What pad-level spec does a Class-A motorhome actually need under its wheels, and what does that spec require from the asphalt mat? This question comes up most often from Albany RV-park owners who have inherited or recently bought a Linn County facility along the I-5 corridor and are trying to budget the first round of capital improvements. The honest answer is that a Class-A coach pad sits in a different specification category than retail or apartment-lot paving, and the load-bearing details are the structural section (3 to 4 inches of asphalt over 10 to 14 inches of base), the 1 percent maximum cross-slope, the wearing-course mix grade, and the utility-pedestal trench reinstatement. This article walks through the spec frame using Albany Linn County RV park inventory as the working example.
Class-A Coach Wheel-Load: Why It Matters
A retail parking stall sees a vehicle parked for 90 minutes. The load is rotational, weight comes off and on, the pad doesn't rut. A Class-A RV pad sees a 40,000-pound coach parked 3 to 7 days with full weight on a four-corner footprint -- 12,000 to 22,000 pounds per axle for the largest diesel pushers, plus tongue weight on tow vehicles parked alongside.
Static loading concentrates wear at the wheel positions. Without the deeper structural section, rutting at those positions is visible within the first two seasons. The right structural section under a Class-A RV pad is 3 to 4 inches of asphalt over 10 to 14 inches of compacted aggregate base on Linn County clay subgrade, with the wearing course mix specified as PG 64-22 minimum and PG 70-22 preferred for high-volume parks. See Oregon asphalt cost benchmarks for the broader cost frame.
The 1 Percent Cross-Slope Rule
RV manufacturers spec leveling jacks for a maximum cross-slope of 1 percent (roughly 1/8 inch per foot). Beyond that:
- Slide-outs may bind or fail to seal at the gasket.
- Leveling jacks may not reach their stops at the corners.
- Refrigerator gas-burner cycling can fault on slope drift.
- The interior plumbing trap-vents can siphon at higher slopes.
A pad that paves to a 2 percent cross-slope -- normal for retail parking drainage -- is a failed RV pad even though it would pass any standard commercial inspection. Drainage on a level-pad RV site is handled via longitudinal slope (along the length of the pad) rather than cross-slope, shedding water to a sloped curb or swale at one end.
This is one of the most common spec failures on jobs awarded to retail-lot crews without RV-park experience. The owner-operator should ask the contractor for prior RV-park references before signing.
Utility-Pedestal Trench Reinstatement: The Hidden Cost
Each Albany RV site has a utility pedestal carrying 50-amp electrical, 30-amp electrical, fresh water, sewer dump, and sometimes cable. Supply trenches run from the back of the pad to the pedestal location, crossing the pad perpendicular to the centerline. When the pad gets repaved, those trenches usually need utility work first -- replace old water lines, upgrade sewer cleanouts, run 50-amp upgrade conduit -- and then the trench has to be reinstated to match the pad section.
A trench reinstatement that does not match the surrounding structural section will settle within the first season, creating a ridge across the pad. Slide-out binding complaints from guests almost always trace back to settlement at a trench reinstatement. The right detail is the same structural section as the surrounding pad, compacted in lifts, with the wearing course finish-graded to match. Our RV pad excavation guide covers the underlying excavation discipline in more depth.
Linn County Site Conditions
Albany sits on the I-5 corridor with mid-Willamette Valley site conditions: clay-heavy subgrade, seasonal high groundwater, 42 inches of annual rainfall, and 30 to 50 freeze-thaw cycles per winter. The wet-season window closes the construction calendar from November through April. Linn County stormwater rules apply for any project disturbing more than 500 square feet of impervious surface.
I-5 corridor RV parks (Blue Ox RV Park area, Knox Butte sites, others) see significant transient occupancy during summer travel months when I-5 corridor traffic peaks. The right scheduling pattern for a Linn County RV park rebuild is shoulder-season work in May or late September. The Albany church paving project notes cover related Linn County shoulder-season scheduling discipline.
Industry Baseline Range for Albany RV Park Paving
Pricing depends on site count, structural section, utility-pedestal trench work, and phasing intensity.
Industry Baseline Range
| Scope | Cost Per Sq Ft | Typical Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sealcoat plus crack-fill (clean lot) | $0.20 to $0.45 | $4,500 to $24,000 |
| Mill 2 inches, repave wearing course | $4.00 to $7.00+ | $38,000 to $190,000+ |
| Full structural rebuild (multi-site) | $8.00 to $14.00+ | $115,000 to $580,000+ |
| Utility-pedestal trench reinstatement | $20 to $60 per lf | $1,000 to $8,000 per pedestal |
Current Market Reality
Albany RV park paving pricing in 2026 reflects fuel surcharges of 3 to 7 percent, polymer-modified binder upcharges for parks running heavier Class-A traffic, deeper aggregate base on clay subgrade, and the I-5 corridor transient occupancy patterns that drive shoulder-season scheduling. A 25-site Albany RV park that priced at $4.00 per square foot for a mill-and-overlay in 2019 commonly bids $5.50 to $7.00 today after structural section upgrade. Cojo's asphalt maintenance services and the Albany parking lot striping work handle the maintenance-cycle work between major repaves.
Phased Work and Franchise Coordination
Albany-area RV parks running through the May-October window rarely shut for paving. Phased work rotates guests out of 8 to 20 sites per phase, mills and paves each section in a 2 to 4 day cycle, and allows 48 to 72 hours of cure before reopening. Phased work adds 15 to 25 percent over a single-mobilization job.
Branded Albany RV parks under KOA, Good Sam, or other franchise umbrellas often have brand standards review on structural rebuilds. Add 10 to 30 days for franchise approval. A coordination call with the owner-operator and the franchise contact confirms spec, color, and any brand-specific finish requirements.
Talk to Cojo About Your Albany RV Park
If you own or operate an Albany RV park and want to understand the pad-level spec before the next capital cycle, the next step is a pad walk. We will measure cross-slope tolerance on existing pads, document any rutting or trench settlement, walk the utility-pedestal layouts, and write a scope with a Linn County-specific range. To start, schedule a pad walk and we will be at the park within the week.