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Old 05-11-2005, 06:30 AM   #1
RADHAZJOE
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M.O.C. #3149
Parking on a grade

Our driveway has about a 5 percent grade. Is this safe to park on, front end down. I have gotten several good 6 inch high chocks for under front of all wheels, but can the landing gear stand the horizontal pressure? Is there anything I can do to help it, like maybe move the bottoms of the landing gear forward as much as possible when they first make contact so they are more vertical after the rv is leveled.[/size=6]
 
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Old 05-11-2005, 11:06 AM   #2
Montana_2785
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My 2 cents worth... You can't get normal chocks tight enough to prevent some movement. These chocks get wedged between the tires so tghtly that they will do an excellent job of keeping the horizontal pressure off the landing gear.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...11109&src=SRQB

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Old 05-11-2005, 01:09 PM   #3
NJ Hillbilly
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Use a set of the chocks referenced above on each side. Set the chocks tight and release the brake on the truck so the chocks hold the trailer from rolling first then lower the gear. There shouldn't be that much push on the landing gear then.

John
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Old 05-11-2005, 02:57 PM   #4
sreigle
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I think I would use both the between-wheel chocks AND the yellow triangular ones at each wheel. Those between-wheel chocks can allow a little movement, in which case the chock gets tangled in the wheel a bit and can be a real pain to remove. I agree with the others that with proper blocking it should work fine, especially if you raise the nose as close to level as possible after unhitching. I've had ours on some pretty good grades and it held just fine.
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Old 05-11-2005, 04:10 PM   #5
RADHAZJOE
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Thanks to all. My local RV repair shop says that the between wheel locking chocks should not be used as they get twisted into the wheels and have been known to cut wheels. They are fine for near level but should also be remove when hitching up for same reason. He says to us at least 4 inch high, heavy chocks like concrete or metal, in front of all four wheels. Then let truck slide forward a little to rest rv wheels against and lock in the chocks.
When lowering the gear, kick it forward a bit like an inch when it first starts to get tight. This makes it more vertical when leveling the rv front to back.
When leaving, hitchup truck and then back rv off of chocks after raising landing gear.
What you all said confirms most of this.
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Old 05-11-2005, 05:45 PM   #6
stiles watson
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Good discussion. Thanks for addressing this very common issue.
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Old 05-12-2005, 12:44 AM   #7
Bill and Ann
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Our driveway is also on quite a slant. What I have found works, to get the unit near level, is to drive the back of the truck up onto a couple of 2 x 12's to get the back of the truck higher. Then I put the chocks in front of the wheels and drop the front stabalizers and lift it to get the truck clear. This way I can get it almost level. Works for me.
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Old 05-12-2005, 04:55 AM   #8
sreigle
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Radhazjoe, that's exactly what I was trying to say. I've had the 'tweenwheel chocks get twisted between the tires when I am hitching up and the rig is on a very unlevel site, front to back. There is just enough movement as the weight comes off the landing gear to cause this twist. Since I started also using the yellow ground chocks on two wheels on one side, that problem no longer occurs. So I have the best of both worlds. The betweenwheel chocks stop much of the motion in the coach and the ground chocks stop the problem of twisting between wheels when hitching on very unlevel ground. This is the first time I've heard anyone else say what we've experienced. So, I guess it's not just me.
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Old 05-12-2005, 05:07 AM   #9
Montana_2785
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Hmmmmm......

I must not have parked on as steep a slope as some of you. I've never had problems with chocks getting "twisted" in the tires.

Eric
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Old 05-12-2005, 12:42 PM   #10
RADHAZJOE
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I will be parking in my driveway for Memorial day weekend. Every where else is full. The city will not let you park on the street for more than 3 hours. They don,t want you in your driveway more than 24hours but they let slide a day or two for big holidays.

I will let you all know how well it works.
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Old 05-12-2005, 03:30 PM   #11
William H. Collier
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The only possible way of the chocks getting "twisted" is that they were improperly installed or the axles were not in line when they were installed. This could occur if you did not pull straight in or back straight in.
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Old 05-12-2005, 03:53 PM   #12
sreigle
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Bill, mine happens when the rig moves when on a slant and I'm raising the landing gear while hitching up. Unfortunately, I've seen it do it and that's why I supplement with the ground chocks. I was surprised, too. What happens is the back side of one tire moves up while the front side of the other moves down, thus twisting the chock between the wheels. I thought maybe I was not tightening the chocks enough but they are pretty tight. The landing gear slide an inch or two during that process, too, except when I use the ground chocks with it. This is only when on a fore-aft slope. If someone knows how to keep this from happening, I'm certainly all ears. Maybe I'm not tightening enough. How much do the rest of you tighten yours? How many fore-aft movements of the wrench after contact with the tire?
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Old 05-12-2005, 04:12 PM   #13
William H. Collier
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Steve, I park mine in my driveway here at home, which is on quite a slope, I can almost walk under the front without ducking. As far as the for-aft movements I do many so as to see the tires depress. The one thing I have noticed is that I hear the spring shackles squeeking when I raise or lower the landing gear, however there is no movement of the chocks.
Bill
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Old 05-13-2005, 02:23 AM   #14
BillyRay
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I just use pressure treated 4x4's behind each wheel ( 4 of them )
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Old 05-13-2005, 03:17 AM   #15
sreigle
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Thanks, Bill. Maybe I'm not tightening ours down enough. I've been reluctant to tighten them so much that I'd see the tires depress, figuring maybe it would damage the tires. I guess being on the tread that's not likely. I'll crank them down next time and see what happens.

I've noticed when cranking them down a bit they'll push the wheels apart. I guess I could crank them until the wheels start to move on one side, then install the chock on the other side and crank it down good and hard, then a bit more on the first one.

Thanks.
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