Gravel pad/drive build

[fried1765]

When my tractor finally comes in, one of the projects I have in mind is to clean up this area and put in a gravel pad to possibly park my trailer. It's a 9000 gvwr trailer and a half ton truck, so I won't ever be a huge load on the pad. I downsized from a super duty and this new truck meets all my needs these days, I have no plans to do any upgrading or have any heavier equipment than this trailer and my BX tractor.
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Id like to have a drive leading out from that pad through this area between the trees.

View from yard facing toward the road.
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View from the road facing toward where the pad will eventually be.

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I've never installed a gravel drive before. Some time on Google suggests I want at least 3 layers of gravel, 3-3" thick per layer, and start with the coarsest/largest rock and end with the finest.

I feel like this is a little bit overkill, and it seems I've seen gravel driveways installed without all of that before. If I were to clear it and prep it and spread one layer about 3" thick of something like 57stone, and then one final layer about 3" thick of something like crush and run (I've also seen it called crusher run), would that be sufficient?

I see you guys talk about long gravel driveways often so I decided y'all could probably help.

Right now I have my trailer parked under a shelter, but if I could build a nice pad to park it on I would consider parking it here beneath the trees to open up shed space for more important things.

I plan to use treated 6x6 timbers or railroad ties to build a border around the pad part, and something (undecided) as a border along the driveway also. Probably landscape timbers or a plastic bed border.

"crush and run" is a bastardization of the proper descriptive term "crusher run", for material as it is discharged from a rock crusher.

 

[Xfaxman]

How can you guys get away with dumping it directly on sandy soil? I have what we call 'sugar sand' for soil (think beach) and all rocks and gravel just sink in over time.

I guess it depends on the dirt where you live.

I am relocating (straightening) a small part of our driveway that was installed in 2006 and has no problems in this area.

The small gravel is 2" thick on red clay. Removed the gravel with a box blade and toothed bucket:

 

[mwemaxxowner]

You NEVER want your road to be level with the grass. You want the water to have some place to go when it lands on your road, and the grass needs to be lower then the road.

Isn't that why I should put a crown in the center, to make the water drain to the edges?

I figure the grass is cut at about 2.5". If the edge of the gravel is approximately 2.5" above grade that should be good. Especially here where water drains well in the sand.

I just know that my concrete driveway and sidewalk are roughly level with the grass and I like it that way very much when it comes to driving across it while I'm mowing. And it looks good too.

However, I don't reckon I'll be driving across the gravel with the mowing deck turning so I guess that shouldn't matter.

 

[Fixastuff]

I always reduce dig the grass and black topsoil, geo fabric the area, then build up pad with aggregate of choice. I do many with recycled milled asphalt(fined screened is what they call it, it's an extra $3 per ton). After running the compactor, it makes one heck of a driveway/pad.


Around here the water table is very high in the winter and your aggregate sinks into the ground without the fabric.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I do many with recycled milled asphalt(fined screened is what they call it, it's an extra $3 per ton).

It's cheaper per ton than stone here..

 

[Fixastuff]

It's cheaper per ton than stone here..

Yeah, almost half the price of #57 or crusher run.

 

[Fallon]

Here in Colorado recycled concrete, recycled asphalt & crusher run roadbase are all the same price. I got a good deal on a pile of recycled concrete a few years ago. Packed in well but lots of metal (magnet busted at the crusher I guesd) & other trash in it. Neighbor just got a pile of recycled asphalt & I've spent a day helping him spread & smooth it for a truck load or so. It's really dirty & lots of black residew on things it touches. Good grind on it & not much large chunks, but lots of tar ropes from crack sealing I assume.

I still may bury the asphalt under a thin top layer of natural crusher run. I need a bit more material anyway.

I'm OK with using the recycled material as I got good to great deals on it. I'd go with natural crusher run roadbase if I had to do it over again & I wasn't getting a below market deal on the recycled stuff.

 

[Xfaxman]

14 tons of recycled concrete was $375: