advice needed for working w/ contractor for gravel drive-how wide to make curve?

[dyladr]

Help!  Invested $10,000 so far roughing in a 520ft gravel drive up mountainous property, includes one 'hair-pin turn'.  After buying new 1-ton deisel dually and 28 ft. 5th wheel I'm about to spend another $10,000 to improve it by widening it, clearing more trees, laying pug-mix top, compacting etc.  I'm not on-site when this is done due to living in another state, and truck/camper is also remote.  How do I make sure contractor provides sufficient width and clearance to ensure the truck/camper can make the one 'sharp' turn up the hill?  Is there a method or way to calculate curve lentgh/width required?  Figure the turn angle is approx. 50-60deg but length of road this happens is short; need to estimate min. width for this.  thanks for all's help.

 

[SunriseSunset]

I can't directly answer your question, but a more important bit of data is not the angle of the turn, but what is the radius of the turn to the center of the road?  I have a 450' uphill (19% grade at one point) driveway with a fairly tight left hand turn (I don't know the radius).  The driveway is nominally 12 feet wide.  The driveway is lined with trees on one side and a steep embankment on the other.  The contractor that put it in the driveway knew enough on how to do the job correctly.  I've had 53' long tractor-trailers on the property with oversized loads (10' wide) without issues.  My 36' class A gasser has no problems going up or down the driveway.

BTW, and this is my opinion, I think $20,000 for a 520' driveway seems a bit excessive.  A few years ago we had our driveway paved (6,000 square feet in all, there is a 6 car parking pad at the top) for $6,000.

Fran

 

[dyladr]

thanks for the reply, very good point; I agree the turn radius dictates how acute the angle can be; short answer is I don't yet since the truck won't be fitted with the 5th wheel hitch until end of this week and then I can check it out in a parking lot.  Your situation is not far off from mine, not sure what incline is but at the turn it's at least 15%, probably more.  I live 400 miles away have only been there 3 times over 3 years.  Re $20,000 cost, this property is virgin forest with nothing but trees and rocks on a mountain -most of the cost was clearing, cutting/removing trees, excavating, grading for an 8ft-wide drive, grading for homesite and delivery/spreading of 54 tons base stone.  That was $11,000 4 yrs ago but I didn't plan for a 5th wheel back then; to make it 5th wheel accessable requires more excavation, clearing/cutting grading and dropping final crusher run gravel.  That's where the other 8-9 grand is going.  The big equipment time/labor is what's costing so much.

 

[SunriseSunset]

My thought is if your contractor can get his 10 wheel dump truck and trailer with excavator up the driveway, you shouldn't have issues with a pickup truck and 25' 5th wheel.  Ask him if he has any trouble getting the above up your drive.  Your future home will need contractor deliveries for lumber, concrete, well truck, etc.  Your PU truck/5th wheel is tiny compared to all of these delivery vehicles.  Make sure your drive is a least 12' wide.  Your (future>>yes you will go bigger some day!!) 5th wheel is at least 8 or 8.5' wide.

BTW, we had something similar going on as you.  We lived out of state and had an unknown contractor to us doing all the site work.  It was sometimes unnerving, but we made it through the ordeal!!  So will you.

Fran