Wheel Chocks

[Sean Woodruff]

Originally Posted by finalcutjoe

a fellow airstreamer swears by the little yellow standard wheel chocks... he says the 'between wheel' adjustable type is bad for the wheel bearings... i can't imagine the load from my scissor type (hensley) chocks is anymore abuse than what you get driving down the road.. ?? thoughts??

I think you hit the nail on the head with your logic. How could the chock apply more force than driving down a Michigan road?

I sell the BAL (the same chock the orange company copied) and the Rotochok. Both go between the wheels. I've never had a complaint with the hudreds of sets I've sold.

[vajeep]

Bal delux wheel locks from Camping World

[airhoundz]

I use the BAL tandem wheel chocks and really like them. They are a little heavy, but are easy to install and remove. The thing I like most about them is the way they end any front to back movement of the trailer when parked and unhitched. The trailer feels solid as a rock when you climb in and out or move around inside. Camping World sometimes runs these on sale at a very good price.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by vajeep

Bal delux wheel locks from Camping World

These are the ones I have...one for each side. However good they are, they won't stand up to an F-250 diesel. I forgot to remove one and drove off with it still between the wheels. It bent the heck out of one side of the part that rest against the tires. It appeared to have kicked out side ways and the rear wheel ran over it, but it may have bent first, I don't know. I didn't have them pushing too tight against the tires though since my yard where the trailer was parked isn't very unlevel.

[Sean Woodruff]

Originally Posted by vajeep

Bal delux wheel locks from Camping World

Originally Posted by airhoundz

I use the BAL tandem wheel chocks and really like them. They are a little heavy, but are easy to install and remove. The thing I like most about them is the way they end any front to back movement of the trailer when parked and unhitched. The trailer feels solid as a rock when you climb in and out or move around inside. Camping World sometimes runs these on sale at a very good price.

They do make the trailer rock solid when unhitched. I have sold hundreds of them and never had one returned for not working. They also now make one that can accept a padlock to lock them in place. I don't stock that one but it is the same price.

[Lumatic]

For edification of other stubborn old farts, and the younger ones too

#1 Ruined a perfectly good aluminum between the tires chock that came with my 73 by not checking it was removed before driving off. They hold good.

#2 Figuring I don't really need chocks anyway, unhitched on a very slight incline without chocking. And yes, those aluminum wheely thingys that fit on the bottom of your jack really do roll good. Picture me thinking I could stop a 5000# trailer in motion by grabbing hold of the A frame. No damage other than the split in the seat of my pants and ego, but slid off into a ditch and took a good deal of jacking with a bottle jack to get her hitched up again.

[wbrownrr]

I love our Bal Delux Wheel Chocks. They are very high quality and hold rock solid. But, since I worry (probably needlessly!) about a tire losing air, I usually also use standard wheel chocks when camped on sloping ground. Just a bit paranoid I guess!

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by wbrownrr

I love our Bal Delux Wheel Chocks. They are very high quality and hold rock solid. But, since I worry (probably needlessly!) about a tire losing air, I usually also use standard wheel chocks when camped on sloping ground. Just a bit paranoid I guess!

Do you also wear suspenders with your belt?

[Gunnyusmc]

Try Rotochok.

Gunny

[wheel interested]

How do the wheel locks stabilze the trailer movement, if someone doesn't mind educating me? That sounds like a big plus. If the air is let out of the tires do they slip off? We use lynx levelers and plain rubber chocks that we have used for years since our first trailering days and a simple padlock on the hitch which we realize is not securing the unit against theft.

[AirsDream]

Carol: with tandem wheels, the facing surfaces of adjacent tires want to go in opposite directions ... that is, if the trailer is moving forward or trying to, the forward surface of the rear tire is going downward, while the rearward surface of the front tire is going upward. The between-the-tire chocks take advantage of this relative motion by wedging in between the tires and preventing it. Then the wheels can't roll. No roll, no trailer movement. No trailer movement, happy camper! I'm sure if you lost enough air, even rotochocks would fall out, but as someone else said earlier, if that much air is lost, you've already got BIG problems!

[wheel interested]

Thanks AirsDream! Karma going your way! I like stability!! I wonder if I could get by with a do it yourself cheapie or just should bite the bullet and buy yet another little something for the AS.

I didn't mean my tires would be leaking that badly, please NO! I meant that I wondered if someone could let the air out, remove the chock and then use a compressor to refill the tires, if someone was depending on the chock for remote area security.

[slowmover]

Devices which prevent the trailer from moving are an important safety item. A/S and other high end types should have something like rotochok standard. It is not just a matter of campground convenience, but when making an unscheduled stop on the shoulder for reasons one cannot plan for.

Just like having D.O.T. triangle reflectors and some flares, good chocks are a necessity.

The strongest "ordinary" chock are the type sold to prevent tractor-trailers from rolling; big, heavy, ribbed rubber triangular shaped ones.

The 815# style is what I carried as an OTR driver (required by some companies, just like hard hat, steel toes, etc)

Checkers® Industrial

I keep some old aluminum lever-style chocks that I can lock, on the trailer; they're hard to remove once placed. In the back seat of the TV I keep the BAL chocks shown above. I'd have bought the rotochoks had I known of them.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, Ford Truck. I use the same ones that you mentioned and like the way they work.

Originally Posted by kamadeca

The only problem I see with the Rotochuks is you loose effectiveness if the tire(s) loose pressure. If you loose enough pressure the chock would fall out and who knows where your trailer is going to end up. Anyone have this experience?

Hi, kamadeca. This could be true, but I use two chocks; This would mean that I would have to get one low tire on each side of my trailer at the same time. [not likely to happen]

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by wheel interested

I didn't mean my tires would be leaking that badly, please NO! I meant that I wondered if someone could let the air out, remove the chock and then use a compressor to refill the tires, if someone was depending on the chock for remote area security.

Carol makes an important point if you are using the rotochocks for security. Even the new models with the ability to add a pad lock would be less effective if someone let enough air out of the tires, I think. On the other hand, would the tire slump and expand laterally to keep pressure against the rotochock as the air was released or would it allow the rotochock to become loose and be removed? BTW, as I mentioned before, I drove off with one set left in the road side tandom and I ran over it as I was pulling out so I'm not sure how good they would be at preventing theft. (I have a stump pulling diesel, though.) I think the pad lock would be more to prevent the rotochoks from being stolen, not the trailer.

I apply just enough pressure to stabilize the trailer. I realize that I'm not going to be applying as much pressure in one spot with the rotochocks as the weight of the trailer bearing down on one spot on the ground, but I still worry about making the tire get out of round if the pressure from the rotochock is applied for too long such as while stored between trips...something I don't think Carol has to worry about...that woman doesn't let moss grow beneath her feet before she is off again!

[Minnie's Mate]

I just got an e-mail ad from Camping World. They are having a big sale and one of the "Top 25" items they have on sale is the "Deluxe Tire Locking Chock" for $44.99. I think that is what I paid for mine last fall. I was waiting specifically for them to go on sale since they usually do so twice a year. BTW, this is the price for one chock. You will need to order two at this price, each, if you want one for each side of the coach.

[vswingfield]

Here are a couple of solutions I spotted at the October Branson rally.

[clancy_boy]

Now I like that first one made from wood - guess I'll be in the garage tonight......

Thank You - those I can afford.

[Fyrzowt]

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

Do you also wear suspenders with your belt?

OK, let me get back up off the floor..

[markparker22]

I bought a pair of chocks via ebay. I do not see them listed now but here is an email address for Chatham Chocks: kbakker@tds.net
Price was $35/pair plus shipping $30. Price was reasonable and no extra tools needed.