New member-- taking my pool camping?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
T

tschlich

0
Jun 27, 2016
8
Missouri
I have what perhaps is maybe a bit of an ambitious idea--I want to take an above-ground pool with us on our next camping trip. Water and electricity aren't an issue. I'm looking at the intex metal frame pools. The only thing I am worried about is getting the pool level enough to not ruin the frame over a weekend. There's no guarantee that I will be able to find a flat enough piece of land. The best remedy I've come up with is to just bring a bunch of 2x4 blocks (or maybe 1x4?) to put under each of the legs in uneven spots, but will this be sturdy enough to avoid the legs slipping out and support the entire weight, etc?

Thanks in advance...
 
Just checked your info to make sure you weren't posting from Colorado.... How about finding a campsite near a body of water???? I went camping with my kids many times during their childhood. If swimming was in the picture we planned the location accordingly.
 
That's a lot of work. May be better off with the big blue blob pool.
 
Casey said:
That's a lot of work. May be better off with the big blue blob pool.
Click to expand...

Of course it's a lot of work. I did say i was being ambitious!!! i do have plenty of helping hands though.

I read a review on amazon that said the big blue blob pool was even more sensitive to uneven ground and it seems like it'd be much more difficult to remedy as well.
 
I gather there are no paved areas where you will be? If you bring enough shovels you can level out an area for the pool. Depending on how rambunctious the campers are, you will want the pool to be as stable as possible. I don't think just stacking the pavers up will do it.
 
zea3 said:
I gather there are no paved areas where you will be? If you bring enough shovels you can level out an area for the pool. Depending on how rambunctious the campers are, you will want the pool to be as stable as possible. I don't think just stacking the pavers up will do it.
Click to expand...

No paved areas, and tearing up the land isn't an option. Campers shouldn't be too rambunctious, it's gonna basically just be a "cool tub". Surely the weight of the water will keep the legs pretty stable? Also, is there anything I should be worried about regarding the actual bottom of the pool not being on flat ground and not just the legs? Provided there is enough padding and tarpage to prevent stuff poking through...

That is going to be the coolest campsite ever.
Click to expand...
heck yeah :D
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You will never get the sand back out of the grass... As long as you can stay under about 6 inches from high to low stack pavers to get them level then fill in under the bottom of the pool with ridged foam board. That way you have a level base under the water. Just don't knock any of the support legs off of the pavers. That should work I think its just an idea.
 
What do I need under my Intex Pool?


CJadamec said:
You will never get the sand back out of the grass... As long as you can stay under about 6 inches from high to low stack pavers to get them level then fill in under the bottom of the pool with ridged foam board. That way you have a level base under the water. Just don't knock any of the support legs off of the pavers. That should work I think its just an idea.
Click to expand...

I'm new to this whole pool thing so forgive me on my ignorance on terminology but just to be sure-- do 2x4 blocks of wood count as "pavers?" Or am I going to need something more... idk sturdy than that? Also to clarify, do you mean just putting in the ridged foam board wherever there is a gap under the bottom? or underneath the whole thing? I was already planning on getting the intex ground cloth, but i'm assuming that won't be enough?

- - - Updated - - -

also a dumb question, what's the easiest way to check the slope?
 
Pavers are stones and go for a few bucks each at the box store. I wouldn't use 2x4s as a replacement, but a 2x4 is a great thing to tape a level to. Long levels give you a better picture of how level the land is.

My favorite level in on my phone :)

bubble-level-1.png
 
For this temporary setup, I think using 2x6 or 2x8 pieces would be better than concrete pavers. The pavers can break due to uneven pressure and even a little rock under a paver could make it break. The wood would be more forgiving.

I am not sure the foam board would be worth the effort either. You want to make sure there is nothing that could poke a hole in the pool (rocks, sticks, etc) and then use the tarp.

I think I would want to get the legs pretty level with each other. What I am not sure about is how well the liner will handle the variation in depth (like if some legs are on a 2 or 3 blocks of wood). So the bottom of the liner could be a few inches above the ground. There is certainly some stretch, but how much?

DISCLAIMER (Not the views of TFP as a whole): I have no experience with these pools. But given the price point and the fact that I imagine that VERY few of the 1000s of these setup each year are done so within the strict max 1" variation TFP (and the manufacturer) recommends and the fact that I have not seen 100s of reports of these things failing ... I have a feeling that if you get it close, it will likely be fine for the few days you will be using it ... but the liability falls on you, and not some random internet person offering free opinions ;)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply