Will you Level with me?

[Frederick L. Simson]

[quote]My Fiber Stream doesn't have permenently installed stabilizers. [b]I also have dual axles. So I secure two wheels that touch the ground by chocking both; and use 4 stabilizing jacks, one on each corner of the trailer.

Attachment 5547

I'm thinking of replacing 4 of these:



...with 2 of these:

[Donna D.]

[quote]I'm thinking of replacing 4 of these:

Attachment 5548

...with 2 of these:

Attachment 5549


Show off! Most of us would be wedging air

[CD Smith]

[b]But I would like to know how you secure that wheel after raising it up three blocks high.

I use the yellow blocks from Camping World and two piecies of 2" X 6" lumber that ar 12" long. First a layer of 5 yellow blocks, then a layer of 4 yellow blocks, and lastly the two pieces of wood. After you center the tire on the blocks there is enough room for the chocks, front and back.

I have only had to do this one time at the Cedar Hill State Park outside of Dallas, TX. We choose the site because of the view. OBTW, I used the tenth yellow block under the street side rear stabilizer.

[Brian B-P]

I'm using the ever-popular Lynx leveler blocks; fortunately, there is a matching chock block (the Stop 'N Chock), which fits right on to the leveling blocks, so even the raised tire is chocked on one side. I also use two rear stabilizers, and my tongue jack does not have a wheel, so I'm not worried about it going anywhere.

My rear stabilizers were the aluminum stands which Frederick showed, but I have recently switched to permanently installed units. Like CD Smith, I use the spare Lynx blocks under the stabilizers, and the tongue jack.

If I had dual axles I would use the inter-axle chock which Frederick showed, but since all this does is keep the wheels from turning I think that a much better solution would be a parking brake - that would work even with a single axle, would be easier to use, and would not require storage. Unfortunately, North American trailer manufacturers do not specify the readily available parking feature when they buy brakes - they, or their customers (that's us), are too cheap.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I think that a much better solution would be a [b]parking brake - that would work even with a single axle, would be easier to use, and would not require storage.

Unfortunately, North American trailer manufacturers do not specify the [b]readily available parking feature when they buy brakes - they, or their customers (that's us), are too cheap.

How is that installed? Can it be done aftermarket?

[Brian B-P]

How is that installed? Can it be done aftermarket?

The parking brake is an optional feature of the brakes from Dexter (an presumably others); like in a car, I think the bottom pivot for the shoes just has a lever added - you can see it in their parts diagrams, where a washer and a couple of springs are replaced by a mall pivot pin and cam sub-assembly. To change over, perhaps the extra bits could be substituted in, but it would certainly work to replace the backing plate assembly (which comes complete with magnets and shoes, example Dexter part 023-086-00 or 023-087-00 for 10"), so I'm sure that it is possible as a [b]retrofit. The hub / brake drum and the axle's spindle are unchanged.

The parking brakes are run by [b]cables, just like in a car. Unlike European overrun brakes in which the hand lever is part of the coupler assembly, the parking brake cables have nothing to do with the main (electric) brake operation, or with the coupler. I would mount a hand lever on the tongue to run them.

If I new about this when I had my initial mechanical inspection done my Boler, I would have added parking brakes then - now I have nearly new brake assemblies without parking brakes, and it's hard to justify the upgrade at the moment.

If I were buying a new trailer, and the manufacturer did not offer the parking brake (and was not interested in including it), I would ask about getting them to order the axle with the parking hardware, and later installing the cables and hand lever myself.

[Jerry Jacobs]

Thanks Brian for the link to the Lynx-Leveler with a neat chock
I will see if my local Walmart has on retail floor, if not, will order and have shipped to store
I have faced this to many times, looking for something to chock the high side tire
Thanks again

[Byron Kinnaman]

I already have this.


[ATTACH][/ATTACH]


Which works GRRRATE.

And I'm thinking I'll replace the yellow wedges (chocks) with this.


[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Brian B-P]

I first heard about the BAL leveler in this forum, and immediately thought that it was a good idea. I decided against getting one based on cost and weight, but some day maybe I should see how it compares to what I ended up doing with the blocks, and review the opinions expressed about the BAL device when it was first discussed.

The advantage of the Lynx chock is that it interlocks with the leveling blocks, which addresses one concern I always have with chocks, which is whether they will stay in place. The linked chock set Byron shows seems like a much better idea than two loose pieces, regardless of their design or materials.