Need help with leveling with Tongue Jack

[DadJones]

I am going to try to explain this as best I can. I am a newbie (obviously). So far, everywhere we have gone has been level. Tonight we got to a site that wasn't level. I used leveling blocks on one side of the RV, got it level pretty quick.

Here's where my problem started. I was lifting up the automatic tongue jack so that I could get the hitch off the ball of my truck. (note: I had two stacked leveling blocks under the foot pad to help because I had to lift it pretty high to get it off the ball). As I was raising the tongue jack, it unlatched from the ball and my travel trailer bounced and away from us about 5 feet before stopping. UGHHHH.

We tried two more times, this time making sure we had chocks (plastic) behind the wheels.

Third time, I drove it around and re-parked. We did the exact same thing, this time without the camco blocks under the foot pad and bingo, the RV didn't roll away from us.

Basically, each time the hitch and ball separated, the trailer jumped away from us about 3-5 feet.

These pictures show how we finally got it to work. This is the first time I haven't used leveling blocks under the front foot pad, but the only way to get it not to roll back on us.

[DadJones]

I know the chock closest in the picture looks like a waste, but it helped on the 2nd and 3rd time the travel trailer moved away from us. The opposite side has one yellow and one black (hard to see) chock on the tire.

[Funengineer]

I think your metal jack pad may have moved on your plastic Camco pads. You should use the extendable metal jack pad to take up room between the ground and the power jack not the Camco pads. I think you didn’t have enough friction between the metal jack pad and the ground to keep things from slipping. And yes you need to find a more secure way to chock all your tires.

[marinerjoe]

I agree that properly chocking the wheels on both sides are a priority. Keeping those leveling pads from moving is good, but keeping the camper from moving is a MUST.

Have you considered replacing the yellow pads with Andersen levelers? Not only do they make leveling more accurate and easier, they come with chock pieces to secure that side of the camper.

Combining the levelers with a LevelMatePRO will give you the easiest way to quickly get set up. I love mine and have been using them for over two years now.

[youroo]

You need to learn how to "SECURE" your TT before you KILL someone! A RV that rolls/Jumps 3-5 Feet is NOT going to end well! You have been Lucky,Now learn the proper way to Secure your unit! Youroo!!

[aceinspp]

I would use X chocks between the wheels to help tt from moving when un hitching. I never remove safety chains till camper is unhooked from truck just for that reason as tt can move if not properly blocked. Later RJD

[spicercars]

Get yourself a set of x chocks that go between the wheels and put them in just before you unhook from the truck. You will never have that problem again.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BAL-RV-2801...cAAOSwrtteYySu

[moose074]

Originally Posted by youroo

You need to learn how to "SECURE" your TT before you KILL someone! A RV that rolls/Jumps 3-5 Feet is NOT going to end well! You have been Lucky,Now learn the proper way to Secure your unit! Youroo!!

Isn’t that what they are doing by asking for help. Most of us are humans and have experienced the same mistake or one similar to it. Your response is more likely to them not returning to the forum.

[Crispie0206]

X chocks for sure! Inexpensive and work awesome.

[moose074]

My friend is constantly forgetting to pull is chocks that look like yours. I started using 4x4 blocks as wheel chocks. However between ants and the the dogs. I went to a set like this. Yes it’s overkill but they will outlast the trailer


I to have had my trailer slide off my blocks before. I found an items similar to this one that attached to the bottom of the tongue jack. Then could fold under or removed with a pin. I believe mine provided close to 8” over the original travel of the tongue jack

[hack522]

X2. I also had my trailer slide off the pads. But it was while I was raising it to attach to the trailer at my site. Made the foolish mistake of taking out the X Chock prior to attaching to the trailer. I have since added wheel chocks that won't slip and haven't had any issues with trailer movement.

I do agree with keeping the safety chains attached until your are disconnected as that will prevent the trailer from rolling away. You may get some movement but nothing that will be dangerous to you and your family.

Best of luck in going forward with camping.

Originally Posted by spicercars

Get yourself a set of x chocks that go between the wheels and put them in just before you unhook from the truck. You will never have that problem again.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BAL-RV-2801...cAAOSwrtteYySu

[DSMURPHY]

X-chocks! First item before onhooking camper from TV. Last item when leaving campsite.

[Cost4133]

definitely x chocks, I avoided them until last year and was using one step tandem chocks, what a difference.

Also I never put my tongue on plastic legos, I use wood for the tongue, I feel it is more secure,

[Funengineer]

Please follow these instructions when using x-chocks.

[Martsing]

Just to pile on......

I use X-Chocks and then put the heavy rubber wheel chocks on the side that doesn't have leveling blocks.

Marty

[DadJones]

Thank you everyone for all the great advice. This is exactly why I posted on this site !!!

Just purchased X Chocks, keep chains connected to truck, never use plastic legos under tongue jack :-), and consider Anderson levelers. Got it...

[Falconer]

Good info here... One more thing to think about... when you jack the tongue up you are pulling the truck back as well. But if the truck is in park, you are loading up the connection at the ball, and when it separates, there is going to be movement. Sometimes the slope is enough to really load up the hitch latch and cause it to bind until it's pretty high up, and then can release with a bang. My solution is to have my wife in the truck, truck in neutral instead of park, foot off the brake. Then, when the jack raises up, the truck can move, allowing less load on the ball and hitch. Once it separates, she steps on the brake and puts the truck in park.
But this is NOT a substitute for chocks! We put in the anderson levelers on the low side and camco yellow on the high side. Might get an inch or two of movement even on a slight slope (I don't bother with steep slope sites). X-chocks go in after trailer has been leveled in both directions.

[Boomerweps]

Yup, make use of the tongue jack built in extension.
Look to see if your tire leveling block have a locking chock available. I got some for my orange Lynx brand levelers. I only keep a couple of the basic yellow chocks for a roadside emergency. Or on a perfectly level campsite. Rare but I've seem a couple.

There should be a warning with the yellow plastic chocks.
"Do NOT use on trailer leveling blocks. Insufficient friction will cause them not to work!"

[Semperfi24]

A few options you have. As others have said, X-Chocks are awesome, and would be helpful in this scenario.

First, google "Tire Cradle". We use those in our storage lot because it helps to level the trailer for us and they wont move because the trailer is parked on them (we had an experience where heavy rain could sometimes cause the plastic wheel chock to "wash away", even if we "banged them in with a mallet"). But the cradle is something you are parked on.

Second, if you have the cradle, and a 5' long (give or take, not all trailers are the same) pressure treated 2X10, you can put the cradles on the 2X10, and back onto them (or pull forward onto them, makes no difference). It prevents the issue in your third pic where the trailer is elevated on that side, but there is no place to safely put the chock.

Still going on the third pic, you can buy a chock that fits onto the lego block and sort of "snaps in". Put more lego blocks so you have part of the block in front and behind the tire, and put your chock into place on the lego block. In other words you are creating a few levels of lego blocks (creating a plastic version of the 2x10 I mentioned earlier)

Lastly, you could purchase a "tandem" wheel chock. It is one piece, with ramps on each end. You slide it between the 2 tires (behind the front tire and in front of the rear tire)

[BillyBass]

Originally Posted by DadJones

I am going to try to explain this as best I can. I am a newbie (obviously). So far, everywhere we have gone has been level. Tonight we got to a site that wasn't level. I used leveling blocks on one side of the RV, got it level pretty quick.

Here's where my problem started. I was lifting up the automatic tongue jack so that I could get the hitch off the ball of my truck. (note: I had two stacked leveling blocks under the foot pad to help because I had to lift it pretty high to get it off the ball). As I was raising the tongue jack, it unlatched from the ball and my travel trailer bounced and away from us about 5 feet before stopping. UGHHHH.

We tried two more times, this time making sure we had chocks (plastic) behind the wheels.

Third time, I drove it around and re-parked. We did the exact same thing, this time without the camco blocks under the foot pad and bingo, the RV didn't roll away from us.

Basically, each time the hitch and ball separated, the trailer jumped away from us about 3-5 feet.

These pictures show how we finally got it to work. This is the first time I haven't used leveling blocks under the front foot pad, but the only way to get it not to roll back on us.

https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-Hitc...r+block&sr=8-5 look this up its a bucket thAt fits under the touge its on Amazon I bought it and it works fine