. When we got ready to leave I put the truck in gear and pressed the throttle. Did not move. Tried reverse. Truck did not move. Tried drive again. No go. First thought was transmission had gone out. This was late on a Friday afternoon and we were in the middle of nowhere.
Tried some more and, watching, I could see the truck trying to move but the trailer was not. Now thinking the trailer brakes are locked up. Checked the breakaway switch. Still connected. Disconnected cord to truck. No help. Even threw battery disconnect. Nope.

Called an ERS that we had received free with our purchase of the Monte. They were less than useless. Hung up and googled number of local sheriff department and no answer! Googled Santa Rosa police department and asked if they knew of any local RV repair places. None that would be open after 5 on Friday they said.
OK, may be spending the night in a rest area. Happen to see a maintenance worker cleaning up litter around the area. Asked him if he knew of an mobile RV repair place. He spoke poor english, but said wait while he called someone, in which he spoke only Spanish. Now I am a little concerned who he is speaking with and what he is saying. But he handed me his phone and the guy on the other end asked my problem. When I explained, he said "break away switch". No already tried that. And had disconnected my cord, and had even thrown my battery disconnect switch. "OK", he said, "Are you parked along the side where the big trucks park?" Yes. "Your tires are stuck to the pavement". What??? "Yes, your tires are stuck to the pavement. I have been out there many times on $150 dollar service calls for that reason. It is slightly downhill going backward. Put your truck in reverse and hit the throttle hard and it should release". I did, and it did. I offered to send him payment for the help, but he said to tip his friend and that was good. I did and we were happily back on our way. Noticed small depressions as I pulled away in the hot pavement where the tires had been.


Moral. Yes tires on hot asphalt can cause the pavement to sink.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
BB_TX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2022, 04:43 PM   #6
twindman
Montana Master
 
twindman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Mesa az
Posts: 2,925
M.O.C. #5651
I had this happen once too BB TX. I didn't get totally stuck, but had to pull hard to get moving.
__________________

Tom and Gail
2013 Mountaineer 362
2012 Silverado 2500
twindman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2022, 07:39 AM   #7
DutchmenSport
Montana Master
 
DutchmenSport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Anderson
Posts: 2,544
M.O.C. #22835
If on asphalt, I usually do not put anything under the tires, unless the site is unlevel left-to-right (side-to-side). Then I'll put the appropriate height of lumber under the low side of the trailer to level it more. However, I do use blocks of wood under the jacks (all 6 of them) for a couple reasons. First, putting blocks under the jacks means the jacks don't have to extend as far. No danger of stroking out, and the jacks are more stable at a shorter length. Second, all the weight of the trailer on the jack foot pads, because of their small foot-print, will indent the asphalt.

I park my Montana at home on our asphalt drive way. I park it in exactly the same spot all the time. I have boards set up in the drive way (because it's sloped left-to-right for water drainage when it rains), one side of the trailer sits over 2 inches lower than the other. So, the low side is on 8 foot long treated lumber, stacked 2 high.

I also ALWAYS use 4x6 inch posts under the jacks. We had our drive way completely resurfaced with 4 inches of additional asphalt about 3 years ago. After the trailer was sitting there, within the first 6 weeks, the weight of the trailer was causing the asphalt to indent under those blocks and under that 8 foot long board. After 3 years, I've had to add an additional board because the first (or bottom) board has sunk into the asphalt over an inch (yes... 8 feet long), and those blocks under the jacks I am now turning them, not parallel to the length of the trailer, but perpeindicular. They've left indentation in the asphalt and sunk the asphalt enough, there are holes now about an inch deep everywhere.

If it was not for the wood spreading out the weight, I'd probably have 2 or 3 inch deep holes in the asphalt now.

If the asphalt under your trailer is not yours, then you probably don't care if you leave indentations when you leave the site. But if you care about the campground you are visiting and want to feel good about it when you leave, then put some lumber under your tires so the next person won't have holes to deal with.
__________________
Who you are right now is a sum total off all you use to be.
2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Silverado Duramax, 6.6L Dually
DutchmenSport is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2022, 01:08 PM   #8
Camp CA
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Bencia
Posts: 537
M.O.C. #25828
We camp for a couple of months on concrete in Palm Desert every winter and do not put anything under the tires, nor do my neighbors who camp there for 4 months.
__________________
2020 Montana 3780RL fifth wheel
2016 F-350 6.7L Diesel Crew Cab Long Bed DRW
Camp CA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2022, 03:48 PM   #9
VagabondLove
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Full Timer
Posts: 117
M.O.C. #27665
Quote:
Originally Posted by boisesmith View Post
We will be parking on asphalt for at least a few months. Any suggestions on what to park the tires on?
When I put mine in secure summer storage, I put the frame on cinderblocks and left the tires dangling to keep the weight off of them and so I could rotate as needed. Not sure if it prevented flat spots on the tire, but nothing bad came from it.
__________________
Full-Timing since 2018 in a 2013 3625RE, 2023 Ford F450DRW with High Output Diesel,
Custom kingpin-mounted hitch receiver for bike rack 2019
MorRyde I/S with 8K Axles & Goodyear G114 Tires on 17.5” aluminum wheels 2020
FlexArmor roof 2021, Starlink
VagabondLove is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2022, 07:59 PM   #10
jerry welliver
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Horseheads
Posts: 7
M.O.C. #17732
Quote:
Originally Posted by boisesmith View Post
We will be parking on asphalt for at least a few months. Any suggestions on what to park the tires on?
I went to a commercial construction site where they were doing rubber roof work. Ask if they have any white rubber roofing material. All you need is strip approx. 15 "w by (long enough to go under the length of your tires, 4 ft or 6 ft example). Easy to store, just roll up. Most of the time just tell the roofing installers what you need it for and they will give you enough material to do the job. We have used this for years under our Montana 5th wheel RV. Have had no problem with tires sticking in high temp. You Have to remember to pick up the rubber after you move of it!!!! It does help if you white tires covers also. We purchased the covers over sized to come down to the pavement. The over sized are easier to put on and off, just info. hope this help.
jerry welliver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2022, 08:44 PM   #11
Rondo
Site Team
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,749
M.O.C. #7560
When setting up on concrete or blacktop (asphalt) I usually put rubber stepping pads or stones I've bought at one of the big name hardware stores. I've made my own wooden blocks to put under the level-ups so I'm good all the way around. The rubber pads are made out of recycled rubber tires and then stained to look like wood or concrete pads and they work great. You can by them in 2 ft square pads or smaller ones and I carry them in the back of the pickup both ahead of the hitch and also the bigger ones behind the hitch.
Rondo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-14-2022, 10:17 PM   #12
DQDick
Site Team
 
DQDick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
The concern isn't blacktop it's concrete. When tires sit on concrete you end up with the black marks. According to a retired Goodyear engineer who presented at an Escapee Boot Camp, that's an ingrediant in the concrete leaching out the anti aging compound from the tires. When asked if asphalt and gravel were ok, he said not to worry if parked on them.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
DQDick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-15-2022, 01:04 PM   #13
Wisconsin Retiree
Montana Fan
 
Wisconsin Retiree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Coloma, Wisconsin
Posts: 200
M.O.C. #28036
I liked this guy's answer from years ago:

Posted By: jwmII on 10/15/09 05:21pm

Your tires worst enemy is moisture coming out of whatever the rv is parked on. This contributes to the dry rot that everyone attributes to the sun. Don't get me wrong as the sun is a contributor but not nearly as harsh as moisture. You can park on gravel,dirt,concrete, wood, asphalt, and anything else that is porous and retains moisture and dry rot will attack your tires.
Some who have poured concrete slabs to park on have laid down plastic and poured over that but that still does not stop moisture from coming up out of the concrete.

You need a barrier to park each tire on that moisture cannot permeate.Only then can you help stop the dry rot attack. That can be metal like sheet metal flashing used by roofers either aluminum or steel. It can be plastic, like plastic cutting boards and there are even some high dollar plastic shields sold expressly for parking on. Be sure as well that water cannot puddle around your tires where ever you park and store the rv.
__________________
Chuck
2019 3121RL 35 ft., 2020 3500 Dodge Ram SRW, Cummins 6.7 HO, Air Bags - Air Lift BT Wireless Compressor, Coloma, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Retiree is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.