Emergency chocks?

[John E Davies]

I am looking for a set that I can quickly throw under the trailer tires in an emergency, or to supplement the stabilizers, or use if the batteries fail. This looks interesting: ... http://www.fastwaytrailer.com/onestep-chock

 

Reviewers comment that it needs to be readjusted if you lift one side higher than before, but it is quick to change the arm length, and you could always install a ball detent pin instead of the clevis pin.

 

They look reasonably compact and light weight. One set is $41 at Amazon.

 

Comments? Do you carry chocks, and if so, what kind?

 

John Davies

Spokane WA

[ScubaRx]

John, looks very nice.  One thing I've discovered is that Fastway produces many fine products and that Tractor Supply sells and stocks many of them.

 

Slight hijack of thread: I recently weighed the Outlaw Oliver and found it to weigh right at 7100 lbs with a tongue weight of over 800 lbs.  Since my ball mount was only rated for 6000 lbs, I set about to find one rated higher.  I had recently bought a Stainless Steel ball and I wanted the new mount to compliment its clean look (OCD and Anal Retentiveness are NOT real, I read it on the Internet.)  Anyway, I found exactly what I wanted in a Fastway Flash Standard ball mount.  It is machined from a solid piece of aluminum, has a tow rating of 14000 lbs with a 2000 lb tongue weight and is made in the USA.  It comes in 2, 4, or 6 inch drops (1, 3, or 5 inch rise) and is sized for 1″ or 1-1/4″ hitch ball shanks.

 

Their website states a tow rating of 10000 lbs with a 1000 lb tongue weight (plenty) but the mount comes actually stamped with the above stats.

 

I ordered it from Wal-Mart (that now has Amazon-like 2 day free shipping with NO membership fee) on a Monday and had it the next day.  Cost was about $65.00 for the model I bought.

 

We now return to our regular thread.

[Try2Relax]

I don't know, my thinking is that very seldom would I ever park directly on the top of a peak, so I prefer to use my 4 individual  chocks on the down hill side of each wheel.

 

I don't see the faster deployment, necessarily, than the singles in any emergency. On the plus side, I've used one of yellow single ones as a ramp to pull the wheels up onto a block (trashed it, had to get a new one, but did what I needed it to)

 

Is your purpose to stop the roll off or do you think they might provide some sort of stabilising affect?

 

Do most of you chock your wheels in both directions? I've never thought it necessary and wonder if I've been in error all this time.

 

Steve - WOW as advertised, that is the most beautiful hitch I've seen, seems a shame to use it and scuff it up.

[Mike and Carol]

We've been using the inexpensive yellow camco chocks.  If we're fairly level I chock inside the tires/each direction.  If we're on a noticeable slope I chock each wheel on the downhill side.  These Fastway chocks look nice.  Might be worth the investment.  Anybody using them?  Mike

[Buzzy]

John,

 

Nice looking emergency chocks!  I bought four of the chocks in the link below.  I tied a loop of rope on each handle to facilitate easy handling.  They are nothing special but they seem to get the job done and have been very durable.

 

https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-70072-Solid-Rubber-Heavy/dp/B008CE0R5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489670213&sr=8-1&keywords=rv+chocks+rubber

 

Buzzy

[trumpetguy]

Steve.  That's an amazing amount of weight for an Oliver.  My 28 foot AS only has a tongue weight of 1200 (because I have 4 batteries in the fron of the trailer).

 

Are you still towing without a WDH?

[John E Davies]

In studying more I have decided to go with two pairs of Buzzy's MaxHaul rubber chocks for $37 shipped. They are relatively light (under 4 lbs each) but are really compact and pretty much indestructible. If they get stolen I won't cry very hard. I'll connect each pair together with nylon rope and loop it over an axle hub so I will remember to pull out the chocks before trying to leave.

 

They DO stink a lot, so I will be sure to store them where they can air (inside the propane compartment). Amazon reviewers recommend not ordering other items at the same time, or the combined shipping can make your other stuff reek like uncured rubber.

 

The Fastway chocks are very, VERY likely to get swiped unless you lock them, which would be a PITA, and the finish will wear off and they will rust. The rust will end up staining the ground and also whatever trailer compartment you store them in. Not good, but I guess you could keep them in a duffle bag. I am sure they don't look nearly as nice after three or four years of use. I wouldn't want to have to keep repainting them each season....

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[KarenLukens]

No sense in chocking up hill, so I will chock all 4 on the downhill side on a steep slope. I have these at home, didn't have any room for them when we came to pick up the trailer

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CE0R40/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8&coliid=I3MU7GSP5PHL8K&psc=1

 

Then I bought these Camco super chocks until I make it home and I'm really not impressed with them at all. But I have a roll of V-matting that Oliver puts in the cupboards that I will line them with and try out again.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-44492-Super-Wheel-Chock/dp/B0007TR4CQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1489676854&sr=8-6&keywords=Camco+chocks

 

Being that they are hard plastic they have a tendency to slide on concrete, and I can't drive them in because they slip back out... so I really love the rubber ones that I have had for years and I also have a set of chocks cut from 4x4's that can be driven in hard under the tires on steep slopes with a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer that I have with me. Being that I level with the jacks,I readjust the chocks or hammer them in again after leveling.

 

Definitely Do Not buy the Camco Super Wheel Chocks... I was just reading the first review on Amazon and saw that they actually have an expiration date because of the UV rating in the plastic... Lol. Couple that with the slide and... Naw... They will work until we get home anyway... :)

 

 

[John E Davies]

Do most of you chock your wheels in both directions? I’ve never thought it necessary and wonder if I’ve been in error all this time.

 

If you re using little chocks then four is prudent. I always put them all on the downhill side if there is a slope. The rig isn't going to roll uphill...

 

If you have really heavy duty, large "motorhome" chocks, then two is plenty.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

Fastway Flash Standard ball mount

Wow those look very pretty. Do you think you will be able to maintain that shine? How about corrosion concerns and wear from the steel receiver? Gravel strikes?

 

Might it be prudent to use a slopper stopper to keep it from moving and wearing? This one is unobtrusive and works really really well. I use it to keep my RockGard flaps from hopping around.

 

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/Roadmaster/RM-061.html

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[ScubaRx]

John, I have that exact product on my existing hitch and will be transferring it to my new setup.  Scratches are inevitable but they won't looks as poorly as my rusty old beat up steel stinger.

[SeaDawg]

We've used the very heavy, but inexpensive, rubber chocks from harbor freight for years.

 

 

 

http://m.harborfreight.com/solid-rubber-wheel-chock-96479.html?utm_referrer=direct%2Fnot%20provided

 

 

[Raspy]

We’ve used the very heavy, but inexpensive, rubber chocks from harbor freight for years.

 

 

 

http://m.harborfreight.com/solid-rubber-wheel-chock-96479.html?utm_referrer=direct%2Fnot%20provided

 

 

 

 

Beat me to it. Those are the same ones I use. Cheap and seemingly indestructible. They also make good door stops in the garage!

 

 

[Cash]

I purchased two like these from Harbor Frieght. They work very well. About $5 each.

[Hikegsm]

I think we will go with the rubber chocks as well. We have been using the plastic yellow ones but they slide as mentioned. We just flattened a pair of new ones this week when my husband decided to reposition the trailer after I had already chocked one side. My bad????

[Cash]

We will also use the "X-Chocks" that go between the two wheels and place pressure on the opposing  wheels.

[ShallowGal]

We will also use the “X-Chocks” that go between the two wheels and place pressure on the opposing  wheels.

How do you like these? Compared to the wedge ones? Get both?

 

 

[Cash]

Yes. We use both. Chocks on one side (used to get the trailer set up); then, X-Chocks on the opposing side to aid in stabilization as well as movement forward or backward.

[Angus]

I just read through the comments on emergency chocks and have a few rookie questions:

Is there a way to "engage" the brakes on the Oliver once you have the chocks set?

Can the breakaway cable be pulled to "set" the brakes?

Would the above be a bad practice or cause harm to the brakes while at rest?

Thanks,

 

Peter

[Mike and Carol]

I’m no expert, but I did stay in an Oliver Travel Trailer last night....

 

I think the short answer is that you don’t want to engage the brakes on your trailer when stopped.  The breakaway cable is for emergencies. The brakes are electric and if you pull the breakaway cable the brakes would activate and would start discharging your batteries. Not sure how you inactivate them once you do that, or if the activator is adversely affected. One of the technical experts will know.

 

We use regular chocks on all wheels if we’re level. If we have to raise one side on our legos, we use the “between the wheels” gadget on that side. Works well. Mike

[topgun2]

Yep - Mike's basically got it right.  Since the brakes are activated electrically, the only way to keep them activated is for electric current to constantly be applied to energize the magnet that in turn causes the brake shoes to press against the inside of the brake drum.  Unfortunately, once the current is turned off the brakes are no longer "applied".  Therefore, if you energize the brakes by pulling the emergency breakaway cable and your batteries run out of juice then your trailer is no longer in "park".  Chocks are simple and effective - all you have to do is remember to use them.  Given that the penalty for not using them could be very severe (destroyed trailer and even possible death) it pays to be VERY careful in making sure that chocks are used.

 

Bill

[Cash]

We use some heavy duty rubber shocks from a hardware store - cheap...just on one wheel on one side (forward and aft of the wheel). The other side gets X-Chocks. You can purchase these at just about any RV store. You can get them cheaper if you purchase them in pairs. The X-Chock provides extra sense of mind from your Oliver traveling away in the night, downhill and also from predators that might like to haul it away without checking for the X-Chock. You can lock them as well, with a not included lock. It also appears to give it even greater stabilization. (I can see any would be thief shaking their stupid head thinking, "why the heck won't the trailer roll.") I wouldn't use the trailer's electric brakes except for their intended purpose - emergency.

[SeaDawg]

Still Loving my inexpensive but very rugged rubber harbor freight chocks. Love them so much, we've purchased several pairs as gifts. At $6 each, less the 20 per cent off ever present coupon if you are signed up... They're some of the cheapest and best insurance you can carry.

[John E Davies]

Peter, Dexter does in fact make drum backing plates with a “parking brake feature”. Instead of a round top post for the shoes to rest against, there is a cam with two flat surfaces, and a shaft that extends to the inside surface of the plate. On the shaft is a short arm or lever - number 28 in the drawing.

 

 

This is designed mostly for offroad/ military utility trailers. The system requires a brake lever at the front of the trailer, usually on the tongue, plus cables that run back to the brake parking levers. You simply pull up on the brake lever and the shoes on one (or more) axles are engaged hard. You can leave the brakes set indefintely.

 

Even with a parking brake setup, you should always chock the wheels, just in case. My rule is “Chocks under both sides of one axle, always, before uncoupling from the tow vehicle...” Never ever unhook the trailer without making darned sure it cannot roll. This is the sort of situation where a parking brake would be very helpful - turning around on a nasty jeep trail that is only 10 ft wide....

 

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[JMSpoff]

I got a pair of those heavy rubber ones like Buzzy at Harbor Freight...for about $6 each if I'm remembering correctly.