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Parked on a slope with car still hitched...

oyarsa
Explorer
Explorer
We are staying on a slope today. The trailer had to be leveled side to side which meant that I wasn't able to chock those tires.

From front to back is quite a slope with the front having to be raised. To be extra safe, I want to leave the car hitched with the emergency brake and chocks under the side that couldn't be chocked. This means that the back of the SUV is lifted quite a bit. Will that hurt the car at all?

We'll be here till Saturday...

Maybe I'm too worried about it rolling down the hill, but I'd sleep better with the extra brakes.
38 REPLIES 38

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
jfkmk wrote:
toedtoes wrote:
deltabravo wrote:
Bobbo wrote:
I use the Anderson levelers.


Interesting product, put after the owners of Andersen Hitches defaced Corona Arch in Utah, I will never buy their products again.

Corona Arch is vandalized


At least he actually said "I'm sorry" and "I screwed up" and is paying for the cleanup. He also says he's open to suggestions on how to hekp the BLM prevent more vandalism. Maybe we should take him up on that and provide suggestions.

Then see how he responds before boycotting his products.

Anyone can make a mistake - it's how they act after that mistake that should be the basis for our response.

Common, he was asked to stop and he didn’t. He knew what he was doing, and is probably only sorry he was caught. I’ll go with the boycot.


His wife’s pretty hot though.... no boycott for me!
Whatever.....he scratched a rock with a rock. And then said sorry, seriously.
I wish that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done!
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

campigloo
Explorer
Explorer
This is Friday so you’re probably past this problem by now but chocks don’t have to be fancy. A few correctly shaped rocks, a tree limb about 3-4” diameter or anything that you can wedge in front of the tire. Look around, there’s probably all sorts of things you can use. It shouldn’t hurt your tv to lift it and act as a chock. Have fun!

Huntindog
Explorer
Explorer
Agree, that chocking TT tires that are raised on blocks is not really practical. And it isn't necessary either.
Put the TV in 4 wheel drive, then set the parking brakes along with park for the tranny. Doing this will lock the front and rear axles together, making the front tires provide the braking, if the rear tires do not have enough traction, due to the lift of the hitch.

If you want the "belt, suspenders, and a rope" method, you can chock the front TV tires as well.

Do this, and that TT isn't going anywhere.

Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
FullBodyPaint, 3,8Kaxles, DiscBrakes
17.5LRH commercial tires
1860watts solar,800 AH Battleborn batterys
2020 Silverado HighCountry CC DA 4X4 DRW

azrving
Explorer
Explorer
Don't eat too much turkey it looks like we'll be hitting the popcorn and beer soon

jfkmk
Explorer
Explorer
toedtoes wrote:
deltabravo wrote:
Bobbo wrote:
I use the Anderson levelers.


Interesting product, put after the owners of Andersen Hitches defaced Corona Arch in Utah, I will never buy their products again.

Corona Arch is vandalized


At least he actually said "I'm sorry" and "I screwed up" and is paying for the cleanup. He also says he's open to suggestions on how to hekp the BLM prevent more vandalism. Maybe we should take him up on that and provide suggestions.

Then see how he responds before boycotting his products.

Anyone can make a mistake - it's how they act after that mistake that should be the basis for our response.

Common, he was asked to stop and he didn’t. He knew what he was doing, and is probably only sorry he was caught. I’ll go with the boycot.

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Terryallan wrote:
proxim2020 wrote:
I've been in this situation plenty of times in parking lots. In the most extreme case the rear wheels of the truck where no longer touching the ground. Just chock the front wheels of the vehicle and what trailer wheels that you can. This should be plenty enough to prevent a roll away.



One other thing. I wouldn't rely on x-chocks to hold back your trailer as that's not what they are intended for. They are meant to stabilize the tires, not function as a chock. As the tire temperature drops, the tire shrinks, and the x-chocks no longer have the same holding power. Sometimes becoming so loose that they are no longer in contact with the tires. Regular chocks are a much better idea.



You have done it now. I know what you say is true, and the instructions warn about using them for chocks. But those that don't read the instructions, or think they know more than the manufacturer's engineers will come to argue with you.


Or some people just shouldn't use things with so many moving parts.......
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Sounds fine to me. Of course none of us know what it actually looks like.
BTW if you use lumber instead of the myriad of tinker toy Lego blocks/chocks, you could easily chock the wheels that are up off the ground.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
proxim2020 wrote:
I've been in this situation plenty of times in parking lots. In the most extreme case the rear wheels of the truck where no longer touching the ground. Just chock the front wheels of the vehicle and what trailer wheels that you can. This should be plenty enough to prevent a roll away.



One other thing. I wouldn't rely on x-chocks to hold back your trailer as that's not what they are intended for. They are meant to stabilize the tires, not function as a chock. As the tire temperature drops, the tire shrinks, and the x-chocks no longer have the same holding power. Sometimes becoming so loose that they are no longer in contact with the tires. Regular chocks are a much better idea.



You have done it now. I know what you say is true, and the instructions warn about using them for chocks. But those that don't read the instructions, or think they know more than the manufacturer's engineers will come to argue with you.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

azrving
Explorer
Explorer
I've been on a couple slopes that would have ended in disaster if the rig rolled. I used a chain through the wheels on both sides. Impossible to move.

Community Alumni
Not applicable
I've been in this situation plenty of times in parking lots. In the most extreme case the rear wheels of the truck where no longer touching the ground. Just chock the front wheels of the vehicle and what trailer wheels that you can. This should be plenty enough to prevent a roll away.

Will it damage the vehicle? Likely no. Really this isn't different than jacking up the rear of the vehicle to attach the WDH bars. While lifting the rear of the vehicle by the hitch almost always exceeds the weight carrying capacity of the hitch itself, the weight being lifted is static. This has far less damage potential than the dynamic weights that you get when towing.

One other thing. I wouldn't rely on x-chocks to hold back your trailer as that's not what they are intended for. They are meant to stabilize the tires, not function as a chock. As the tire temperature drops, the tire shrinks, and the x-chocks no longer have the same holding power. Sometimes becoming so loose that they are no longer in contact with the tires. Regular chocks are a much better idea.

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
“The trailer had to be leveled side to side which meant that I wasn't able to chock those tires.”

Yes you can. I do it all the time. Unchocked wheels on a hill isn’t safe.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Explorer II
Raise the rear of the SUV and chock the front wheels. Then go get some more legos and x-chocks. I use Andersen type levelers, also. I have no problem with Andersen products. The guy did something really stupid, but why try to punish his company and employees?
Kip
2015 Skyline Dart 214RB
2018 Silverado Double Cab 4x4
Andersen Hitch

toedtoes
Explorer III
Explorer III
deltabravo wrote:
Bobbo wrote:
I use the Anderson levelers.


Interesting product, put after the owners of Andersen Hitches defaced Corona Arch in Utah, I will never buy their products again.

Corona Arch is vandalized


At least he actually said "I'm sorry" and "I screwed up" and is paying for the cleanup. He also says he's open to suggestions on how to hekp the BLM prevent more vandalism. Maybe we should take him up on that and provide suggestions.

Then see how he responds before boycotting his products.

Anyone can make a mistake - it's how they act after that mistake that should be the basis for our response.
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)

deltabravo
Nomad
Nomad
X Chocks would do the trick, and chock the vehicle wheels as well.
2009 Silverado 3500HD Dually, D/A, CCLB 4x4 (bought new 8/30/09)
2018 Arctic Fox 992 with an Onan 2500i "quiet" model generator

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
Anderson levelers are cool.