Storing van on a slope

[megcam]

Hi All

Awaiting the arrival of our Starcraft 17.58-3 and am looking at the complexities and cost of a 900mm high retaining wall in our front yard for storage. Seems like some engineering, council fees & $'s are required to put 2t of van on top of a retaining wall so we are now looking at storing the van on a slope. Are there any issues with doing so? I know the fridges don't like to be run on an angle. Any other issues?

Cheers

Cameron

 

[achjimmy]

If your looking at less than a metre retaining wall in NSW approval and engineering don't come into it. Do it right with photos and if busted just claim ignorance but show how it was done right.

I saw a van yesterday on a sloping driveway that had a 1.4m pole under the drawbar I kid you not. Also had serious blocks under the jacks. Storing on a slope really means you can't run the fridge and you can't really pop the roof as the slope effects it.

 

[Tricky]

Can't think of any reason why you couldn't store the van on a slope.

 

[peterg]

Ring a local building surveyor and ask but 900mm shouldn't need engineering. There are retaining wall products available for low heights.

 

[Bluey]

Hard to say without seeing how bad is the slope instead of lifting one side dig other out ??????? And retain that hire a digger will come dig it for you hang on are you in vic

 

[megcam]

Thanks guys. Have put an enquiry in to one of the concrete sleeper retaining systems locally. Brisbane rules I think are similar with under 1m not subject to approval but from todays reading none of the DIY options seem to cater to parking 2t on top. Just looking at fall back scenarios. Thanks Cameron

 

[peterg]

Thanks guys. Have put an enquiry in to one of the concrete sleeper retaining systems locally. Brisbane rules I think are similar with under 1m not subject to approval but from todays reading none of the DIY options seem to cater to parking 2t on top. Just looking at fall back scenarios. Thanks Cameron

2t becomes 1t when split across the caravan. You can also knock of the ball weight as that will not effect a 900 high retaining wall. Also if the wheel is going to be more than 1m away from the wall you may as well consider the van load irrelevant.

 

[Dobbie]

Don't like the term " fall back" with your problem. Could be difficult.

Didn't realise council had regulations affecting things like van storage.

What sort of slope are you considering? Could you block / jack up the front or back of van to get it sort of level and use huge chocks?

 

[Dean Anderson]

On the sensible side of me............Generally councils have design rules regarding maximum surcharge for retaining walls. Their website will have all the details if you search hard enough. Manufactured walls will generally cost lots..... I tried to go for concrete sleepers for mine but the price was ridiculous considering the posts had to be down 1.5 times the height... My cheapest option was sandstone boulders done by a contractor.... Wasn't worth the slight cost difference to make it out of anything else considering the work involved

The only real pain (DIY) was fabricating a kerb on the top of a 15m long retaining wall so I didn't back the van over the side.

 

[Smergen]

2t becomes 1t when split across the caravan. You can also knock of the ball weight as that will not effect a 900 high retaining wall. Also if the wheel is going to be more than 1m away from the wall you may as well consider the van load irrelevant.

Whilst I agree, what about the load of the car when you you want to hook up or drop off?

 

[peterg]

Whilst I agree, what about the load of the car when you you want to hook up or drop off?

Not an issue. Retaining walls are designed in 1m lengths.

 

[megcam]

Yeah thanks @Dobbie maybe fallback was the wrong phrase. Response from the retaining wall company is "our retaining walls are engineered designed for a 5 KPA loading, based on retaining wall of 900mm high please allow 2m minimum gap between retaining wall and edge of caravan."

2m set back doesn't work for us but 1m might so can I apply @peterg calculations and say an ATM of 2000kg is 200kg on the jockey wheel and 450kg per wheel?

 

[Dean Anderson]

This was the front I had to do to get around the van storage problem. Our block had a 10.5m drop to the back fence and no side access for a van, as you can see beside my mail box the drop offs pretty bad. I had about 3.4m behind the fence, a 900mm sandstone retaining wall (boulders 600-800mm wide not little ones) , followed by a 2m garden bed retained by sandstone to keep me below the 900mm. The kirb was about 170 wide and 170 high from finished ground level (it actually varied to a depth of 350mm to get down to the boulders) with lots of rio bar drilled and glued into the boulders every 400 or so, 250 deep. The formwork was a total pain to have it on the edge of the wall. Backed into the kirb quiet a few times to get the van in, but that baby wasn't gunna move or break even if you put a bomb on it. The gate I welded up had a 7m sliding opening so I could back the van in. The surface was decomposed granite.

To extend the carport to house the old van (that was smaller than the expanda) even without a roof was going to cost more for design work, approvals, building surveyors etc (before starting construction)than carefully looking at council regs and working a way around it that didn't need approval. The only rule I actually broke was putting stones instead of grass between the footpath and fence.

And you ask why isn't the van in there? I asked myself the same question. Answer. Google street view took the photo while we were away camping....That's why I built it, so I could keep the van in it as little as possible.....ironic really.

 

[megcam]

Thanks for sharing @Dean Anderson. We have a similar site to deal with along with the existing carport etc. Looks like we'll go with the DIY concrete sleeper system and hopefully get it done for under $1500.

 

[SimonM]

Try looking at a twin side setup. It's a post and panel arrangement that's over here in perth. Am sure are similar set ups over east. The manufacturer will help out with the design specs and what load the wall can take and what offset from the wall. Generally the load for a van/car/house etc is dispersed at 45 degrees from the impact point . So a 900mm wall , you could park 900mm away and not load that wall. Structural certification ( and I don't know any structural guys over that side of the country) may need to be obtained to get local shire approval. Or just use the "oops do I need that ?" clause.

 

[Dean Anderson]

From what I've heard getting approval before construction is not the standard for most reno's. You do it........and then if forced latter (requirement of sale) you get it approved. Councils generally want to make money out of you, but don't want to have to justify in a court if things don't work out...It's only the honest people that get screwed.

 

[Drover]

If your parking across the slope, depends on the angle of course but a trench for one sides wheel and build up for the other side, using sleepers, sandstone blocks etc , soil type can be a problem though..............................otherwise I would go the dig one side, build up the other, sandstone blocks properly laid I feel are far better than some of the timber walls I have seen, they don't have a long life unless they are proper hardwood, treated is rubbish stuff and the concrete is expensive...........................................luckily we are rural so just get the bobcat rip out a chunk, chop down some ironbark and throw up retaining wall.
If council started to check things out our way it would clog the courts for decades.

 

[AndrewC]

We store ours on a steep slope. Do yourself a favor if you do tho, get one of the mchitch auto couplers. They are a lot easier as they don't hold pressure in the coupling like a 50mm ball does. We had all sorts of trouble trying to release the coupling until we got one of these. After having the auto coupler, you will never go back!

 

[Dobbie]

Wow that's a serious cover for the van.

Custom made?

 

[AndrewC]

Yeah it is a padded hail cover and cost an arm and leg because if it's high quality. Had its pros and cons. My new van I just went for an adco for various reasons so we will see how it goes.