Chock RV on snow/ice. NEED HELP!!!
Question: How do you get enough traction on ice or snow to chock the tires of a travel trailer on a slight slope? So, I just arrived at the parking lot of my nearby ski park. It was 8pm on arriva...
Forum Discussion
I have known for decades how to chock a vehicle under any conditions. But it is more fun to think about stuff like this than the end of the county.
Note I never suggested using the wheel to maneuver the trailer. In fact a friend that turns his little TT crosswise in garage to store, I built a dolly with 4 casters and a ball the same height as TV. He can unhook, lower the coupler on the ball, and push to where he wants it with no strain on jack.
What I suggest is a roller to allow the base to move the distance necessary to eliminate the flex that will happen when you adjust the height of tongue.
Let me make a couple of points. First, I understand "gee-I'm-a-tree," as a blend of math and science, is hated by most people that call themselves educated. And I was pretty much thru with school before high school.
But with what I have learned in life I know that if you change the length of 1 side of a triangle, then the length of at least 1 other side or all 3 angles must change. Most times I complete the triangle to hold 1 angle in place. I'm not educated enough to tell you how much things would change, but I bet a engineer could.
In my example above, if the angle at B was 90 degrees, (not likely) with a calculator and the length A-B and B-C I could tell you how long A-C is. Just trumping up some numbers; 90 at B, tire to jack base (A-B) of 15 feet, and the jack base to mount (B-C) of 2 ft. Crank the jack down to 18 inches, and the distance A to C would change over half inch, and the angles at both ends would also change. But when the trailer is built/loaded both the length A to C is set. And the angle at C is set. So if you also do not let length A-B change as B-C changes something else must change. And I'm sure the ground doesn't bend. I bet the jack, and or where it mounts is what flexes.
BobsYourUncle wrote:
I personally would not want a wheel under my hitch. Manoever it into position and leave it there.
Note I never suggested using the wheel to maneuver the trailer. In fact a friend that turns his little TT crosswise in garage to store, I built a dolly with 4 casters and a ball the same height as TV. He can unhook, lower the coupler on the ball, and push to where he wants it with no strain on jack.
What I suggest is a roller to allow the base to move the distance necessary to eliminate the flex that will happen when you adjust the height of tongue.
Now in my mind I see a triangle, where the weight meets ground at tire, (A) where the jack meets ground, (B) and where jack is attached to tongue. (C). Now the point A should be set so it can't move when you unhook, or the trailer can roll away. And the distance A-C is set when trailer built/loaded. The angle at C is set when the jack is mounted. When you crank the jack down to unhook, you set the lengths of A-B and B-C. But a RV trailer, we want the floor level, so we start changing the length of B-C. With a wheel at B, that lets the length A-B also change, no issue. But the angle at C takes more force as the length A-B resists the change in length.
Let me make a couple of points. First, I understand "gee-I'm-a-tree," as a blend of math and science, is hated by most people that call themselves educated. And I was pretty much thru with school before high school.
But with what I have learned in life I know that if you change the length of 1 side of a triangle, then the length of at least 1 other side or all 3 angles must change. Most times I complete the triangle to hold 1 angle in place. I'm not educated enough to tell you how much things would change, but I bet a engineer could.
In my example above, if the angle at B was 90 degrees, (not likely) with a calculator and the length A-B and B-C I could tell you how long A-C is. Just trumping up some numbers; 90 at B, tire to jack base (A-B) of 15 feet, and the jack base to mount (B-C) of 2 ft. Crank the jack down to 18 inches, and the distance A to C would change over half inch, and the angles at both ends would also change. But when the trailer is built/loaded both the length A to C is set. And the angle at C is set. So if you also do not let length A-B change as B-C changes something else must change. And I'm sure the ground doesn't bend. I bet the jack, and or where it mounts is what flexes.
