# Movin Dirt !



## BigAl RIP

Got a excavator , 16 yard Peterbuilt dump truck and 1 small loader moving dirt for my new RV Garage . Looks like at least three  more full days of digging to put it the pad  behind the house . I have not ran a Pete in about 20 years . It was a fun day . All the excess dirt is going below the house to form a gentle slope to the pasture , I figure about another 125 dump loads might get us close to having a pad . We are going in 20 feet into the hillside and then sloping the grade to the pad .


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## bczoom

Sweet!  Pictures?

Sounds like a lot more fun than putting up a quonset hut.  BTW, what happened to that thing?


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## EastTexFrank

Pictures Al, pictures.  

I just went through something similar.  I thought that I knew every square foot of my place until they started to use a laser to shoot levels for the dam and lake that I've just about finished building.  The same thing goes for the cement pad for the barn that I'm just about to build.  I knew that my place wasn't level but jeez, I picked the most level place that I had for my barn and there was still a drop of 3' over 40'.  I had dozers and back blades running over the place for days.  Land is deceptive.  

The reason that I'm interested is that my wife wants me to build a RV pad next year.  I don't have a place to put it that doesn't require major dirt work and relocation of sprinklers, etc.  I honestly don't know if I'm up for it.


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## 300 H and H

20 feet into the hill side?

Are you doing anything to stablise the back of the cut into the hill?

If say in the next year or two can yoyu be sure that it won't erode and fail?

Retaining wall? What about heavy rain runoff, got some plan for that?

Just askin'  

Regards, Kirk


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## NorthernRedneck

Geez Al.  You don't do things half-assed.  We need pics or it didn't happen.


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## BigAl RIP

300 H and H said:


> 20 feet into the hill side?
> 
> Are you doing anything to stablise the back of the cut into the hill?
> 
> If say in the next year or two can yoyu be sure that it won't erode and fail?
> 
> Retaining wall? What about heavy rain runoff, got some plan for that?
> 
> Just askin'
> 
> Regards, Kirk


 
Oh yea , We got plans .   Pictures today


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## JimVT

reading impaired here.


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## Andrei

Underground garage is a fantastic idea.


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## Dargo

BigAl said:


> Oh yea , We got plans .   Pictures today



If you're like me, I seem to forget to take pictures while operating unless I come across something that is damaged.  Then I somehow remember to get my phone out and take clear pictures of the damage and photographic evidence that I have not been in or around that area.

Now that I brazed up the hole in the line set for the A/C in my 15 ton excavator, I may remember to take more pics since I won't be swatting insects, rubbing dirt out of my eyes etc. while overheated.


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## Snowtrac Nome

my problem is when I break something I'm too darn'd busy fixing it to stop for pics .


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## BigAl RIP

Wife got some good pictures . now I have to wait for her to send them off her camera so I can post .

Man , I was busier than a two peckered Billy Goat to day !! Dumped the truck as it was filled , Take it back to the fill site , then run for the tractor to spread the dirt in the new area after it was dumped.
Greased and fueled the tractor and Pre Oped the truck for tomorrow . Had 4 zerts refusing to take grease so that took an hour to get the grease pin holes opened again . The loader levers started acting up around noon time and I spent another hour fixin that this evening . Still managed to connect the grader box to my Tractor this evening and started finish grading the slope where the new dirt is being used . I think we are still looking at 2 days ,by the time we get the rest of the dirt moved and then go back and finish slope the cut on the hill side .
  Oh ,,,,, did I mention the excavator threw a track at quitting time so guess what we are doing first thing in the morning ???


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Looks like fun but I think you need a bigger digger.


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## Jim_S RIP

PBinWA said:


> Looks like fun but I think you need a bigger digger.



Small dragline with a 15 yard bucket.  Save a lot of time loading!

Jim

Al, I get tired just thinking about your projects


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## muleman RIP

D5 cat dozer and it would be done already in that loose soil....Where are the rocks? I can't even dig a post hole without hitting rocks. Have 2 to put in for extra fence tensioners and will use the backhoe to dig the holes.


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## NorthernRedneck

That pete is a similar setup to what dad used to run in the bush building logging roads. He'd do that in the summer then in the fall take the dump box off and switch over to a cabsheild and fifth wheel setup so he could hook up to his log trailer and haul wood all winter. 

Sent from my SGH-T589R using Tapatalk 2


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## BigAl RIP

Yep , it is a "78" Pete but runs great and has a ton of upgrades . 

    Getting tired of moving dirt. Today we will finish the rough cut and then its all mine to finish cut  to grade . Then I gotta start getting the building designed for the new RV . I think I am  looking at a 14'x44' that will have a 16' ceiling clearance . Not sure if I want to just leave the floor gravel or finish with a concrete floor . Also unsure weather to put a 12'x14 roll up door in or just leave it open . Going to go with a perimeter foundation at least 4' tall to make snow removal easy next to the building .


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## jwstewar

Is 14' wide enough? If you get a wide body unit (8' 6") and then have a slide out (36") you are at almost 12' that could make it tight trying to get in and out of the door. I know a lot of units you can't get completely through them (I know probably different with a motor home) with the slide in. It would suck having to pull it out so the slide could be put out to do what you need to do.


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## bczoom

I vote for concrete floor.
When I put my building in, I didn't finish the floor.  So much moisture from the ground that everything rusted.


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## BigAl RIP

jwstewar said:


> Is 14' wide enough? If you get a wide body unit (8' 6") and then have a slide out (36") you are at almost 12' that could make it tight trying to get in and out of the door. I know a lot of units you can't get completely through them (I know probably different with a motor home) with the slide in. It would suck having to pull it out so the slide could be put out to do what you need to do.


 

 DAMN IT !!!! I never thought of that ! This thing goes 14' with the slides out .


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## NorthernRedneck

BigAl said:


> DAMN IT !!!! I never thought of that ! This thing goes 14' with the slides out .



Better to catch that now then build it and realize  it doesn't fit with the slides open.  Would be a pain in the butt trying to pack it and have to move it in and out of the garage every time the missus decides she needs something else loaded for the trip.


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## FrancSevin

muleman said:


> D5 cat dozer and it would be done already in that loose soil....Where are the rocks? I can't even dig a post hole without hitting rocks. Have 2 to put in for extra fence tensioners and will use the backhoe to dig the holes.


 
 I hear ya Muley.
 What I would give to have any place on my ranch with dirt like that.

 I spent three weekends just makin' a level 40' X 60" cut 24" into the grade for the barn with my case 360.  Nothing but rocks and boulders on my mountain.


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## ki0ho

Those arent rocks and bolders.......those are good old missouri true grit!!!!!!
Ya just got to grind them together a bit...and youl have dirt!!!!!


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## BigAl RIP

Well , progress continues . The block foundation is now finished with French drains and a 18" culvert behind the wall next to the cut bank to drain the runoff from the ditch . The lumber package is sitting on the trailer and I will start framing in the morning by myself. The boys are on another project for a few days , so I am going to set Mudsills and precut the building lumber so we can roll when they get time to be here . So far I have about 2 grand in framing lumber. Metal siding will be extra .

 Dirt work =$2700
8" foundation14'x46' = $3000
Culverts and French drains = $500
  framing material = $2000


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## BigAl RIP

Rafters are now in place . Tomorrow I do some pickup work and get ready to sheet the roof . No way in hell I would have tried to do this without my trusty Boom lift . It was a life saver . Working with a 20" side wall is kinda tough . Had to do a little engineering to give some additional side  load support . It was well worth it .Roof metal starts going up on Monday . Pictures soon .


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## BigAl RIP

Ta Da !!!!
My part of building my RV storage garage is done . It finished out 14'x 46' long . The door height is 14'4" and is 11'6" in width . I will be able to open the Trailer slides with it stored in the garage . Total cost to build was right at $8 K . I added a 18" drain pipe the full length of the building to catch the water as it runs off the hillside . There are also 2 - 4" French drains installed too . The front of the building gave me some concerns on side shear as the building is so long and tall without any interior cross walls . I corrected this by "double shearing" the front door opening and installing a "scissor shear system" in the ceiling joist that transfer side shear load all the way back to the sheared reinforced rear wall . I had never done a shear system design like this before , but it seems to have added the side strength to the front wall I needed . 
The boys should be back next week to install the steel siding on the one remaining wall that my old bones are to old to be playing with . I used my trusty Boom lift on everything else .


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## Snowtrac Nome

it's a nice looking building the same building would cost around 40 k to put up here


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## 300 H and H

labruce said:


> Good luck to your project! You have an awesome set of equipment that are perfectly suited to your needs. I would love to see the outcomes as well!



Big Al passed away in 2015 I believe... 

Checking the date of posts before you post reply is usually a very good idea. Please enjoy the tons of info here in old posts, but be aware that some are very old indeed..

Regards, Kirk


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