Sorry... another wheel chock question

[Glowrdr]

Been researching wheel chocks, and I bet I've read 50 different threads from all sorts of forums. Still have a couple of questions (coming from someone whose trailer has not left their driveway yet.

My trailer came with 2 of the camco plastic wedges, and to be honest - its downright scary to be in the trailer when unhooked from the TV (I have to use 4 2x8's under the tongue as my TV is quite tall).

After some extensive research, I really am interested in the Fastway ONEstep type chocks vs the "X" style chocks. Let me break it down, and hopefully you all can chime in and help me decide.

Fastway: Super simple to use, fast to deploy, I like that I won't have to crouch down to install/remove. But - I believe they have issues on non-level ground, and how well do they work if I'm on the legos?

X Chocks: Very well reviewed, they seem to make the most sense from an engineering standpoint, and I like that they aren't on the ground at all (not wet, muddy, sinking, etc). But, I'm hearing you still need regular chocks with them (at least to hook/unhook), and there are a few stories of them bending or not locking properly. I somewhat take that with a grain of salt though, as I'm sure if I look hard enough, I could find a story about an aluminum chock starting on fire and burning down a school full of orphaned mermaids under the sea.

Then there is the good ol' fashioned rubber triangle chocks. I'm talking the style used at truck stops. 10 inches wide, 8 inches high, weighing in at 8 pounds apiece with an eye bolt on the side. Just solid, no-slip, no crush rubber. After hearing the one-in-a-million horror stories of other chocks not living up to their name (or price) - I'm wondering if I just drop $30 on 4 of these (Northern is having an awesome sale at the moment)

With all of those thoughts typed out, what do the seasoned RV'ers recommend? Do I keep my little plastic chocks for (un)hooking from the TV, while deploying dual X chocks? Should I stick with the most basic of the 3 and grab the rubber? Or do I do something like get 1 X chock, and 1 Fastway (deploying the X on the leveled side)? Really want to get this taken care of before the first trip next weekend.

As always, thanks in advance!

[Westcoasting]

SoundGuy wrote:

Westcoasting wrote:
I would trust an x chock over the plastic chocks that so many seem to use. Properly done, the trailer will not move. I don't know what tires you are using but if your trailer moves it was not tight enough in the first place. I'm happy you're so amal retentive and read instructions and warnings thoroughly, but the reality is that the x chocks work fine as a chock. You are scared to try them because you read a warning...nothing wrong with that i suppose.

Boy, you're classic :S - offensively argumentative to the end even though the simple fact is that ALL tires shrink noticeably as they cool. This has nothing to do with what tires I have OR tires that anyone else has ... they're rubber, and rubber tires shrink in diameter as they cool. What so difficult about this technical fact that you don't seem to understand? :h On this issue you're absolutely incorrect - BAL X-Chocks do not "work fine as a chock" AND the manufacturer Norco makes that fact quite clear. Be dumb as you want about your own use, I merely continue this discussion so others reading your misinformed opinion about this product aren't tricked into making the same mistake. :R

Well my brother has the Michelin ribs and they don't shrink any amount to allow movement, just because you don't like to try it this does work. His tires are locked together and nothing moves. I don't care what you have read, this works. I use 4x4 blocks, guess what they work too. Your tires must shrink a lot or you do not tighten the chocks any amount.

[myredracer]

X-chock fan here...

If the trailer is on level ground, I don't worry about it rolling away. We also have stabilizer struts that control the fore/aft movement of the stab. jack feet. I always cinch the X-chocks fairly tight. If the ground is sloping that could end up allowing the trailer to move, then I'll use additional chocks against the tires/ground. The majority of sites we are on have been pretty level and level enough to allow just the use of the X-chocks.

I have often checked the tightness of the X-chocks the next day and they are always tight enough to prevent movement, whether it's close to freezing or 100F or more. We're currently "camping" in Vegas in over 100F temps. Just went out for interest's sake to check the X-chocks. They are still very tight and couldn't tighten them up by more than around 1/8 turn. How many have checked the tightness of their X-chocks the next day to see how much they may have loosened up?

Perhaps loosening of X-chocks is a function of how hot your tires get when towing due to under-inflation, going over 65mph or low reserve load capacity. Perhaps some just don't tighten them enough. Maybe some tires shrink and expand more than others. Who knows...

One thing I've learned is to avoid campground hosts and fellow campers that can't resist helping you back into a site and set up as they can be so distracting you can forget about a critical step.

[bpounds]

I've mentioned the overnight flat tire in this thread, as well as previous threads on the same topic. Doesn't seem to get anyone's attention. I guess no one else has come out to their vehicle in the morning to find a tire has gone flat overnight. But I sure have, more than once. Sure it is rare, but it happens, and that alone is all the reason I need to not trust X-chocks when I am sleeping in my trailer. I like to wake up in the same location as when I went to bed.

[SoundGuy]

Westcoasting wrote:
I would trust an x chock over the plastic chocks that so many seem to use. Properly done, the trailer will not move. I don't know what tires you are using but if your trailer moves it was not tight enough in the first place. I'm happy you're so amal retentive and read instructions and warnings thoroughly, but the reality is that the x chocks work fine as a chock. You are scared to try them because you read a warning...nothing wrong with that i suppose.

Boy, you're classic :S - offensively argumentative to the end even though the simple fact is that ALL tires shrink noticeably as they cool. This has nothing to do with what tires I have OR tires that anyone else has ... they're rubber, and rubber tires shrink in diameter as they cool. What so difficult about this technical fact that you don't seem to understand? :h On this issue you're absolutely incorrect - BAL X-Chocks do not "work fine as a chock" AND the manufacturer Norco makes that fact quite clear. Be dumb as you want about your own use, I merely continue this discussion so others reading your misinformed opinion about this product aren't tricked into making the same mistake. :R

[Westcoasting]

SoundGuy wrote:

Westcoasting wrote:
I'm sure that is nothing more than liability to cover the company's butt when someone doesn't tighten the chocks and the trailer rolls.

SoundGuy wrote:
You're "sure" are you? 😛 Seems to me the people who designed and sell the BAL X-Chock make it pretty clear why one should not rely solely on these chocks to secure a trailer ...

"Do NOT use the BAL chock as a parking brake ..."

"Remove the BAL chock BEFORE connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle".

"Operating the trailer tongue jack can cause unnecessary stress to the BAL chock".

Hmmmm, now if you aren't using anything else to secure the trailer and do rely solely on the BAL X-Chock for this purpose how do you then "remove the BAL chock BEFORE connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle" and not have it roll away? :h

How dumb. :S

Westcoasting wrote:
There is no problem putting in the chocks and then unhooking, have you ever tried it or are you just another internet troll who enjoys arguing? We have tried it both ways with a chock behind wheels and then unhooking, jacking up etc and leaving them in... no difference either way.

Internet troll? :? Now that's funny. :W

Instructions provided by Norco, manufacturer of the BAL X-Chock, make it quite clear this "chock" is not to be used to secure the trailer and prevent it from shifting AND explains WHY. Apparently you can't read. :S

And yes, I've owned a set of BAL X-Chocks for years and am quite familiar with the fact that tires shrink as they cool and when that happens X-Chocks set in place WILL loosen significantly, losing their grip on the tires, and allow the trailer to shift if it's not otherwise chocked.

I'll therefore repeat - HOW DUMB to argue otherwise. :S

I would trust an x chock over the plastic chocks that so many seem to use. Properly done, the trailer will not move. I don't know what tires you are using but if your trailer moves it was not tight enough in the first place. I'm happy you're so amal retentive and read instructions and warnings thoroughly, but the reality is that the x chocks work fine as a chock. You are scared to try them because you read a warning...nothing wrong with that i suppose.

[Hannibal]

I use the cheap plastic chocks until I let my magpie distract me at Ginnie Springs this week. Trailer slid back a few inches when it released from the ball. Had to throw those shorts away. Quickly installed chocks and bought a Lotto ticket.

[MorMJS]

LarryJM wrote:

MorMJS wrote:
I throw on a set of kneepads and gloves when im setting up my trailer anyway.

:E:E:E:E:E:E:E:E:E
Do you use a HAZMAT suit when hooking up your stinky slinky too:R

No, but I do wear nitrile gloves. Is that frowned upon?

[LarryJM]

MorMJS wrote:
I throw on a set of kneepads and gloves when im setting up my trailer anyway.

:E:E:E:E:E:E:E:E:E
Do you use a HAZMAT suit when hooking up your stinky slinky too:R

[MorMJS]

I use an X-chock on each side once I get to camp. I dont worry about getting down on the ground to install because I throw on a set of kneepads and gloves when im setting up my trailer anyway. I have a set of wedge chocks also but i only use those when my trailer is in storage or in front of my house when im loading it up.

[SoundGuy]

Westcoasting wrote:
I'm sure that is nothing more than liability to cover the company's butt when someone doesn't tighten the chocks and the trailer rolls.

SoundGuy wrote:
You're "sure" are you? 😛 Seems to me the people who designed and sell the BAL X-Chock make it pretty clear why one should not rely solely on these chocks to secure a trailer ...

"Do NOT use the BAL chock as a parking brake ..."

"Remove the BAL chock BEFORE connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle".

"Operating the trailer tongue jack can cause unnecessary stress to the BAL chock".

Hmmmm, now if you aren't using anything else to secure the trailer and do rely solely on the BAL X-Chock for this purpose how do you then "remove the BAL chock BEFORE connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle" and not have it roll away? :h

How dumb. :S

Westcoasting wrote:
There is no problem putting in the chocks and then unhooking, have you ever tried it or are you just another internet troll who enjoys arguing? We have tried it both ways with a chock behind wheels and then unhooking, jacking up etc and leaving them in... no difference either way.

Internet troll? :? Now that's funny. :W

Instructions provided by Norco, manufacturer of the BAL X-Chock, make it quite clear this "chock" is not to be used to secure the trailer and prevent it from shifting AND explains WHY. Apparently you can't read. :S

And yes, I've owned a set of BAL X-Chocks for years and am quite familiar with the fact that tires shrink as they cool and when that happens X-Chocks set in place WILL loosen significantly, losing their grip on the tires, and allow the trailer to shift if it's not otherwise chocked.

I'll therefore repeat - HOW DUMB to argue otherwise. :S

[GoPackGo]

martipr wrote:

bob213 wrote:
X chocks are great for getting rid of motion inside the trailer but are not intended to keep the trailer from rolling away. A wedge chock does that best.
My BIL lives in a lake community where there is a boat in every driveway. Some are very steep. Some people have put in anchors into the cement and use a safety chain to keep it from rolling down the steep incline should there wedge block get displaced.
At the campground I use both the Xchocks and wedge chocks.

Can you provide a reference that they are not intended to keep the trailer from rolling away? Or is that just your opinion.

Read the earlier posts. A manufacturer statement stating exactly that is shown in a couple. Every box of X-chocks contains a document that has the same warning. Not an opinion.

[LarryJM]

martipr wrote:

bob213 wrote:
X chocks are great for getting rid of motion inside the trailer but are not intended to keep the trailer from rolling away. A wedge chock does that best.
My BIL lives in a lake community where there is a boat in every driveway. Some are very steep. Some people have put in anchors into the cement and use a safety chain to keep it from rolling down the steep incline should there wedge block get displaced.
At the campground I use both the Xchocks and wedge chocks.

Can you provide a reference that they are not intended to keep the trailer from rolling away? Or is that just your opinion.

:h :h Why don't you read the entire thread :h :h , the warning about this from the manufacturer is repeated multiple times in several places in this thread.:S:S

Larry

[martipr]

bob213 wrote:
X chocks are great for getting rid of motion inside the trailer but are not intended to keep the trailer from rolling away. A wedge chock does that best.
My BIL lives in a lake community where there is a boat in every driveway. Some are very steep. Some people have put in anchors into the cement and use a safety chain to keep it from rolling down the steep incline should there wedge block get displaced.
At the campground I use both the Xchocks and wedge chocks.

Can you provide a reference that they are not intended to keep the trailer from rolling away? Or is that just your opinion.

[Bill57]

Westcoasting wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

Westcoasting wrote:
I'm sure that is nothing more than liability to cover the company's butt when someone doesn't tighten the chocks and the trailer rolls.

You're "sure" are you? 😛 Seems to me the people who designed and sell the BAL X-Chock make it pretty clear why one should not rely solely on these chocks to secure a trailer ...

"Do NOT use the BAL chock as a parking brake ..."

"Remove the BAL chock BEFORE connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle".

"Operating the trailer tongue jack can cause unnecessary stress to the BAL chock".

Hmmmm, now if you aren't using anything else to secure the trailer and do rely solely on the BAL X-Chock for this purpose how do you then "remove the BAL chock BEFORE connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle" and not have it roll away? :h

How dumb. :S

There is no problem putting in the chocks and then unhooking, have you ever tried it or are you just another internet troll who enjoys arguing? We have tried it both ways with a chock behind wheels and then unhooking, jacking up etc and leaving them in... no difference either way.

I'm using a hensley hitch, so the situation is unique. No problem until there is a problem when they spit out the side of the trailer as you attempt to unhitch. Fortunately, I had wheel chocks in place as well. No they didn't fly very far.