6pt leveling and wheel chalks

[Redrider007]

This may be a stupid question but does the use of the 6 pt leveling eliminate the need for the wheel chalks? I was looking at the X-Chocks for my new 5th wheel.

 

[pegmikef]

IMO no! I always use them (regular chocks, not X chocks). We put them down before I unhitch and pick them up after I hook up. I figure the landing gear alone can't stop the rig from rolling even on a slight slope.

 

[travelin2]

IMO no! I always use them (regular chocks, not X chocks). We put them down before I unhitch and pick them up after I hook up. I figure the landing gear alone can't stop the rig from rolling even on a slight slope.

X2. Always important to chock your wheels regardless. Safety first!


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[mountainlovers76]

IMO no! I always use them (regular chocks, not X chocks). We put them down before I unhitch and pick them up after I hook up. I figure the landing gear alone can't stop the rig from rolling even on a slight slope.

Same here. I always use regular chocks for safety but the X-Chocks that fit between the tires are not needed.

 

[azbigfoot]

Don't buy the -xhocks if you plan to have an auto-leveling system. Usually you want to chock the wheels first then level. Well often the X-chocks fall out. So you put them back in and tighten them up. Then when you retract your forget to loosen them and they bend. Don't buy them. Get something that sits on the ground. (Speaking from experience)

 

[jnbhobe]

I have used my Roto-choks, they will loosen up when we level but go back into place when we retract the Level-up.

 

[2psnapod2]

I have the 4 Point with the Stabilizers in the rear. I almost never use my chocks. If the RV is parked on a incline that I feel needs them due to rolling once unhooked I pull them out. Otherwise they remain in the truck. Never had an issue.

 

[Harry1]

Regular chocks yes, from a safety stand point. We had used X chocks on our past unit and they work great but since having the 6 point level up X chocks are not needed.

 

[Greengas]

Ok, now I'm confused (I know, nothing unusual in that). I have X chocks and was under the belief that besides stopping the trailer from rolling down hill they also help a bit on movement in the trailer when the 6 point leveling system is deployed. If what I am reading is correct then I need to create a post in the items for sale and sell my X-Chocks.

 

[OEFVET]

I purchased the X chocks and found that regular ground chocks work best. For many of the same reasons already stated.

 

[pegmikef]

Ok, now I'm confused (I know, nothing unusual in that). I have X chocks and was under the belief that besides stopping the trailer from rolling down hill they also help a bit on movement in the trailer when the 6 point leveling system is deployed. If what I am reading is correct then I need to create a post in the items for sale and sell my X-Chocks.

I sold mine on Craig's List in about a week. I had the extended chocks because my North Trail was the wide track (more space between the wheels) and they did in fact help stabilize the NT, but I still had to use wheel chocks because the instructions with the X-Chocks specified that they should not be installed until the rig is level.

 

[iowaone]

The problem with the xchocks is that when the 6 point leveler takes the weight off the tires or lifts them off the ground they fall out or get wedged in when you lower the unit. So regular chocks work best if the site is not level. If it is level I don't use anything. If in doubt, I put the chocks down.

 

[SeattleLion]

We have the 6point system. We always chock the wheels before unhitching. When the leveling is working, generally two wheels are off the ground. We leave the chocks in place so that when we lower the trailer, it will be chocked during hitching. The 6 jacks are probably sufficient to prevent rolling since you can't level if the trailer is on more than a 5% grade. It just makes good sense to always chock.

 

[Seren]

We have the 6point system. We always chock the wheels before unhitching. When the leveling is working, generally two wheels are off the ground. We leave the chocks in place so that when we lower the trailer, it will be chocked during hitching. The 6 jacks are probably sufficient to prevent rolling since you can't level if the trailer is on more than a 5% grade. It just makes good sense to always chock.

Now I am confused, not about chocking the tires, which I always do regardless of how level the site is, but my understanding is that although you will probably take some weight off the tires, but the tires should not be off the ground, if they are then there should be something under them such as a 2x6. The reason is that the tires help stabilize the 5er. I noticed that if my tires are off the ground then occasionally I will hear a loud metallic sound on the side that the tires are off the ground when we are walking in the living room area and eventually (after a week or so) I will be slightly off level by about 0.1-0.2 degs. Anyone else notice this happening if the tires are off the ground?


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[iowaone]

No I have never had mine settle like that. I often have one side or the other with tire barely touching or totally off the ground. Generally I am not in one pace more than two weeks in that situation.

 

[iowaone]

I have also found that I can level manually if the incline is too steep for the auto level providing I have enough blocks for under the jacks.

 

[SeattleLion]

According to Lipert the jacks can easily hold the trailer and I can attest that it feels as stable or more stable then it does on wheels. Sometimes one pair of wheels is 2 or 3 inches off the ground. BTW you can use the 6 pt system to change a flat.

 

[Harry1]

I know a lot of folks out there use the 6 point level up with tires off the ground or barely touching the ground when level. With the costs associated with the 6 point level up, one would expect that the system was designed to perform with levelling the coach with the tires on or off the ground and it does do this. I've contacted Lippert twice on this to ensure that when the tires are off the ground it does not pose a problem. The response both times was to move the coach on blocks or wood and that the tires should NOT be off the ground when level ...Even if you can spin the tire by hand the coach should be re-levelled with the low side being placed on wood or blocks under the tires. That is not my answer but that's what I was told. Maybe someone could possibly get the correct answer from a Lippert rep at a Rally and post the correct response???
I know this gets away from the original question about X chocks and that question was pretty much answered in the posts below. You should always chock a trailer. With a 6 point system (X) chocks not needed but basic chocks should always be used; level or not.

 

[SeattleLion]

Apparently it depends on who you talk with at Lippert. Customer service seems to be told to tell people to use blocks under the wheels. I spoke to a tech who said that it wasn't necessary. If you think about it, hydrolic jacks are used to hold up buildings. The jacks in the leveling system are rated high enough to lift the trailer. If one of the leveling jacks should fail, the worst that would happen is that the trailer would drop onto its wheels. If I have to worry about putting blocks under the wheels to level side to side, why would I have invested in the six point system?

 

[Seren]

The way I look at is that it certinely cannot hurt to put wood or blocks under the tires, it doesnt take that much extra time. Should they hold, yes, but the first few times we leveled and the tires were off the ground, we had the occasional metallic sound I mentioned before (usually in the morning) Is it going to fail? Doubt it, but one time we were at a site for 2 weeks, when I placed a ball on the table it slowly rolled off. So is there some settling, or stress happening? (I guess I should stop doing jumping jacks in the living room). So we got a 4 ft 2x6 and now use it whenever the tires are off the ground. If you go to compgrounds that is not very level you will see some with tires in the air and some with wood or blocks under the tires.


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