Wheel Stop vs Wheel Chocks

fj12ryder wrote:
The only brand to use as chocks, IMO of course, are the Roto-Choks, and they don't make those any more.

Roto-Choks were the greatest. I'm still sad that the family stopped making them.

All these “innovative” wheel chock systems (not chalks, btw. Chalk is for writing on blackboards) are the product of the same snake oil salesmanship as a lot of wdh/anti sway applications.
Not saying “x chocks” or whatever else don’t work, because they do I’m sure, but in the 100s of different trailers I’ve unhooked and parked…somewhere…I’ve never encountered a situation that a good old rubber wheel chock, 2x or 4x lumber, rocks or a split piece of firewood didn’t do the job.
I’ll qualify that with when working on the ice roads, we built chocks with spikes in them to grip the ice.

Lwiddis wrote:
I don’t like the light yellow chocks. In a very strong wind they can loosen and blow away…mine did at Tuttle Creek. Heavy black rubber chocks from HF like fj.

Never had the cheap yellow chocks blow away in the wind when done correctly.

Per..

NamMedevac 70 wrote:
I have for many years used the plastic yellow and black rubber wheel chocks with them in front and back of the tires. I then tried to pull my trailer forward or backup with them in place and TT moved only about an inch if that. I never thought to try this on gravel. So for me they worked well

Eazy peazy, place chocks behind wheel, backup slightly, then push opposite chock against front of wheel, then let your vehicle "drift" slightly forward and the wheels will center between the chocks with no slack in front nor behind..

Any type of wheel chock (metal, plastic, wood ect.) designed like a wedge can benefit from doing it this way.

When leaving, you will of course need to pull forward slightly to release the rear chocks and backup slightly to release the front chocks.

On edit, adding a illustration that may be helpful to understand how I set my chocks..



Once set, they won't move since the tires are on the chocks, for added chock movement prevention, I drop a short piece of 2x4 in between the chocks which locks them together.

Obviously a single axle you will have to place both chocks on the same wheel but the principle is the same otherwise.

Like Lwiddis, I've had the yellow one blow away. I still use them though.

Unlike Gdetrailer, once my trailer is level, I'm done moving it. I'm not going to bother loading weight on each yellow chock. I have Andersen levelers that I use sometimes, which is a similar concept. Otherwise, I use the yellow ones, or the black rubber ones from HF, then I put homemade Roto-Chock type stabilizers in place. For me, that is easy-peasy.

The problem I have with the yellow wedge's is that unless you're really solid ground they can loosen up over time. We camp on all sorts of surfaces and when in gravel they're hard to make solid. Thats where the X chocks come in. They don't care what surface I'm camping on.

Whatever you use remember two things
Chock before you unhook
Remove chocks after you hook up

I have seen what happens when people forget.. both those things (Flying plastic bouncing off very expensive motor homes and possibly causing injury in the 2nd case... Rig headed toward the lake in the first... thankfully there was grass once it rolled off the pad and the jack dug in and stopped it. HINT to stop trailer fraster. Do not pull the safety chains, do not push/pull the Trailer itself. Pull on the break away cable. if the battery is good that'll stop it .. SWIFTLY.

I have some Orange Wheel Chocks that I've use or years. I don't see them for sale anymore. The great thing about them is if you forget about them after you hook up you just run them over. They pop back into shape. The yellow ones break into sharp pieces and I worry that if I ran one of the over it would flatten a tire.

When on a real big hill I have in the bed of my pickup 2-4X4 held together by a piece of plywood screwed to the top. They are the perfect length to fit between the tires of mt TT. I actually have to kick them in between the tires. To remove I pound them back out with a hammer.It's not easy though and I don't do it often because I'm worried about what could happen if I can't knock them back out.

If I need something better then that to keep from rolling down the hill I'm camping in the wrong spot.

I use the BAL-X chocks with the two rubber wheel chocks on each side. Very stable and safe setup.

Real men will not use plastic chocks , we cut down trees and make 4x4s cut at an angle . Also when we drive off and forget them we have not damaged the ecology !

wanderingbob wrote:
Real men will not use plastic chocks , we cut down trees and make 4x4s cut at an angle . Also when we drive off and forget them we have not damaged the ecology !

Like button!