Forum Discussion

erdvm1's avatar
erdvm1
Explorer
Apr 19, 2014

Parking on inclined driveway

My driveway is a decent incline. Hard to say the grade. What's the steepest grade to safely park a trailer in a driveway (in your opinion) Also, what safety advice would you give while parking an unhitched trailer on a step-ish driveway. Please feel free to be obvious. I dont want to overlook anything. Thanks so much. I dont have many pictures with links. Heres the best I have


One pic of driveway

another

last one
  • You don't specify what kind of rig you're parking, but if you have tandem wheels, use something like X-chocks. I use them on pretty steep grades with my 13K# fifth wheel and I've never had an issue.

    X-chocks
  • erdvm1 wrote:
    My driveway is a decent incline. Hard to say the grade. What's the steepest grade to safely park a trailer in a driveway (in your opinion) Also, what safety advice would you give while parking an unhitched trailer on a step-ish driveway. Please feel free to be obvious. I dont want to overlook anything. Thanks so much. I dont have many pictures with links. Heres the best I have


    One pic of driveway

    another

    last one






    I can not really tell from the pictures how steep your driveway is. My guess is over a 20 foot length, if it drops only about 10", you will be fine, with 1/2" per foot drop. Much more than 10" drop, you will still be OK, but will require extra large tire chocks. My suggestion is 4X6 cut at 45 degrees to get the chock under the tire weight, and it should not roll over the block.

    I parked my motorhome in a site once where I had to lift the front tires more than 8". I think it was something like 10 - 12" off the ground on my 2X10 lifting blocks. I have layers of 2X10 screwed together so they are stable, and 4 layers high (6" each ramp, and I was using two at once). Anyway it was safe, because the RV became level, and I had a 4X4 block under the rear tire.



    Fred.
  • I use a variation of what TusconJim posted along with regular tire chocks. I like the mechanical lock between the tires and mine can be padlocked in place.
  • I've been in worst CG sites then that :B

    X-chocks between tires and wheel chocks in front of tires (BOTH sides)

    No running fridge unless you level trailer
  • Your driveway looks very much like mine. I have always stuck the yellow plastic tire chocks in front of wheel let the truck roll forward slightly to engage the chocks and call it good.
    My driveway is steep enough that I have to place boards under the tongue jack so it will crank high enough to level trailer and I have never felt unsafe.
    Our last driveway was steeper, although we only had a pop-up then, we did the same thing.
    Ryan
  • never mind the driveway, what is that nasty white stuff by it?
  • Use good wheel chocks (correctly) and you can park on any incline you can drive on. May not be able to run the fridge though.
  • I use quarter round sections of firewood in front of the tires and use a swift kick to seat them.