BAL X-Chocks

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by NuthatchBC

ice-breaker -

Would you please post the dimensions of your chocks i.e. size of the wood you used, angles, length of threaded rod, etc. I want to try building a set for our 19. Sure glad I didn't order the BAL-X ones for a hundred bucks <g>.

Doug

I didn't actually have a plan drawn up and didn't write anything down as I was building, just adjusted things till they fit. From my recollections following is the material list:
- four 4x4 blocks cut 6" wide at widest point. Angles on blocks were cut at 20° on the mitre saw to attain the narrowest width on block (you may wish to check your angles as you cut them to make sure they fit your setup).
- 2 pieces of 1/2" threaded rod, each piece 16" long
- 2 lock nuts for 1/2" threaded rod
- 4 regular nuts for 1/2" threaded rod
- 6 large washers.

Hopefully this suffices.
dave

[Jim Bennett]

Even though I have the X-chocks, I still want to make a set, as they seem sleeker and more compact. Plus, I think it is a great idea and I like to play (not that I don't have umpteen dozen other things to do ). I have some 2" rough cut birch that I could smooth on the planer that should work just dandy. Hopefully that would be wide enough, I know the X-chocks don't really have a lot of surface area. Maybe apply some 1/4" rubber for grip.

Dave, aren't the nuts 3/4" (wrench size) like most 1/2" rods or bolts use?

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

...Dave, aren't the nuts 3/4" (wrench size) like most 1/2" rods or bolts use?

You are right. A 3/4" wrench works fine. I originally posted 1" but thought better of it and deleted that.

[NuthatchBC]

OK, this might sound really lame but where do you place the wrench to operate the chocks, top or bottom? And, unless you have one of the nuts anchored to one of the chocks, how do you keep both nuts from turning during the adjustment? I just ain't seein' it.

Doug

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by NuthatchBC

OK, this might sound really lame but where do you place the wrench to operate the chocks, top or bottom? And, unless you have one of the nuts anchored to one of the chocks, how do you keep both nuts from turning during the adjustment? I just ain't seein' it.

Doug

Hi: NuthatchBC... You'd probably need a "Nut cracker". LoL
Sssorry I couldn't resist!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[NuthatchBC]

After further scrutiny, I think I see it. The two lock nuts, I'm assuming these are Nylock nuts, go on the top and bottom of one of the chocks along with a large flat washer. A regular nut and flat washer go on the bottom of the other chock. This nut is the one turned with a wrench, pulling both chocks together. If this is how it works, I trust there is enough friction from the lock nuts to keep the rod from turning.

Do I have it correct now? I'm a slow visual learner <g>.

Doug

[Jim Bennett]

How do you feel now, Doug? You sure look a lot smarter.

[MyronL]

True, it will be another two months before my 19 is ready for pickup, yet this thread had me fired up to swallow the cost and order up them wheel chocks. Then you, Ice Breaker, produce an economical alternative so brilliant in its simplicity, I had to smack myself in the forehead a dozen times. I even already had the 1/2-inch threaded rod in my shop.

Ice Breaker, you are my hero.

[kstock11]

My 19' will have 15" tires but expect that the 20 degree angle will probably be close enough.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Ice Breaker, you are my hero.

Thankyou. Wish everyone thought so. Right now we have very intermittant internet as we are four days into our three week vacation with the 19. The chocks I made have worked great so far. Lock nut and a regular nut hold the upper piece solid to rod. Lower piece is free to move upwards as you tighten a third nut on bottom of lower wood piece.

Cheers
Dave

[dbailey]

We've had a few issues with our BAL X-chocks, so I did a little crawling around on the web and was somewhat dismayed by what I discovered... I thought I'd post on this thread to pass on the knowledge.

These so-called chocks are not suitable as stand-alone chocks at all.

If you go to the manufacturers website and watch their promotional video, they quite clearly state that you must unhitch and level your trailer before tightening the x-chocks. And you have to remove the x-chocks before hitching back up again.

There's no way I'm going to have my trailer unhitched with no chocks, no matter how level I think the ground may be. That means I need to have an additional set of chocks along, at least for the setup and takedown period.

The x-chocks do add a lot of stability to the trailer. I like them for that. But I'm annoyed that they aren't sufficient in themselves. I'll continue to use them, but now I'll have to add a regular set of chocks to my kit.

The issues we have had? We were concerned about the force they applied outwards on the axles, in a way the axles aren't designed to be forced, so were hesitant to crank down too hard on the x-chocks. We overcame that concern when the trailer rolled off the leveling blocks even though the x-chocks were (we thought) tightly engaged. And, in a bit of chaos during takedown on one trip, I managed to forget to remove one of the x-chocks before pulling the trailer off the leveling blocks. I didn't even notice -- the trailer pulled fine even with the x-chock in place.

[MyronL]

My favorite chocks. (Won't leave home without 'em.)

[Dave Walter]

The Bal-X chocks and other commercially available systems for chocking between tandem wheels are intended to help decrease the amount of trailer movement that occurs while parked, and should be used in combination with conventional wedge type chocks on either side of the wheels. Even the home-built system mentioned earlier in this thread should be used in conjunction with wedge chocks. When I use my wheel chocks in combination with the Bal-X type chocks, the trailer is very solid with very little movement from people inside the trailer. I find the most critical time for needing the wedge chocks is when hitching or unhitching, before the Bal-X chocks are in place. One of the things you need to watch out for with the Bal-X type chocks that brace between the tandem wheels is that if placed when the tires are still hot from driving, they can loosen up when the tires cool down. I have noticed this myself and will often check them a couple hours after installed to make sure they are still tight.

[dbailey]

Yup, what Dave said. They definitely make the trailer more stable, but they aren't sufficient of themselves as chocks.

[Jim Bennett]

I mostly just use the X-Chocks alone, and have had no issues. If I have to crank the hitch up or down a lot, I do release any twisting pressure on them though.

[Mike Lewis]

I wish I had read this thread earlier. I just had an incident with my X-Chocks. I was using it in place of wedge chocks, not in addition to them. I came inside my trailer and soon heard a groaning sound and felt the trailer lurch forward. I went outside and saw the X-Chock on the ground. My truck was parked crossways just in front of the trailer hitch. I hurriedly put wedge chocks under the tires, moved the truck out of the way, and put the X-chock back in place, ratcheting down as tight as it would go. I'm on a slight forward slope but I think everything is stable now. The truck is out of the way now, which is the main thing. I can't believe I was dumb enough to park it in front of the trailer on a downhill slope.

[Jim Bennett]

Mike, I have had a vehicle parked in front of my trailer, with a good slope one the drive for 6 1/2 years now. No wedge chocks, only the BAL X-Chocks. No issues either, though I do ensure they are well tightened.

[Rossue]

Would never have thought to use Bal-X-chocks as a substitute. I like these very much from Etrailer; $13/ea.

[Mike Lewis]

This is the second time the X-Chocks have popped out from between my tires. On the first occasion I had just bought them and forgot to remove them when I pulled away. I felt nothing-- no resistance like when a parking brake is left on, or anything odd. Miles later I realized what I had done, turned around, and sheepishly went back to my campground to retrieve the X-Chocks from the campground owner. They had just popped out from between the tires when I pulled away.

I bought the X-Chocks because I discovered that our trailers are light enough that the wind will push them around when they are parked. It will push one way, loosening wedge chocks, then shift direction and blow the wedge chocks out from beneath the tires. This happened to me in New Mexico. Conceivably the wind could shift direction a second time and blow a trailer downhill into a lake or something.

From now on I'm using both the wedge chocks and the X-Chocks in combination, until something better comes along. And I'm not parking my TV downhill from the trailer.

[Rossue]

Yeah, slopes can be tricky. Had my tongue jack slide sideways off the prop- which was one item on top of another. At home with an upslope I have a chunk of broken concrete triangle a foot wide from point to point and it does the job.

When unhooking downslope I sometimes keep a chain left on the TV(uncross it for added length) until am satisfied all is stable. Usually in that situation the leveling after unhook takes care of it.