G'Day, we're trying to reduce what we carry to a minimum and the current point of order are the wheel chocks - 4 of them. They are light, homemade and don't take up too much room but are they really necessary to carry in a small camper?
We always use the handbrake....put it on hard and make sure it will not jump off/loosen, so why use chocks (we never do, just carry them). When the legs are down the van will not move anyway. We also carry small wood blocks for levelling but we do use them sometimes.
Maybe we've answered our own question or am I committing a cardinal sin?
Baz421 said
09:46 PM Apr 19, 2014
I'd use chocks and not handbrake when parked.
1 You will eventually stretch the cables.
2 If you pull up with hot brakes and pull handbrake on hard,,,, the drums cool and contract, not ideal, but not life threatening either. Light duty drums could crack under probably extreme conditions.
3 Kids can let handbrake off for you. (for years I have advocated vanners to lock the tow bar pin in place - in 2009 a contractor at Port Augusta had his pin removed and he lost his box trailer connection, but saved by chains, a bit of ascary ride) It CAN happen - read Murphy's law.
hako said
08:06 AM Apr 20, 2014
Thanks Baz....re 1 and 2, it's the same as in a motor vehicle - legally you must engage the handbrake when parked.
Re 3, I use a lever to pull the handbrake on hard....it cannot be released without the lever - I guess it would be just as easy for kids to remove chocks.
Re Murphy, he certainly has visited me a few times over the years.
Thanks for the comments Baz which I will take on board.
Regards
elliemike said
09:31 AM Apr 20, 2014
hako wrote:
G'Day, we're trying to reduce what we carry to a minimum and the current point of order are the wheel chocks - 4 of them. They are light, homemade and don't take up too much room but are they really necessary to carry in a small camper?
We always use the handbrake....put it on hard and make sure it will not jump off/loosen, so why use chocks (we never do, just carry them). When the legs are down the van will not move anyway. We also carry small wood blocks for levelling but we do use them sometimes.
Maybe we've answered our own question or am I committing a cardinal sin?
If you haven't used them leave them at home.
You can buy Leveling Ramps that come with a Chock for each ramp. The ramp and it's chock can be used for chocking the wheels. Robust and light, they are what I use for our Avan Cruiseliner. They do get used where leveling is needed. Otherwise I would not carry them.
Sometimes for levelling the van it is easier to take a spade full of dirt away from in front the high wheel. Let it drop into the depression.
Putting the Stabiliser legs down is a necessity I think. I read somewhere on the USA Avan forum, of an Avan being spun around by the wind. It had been set up without the stabilisers down.
Re handbrake cable stretching. That is a fact of life and should be adjusted as part of the annual servicing as it is in all road vehicles.
spida said
10:24 AM Apr 20, 2014
My van rolled backwards one day when I was winding it up off the ute - I always chock now!!!!
hako said
11:21 AM Apr 20, 2014
Mike and Ellie....some good tips there especially using the spade to make a depression. I do carry some blocks of wood for levelling and they'd do at a pinch. Unfortunately I have this gene that precludes me from buying stuff I cannot make, but sometimes it gets me in trouble.
I try to make sure the handbrake is on before disconnecting the van and have had it 'run away' like spida.....Murphy again.
Thanks
Gerty Dancer said
01:57 PM Apr 20, 2014
The plastic ramps with chocks are useful and light, we use the chocks often, the ramps occasionally. We also have some wood blocks which make a level spot for the jockey wheel and sometimes the stabiliser legs. No use putting stabilisers down into soft dirt.
My partner like homemade things too Hako, but he is glad of those ramps/chocks.
hako said
02:08 PM Apr 20, 2014
Gerty Dancer wrote:
SNIP My partner like homemade things too Hako, but he is glad of those ramps/chocks.
Hmmm..Supercheap have 20% off till close today....might flip a coin.
Thanks
_wombat_ said
02:35 PM Apr 20, 2014
hako wrote:
Gerty Dancer wrote:
SNIP My partner like homemade things too Hako, but he is glad of those ramps/chocks.
Hmmm..Supercheap have 20% off till close today....might flip a coin.
Thanks
SC will not like you flipping a coin, they like to take your money not play two up, leave the two up until next weekend (Anzac Day)
I use the yellow ramp/chocks
chris & terry said
06:03 PM Apr 20, 2014
would not leave home without chocks.
justcruisin01 said
08:04 PM Apr 20, 2014
hako wrote:
Thanks Baz....re 1 and 2, it's the same as in a motor vehicle - legally you must engage the handbrake when parked. Re 3, I use a lever to pull the handbrake on hard....it cannot be released without the lever -
Hako; Glad to see you use an additional lever to apply the h/brake. Many of these are non effective just by pulling up by the standard lever as the ratchet adjustments are too cause, one notch is still loose & the next is too tight to engage by the short length of the h/brake lever.
I carry a small length of alloy tubing for this purpose, sits in a bit of polly pipe clamped to the gas bottle carrier. I carry leveling timber but no chocks, if its that uneven then I don't wish to park there.
JC
hako said
08:26 PM Apr 20, 2014
_wombat_ wrote:
SNIP
SC will not like you flipping a coin, they like to take your money not play two up, leave the two up until next weekend (Anzac Day)
I use the yellow ramp/chocks
Have you noticed that over the past month or so, all prices in SuperCheap have increased by at least 10 -20%. This is probably due to them having the 20% off days plus the club membership benefits.
Life is an illusion just like buying something super cheap.
Cupie said
01:11 PM Apr 22, 2014
I always use two of the plastic chocks & don't trust the hand break.
I find that irrespective how hard I apply the HB, when on an incline to the front, the van rolls forward when I unhitch without the chocks.
If I have approached an uneven site from an angle and use ramps, the van tends to swing round on one side when I uhook. In these cases I use chocks on both sides to maintain levels & alignment.
I'd take 4 plastic chocks.
hako said
01:47 PM Apr 22, 2014
Cupie wrote:
I always use two of the plastic chocks & don't trust the hand break.
I find that irrespective how hard I apply the HB, when on an incline to the front, the van rolls forward when I unhitch without the chocks.
If I have approached an uneven site from an angle and use ramps, the van tends to swing round on one side when I uhook. In these cases I use chocks on both sides to maintain levels & alignment.
I'd take 4 plastic chocks.
Good Points Cupie....had that happen myself despite the handbrake being hard on. Maybe I can just carry 2 chocks - one each side front/rear depending on slope.
Regards
cooee said
08:32 PM Apr 22, 2014
Denis said
<<Unfortunately I have this gene that precludes me from buying stuff I cannot make, but sometimes it gets me in trouble.>>
Ha Ha Wish some would rub off on me. I buy every gadget that I can
PeterD said
08:36 AM Apr 24, 2014
Baz421 wrote:
I'd use chocks and not handbrake when parked.
1 You will eventually stretch the cables.
That's why there is a device in the cable system to easily adjust the cable length.
Aus-Kiwi said
11:31 PM Apr 24, 2014
Apply the handbrake.. Don't worry about other issues.. Its never been an issue on cars in the past.. Plus compared to hydraulic pressures?? The handbrake has bugger all pressure .. If there was an accident you'd look pretty silly say to coroner why you didn't use the hand brake!! Hand brake and chock imo .. Infact I find it surprising some camping grounds have vehicles ABOVE other campers on slopes.. You would think they would have them at least indexed away from each other and some sort of dirt mound to prevent accidents, water run off etc.
Have been involved with coroner / workcover inquiry .. Trust me you don't want to go there !!
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Thursday 24th of April 2014 11:32:43 PM
G'Day, we're trying to reduce what we carry to a minimum and the current point of order are the wheel chocks - 4 of them. They are light, homemade and don't take up too much room but are they really necessary to carry in a small camper?
We always use the handbrake....put it on hard and make sure it will not jump off/loosen, so why use chocks (we never do, just carry them). When the legs are down the van will not move anyway. We also carry small wood blocks for levelling but we do use them sometimes.
Maybe we've answered our own question or am I committing a cardinal sin?
I'd use chocks and not handbrake when parked.
1 You will eventually stretch the cables.
2 If you pull up with hot brakes and pull handbrake on hard,,,, the drums cool and contract, not ideal, but not life threatening either. Light duty drums could crack under probably extreme conditions.
3 Kids can let handbrake off for you. (for years I have advocated vanners to lock the tow bar pin in place - in 2009 a contractor at Port Augusta had his pin removed and he lost his box trailer connection, but saved by chains, a bit of ascary ride) It CAN happen - read Murphy's law.
Re 3, I use a lever to pull the handbrake on hard....it cannot be released without the lever - I guess it would be just as easy for kids to remove chocks.
Re Murphy, he certainly has visited me a few times over the years.
Thanks for the comments Baz which I will take on board.
Regards
If you haven't used them leave them at home.
You can buy Leveling Ramps that come with a Chock for each ramp. The ramp and it's chock can be used for chocking the wheels. Robust and light, they are what I use for our Avan Cruiseliner. They do get used where leveling is needed. Otherwise I would not carry them.
Sometimes for levelling the van it is easier to take a spade full of dirt away from in front the high wheel. Let it drop into the depression.
Putting the Stabiliser legs down is a necessity I think. I read somewhere on the USA Avan forum, of an Avan being spun around by the wind. It had been set up without the stabilisers down.
Re handbrake cable stretching. That is a fact of life and should be adjusted as part of the annual servicing as it is in all road vehicles.
I try to make sure the handbrake is on before disconnecting the van and have had it 'run away' like spida.....Murphy again.
Thanks
My partner like homemade things too Hako, but he is glad of those ramps/chocks.
Hmmm..Supercheap have 20% off till close today....might flip a coin.
Thanks
SC will not like you flipping a coin, they like to take your money not play two up, leave the two up until next weekend (Anzac Day)
I use the yellow ramp/chocks
Have you noticed that over the past month or so, all prices in SuperCheap have increased by at least 10 -20%. This is probably due to them having the 20% off days plus the club membership benefits.
Life is an illusion just like buying something super cheap.
I always use two of the plastic chocks & don't trust the hand break.
I find that irrespective how hard I apply the HB, when on an incline to the front, the van rolls forward when I unhitch without the chocks.
If I have approached an uneven site from an angle and use ramps, the van tends to swing round on one side when I uhook. In these cases I use chocks on both sides to maintain levels & alignment.
I'd take 4 plastic chocks.
Good Points Cupie....had that happen myself despite the handbrake being hard on. Maybe I can just carry 2 chocks - one each side front/rear depending on slope.
Regards
Denis said
<<Unfortunately I have this gene that precludes me from buying stuff I cannot make, but sometimes it gets me in trouble.>>
Ha Ha Wish some would rub off on me. I buy every gadget that I can
That's why there is a device in the cable system to easily adjust the cable length.
Apply the handbrake.. Don't worry about other issues.. Its never been an issue on cars in the past..
Plus compared to hydraulic pressures?? The handbrake has bugger all pressure ..
If there was an accident you'd look pretty silly say to coroner why you didn't use the hand brake!!
Hand brake and chock imo ..
Infact I find it surprising some camping grounds have vehicles ABOVE other campers on slopes..
You would think they would have them at least indexed away from each other and some sort of dirt mound to prevent accidents, water run off etc.
Have been involved with coroner / workcover inquiry .. Trust me you don't want to go there !!
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Thursday 24th of April 2014 11:32:43 PM