# x-chock question



## Pillville (Jan 25, 2011)

I bought a pair of x-chocks to go on my camper.
Bal Products Div Of Norco Ind - X-Chock Tire Locking Chock, 2-Pack - Chocks & Levelers - Camping World
In the manual it says not to move the tongue jack up/down while the x-chocks are in place.

My question is, if these are CHOCKS that are used to keep a camper from possibly rolling, what's the point if I have to wait until the vehicle is unhooked to put the x-chocks on? 

Seems to me that you'd want the camper's wheels chocked BEFORE you unhooked the vehicle.


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

Though ever slightly, a two axle trailer's wheels are going to move a bit when the jack is going up and down, that's why they want you to wait until the jack is not going to move. I have some similar to these - they are to keep the trailer from moving around as much while you are walking around inside. They are not designed to keep a trailer from rolling downhill.
Now chocks that go under the wheels are a different story - such as these Worldwide Merchandise Company - Wheel Chock - Chocks & Levelers - Camping World


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## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

They are implying you must also have triangular chocks in place to prevent any movement on a hill. If the hill is too steep and you raise the tongue too high, these X-chocks may not hold.

I must use both because the X-chocks provide extra holding power, but one time I forgot about them and after hitching up I was able to drive off slowly and they went flying off the tires, then I REMEMBERED, so I got lucky. These X-chocks help stabilize the trailer but I don't think they help if the trailer is TOO steep and should not be used by themselves especially with a heavy rig on any kind of slant.

I also find that right after setting up and deploying these, you MUST come out and check and tighten them because when the tires are hot and you install these chocks, they will loosen as the tires cool and shrink.

Unfortunately, I already have these and are quicker to deploy when the ground is level, but when not on the level, I still need triangular chocks and a lot more time.

All this could be solved with Big Foot or other levelers, assuming the ground isn't so off level that even these things don't work. In the meantime, I look for as level as possible.


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## dogbone (Sep 22, 2009)

Pull in/ back in. Level side to side. Chock trailer. Unhitch. Level front to back. Stabilizers down. Install X chocks, roto chocks or your homemade chocks. Done. Re check chocks after awhile. A tire will shrink after it cools down from driving. Art already said that. Oh well.
Make sure you can reach electric, water and sewerage first.


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## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

Good procedure and good call dogbone, nothing wrong with saying the tires cool over and over, because it's something you'll never find in the document and is a DANGEROUS fact not to know about it.

I found out about it at a downward slope at a campground in Yosemite! This is when I learned, triangular chocks are STILL NEEDED (keep one for each tire) as you allude to in your third step. If I hadn't have caught it in time, our trailer would have rolled back down a slope about 100 ft because the tires were cooling and the X-chocks were loosening. I shudder to think about the failure.


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