RV Wheel Chocks - Use It or Lose It!

RV Wheel Chocks - Use It or Lose It!
By Franz Williamsand Hilga Williams

Have you ever been sitting at your campsite or RV park site and watch how folks handle unhooking their trailer or toad from their vehicle? I can't tell you how many times I have seen the sheer look of horror on many an RVers face when their unhooked vehicle starts to unexpectedly move, even though on a flat surface. And what's worse is that sometimes there's a person inside the vehicle. These situations bring up the importance of RV wheel chocks. Anyone who has spent any time on the road knows the importance of using these handy devices!

Now Franz and Hilga are fairly experienced RVers. And having spent a lot of years around RV parks they have seen what happens in all kinds of situations when care is not taken to keep an RV from moving on its own. It does not take much! Remember, when it comes to small inclines, mass times gravity equals acceleration! Now I am mostly talking about trailers and fifth wheels more than class A RV's. But even they can move a little with the brakes engaged. The best way to assure safety at all times is the chock the wheels of a parked RV, especially when disconnecting two attached vehicles.

I watched one couple who arrived with a class A bus and a car in tow while they unhooked the car. They were on an apparently level surface so he disengaged the tow bar and did not have the vehicles brakes or wheels chocked, so when he unhooked the car it rolled forward and pinned him against the RV bumper. It was not with great force, and no one was hurt, but this is what can happen if you don't use RV wheel chocks and keep safety in mind.

This story is not related to RV wheel chocks, but we watched a couple hooking up their tow car to their RV. The wife was driving the car to get it close to the tow bar while the husband was between the car and the back of the RV. While hooking up she stepped on the gas instead of the brake. She pinned him and broke both his legs. In shock she immediately put the car in reverse and stepped on the gas, out of control, and slammed into a nearby cabin moving it off its foundation and totaling the car, and it was a bigger SUV. Fellow RVers, you have to be thinking about what you are doing at all times! Needless to say that couple is no longer RVing!

But back to RV wheel chocks. When parking your rig always chock the wheel front and back, and on both sides of the rig. A site may seem level but if the site tips a slight bit either to the left or right, a trailer can twist to the downhill side as soon as it is unhitched from its tow vehicle. That can lead to disaster! Depending on the size of the rig it will be hard to stop it until it finds a resting place.

Now RVers who put their trailer tires up on boards to level the rig also have unique challenges. It's hard to get RV wheel chocks in place in these scenarios so it is better to go with a tire locking chock. It is a device that is used on dual axle vehicles. It allows you to apply pressure between the two tires keeping them from moving. So when leveling in these conditions RV wheel chocks are not needed yet the RV will be unable to move. They also stabilize vehicle sway when moving around the interior of the trailer.

Ultimately whether you use RV wheel chocks or tire locking chocks, the decision is up to you how much effort you put into this step each time you set your RV. It's a simple thing that can save you from an unexpected event. So, use it or lose it, or in other words, chock it or it may get away from you!

Thanks for stopping by! Franz and Hilga have been RVing for 10 years, and enjoying full time RV living for 4 years (they live 365 days a year in their RV). With over 50,000 miles traveled in RV's, they have many useful experiences to share.

If you are interested in the full time RV living lifestyle, you can visit http://www.yourfulltimervliving.com for more articles, pictures, and updates.

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