Parking a trailer on asphalt shinges

[beernutz]

I park my boat between uses at the end of my mother-in-laws driveway (thanks mom!) in an area which is mostly dirt with a bit of grass. When I first got my boat, I was told by a friend that parking on dirt wasn't good for the tires so I used a few sheets of ashpalt roofing I had to create a parking area for each tire. Periodically dirt collects on them and I spray them off to clean them up every so often.

Does anybody see a downside to parking on asphalt shingles and if so can they recommend a better alternative?

 

[HUMPH]

Yeah, do her a favor and rock the area for "her" and then you have a nice clean spot for your boat!

 

[Woody]

I been parking my vehicles on a dirt driveway for 45 years. I haven't seen any tire deterioration yet that I can blame on it. Long term storage would be different, then you should consider covering tires to prevent sun damage and also jacking it up to take the weight off tires and suspension.

 

[beernutz]

I been parking my vehicles on a dirt driveway for 45 years. I haven't seen any tire deterioration yet that I can blame on it. Long term storage would be different, then you should consider covering tires to prevent sun damage and also jacking it up to take the weight off tires and suspension.

Interesting, thanks Woody. Maybe I worry too much.

 

[MonacoMike]

My trailer guy says the gravel can cause pitting in bearings stored over long periods of time. Dirt may be better???

MM

Yeah, do her a favor and rock the area for "her" and then you have a nice clean spot for your boat!

 

[chumbley]

My trailer guy says the gravel can cause pitting in bearings stored over long periods of time. Dirt may be better???

MM

I'm curious how the bearings have any idea that the tires are resting on gravel...

I wouldn't worry about parking on dirt. Or gravel. Or pavement. Or blocks of wood. Or brick pavers. And I also agree that the sunlight above the tire is probably a bigger enemy than whatever is below it. Check out any old weather-cracked tire. It's the sidewalls, not the tread where it was sitting on the ground.

 

[OldSkool]

I put down 18X18 patio blocks. One for each tire and one for the hitch. See my profile pictures.

 

[Henry Boyd]

My trailer guy says the gravel can cause pitting in bearings stored over long periods of time. Dirt may be better???

MM

I once worked at a company that had more than 14,000 semi-trailers parked on gravel lots across the country. We had lots of problems; no business, storage bills and other business expenses piling up, etc. This lasted almost a year and a half before the economy picked up. Despite all the problems, we did not have a single case of wheel bearing failure due to being parked on gravel.......


Henry

 

[fwebster]

I used to collect/buy/sell muscle cars. The kiss of death for a "barn" car was one whose owner thought he was safe in parking the car on a graveled area. Usually, the bodies and under carriage were so rusty that the car was worthless.

Unless there is a moisture barrier below the gravel, moisture will rise and cause corrosion on metals stored above the gravel. Concrete paving blocks will help, but if you are going to gravel the area, put down a decent moisture barrier below the gravel. Whether going to that extent is worth it to save repainting a trailer every 5-7 years is up to you but if you don't you will eventually see rust on painted metal or corrosion on aluminum.

Bearings are covered with grease which is a moisture barrier, so I'm thinking that bearing pitting due to storage over gravel is an urban legend or maybe something like sending the new guy for the flag pole wrench.

 

[Presentation]

........ sending the new guy for the flag pole wrench.

The flag pole wrench can be found next to the “B” size batteries.

 

[MonacoMike]

Not all "gravel" is the same. Here in Indiana we have a lot of limestone and this is used for crushed stone aka "gravel". As the moisture rises so do chemicals from the stone eating away at the metals as described. My guess is this does not happen quickly but over a long period of time.

I do not know this personally but my trailer guy has a family owned company that has been around all my life.

MM

 

[Stray Cat]

I used to collect/buy/sell muscle cars. The kiss of death for a "barn" car was one whose owner thought he was safe in parking the car on a graveled area. Usually, the bodies and under carriage were so rusty that the car was worthless.

I'm curious, where did the mositure come from? Leaky roof?
On the farm, we parked implements on dirt, gravel, and lime based floors in machine sheds...unless the tire sunk into the ground, we never had any issues. Never noticed the corrosion on metals...then again it was farm machinery.

 

[keokie]

Well the moisture comes from the earth. How it dissipates is largely determined by the climate.

Here in AZ, we get a tremendous amount of moisture from the ground, however our climate is so dry, that vintage cars stored for decades in barns with dirt or gravel floors often show no signs of rust or corrosion..... Virtually nothing rusts or molds in AZ. In fact part of one of my gates was unpainted metal (no primer or protectant at all), it was nearly a year before it was no longer silver.

Sorry for the hijack.


Oh, and concrete does little to stop the flow of moisture....