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 wrote:

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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?

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 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.

 

 

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 wrote:

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SNIP
My partner like homemade things too Hako, but he is glad of those ramps/chocks.

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 Hmmm..Supercheap have 20% off till close today....might flip a coin.

Thanks

would not leave home without chocks.

_wombat_ wrote:

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SNIP

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 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

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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 wrote:

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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.

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 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

Baz421 wrote:

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I'd use chocks and not handbrake when parked.

1  You will eventually stretch the cables.

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 That's why there is a device in the cable system to easily adjust the cable length.