Building the Perfect Parking Pad: Cars, RVs, Boats & Trucks

Homeowners often find themselves needing extra parking space – whether it’s an overflow spot for a daily driver or for family and guests, a storage area for an RV, a pad for a boat on its trailer, or a place to park a work truck. Building a parking pad in your yard or beside your driveway can save money on storage fees and keep your vehicles accessible. And it can look great without the heavy costs. However, not all parking pads are created equal. The weight of different vehicles can crack concrete, rut asphalt, or turn a simple gravel pad into a muddy mess over time​.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore questions homeowners have asked us about parking pads. We’ll cover the common types of vehicles people park at home and their needs, compare traditional pad materials (concrete, asphalt, plain gravel) with modern geocells and gravel pavers, and detail the pros and cons of each.  By the end, you’ll know how to create a durable, DIY-friendly parking pad that will look great, cost less, and require little to no maintenance..

Parking Pads for Different Vehicles

 The first step in planning a parking area is considering what you’ll park on it. Cars, RVs, boats, and trucks each have different weights and requirements, which will influence the best pad design and materials​. Let’s look at each:

Standard Cars and Daily Drivers

For standard cars, SUVs, or pickup trucks used daily, a parking pad needs to support 2–3 tons of weight on average. A typical sedan weighs around 3,000–4,000 pounds, while a full-size pickup can be 5,000+ pounds​. These vehicles won’t outright crush a well-built pad, but they can still cause wear over time. Repeated parking on bare ground or weak gravel can create ruts, especially under the wheels. If you’ve ever seen tire trenches in a lawn or a gravel driveway with potholes, you know the result of insufficient support. Even for lighter vehicles, a pad should have good load distribution and drainage to stay level and puddle-free. 

Traditional concrete or asphalt can work for cars, but they might be overkill and expensive for a small pad. Many homeowners opt for gravel pads; however, loose gravel alone can quickly look ugly, shifting, rutting and scattering without some stabilization​. 

RVs and Motorhomes

Recreational vehicles are significantly heavier than cars. Class A motorhomes commonly range from 13,000 up to 30,000 pounds (6.5 to 15 tons)​, and even smaller Class C or travel trailers easily top 5,000–10,000 lbs. Parking a big RV on a weak surface can quickly lead to problems.

Extremely heavy loads can destroy certain materials, as one RV guide notes – they can tear up a yard and even damage the RV itself if the pad fails​. Long-term storage is especially demanding: tires can sink into soft ground and moisture from the soil can lead to frame rust or rot. 

That’s why RV owners often pour a 6-inch steel-reinforced concrete pad for stability​. Concrete provides strength, but it’s also the most expensive option and still needs proper base prep to avoid cracking on unstable soil​. If concrete isn’t feasible, some turn to asphalt or thick gravel, but these must be engineered for the weight. A layered gravel pad can support an RV if done right – typically using geotextile fabric, a compacted gravel base, and a way to keep the gravel from shifting under the RV’s wheels​. We’ll discuss new technology that effectively “locks in” gravel for a solid RV pad. 

Bottom line: For an RV, ensure your pad is rated for heavy loads. Many cheaper solutions like plastic tiles or thin pavers not meant for vehicles will not hold up – instead, use materials specifically designed for high weight capacity​.

Boats and Trailers

Boats on trailers present a unique challenge for parking pads. While the boat itself might be designed to sit in water, storing it on land has different stresses. A mid-sized boat and trailer can weigh several thousand pounds, concentrated on a few small points (trailer wheels, jack stand, possibly blocks). 

If you park a boat on your lawn or bare soil, you’ll likely end up with deep tire ruts or sinking jack stands after rain. Even worse, grass and dirt trap moisture, which can speed up corrosion on the trailer frame and undercarriage​. In fact, marine experts warn that morning dew and damp grass can accelerate rust on your boat trailer; they recommend parking on concrete, asphalt, or fast-draining gravel instead​. 

If you’ve been keeping your boat in the side yard, you may have noticed the trailer springs, hubs, or frame showing rust from constant contact with wet ground. A well-built gravel pad can solve this by keeping the trailer off the soil and letting water drain away. However, loose gravel alone might still shift under the wheels when backing the boat in or out. 

For boat pads, the ideal solution is permeable and dry, but also stable – you don’t want the trailer tilting or sinking on one side. We’ll show how a grid system like PaveCore can create a firm, even surface (even with grass) that is far superior to parking on grass. And remember, for any long-term boat storage outdoors, try to avoid directly parking on grass at all​– if a gravel or paved pad isn’t available, even putting down plywood under the wheels and jack is better than nothing​. A dedicated gravel parking pad keeps trailers dry and level.

Trucks and Heavy Equipment

For homeowners with work trucks, large pickups, or even occasional heavy equipment (like an enclosed utility trailer or tractor), a parking pad must handle concentrated weightloads.. A standard pickup truck can weigh 5,000–7,000 lbs empty, and much more with cargo. Repeatedly driving a heavy truck over a thin driveway extension or onto a lawn’s edge will compact the soil and break down weaker surfaces. 

You may have seen in the past, concrete driveways cracked by loaded delivery trucks – that’s due to weight beyond what the slab was designed for. If you plan to park a dump trailer, camper, or any heavy rig, you need a pad that won’t settle or shift under the load. Traditional asphalt driveways, for instance, can sag or form depressions where a heavy vehicle is parked long-term​. Gravel can rut out quickly from truck tires. 

Heavy vehicles benefit from the same reinforced solutions as RVs. A geocell-reinforced gravel pad (BaseCore) or a structural grid paver (PaveCore) can prevent the typical problems by distributing the truck’s weight across a wide area​. This means no single spot of ground bears all the pressure, avoiding those sinkholes and ruts. If your parking pad will see frequent use by a heavy truck or equipment, investing in a proper base layer or grid system is wise – it will save you from re-grading gravel or fixing broken concrete later on​.

Traditional Parking Pad Materials (Pros and Cons)

Before we dive into modern solutions, let’s quickly compare the common parking pad options you might be considering: concrete, asphalt, and plain gravel. 

• Concrete Pads: A concrete slab is often seen as the gold standard for driveways and pads because it’s strong and permanent. A well-made concrete pad (typically 6-12 inches thick with rebar) will support cars and even heavy RVs​. It provides a smooth, solid surface. However, concrete is expensive to install and usually requires professional work. It’s not DIY-friendly. In climates with freeze-thaw cycles, concrete can crack unless properly reinforced and poured on a solid sub-base. Another drawback: concrete is impermeable – water can’t soak through, so you’ll need to ensure runoff drains somewhere, or you might get pooling at the edges.
  
• Asphalt Pads: Asphalt (or commonly referred to as blacktop) is basically a cheaper alternative to concrete. You’ve seen asphalt driveways; it’s slightly flexible and comes out as a hot mix that is spread and compacted. For a parking pad, asphalt can be laid thinner than concrete and is less prone to cracking outright (it might dent or form grooves instead). It’s also usually cheaper than concrete per square foot​. However, asphalt has its own issues. It must have a well-prepared and dense sub-base and good drainage​ – if laid over soft soil without enough gravel base, it will deform, rut and crack under weight or water. In hot climates, asphalt can get very soft; a heavy RV or trailer left in one spot might sink in or create depressions on a hot day. Over years, asphalt needs maintenance like sealcoating and patching, or it can crumble at the edges. It’s also impermeable, so runoff needs to be managed. In short, asphalt can work for medium-duty parking pads (like extra car space) and costs less upfront than concrete, but it may not hold up to extremely heavy loads without reinforcement and regular upkeep​.
  
• Gravel Pads: A gravel parking pad is a popular DIY choice – it’s basically layering crushed stone to create a parking surface. Gravel is inexpensive and permeable. Water drains right through. It’s also very easy to expand or modify: just add more gravel or spread it to a new area as needed. The big downside is that loose gravel tends to shift and spread. With cars turning or heavy rain, you might find your nice flat gravel pad develops ruts or that gravel gets kicked into the grass. Simply dumping gravel on the ground, especially over soil that isn’t prepared, often leads to the gravel sinking into the dirt and vanishing over time​. A proper way to do a gravel pad is to excavate a few inches, lay a geotextile fabric down (to separate soil and gravel), then add several inches of compacted gravel base and top with finer gravel​. Even then, without some side borders or stabilization, you’ll likely need to re-level or refill the gravel periodically. Weight distribution is another issue: pure gravel can only spread the load so much; a very heavy vehicle will still press into the ground and create low spots. That’s where modern stabilization grids come in – they essentially turn a plain gravel pad into a reinforced system that behaves more like a solid surface. In fact, with a good grid, a gravel pad can support heavy loads without shifting, making it over 50% cheaper per square foot than an equivalent asphalt installation for the same support capacity​. So, gravel is great – if you keep it in place. Below, we’ll see how BaseCore and PaveCore do exactly that.
  

Modern Solutions for Durable, Permeable Parking Pads

To overcome the limitations of the traditional materials, industrial designers and engineers have developed products that reinforce the ground while maintaining permeability and flexibility. Two leading solutions are geocell ground grids (like BaseCore™) and plastic grass and gravel pavers (like PaveCore™). These are designed to stabilize soil and aggregate so well that they can even outperform concrete in some aspects​. The goal is to distribute the vehicle’s weight across a wider area and lock together the parking surface, preventing ruts or cracks. They also allow rainwater to soak through, eliminating runoff issues. 

BaseCore™ Geocell Ground Grids (Geocell Foundation)

What is BaseCore? It’s a type of geocell from a small manufacturer in Arizona, which is a 3D honeycomb-like grid made from durable HDPE plastic. Imagine a thick mat of interlocking cells (usually 3 to 4 inches deep for standard models) that you place on the ground over a non-woven geotextile and fill with gravel or soil. The BaseCore geocell comes collapsed for shipping, then you expand it on site like an accordion into a honeycomb mesh. By anchoring it and filling the cells with compacted gravel, you create a rock-solid, quick draining foundation layer for your parking pad. It was originally a military technology for quickly building roads on soft ground, which speaks to its strength. A BaseCore geocell layer beneath your parking pad will distribute load so effectively that the ground can handle loads it never could before – many note it’s “stronger than concrete” in how it spreads weight​. Instead of one tire concentrating thousands of pounds on a small patch of soil, the geocell spreads that force sideways through the grid. This prevents localized sinking and can support very heavy vehicles (even commercial trucks) on what would otherwise be unstable ground​.

Advantages of BaseCore geocells

 One big benefit is soil stabilization. If you have soft or muddy ground, a geocell essentially creates a semi-rigid platform that keeps the soil from shifting or eroding. The cells also keep your gravel in place like pockets, so it can’t all wash to the edges or get pushed around​. Because the cells occupy space, you need less gravel fill overall – BaseCore can reduce the amount of gravel or soil infill by up to 50% while achieving the same load support​. This can lower your material costs. 

BaseCore is also permeable by nature; the grid is designed with double-welded perforated plastic walls, so water flows through freely. If you use a permeable gravel or soil fill, your entire parking pad becomes a giant drainage field – no puddles, no runoff. In fact, water passing through the BaseCore grid will be spread out, preventing the kind of erosion or potholes you get when water concentrates in one spot​. 

Durability is another plus: the HDPE material is tough and long-lasting (rated to last decades – over 75 years in some applications)​ and won’t rot or corrode. It’s inert in soil (meaning it doesn’t contaminate or break down easily)​. Once installed under your parking pad, the geocell is hidden and protected from UV light by the gravel on top, so it requires no maintenance. Once full, you can drive on it just like any other surface; you won’t even know it’s there, except that your gravel stays put and your pad stays level.

From an installation standpoint, BaseCore is DIY-friendly – no need to hire a concrete truck or paver crew. If you can use basic tools to dig, spread, and fill, you can install a geocell pad. Some install above grade while others intend to excavate. If excavating is the direction you go, the steps typically involve excavating the area a few inches deep (depending on cell height), laying down geotextile fabric (essential for separation and extra stability), stretching out the geocell panel and staking its edges, then filling it with gravel (or dirt, screenings or sand) and compacting. The panels connect to each other if you have a large area, and you can cut them to shape if needed. According to the manufacturer, “anyone can install BaseCore, whether it’s your 1st or 50th project”, thanks to simple instructions and lightweight panels​. No heavy equipment is required – the geocell panels are collapsible and light to carry​. This is a major contrast to concrete or asphalt, which typically demand professional installation or machinery. With BaseCore, a single day’s work could establish a strong base for, say, a 10×20 foot parking pad. Once the cells are full, the pad is ready to use.

BaseCore geocell grids turn a standard gravel pad into a high-tech foundation. They excel for heavy vehicles (like large RVs or trucks) and in climates where you want a permeable, freeze-proof solution that won’t crack. They’ve been used under driveways, parking lots, farm access roads, and even airport runways​, so a home parking pad is an easy job for them. Next, let’s look at PaveCore, which approaches the problem from the top surface side.

PaveCore™ Grass & Gravel Pavers (Surface Stabilization)

PaveCore panels are permeable pavers made of interlocking plastic units. Think of them like LEGO mats for your driveway: each panel has a designed cell structure and they assemble together edge-to-edge to cover an area. The cells can be filled with gravel or even left open for grass to grow through. Once connected and filled, PaveCore forms a continuous, stable surface that can support vehicles driving and parking on it. Essentially, PaveCore grids keep your parking surface uniformly supported and prevent issues like tire ruts, sinking, or scattered gravel. They are about 2 inches thick each​, adding a reinforcement layer on top of your ground. PaveCore is made from 100% recycled high-density polyethylene, so it’s strong, weather-resistant, and eco-friendly​.

Advantages of PaveCore pavers

One of the biggest selling points is ease of installation. The PaveCore panels are designed to snap together quickly without any special connectors or tools​. The connection points are rigid and secure and may require using a rubber mallet to fully secure in place. You can cover a large area by simply laying down the 19.7” x 19.7” (50cm) panels and clicking them in place like a puzzle. If the area is irregular, panels can be cut to fit edges or curves. There’s no curing time (unlike concrete) – you can start parking on it as soon as the panels are in place and filled. This makes it a very approachable DIY project for a weekend. Another major benefit is high load-bearing capacity. Don’t be fooled by the plastic grid – when properly installed, PaveCore can handle serious weight. Each panel can support up to 44,000–46,000 lbs (over 20 tons) distributed​. This means it can support not just cars but heavy trucks, RVs, and other equipment with ease. The load spreads through the honeycomb structure, preventing any single point from sinking. So unlike traditional pavers (concrete or brick) that might crack under a heavy point load, these plastic pavers flex and distribute weight evenly.

PaveCore is also completely permeable. The cells, when filled with gravel or with grass growing in them, allow rain to pass right through to the ground below. This eliminates water pooling and reduces runoff, which is great for your yard and the environment​. No more puddles under your car or concerns about drainage—water will simply soak down, helping to recharge groundwater instead of stressing storm sewers. If you choose to fill the cells with soil and seed for a grass pave look, the product basically turns your lawn into a reinforced parking spot – often called a “grass driveway” or “turf paver” system. This can maintain the green look of your yard while still supporting vehicle weight. If filled with gravel, PaveCore grids keep the gravel locked in place, so you get the appearance of a gravel driveway but without the typical spread and rutting. The gravel stays in each cell, and the panels maintain a level surface even under heavy use​.

PaveCore Longevity and Maintenance

PaveCore panels are made of UV-stable, high-density plastic, so they won’t rot or break down from weather. They are resistant to temperature extremes and won’t heave like solid slabs can. Maintenance is minimal – if grass-filled, you’d mow it like normal grass (the top of the cells sit slightly below the grass level if done right, so you can mow over them). If gravel-filled, you might occasionally rake or refill small spots, but far less often than an untreated gravel pad. The interlocked grid prevents the formation of potholes or washouts because it’s all tied together. If for some reason you needed to access the ground underneath (say, to run a cable or pipe), you could actually unlatch or cut out a section and then snap it back, which is not possible with poured concrete. This modularity is handy. Also, if you ever moved houses, you could theoretically disassemble and take the pavers with you – try doing that with an asphalt pad!

In terms of versatility, PaveCore isn’t just for parking pads. The product is advertised as suitable for driveways, walkways, patios, even shed bases or anywhere you want a firm ground that can still drain​. Visually, the PaAveCore design is more attractive than a plain gravel or asphalt pad – if grass-grown, it’s nearly invisible (just looks like grass), and if gravel-filled, you have a clean modern geometric gravel surface that stays put.

To use PaveCore properly, you should do some light ground prep: typically clear and level the area and ideally put a thin layer of sand or gravel as a bedding so the pavers sit flat. It is recommended to put down geotextile fabric under them to prevent weed growth and stabilize the subsoil. Then lay the grids, snap them together, and fill the cells. For most homeowners, this is well within reach to DIY. If your soil is extremely soft or mucky, you might combine solutions – for instance, using a small 2-3” geocell base under a PaveCore top, but in many cases that won’t be necessary. For moderate loads and decent ground, PaveCore on its own provides both base support and surface stability.

Now that we’ve explained what BaseCore and PaveCore are, let’s put them head-to-head so you can decide which is best for your project. Both will greatly improve a parking pad’s performance compared to traditional approaches, but they have differences in application.

BaseCore vs. PaveCore: Which Parking Pad Solution is Right for You?

Both BaseCore geocells and PaveCore pavers are excellent choices for building a long-lasting parking pad. They share some similarities – both are made of HDPE plastic, both stabilize gravel and support heavy weights, and both are permeable systems that prevent water problems. However, they work in different ways (sub-base reinforcement vs. surface grid), and each has its own pros and cons. Below is a comparison to help you make an informed decision:

Pros and Cons of BaseCore™ Geocell

Pros of BaseCore:

• Superior Load Distribution: By creating a 3D lattice under your pad, BaseCore spreads heavy loads across a wide area. This prevents pressure points and makes the ground capable of supporting very heavy vehicles without failure​. It’s even used for commercial roads, so an RV or truck at home is no problem. If you need to park something extremely heavy (large Class A RV, dump truck, etc.), BaseCore is up to the task with models available in higher depths (up to 6–12 inches for commercial use) to handle H-20 load ratings (highway truck standards)​.
  
• Hidden, Flexible Foundation: BaseCore lives underneath the surface, so you can finish your parking pad however you like on top – gravel, crushed stone, or even paving stones or turf. It’s compatible with many surfaces (you could even pour a thinner concrete slab over it to reinforce the concrete). Because it’s below grade, it doesn’t affect the look of your landscape. It’s also flexible in the sense that the grid can conform to slopes or contours of your site (within reason) and can handle soil settling or minor earth movement without cracking. This flexibility and the permeable nature mean it’s resilient to freeze-thaw cycles – it won’t crack like concrete can when the ground moves​.
  
• Prevents Erosion and Ruts: With a geocell, the gravel infill is confined in each cell. This means no more ruts – the tires would have to shear off an entire section of honeycomb to make a rut, which is nearly impossible once filled. Likewise, heavy rain can’t wash the gravel away because it’s trapped in cells. Instead, water filters down and the grid holds the base together​. The result is a pad that stays level and solid for years, with much less maintenance or re-grading compared to a normal gravel area.
  
• Long Lifespan & Low Maintenance: High-quality BaseCore geocells are built to last decades (75+ years) without significant degradation​. They are inert to soil chemicals, won’t rust or rot, and are UV-stabilized (though usually they aren’t exposed to UV anyway). Once installed, you don’t need to do anything to maintain the geocell. At most, you might top up a bit of gravel if you notice any low spots, but if installed correctly, the need for refilling is minimal. There’s also no surface to seal or paint. It’s truly a install-and-forget foundation.
  
• Cost-Effective vs. Concrete/Asphalt: While the geocell panels themselves have a cost, you often save money on other materials. As mentioned, you need less gravel fill​, and you don’t need to hire specialized labor or machinery. Many homeowners find that a geocell pad comes out significantly cheaper than pouring concrete of comparable size, yet it performs better than plain gravel. Plus, avoiding ongoing maintenance (no resurfacing, no weed issues if fabric is used, etc.) adds to long-term savings. They are less per square foot than any other solution even PaveCore however you need to keep in mind the cost of your fill material and installation to truly get cmoparables between the two, based on your unique needs.
  

Cons of BaseCore:

• May require Excavation & Requires Fill Work: Installing BaseCore means you may be doing some digging. If you decide to excavate and you’re not prepared to excavate a few inches of soil and haul in gravel fill, it could be a drawback. For a small area this is minor, but for a large pad it’s real labor. Either way, you will want to compact the fill material so need to rent a plate compactor or roller for larger areas.. In contrast, PaveCore sits on top with only minor leveling needed. So, BaseCore is a bit more involved upfront in terms of site preparation.
  
• Not a Finished Surface by Itself: The geocell isn’t meant to be driven on without fill. You must fill it with gravel or soil, and ideally you’d have a topping layer over the cells (even just an inch of gravel over the cells) to protect the plastic from UV and wheel contact. This means you need to plan for that surface material. If you wanted, say, a pure grass surface, BaseCore might not be the choice (you’d typically cover it fully with soil and sod which is complex for a yard parking spot – better to use grass pavers like PaveCore in that case). Essentially, BaseCore is part of the structure, not the final surface, which adds a step to the project.
  
• Less Portable or Reusable: Once you install a BaseCore grid and fill it, it’s meant to stay put. Removing it would involve digging out all the gravel fill first. So it’s a permanent improvement (which is usually fine). By contrast, something like PaveCore could potentially be picked up and moved if you redesign your yard or move house. It’s not a huge con, but worth noting if you think you might rearrange things – geocell is a commit-and-forget solution.
  
• Edge Restraints Recommended: To get the best performance, a geocell pad should have some sort of edge containment (just like any gravel driveway). Otherwise, at the very edge cells, gravel could work its way out over time. You can use simple borders like treated lumber, metal edging, or stone borders. It’s a minor consideration, but it is an extra component to think of. PaveCore panels, on the other hand, interlock and hold each other in, usually needing less edging (though borders are still a good idea for any surface).
  

Pros and Cons of PaveCore™ Pavers

Pros of PaveCore:

• Easy, Fast Installation: PaveCore’s snap-together design makes installation almost as simple as laying out floor tiles. You can cover a parking area rapidly without specialized skills. If you’re not keen on an extensive excavation project, PaveCore is appealing since you typically only need to clear and level the surface, not dig deeply. For DIYers looking for a weekend project, this is a major plus. There’s also flexibility to lay it in sections – you could start with enough panels for one vehicle and expand later by snapping on more.
  
• High Load Capacity: Despite being a surface system, PaveCore can handle very heavy vehicles. With ~46,000 lbs support per panel​, the system can easily support large RVs, trucks, and machinery without buckling. The weight is distributed across many cells and adjacent panels, preventing any single cell from failing. This is comparable to what BaseCore can support, meaning strength is not an issue for either solution. For most homeowners, both systems far exceed the needed load capacity (for example, a 40-ft motorhome might exert ~20,000 lbs on an axle, which PaveCore can handle over multiple panels).
  
• Prevents Sinking and Ruts: PaveCore effectively creates a reinforced surface. As one use-case, think of a grass lawn – normally, if you park on it, the tires sink and kill the grass. But if that lawn had PaveCore grids under the grass, the tires would actually be supported by the hidden plastic web, and the grass would be protected within the cells. No more tire ruts. Similarly with gravel, PaveCore holds the stones in a tight pattern. You can brake or turn on a gravel surface and the gravel won’t gouge out a hole or spray out, it stays put in the honeycomb. This keeps the pad level and safe to walk on (no ankle-twisting loose rocks). PaveCore essentially combines the drainage of gravel with the stability of pavement – a big win for home parking pads that deal with rain and heavy use​.
  
• Improved Aesthetics & Versatility: PaveCore offers a lot of aesthetic flexibility. If you want a green look, you can grow grass in the cells – perfect for an auxiliary parking space that blends into the yard when not in use. If you prefer a clean gravel look, fill it with decorative gravel and it looks like a tidy pebble mosaic. You can even get creative and fill the outer cells with grass and inner cells with gravel, etc., to delineate parking lines or patterns. When not occupied by a vehicle, a PaveCore surface can look much nicer than a plain concrete slab or blacktop. Furthermore, if in the future you repurpose the area (say, turn a parking pad into a patio or shed foundation), the PaveCore grid can adapt – just change the fill or cover with a thin layer of sand for a patio. It’s a multi-use groundwork system, not limited to parking.
  
• Low Maintenance & Permeability: Like BaseCore, PaveCore is very low maintenance. The plastic won’t degrade easily and can flex with ground movement. Because water drains through, you avoid frost heave issues and constant puddle erosion. Weeds have a hard time taking root since the cells either have solid gravel or maintained grass. Over years, you might add a bit of gravel to top off any settlement, or reseed a bit of grass, but there’s no sealing or major upkeep. And by keeping the base drier (since water isn’t pooling), the pad helps the longevity of whatever is parked on it (no constant moisture under your vehicle causing rust).
  

Cons of PaveCore:

• Initial Cost of Panels: PaveCore pavers are a manufactured product and is a bit pricey per square foot compared to raw gravel or even geocell (depending on the source). For large areas, the cost of enough panels could become significant. However, this can be offset by savings in labor (DIY vs hiring out concrete) and the long-term durability (it’s a once-and-done expense). Still, budget-conscious builders might find the upfront cost of the grid panels a con if comparing strictly to cheap gravel (not accounting for the problems the cheap gravel would cause).
  
• Visible Grid (if not filled flush): Some people don’t like the appearance of grid pavers if the fill isn’t perfectly level with the top. With gravel fill, ideally you fill to slightly above the cells so the plastic is just below the surface and barely visible. If the gravel level drops, you might see some of the honeycomb pattern – which many find to be a great modern aesthetic. Personally, we enjoy the aesthetic like a warm Italian tile or mosaic.
  
• Requires a Decent Sub-base: While you don’t need a deep foundation, PaveCore still should be laid on firm, level ground. If your soil is very soft or marshy, the 2-inch grid alone might not be enough – the whole thing could subside into the ground. In such cases, you’d need to improve the sub-base (for example, add a few inches of compacted gravel underneath the panels). So, for extreme cases of poor soil, PaveCore might require combining with a BaseCore layer or doing more prep. BaseCore, conversely, is specifically made to stabilize poor soils. So if your ground is solid, PaveCore is fine; if not, you might need a hybrid approach or choose BaseCore. In most average scenarios, just leveling and maybe a 1-2 inch sand/gravel bedding is sufficient for PaveCore.
  
• Grass Paver Considerations: If you use PaveCore as a grass paver (i.e., grow grass in it), remember that grass in high-traffic or heavy weight areas can still get stressed. A running board or jack might kill the grass beneath if it’s covered constantly. You may have to overseed or patch grass occasionally. Also, grass won’t grow well in the cells if they are filled with gravel (obviously), so you’d decide up front whether you want a grass or gravel surface. A grass surface will need normal lawn care (watering, mowing), which is more upkeep than a gravel surface. So, the option of grass is a pro, but if chosen, the maintenance of living grass could be seen as a con compared to zero-maintenance gravel or concrete.
  
• Not Ideal for Steep Grades: If your intended pad is on a significant slope, PaveCore can be used (it will hold gravel on a slope better than loose gravel would), but on very steep slopes, there’s a risk of the whole assembly creeping down over time if not anchored. Geocells are often better for steep slope reinforcement because they are usually staked and integrated into the subsoil. PaveCore can be anchored with stakes at edges, but it’s primarily a surface solution. For most flat or mildly sloped residential pads this isn’t an issue, but it’s worth noting if, say, you wanted to reinforce a steep incline for parking – you might combine both solutions or use a deeper anchor in that case.
  

• Limited Flexibility for Curved Areas: PaveCore is best suited for angular and rectangular layouts. If installing in a curved or irregularly shaped area, additional cutting and adjustments may be needed, which can increase labor time and material waste.
  

Making Your Decision

When choosing between BaseCore and PaveCore, consider your priorities:

• If you need to reinforce soft ground or extremely heavy loads and you’re planning to have a gravel surface, BaseCore geocell might be the best core solution. It essentially turns a gravel pad into an engineered foundation that can handle anything while still looking like a normal gravel pad. It’s slightly more work to install (dig and fill) but pays off in strength.
  
• If you want a cleaner look or a grass option for your parking area, and your ground is reasonably firm, PaveCore is fantastic. It gives a finished surface immediately and can be more visually appealing or HOA-friendly (for example, a grass-filled pad for an RV beside the house that isn’t an eyesore). It’s also easier to DIY for many, since it’s like assembling tiles on grade.
  
• Budget-wise, compare the total system costs. Both systems remove the need for expensive pouring or paving. BaseCore might come out cheaper if you have easy access to gravel and don’t mind the labor. PaveCore might save you labor time but the panels are a cost. However, remember that either solution will likely outperform and outlast a similarly priced concrete or asphalt job, giving you better value (and SEO bonus: more content) in the long run​.
  

Some homeowners actually combine the two: for example, using BaseCore geocells to reduce the required sub-base needs from 6 or more inches to a 2-3” geocell,  and then placing PaveCore grass pavers on the surface to park on a grass-looking area. This gives the ultimate reinforcement (geocell base + grid top), though many times one or the other is sufficient. For most, it’s an either-or decision.

It’s Your Turn to Create a Long-Lasting Parking Pad for Your Home

A stable, mud-free parking pad not only protects your yard but also enhances your property’s resale value by providing a sustainable, long-lasting solution for parking RVs, boats, trucks, and more. Unlike traditional concrete or asphalt, BaseCore™ geocells and PaveCore™ gravel pavers offer superior weight support, drainage, and durability while maintaining a cost-effective, DIY-friendly installation. These modern solutions prevent ruts, cracking, and erosion—giving you a reliable, eco-friendly alternative that performs better over time.

Ready to build a stronger, more sustainable parking pad? Backyard Bases offers both BaseCore™ and PaveCore™ products to help you do it right. Explore PaveCore for a reinforced, driveable surface, or check out our BaseCore™ options to create a rock-solid foundation for any vehicle. If you’re unsure which solution fits your needs, contact our team—we’re here to help you build a parking area that lasts for years to come.

Don’t settle for quick fixes! Invest in a parking pad that stands the test of time—with superior support, eco-conscious design, and unmatched durability. Start your project today with Backyard Bases!