Scary: footplate slipped out of position!

I got one of these for my new trailers. It's by Andersen and is called a jack block. It is working great for my current trailer. Wish I had had one before.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Andersen-3608-Trailer-Jack-Block-Trailer-Jack-Stabilizer-Stackable-/401291104913

Gdetrailer wrote:
The OP IS NOT using your "chock"..

Makes YOUR "pile" under the tongue a HORRIBLE IDEA.

BALONEY. From my FIRST post in this thread back on Page 1 I offered to the OP this comment ...

"The scenario described can't happen IF the trailer is properly chocked. This is why I use the weight of the trailer bearing down on a set of wheel pads to absolutely prevent my trailer from shifting on my significantly sloped driveway which also requires an 18" stack under the tongue jack to level the trailer."

The scary scenario the OP described was NOT due to the fact he had his tongue jack sitting on a stack but the fact that his trailer tires were not properly chocked. Chocking his trailer using a set of wheel pads - as I've detailed and illustrated with a pic - will absolutely prevent the trailer from shifting even a millimeter. Do this and one can use ANYTHING under the tongue jack, including a triple stack as I do. Your admonition that this is a "HORRIBLE IDEA" continues to be 100% incorrect. :S

SoundGuy wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
I imagine the OP is doing something like Soundguy's pix



Which IS a HORIBLE IDEA since you are depending on not only the friction between all the blocking keeping things together but a very unstable high stack of small lumber which places the center of gravity very high on the stack..

There is no MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE JACK AND BLOCKS that can prevent that pile of lumber from tipping over!

Yet again you're entirely incorrect. As I detailed earlier in another thread on this same subject my trailer's front tires, both curb side and street side, sit on wheel pads to which chocks are firmly attached, so I'm using the weight of the trailer itself to firmly lock the trailer in place. :B



There is NO forward pressure on the tongue jack - NONE - and therefore your assertion that this technique is a HORRIBLE IDEA is 100% incorrect. It's actually an excellent method of assuring my trailer is locked down firmly on my sloped driveway. Fact is, you simply don't know what you're talking about. :R

The OP IS NOT using your "chock"..

Makes YOUR "pile" under the tongue a HORRIBLE IDEA.

Your "system" while "ingenious" someday will get someone else KILLED if they fail to ensure the wheels cannot move.. But, they ARE wheels and wheels CAN move even when you think they can't.

I would not bet my life under that kind of cribbing, would you?

I suspect the OP was not using your chock "method" but WAS using a PILE OF LUMBER IN THE SAME FASHION as your photo, which illustrates what I suspect the OP has been doing..

Besides, why take such chances when there ARE CORRECT TOOLS for the job.. The correct tools are the foot extension I posted and it is no more expensive than all that lumber and plastic blocks you use.

At work, using a pile of lumber in your fashion to hold a large heavy object up would get you written up and fired for a major safety violation.. A pile of loose lumber stacked high is not a good tool, that pile gets easier to topple the higher it gets.

Would you personally use a loose pile of wood in your fashion to hold your vehicle up when working on it with no tires? Of course not (at least I hope).

I have a forklift license at work and own a tractor with a front loader at home, I would never consider putting my hands, feet or body under the forks, pallet or my tractor front loader without a very safe and SECURE cribbing THAT CAN'T TOPPLE OR SHIFT.. Nor would I consider your dry stack of loose lumber under the tongue.

Sure, you may get away with it for a long time, but down the road you have increased the chances of Mr Murphy crossing your path.

OP was visited by Mr Murphy and was very lucky to have out smarted him before the trailer slide off.. The tongue falling 10+ inches could have severely damage the trailer A frame or even the trailer frame to the point of it being scrapped..

An extremely costly mistake that CAN BE AVOIDED.

Why take such chances when you can get the proper jack foot extension..

SoundGuy wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
I imagine the OP is doing something like Soundguy's pix



Which IS a HORIBLE IDEA since you are depending on not only the friction between all the blocking keeping things together but a very unstable high stack of small lumber which places the center of gravity very high on the stack..

There is no MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE JACK AND BLOCKS that can prevent that pile of lumber from tipping over!

Yet again you're entirely incorrect. As I detailed earlier in another thread on this same subject my trailer's front tires, both curb side and street side, sit on wheel pads to which chocks are firmly attached, so I'm using the weight of the trailer itself to firmly lock the trailer in place. :B



There is NO forward pressure on the tongue jack - NONE - and therefore your assertion that this technique is a HORRIBLE IDEA is 100% incorrect. It's actually an excellent method of assuring my trailer is locked down firmly on my sloped driveway. Fact is, you simply don't know what you're talking about. :R

Details........it's all in the details :B

Gdetrailer wrote:
I imagine the OP is doing something like Soundguy's pix



Which IS a HORIBLE IDEA since you are depending on not only the friction between all the blocking keeping things together but a very unstable high stack of small lumber which places the center of gravity very high on the stack..

There is no MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE JACK AND BLOCKS that can prevent that pile of lumber from tipping over!

Yet again you're entirely incorrect. As I detailed earlier in another thread on this same subject my trailer's front tires, both curb side and street side, sit on wheel pads to which chocks are firmly attached, so I'm using the weight of the trailer itself to firmly lock the trailer in place. :B



There is NO forward pressure on the tongue jack - NONE - and therefore your assertion that this technique is a HORRIBLE IDEA is 100% incorrect. It's actually an excellent method of assuring my trailer is locked down firmly on my sloped driveway. Fact is, you simply don't know what you're talking about. :R

Folks, the problem has nothing to do with what type of chocks they were using or if they failed to use chocks..

The OP, jjjandrbaker wrote "I've been using a 10" stack of stabilizer pads under the tongue jack landing gear, ever since I got this camper.

It takes forever for the foot plate to reach the ground. Someone told me to use the stack to shorten the distance that the motor has to drop it.

I have had no problems.

This time, everything went as usual.

I brought the jack down with the foot plate in the center of the stack, unhitched, and pulled the truck forward. Then I was ready to level the camper from front to back.

I went inside to check my level, came back to the tongue jack, started to lower the front end and noticed that the landing gear had slid, and close to half of the foot plate was hanging off the edge of the damned stack of pads!"

I imagine the OP is doing something like Soundguy's pix



Which IS a HORIBLE IDEA since you are depending on not only the friction between all the blocking keeping things together but a very unstable high stack of small lumber which places the center of gravity very high on the stack..

There is no MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE JACK AND BLOCKS that can prevent that pile of lumber from tipping over!

Stacking lumber on perfect flat ground is a risky move and if the ground is slightly pitched the tongue can EASILY SLIDE to the lower side of the stack in a hurry.

You WANT a Jack Drop Leg Foot EXTENSION like this..



Found HERE for about $12

This extension FITS OVER the jack tube AND HAS A PIN THAT GOES THROUGH BOTH THE JACK AND THE FOOT EXTENSION TUBE pinning them mechanically together. The tube inside a tube also cannot shift out of place.

The OPs problem had less to do with how well the wheels were chocked or not but in the fact that using 10" of blocking makes for a poor unstable surface to put the tongue weight on with no direct connection other than the friction between the tongue jack foot and the wood surface.

Additionally there IS another device that folks should avoid, very badly designed cone like device..



That thing is another accident just waiting to happen!

Like I said before, if you can feel the wiggle of the tongue jack, you ARE doing something wrong in your setup.

You use your STABILIZERS to take out the movements, not the tongue jack!

Chock wheels before disconnecting, set your tongue height to level front to back then set your STABILIZERS to stop the wiggling..

Camper G wrote:
As far as chocks go, i ordered a set of roto-chocks years ago and have never looked back. I have to park my rig on a slope and once I have the roto chocks tightened down, my camper does not move at all.

they were pricey, but Worth every Penny to me. I don't know if they are still made, I've had them at least 10+ yrs now.

It is really a shame but RotoChocks are no longer available or made. Mine are about 12 years old also and I would not give them up for three times what they cost.
Barney

jjjandrbaker wrote:
After reading all the posts, I'm starting to doubt that the chocks were as firmly in place as I thought. I'm going to have to be a lot more careful next time. Thanks for all your comments.

You're probably not looking for advice, but what I do is place chocks down then pull or back the trailer onto them slightly. I then set the brake on the truck, place the other set on the opposite side of the tires, and release the brakes to allow the tires to settle in this tight cradle. This also helps to calm the back and forth wiggling of the tire while you're in the trailer.

As far as chocks go, i ordered a set of roto-chocks years ago and have never looked back. I have to park my rig on a slope and once I have the roto chocks tightened down, my camper does not move at all.

they were pricey, but Worth every Penny to me. I don't know if they are still made, I've had them at least 10+ yrs now.

I'll share a quick story. Back when I was a lot younger I had a 1987 wilderness Yukon 25c, basement model. I had backed it in at locust lake state park and forgot to chock the wheels before uncoupling and removing the weight bars. Trailer came of the ball and rolled about 5' back where fortunately a tree stopped it.

My girlfriend at the time, now wife tried to grab the tongue jack to stop it till i yelled to let it go.

No damage, or injuries by God's grace, but scared the heck out of me. Needless to say, that's only happened once. Now I chock immediately and take them off right before I'm ready to pull out.