Trailer chocks and level blocks

[ZachO]

Funny how that happened to rhyme.

Anyway. I was looking around on campingworld and put some wheel chocks in my basket. I had an actual motorhome before, so I could just put it in gear, set the parking brake, and be done.

But then I realized the trailer, once it's disconnected from my truck, has no brakes...so I figured I'd buy the chocks. But then I remembered how often I used my leveling blocks, which I left with my motorhome when I sold it. So I put some of those in my basket.

So...it seems to me that once I'm on leveling blocks, the chocks can't really do anything. Or would there be enough space on the leveling block for the tire and chocks? And would they even have any traction on the plastic blocks?

I always boondock, so using leveling blocks is pretty common for me, and sometimes both wheels are on blocks.

What's the solution for this?

I'm planning on probably buying some scissor type stabilizers and bolting them to the bumper. But I'm kind of unsure what to do as far as leveling and chocking.

[Glenn Baglo]

You buy a system like Lynx.
Tri Lynx Corporation | Where Products are designed with the user in mind.

[Jon in AZ]

The BAL leveler is one solution. Its limited lifting range may come up short in a boondocking environment, though.

[ZachO]

Thanks to you both!

Looks like the Tri Lynx might be my best option.

[Cathi]

You use enough blocks such that there is space on them to put the chocks.

[Raz]

I use lots of scrap lumber for leveling. I chock both wheels front and back and then lower the rear stabilizers. Haven't gone for a ride yet. Raz

[ZachO]

Yeah I'm realizing as I go that I only need to level two wheels, so there will be plenty of blocks. With the motorhome, I was leveling four wheels. So it was rare that I could go more than one block wide on the top level, or I'd run out of blocks. But with only two wheels and the 10 blocks I just ordered (which I just now realized is total overkill...), I'll always have plenty of blocks to leave space for chocks.

Thanks.

For whatever reason, I just like the exactness of the leveling blocks, rather than lumber. I remember people on the toyota motorhomes site mentioning they always got by fine with finding rocks around the campsite and didn't travel with any leveling system.

But I'm on some pretty uneven ground sometimes, so I like having the blocks, and like the way they stack.

[Glenn Baglo]

They are also lighter than wet chunks of lumber ( which is what I used to use ). I just use normal chocks, not the lynx interlocking chock. I've found I can chock the wheels, even if they are on a couple Lynx levelers.
I have two packs of 10, but I also have a high lift axle and need extra for the stabilizers. They are also handy if you don't want to unwind the jack forever.
One day I will spray paint them brown so that they don't ruin pictures of the trailer. Meantime, I can just use PhotoShop to remove the color from them.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by ZachO

I'm planning on probably buying some scissor type stabilizers and bolting them to the bumper. But I'm kind of unsure what to do as far as leveling and chocking.

Do not put any stress on that bumper. The metal is too thin and the welds will break. If it had any strength I'm sure Casita would have mounted the spare tire there. It's only meant to carry the sewer hose.

[Radar1]

Since you only have 2 wheels on your Bigfoot, you will only need to level the low side tire to match the other side. For this, we discovered the very useful Anderson Leveler which also acts as a chock for the side that it's used on. We still carry two pairs of chocks because sometimes you get lucky and happen on a perfectly level site but still want chocks on both sides.
We also still carry the lynx blocks, which we used before under one of the tires and the rest under the stabilizers, but now that we have the Anderson it leaves more lynx blocks for the stabilizers, which improves stability.

[Harvey]

I'm with Raz on this. Been camping, in one rig or another, for more'n 50yrs & have never used anything 'cept scrap wood/lumber for leveling. I have installed a set of BAL stabilizer jacks on our casita (just didin't like the factory Atwood stabilizers), & picked up a set of the black 'plastic' chocks at WalMart. Drilled a hole in each chock to thread & knot a quarter inch rope into so I can carry both sets of chocks in one hand, & so they don't get lost. I carry at least a half dozen pieces of 1x8 & 2x8, 18/24" long & beveled at one end, which leaves plenty of room for the chocks on the leveling boards. A few pieces of half inch treated plywood about 6" square works if I need more height (or support on soft ground) for the stabilizers... I used to make my wheel chocks out of beveled 4x4 timbers but the plastic chocks have gotten so inexpensive at WalMart that now I use those. I have a pair of the stick-on/screw-on spirit levels attached to front & one side of the Casita, & with a quick look at those, over the years I've learned to 'guesstimate' pretty accurately how many leveling blocks I'll need to level the trailer for use.

[Borrego Dave]

I'm with Raz and others also, I use wood. Not rocket science to level an RV and if you should drive off and forget to pick up the levelers it's a lot easier to take when it's only wood. Fire wood for the next folks .

[Paul O.]

I also use a mixture of plastic blocks/chocks and various handy scraps of lumber. Most of the time I use the scraps because they are in the truck bed and easy to grab, the plastic pieces are stored inside the Scamp or in the fence post sleeve underneath.

In the OP Zach touched on the problem of the chocks sometimes not actually holding the trailer in place. If I am stopping on any kind of incline, I found it best to place the chocks (and blocks if needed for side-side level), let the whole rig roll against the chocks and only then unhook and level front to back. This is an attempt to reduce the bending stress on the stabilizers.

[Mary F]

Originally Posted by ZachO

So...it seems to me that once I'm on leveling blocks, the chocks can't really do anything. Or would there be enough space on the leveling block for the tire and chocks? And would they even have any traction on the plastic blocks?

We usually chock both the front and back - not sure why we did not in this pic - but here's a visual for using the chock with blocks.

[Darral T.]

I do the same as Mary...EXCEPT on both sides of the wheel . I only have one axle and the full 10-block stack of "Legos". I love'em. I too will lay an extra (or two depending on how many you have to level with) on each side of the blocks and use my usual plastic chocks. It's worked well for 6 yrs.

I'm also with Haggy (Radar) that you only should have to level one wheel from left to right...then of course the bumper jack to level fore and aft.

What ever you do, do NOT level with "leveling" jacks installed on the trailer unless they're designated to. I had an instance (and saw another in 2015) where I was relying too much on my leveling jack. It put my 13' Scamp in a bind and caused the A/C's fan to "scrub"!! After releveling and taking most of the pressure off the leveling jacks, it stopped. Again, at Piney in Oct of 2015, I saw this happen on a new 2015 16' Scamp. A gentleman was asking me about it. I told him when he let it down and hooked it up to the tow, to test the A/C before unplugging the power. He did and it stopped his scrubbing as well... two totally different A/C units - Coleman and Dometic.

Good luck as this was one if not the most frustrating tasks of my trailer- until my blocks!! The (Bal) is good...just wont work for me.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by tractors1

Do not put any stress on that bumper. The metal is too thin and the welds will break. If it had any strength I'm sure Casita would have mounted the spare tire there. It's only meant to carry the sewer hose.

Mine is a Bigfoot, though I'm not sure it matters. But my spare tire carrier is on my bumper, so it might be stronger.

Either way the more I thought about that the less likely I am to do it. Remembering how much I used to drag the rear bumper of my Chinook, I don't think I want anything hanging down under there on this trailer. And Glen made me realize that I don't even need to buy new scissor jacks.

My problem was that with my new straight axle, the scissor jacks weren't tall enough anymore. But with my extra leveling blocks, I'll probably be able to fix that. Who knows...The less they're extended, the more stable they are, so I may buy some taller ones anyways. But I think I'll use the camper a few times with the ones I've got then decide.

That Anderson Leveler that Radar posted looks really nice...but for now, I think I've got what I need. I'll use the Lynx stuff for this summer and see what I think.

[ZachO]

Thanks everyone.

[David B.]

Darral, I believe that you have "Stabilizer" jacks on your Scamp, and their location and designed strength should only be used to keep the trailer suspension from cycling while one is walking around inside the trailer, and not to be used to level the trailer. Scissor jacks are capable of lifting 5,000 lbs. or more depending on the make/style, and are mounted on the frame as close to the axle mounting point as possible, to keep the frame from distorting/twisting as what you were describing in your situation. I had scissor jack mounted to our Scamp's reinforced frame when I had a new axle installed. They work great, but except for having to carry around the heavy bulky Ball leveler, it looks like it would be your answer.
Happy Trails
Dave & Paula

[larryf]

I have used all sorts of blocks for leveling over the years but I have found the Anderson is the easiest and best by far, add a large level to the front of your trailer that you can see from the drivers seat and it is a one shot set up.

[Grant Allen]

Just picked up a pair of Anderson levelers we have been using them for the past six weeks while on the road makes life so much simpler and easier would recommend them to anybody although the highest you can raise it is 4 inches it's still been good enough for us and we've been camping in the desert etc.