Portland RV park asphalt paving operates under a spec frame that retail or apartment-lot paving does not address. A Class-A diesel pusher coach can weigh 36,000 to 50,000 pounds with full tanks and slides extended. The pad has to hold that load across an aged subgrade, level to a cross-slope under 1 percent so the slide-outs work and the leveling jacks reach their stops, and survive the utility-pedestal trench reinstatement where water, sewer, and 50-amp electrical service tie in at each site. Owner-operators running Jantzen Beach RV Park, Portland Fairview RV Park, Roamers Rest, or any Class-A-rated facility in the metro feel the consequence of an underspec'd pad within three to four years. This article walks through what a Portland RV park rebuild actually needs and what it costs in 2026.
Class-A Coach Wheel-Load Mix Design
A Class-A motorhome carries axle weights in the 12,000 to 22,000 pound range -- comparable to a fuel-tanker offload axle, but parked stationary for days at a time. Static load on a single tire footprint over an aged or thin section punches the pad down at the wheel position, creating the classic "RV ruts" that show up at occupied sites within the first few seasons.
The right structural section under a Class-A RV pad is 3 to 4 inches of asphalt over 8 to 12 inches of compacted aggregate base, with the wearing course mix specified as PG 64-22 minimum and PG 70-22 preferred for high-volume parks. Some Portland-area parks running 100+ percent occupancy through the summer go heavier (4 to 5 inches of asphalt) to extend pad service life. See Oregon asphalt cost benchmarks for the broader cost frame.
1 Percent Max Cross-Slope Level-Pad Spec
RV manufacturers spec the leveling jacks for a maximum cross-slope of 1 percent (roughly 1/8 inch per foot). Beyond that, the slide-outs may bind, the leveling jacks may not reach their stops, and the coach can sit unevenly enough to disrupt the interior plumbing and the refrigerator gas-burner cycling. 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-spec'd RV pad has to be handled via the longitudinal slope (along the length of the pad) rather than the cross-slope. The pad sheds water to a sloped curb or swale at one end rather than across its width. This is one of the most common spec failures on jobs that get contracted to retail-lot paving crews without RV-park experience.
Utility-Pedestal Trench Reinstatement
Each Portland RV site has a utility pedestal: 50-amp electrical, 30-amp electrical, fresh water, sewer dump, and sometimes cable or fiber service. The supply trenches typically run from the back of the pad to the pedestal location, crossing the pad at a perpendicular line. 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 surrounding pad section.
The right detail for trench reinstatement is the same structural section as the surrounding pad, compacted in lifts, with the wearing course finish-graded to match the pad surface. A trench reinstatement that does not match the structural section will settle within the first season and create a ridge across the pad -- which is the most common cause of slide-out binding complaints from guests. Our RV pad excavation guide covers the underlying excavation discipline in more depth.
Multnomah BES Stormwater Overlay
Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services overlay applies to any project disturbing more than 500 square feet of impervious surface. An RV park rebuild project usually crosses that threshold easily. The permit process adds 4 to 8 weeks of pre-construction time and may require stormwater management plan revisions if the project changes lot drainage. Owner-operators planning a multi-site repave should budget the permit calendar at the front end of the project.
Comparable apron and approach work is covered in our Portland church paving project notes for a sense of how the BES overlay reads on a different commercial site.
Phased Work for an Active RV Park
Portland RV parks rarely shut for paving. Occupancy runs nearly 100 percent through summer at the larger parks, and even shoulder-season occupancy stays above 50 percent. Phased work is the standard playbook:
- Rotate guests out of one section of the park (typically 8 to 20 sites per phase).
- Mill and pave the empty section in a 2 to 4 day cycle.
- Allow 48 to 72 hours of cure before reopening the section to RV traffic.
- Coordinate utility crews to handle any pedestal upgrades during the same phase.
- Move to the next section.
Phased work adds 15 to 25 percent over a single-mobilization clean-sheet job. The right scheduling for Portland RV parks is March through May (before peak summer occupancy) or mid-September through October (after peak season). The Portland parking lot striping work article covers similar phased-work scheduling for commercial lots.
Industry Baseline Range for Portland RV Park Paving
Pricing depends on site count, structural section needed, 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 | $5,000 to $25,000 |
| Mill 2 inches, repave wearing course | $4.00 to $7.00+ | $40,000 to $200,000+ |
| Full structural rebuild (multi-site) | $8.00 to $14.00+ | $120,000 to $600,000+ |
| Utility-pedestal trench reinstatement | $20 to $60 per lf | $1,000 to $8,000 per pedestal |
Current Market Reality
Portland 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, and the labor cost of phased work on active sites. A 30-site Portland 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 handle the maintenance-cycle work between major repaves.
Coordinating With KOA, Good Sam, and Franchise Standards
Branded Portland 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 before the work scope locks. The right move at the front end is a coordination call with the owner-operator and the franchise contact to confirm spec, color, and any brand-specific finish requirements.
Talk to Cojo About Your Portland RV Park
If you operate a Portland RV park with rutting at the wheel positions, slide-out binding complaints from guests, or pedestal-trench settlement creating ridges across pads, the next step is a pad walk. We will measure cross-slope tolerance, document rutting patterns, walk the utility-pedestal layouts, and write a phased scope that keeps revenue moving through the work window. To start, schedule a pad walk and we will be at the park within the week.