Driving an RV over a water main

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Andy S.

2006-09-25 15:48:49 UTC

I'm in the planning stages on creating a RV parking area on the north
side of my back yard. However, the only concern that I have with
choosing this area is driving over the water main pipe going into the
home (not parking directly on the pipe).

Without measuring exactly, I am going to *guess* the water main is
about 18 (or more) inches below ground. Is this something I should be
concerned with? Unfortunately the north side of my home is the only
option / space I have for RV parking. So if this is a concern, is
there a way to reinforce the pipe underground so as not to crush the
pipe.

Thanks everyone in advance!

Andy S.
SelzlerA at Yahoo dot com

R.J.(Bob) Evans

2006-09-25 16:22:54 UTC

Permalink

Post by Andy S.
I'm in the planning stages on creating a RV parking area on the north
side of my back yard. However, the only concern that I have with
choosing this area is driving over the water main pipe going into the
home (not parking directly on the pipe).
Without measuring exactly, I am going to *guess* the water main is
about 18 (or more) inches below ground. Is this something I should be
concerned with? Unfortunately the north side of my home is the only
option / space I have for RV parking. So if this is a concern, is
there a way to reinforce the pipe underground so as not to crush the
pipe.

While only an engineer can tell you for sure, I doubt it is a problem
if you build a decent parking pad (concrete or compacted clay/gravel).
I drive a 35,000# bus over a 4" plastic sewer line that is buried
about 6" deep. To protect that we laid old grader blades across the
line and then covered them with the same material we used to build the
parking pad - pit run with 6" minus boulders in it.

--
R.J.(Bob) Evans
(return address needs alteration to work)

William Boyd

2006-09-25 16:28:18 UTC

Permalink

Depends on what the pipe is made of, PVC, iron, or copper. and what the
ground consists of, sand clay, just dirt.
I ran over a PVC pipe with a dump truck weighing slightly more than an
RV and pushed it down farther in the ground, pulling it apart. This was
in silt sand soil. The only fix I know of is concrete the drive or put
the water pipe in an iron sleeve.

--
BILL P.
Just
Me
&
DOG

Advocate

2006-09-25 16:43:58 UTC

Permalink

The depth shouldn't be an issue...Where I live, the ground freezes in the
winter. Driving any vehicle over an area drives the frost down which can
cause major problems. I once had to put a new well on my property on the
"wrong" side of my driveway...the contractor simply put sheets of 2" thick
styrofoam insulation above the waterline which made it impossible for the
frost to go beneath the insulation.

If your waterline is at 18", you obviously don't have frost problems in your
area. Here in northern Minnesota, frost can reach depths of five feet or
greater; the water line that crossed my driveway that I had to protect with
insulation was at a depth of twelve feet.

Bob Hatch

2006-09-25 17:43:42 UTC

Permalink

Check with the city/county in your area, and find out what the depth of
water line/main is. Most likely 24" or greater. I know in Clark County the
depth was 24". If the main has been in the ground for a while, has good
settled dirt around it, and you're backing a trailer, or small, meaning gas
MH, like an F53 chassis of the main, you shouldn't have a problem. IMO, you
should put some kind of surface drive to the pad, like 3/4 and fine gravel,
and let it settle and solidify. Best would be concrete, but not necessary.

Did you buy the GPS?

--
"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog
will give you a look that says, 'My God, you're right!
I never would've thought of that!'"
--Dave Barry
http://www.bobhatch.com
http://www.tdsrvresort.com

Andy S.

2006-09-25 20:09:30 UTC

Permalink

Post by Bob Hatch
Check with the city/county in your area, and find out what the depth of
water line/main is. Most likely 24" or greater. I know in Clark County the
depth was 24". If the main has been in the ground for a while, has good
settled dirt around it, and you're backing a trailer, or small, meaning gas
MH, like an F53 chassis of the main, you shouldn't have a problem. IMO, you
should put some kind of surface drive to the pad, like 3/4 and fine gravel,
and let it settle and solidify. Best would be concrete, but not necessary.
Did you buy the GPS?

Thanks Bob! I'll confirm the depth of the line. The good thing is
the line is just in the driving path to where I'm going to make the
RV pad so I won't be directly on the pipe at all times. The pipe is
covered with dirt and grass on the top. I don't expect more than say
6k to 8k lbs. gross to be driven over the top. Also the pipe goes
across my property at an angle. So when one wheel is on the pipe, none
of the other wheels are.

As for the GPS, no I didn't get it. Unfortunately we had some
unexpected med. bills and we may need to be frugal with our spending
habits for a little while. But the small trips we've taken this
year....made me wish we had it!

Jon Porter

2006-09-26 02:37:56 UTC

Permalink

I recently went through having a leak in the feeder line to my building
from the water main. Here in Ohio they bury that line 40 inches down,
and those two guys did some real work digging the hole with shovels and
picks getting to the break. We were all flabbergasted to find out that
the feeder line consisted on nothing more than the thinnest PVC that was
ever made, which was the code for the area back in the Seventies. A
twenty pound rock was on top of that pipe which caused the break. I have
thicker pipes in my Class B.

I said that just to give you something to consider in your decision.
Probably the easiest way to find out what you need to know is to talk to
a local plumber who should know what the code was when your line was
installed.

JPinOH

JerryD(upstateNY)

2006-09-26 07:44:15 UTC

Permalink

However, the only concern that I have with choosing this area is driving
over the water main pipe going into the home (not parking directly on the
pipe).<<<

Call whoever supplies your water and ask them.
They will know how far the line is buried and if driving over it will hurt
it.

--
JerryD(upstateNY)

"jb" @sbcglobal.net>

2006-09-26 16:56:04 UTC

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Hi All,

It was mentioned before - FROST -
If you are in a frost area - driving over it will force it (frost) DOWN....
in our area (South-East Wisconsin) - in the areas where the snow is removed
(like roads) and there's traffic,,,, the frose WILL get to 30' ( THAT IS
FEET AS in 12" EACH) when the temps are like -20* for any legnth of time.

I have needed to put a ladder up to the roof on my house to get snow off
when it was -25* for a week, I blowed off the lawn (16" or so of snow) and
the lawn was WET AND NOT FROZE as the snow was the insulation.... the day
after it was cleaned off - "like a rock" down a foor and going....

the Foam over the pipe is GOOD also putting the water pipe inside another
one (like a 6" pipe) is also good - keeping it 24-36" down will help keeping
the line in one piece when driving over it.......

so have fun hope this helps and YMMV

john b = wisconsin cheesehead