Do I need to carry chocks?

[Brock]

My last motorhome came with a pair of Alko chocks - not that substantial and I never used them. My latest motorhome comes with more substantial Alko chocks and I've not used them.

 

Having never used chocks, I'm wondering whether I am missing out. I can understand they may be useful when the van is parked on a hill and the handbrake is a bit dodgy but that has never happened in 20+ years of motorhoming.

 

Just wondering whether I should continue to cart them about.

[hallii]

By chocks do you mean actual wheel chocks? If so they are of limited use and I don't bother with them.

 

If you mean ramps then I use mine all the time, well maybe 75% of the time. If the handbrake is not to good then the chocks come in useful to stop you rolling down the ramps.

 

H

[Sydney1]

If you do mean ramps, these are also useful to ensure the fridge is working efficiently as they need to be level

[Tracker]

Modern fridges are very tilt tolerant and in reality I doubt you would find the angle at which they fail to work very comfortable.

 

Having carried ramps for years and hardly ever used them, I now only carry a couple of blocks of wood and four wooden squares of varying thickness to spread the load on wet grass and we cope fine.

 

Your choice and if space is not an issue take 'em anyway just in case!

[Brock]

Chocks, not ramps. I use ramps to level the van on some sites so they are useful. By chocks, I mean a big chunk of plastic that goes behind a wheel.

[colin]

We regulary use ramps, but then we tend to end up in campsites which have sloping fields, I don't get anal about getting van level, just get it near enough. In 2011 at Gatcombe the field used for camping was so bad at bottom end that even with ramps it was difficult to walk to back of van 8-)

[RogerC]

Brock - 2013-08-12 8:20 PMChocks, not ramps. I use ramps to level the van on some sites so they are useful. By chocks, I mean a big chunk of plastic that goes behind a wheel.

 

Nope never used them....with Milenco quattro ramps I/we have never seen the need.

 

[colin]

Brock - 2013-08-12 8:20 PM

 

Chocks, not ramps. I use ramps to level the van on some sites so they are useful. By chocks, I mean a big chunk of plastic that goes behind a wheel.

 

Crossed post.

No don't bother with chocks, waste of time unless your handbrake is knakered

[Muswell]

colin - 2013-08-12 8:22 PM

 

In 2011 at Gatcombe the field used for camping was so bad at bottom end that even with ramps it was difficult to walk to back of van 8-)

 

Park across the slope, track is less than wheel base B-)

[colin]

Muswell - 2013-08-12 9:17 PM

 

colin - 2013-08-12 8:22 PM

 

In 2011 at Gatcombe the field used for camping was so bad at bottom end that even with ramps it was difficult to walk to back of van 8-)

 

Park across the slope, track is less than wheel base B-)

 

I did consider this but the slope was so bad the ramps may not have been stable that way around.

[Brian Kirby]

Brock - 2013-08-12 6:01 PM..................Just wondering whether I should continue to cart them about.

Main purpose is if you get a flat and have to jack up a rear wheel, when it is strongly recommended that one other wheel is chocked, in case the remaining rear wheel is insufficiently held by the handbrake to prevent the van rolling off the jack.

[docted]

If you are taking ramps there is no need for chocks as you can use ramps to chock up if you have a puncture etc. :-D

[gwyn]

Never had chocks and never felt the need for them, even the ramps only come out if its really bad otherwise we just make sure we park so our heads are uphill when sleeping, never had a problem with the fridge either.

[eljay]

The OPoster doesn't indicate his camping car size. Anything over 3T5 is classed as Heavy Goods and, AFAIK, is required, at least in mainland Europe, to carry chocks. My Bürstner (4T5) and the Hymer (5T) before that were both equipped with chocks.

 

J

[Brock]

Thanks for the responses. I can now keep the chocks at home. "Chocks away" - never thought I'd get to say that!

[yeti]

Brian Kirby - 2013-08-13 12:39 AM

 

Brock - 2013-08-12 6:01 PM..................Just wondering whether I should continue to cart them about.

Main purpose is if you get a flat and have to jack up a rear wheel, when it is strongly recommended that one other wheel is chocked, in case the remaining rear wheel is insufficiently held by the handbrake to prevent the van rolling off the jack.

 

If I get a puncture I call the breakdown club,that's why I pay an annual membership fee!

[Brit_Stops]

Never used chocks or leveling ramps. Sometimes we sleep with our head ever so slightly higher than our feet, and sometimes we have to move the pillows from one end of the bed to the other. As long as the wine glass doesn't slide off the dinette table, we're ok!

Steve

[Rayjsj]

Nope, The only 'Chocs' we carry are of the sweetie variety. my van is 3650kg/4250kg and I have NEVER heard of a motorhome HAVING to carry wheel chocks WHY ? (apart from , to Do as Brian suggests, but a Brick would work just as well.). Strange requirement methinks. Ray

[Derek Uzzell]

There are two sorts of wheel-chock.

 

One is designed to fit on to a levelling ramp so that a leisure-vehicle's handbrake need not be applied to hold the vehicle in place. Examples are shown here: http://tinyurl.com/oq23nsu

 

In the past, there was a lot of forum discussion regarding Milenco's amusing claim that a motorhome on their "Quattro" levelling ramps did not require this type of chock

 

http://www.milenco.com/products/levelling-ramps/milenco-quattro-level-pair/

 

The other type of chock is used independently to prevent a vehicle moving. An example is shown here:

 

http://www.slingsby.com/p-71230-wheel-chocks-slingsby.aspx?sku=330114&gclid=CIbk-fStgbkCFUXKtAodlhsA5A&

 

Al-Ko apparently markets wheel-chocks that range from lightweight plastic chocks designed primarily to aid caravan wheel-changing

 

http://shop.al-ko.co.uk/sections/jacks---accs-.html

 

to heavy-duty metal versions.

 

GOOGLE reveals that there are German chock-carrying regulations for trailers weighing over 750kg. Al-Ko's website says about wheel-chocks:

 

"The benefits for you - Wheel chocks prevent your trailer from rolling away. Trailers weighing over 750 kg must be fitted with two easily accessible wheel chocks with holders on the trailer (Section 14 of the German Road Traffic Act - STVZO)"

 

Apparently, carrying wheel-chocks is also an ADR (Carriage of dangerous goods) regulatory requirement. See "Miscellaneous equipment" section on this webpage:

 

http://www.hse.gov.uk/cdg/manual/crew.htm

 

The two over-3500kg motorhomes eljay mentions were German-made. Brock is a self-confessed Reisemobile addict and his current and previous motorhomes both came with wheel-chocks. I note that standard equipment for the German-made Morelo range of motohomes (all of which are over 3500kg) includes a warning triangle, first-aid kit and wheel chock. When I bought my (3500kg) Hobby in Germany in 2005, it came as standard with a warning triangle and first-aid kit (but no wheel-chocks) and the German dealer told me this was because those two items were obligatory in Germany.

 

I wasn't aware that (as eljay says) there was a general EU requirement for vehicles over-3.5tonne weight to carry wheel-chocks, but there's a reference on a French website's wheel-chock advert to "Directive européenne 2009/40/CE du 6 mai 2009" that suggests this may be so. As far as 'heavy' German-made motorhomes are concerned, there's some evidence that there may well be a German wheel-chock-carrying regulation.

 

[chas]

Wheel chocks are a waste of space and not needed. If the handbrake is not working for what it is intended for, then get it fixed. Also if parked up on any inclined ground then it is common practise to leave the vehicle in an appropriate gear. (^)