Driving on grass?

[Pete Masterson]

As with so many things ... it all depends.

In Texas, I drove 'off road' onto a grassy area to park for an event. The soil was surprisingly supportive and there was minimal disturbance to the surface. Only the tall grass was pushed over from the tires. The soil (such as it was) seemed almost to be a sand/small stone mixture. I can see why Texas has a lot of pasture -- it appeared to be near impossible to plow for crops. About 5 or 6 other vehicles (all smaller and lighter) were grouped back near where I was parked to camp for the event.

In an RV park located on the California coast, I was asked to park in the "holding area" until my assigned space was available. To get from the holding area, to the spaces required driving a considerable distance over a lawn-landscaped area. However, some of that area was being used to store RVs (though none as heavy as a BB). I walked the length of the route before I drove onto the lawns. The ground was hard and dry although the grass was plenty green. I'm not sure if it would have done so well if it had been recently watered.

In my area, for practical reasons (a steep hill) I can't put my 'bird onto my property. But I'd be very leery of doing so, even if I could. We have adobe soil. It holds 10 times its weight in water. Rock hard (and safe to pass over) in the summer, it turns into a sticky, gooey, mud after significant rain. Heavy equipment can quickly sink to the axle.

I note, too, that California has a "Mediterranean" climate, with no rain between spring and late fall.

One possibility is to build a "driveway" using open-form concrete blocks*. Grass can grow into the 'holes' and the concrete blocks will aid support under the tires. You'll have to determine just how soft your lawn area gets after a rain. Clearly if a light vehicle leaves signs of passage, the bus will be 10 times worse. So driving your car onto the area as an experiment might give you some idea. (Most lawns will recover from a single vehicle incursion without serious problems if you've checked to avoid seriously soft ground.) Also, you must note watering patterns and low spots along the potential route. If there's a dip where water can accumulate, that might be an area whereyou'll need a "bridge."

At onehome, I built a front walk out of large rectangles (random sizes, puzzled together) so that ground cover could grow into the spaces between (about 4" between blocks). I continued this pattern on the opposite side of the driveway, where I had side yard access for storage of a small utility trailer. The trailer was pulled across the rectangles and planted gaps several times a year without leaving any long term signs of passage. If the blocks are started 10 or 15' from the curb, then the driveway might be less of an eyesore. Again, this depends on the experiments you make with lighter vehicles to see just how able your ground can support the vehicles. (This driveway and walkway system allowed me to mix and pour the concrete rectangles one or two at a time, rather than having a mad rush to move concrete from a ready-mix truck.)

These are some examples of the idea:

<http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/green-dr...index.html>

<http://www.ecosherpa.com/green-construct...-driveway/>

<http://www.thechicecologist.com/2009/03/...and-alive/>

<http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=55>

*I'd consult with someone experienced with the materials to determine what underlying base and what size/strength blocks you should use, if they are practical at all.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

Photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Bluebirdzoom/PeteMasterson#

On May 17, 2009, at 10:16 PM, Ryan Wright wrote:

Has anyone driven a big coach over someone's lawn? What kind of
damage, if any, did it suffer?

I'm planning a new home and want a sheltered parking pad near the back
of the lot, but I'd like to avoid a 400 foot driveway for aesthetic
reasons. Figured I'd put the whole thing in grass with the exception
of the actual parking pad. I think the Bird would look nice sitting on
an "island" in the lawn, set at an angle off the property line. Will I
completely obliterate the lawn by driving the coach over it a dozen
times a year?

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92