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Old 05-03-2015, 05:53 AM   #1
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Close call.

As I'm still lying here in the bed at the lake in my TT, I am reflecting on a moment that I had two days ago.
Was setting up at the spot we picked that was fairly level for the TT. Started to unhook the TV. That's when I had an "almost crapped my pants moment"!
Jacking up the trailer to disconnect the hitch. TV was on a slope. Had the TT wheels chocked. TT started to slip downhill as well as the TV. (Area was gravel too).
Truck was too low in the slope to detach the coupling.
Packed up the family and moved across the road to a more level site.

Big learning experience for me!! Just thought I'd share.
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Old 05-03-2015, 07:01 AM   #2
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Been there, done that!! Bought the X chocks to make sure that didn't happen again. X chocks are excellent peace of mind.
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Old 05-03-2015, 07:26 AM   #3
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Been there, done that!! Bought the X chocks to make sure that didn't happen again. X chocks are excellent peace of mind.
x100!!
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Old 05-03-2015, 07:57 AM   #4
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snip...
Jacking up the trailer to disconnect the hitch. TV was on a slope. Had the TT wheels chocked. TT started to slip downhill as well as the TV. (Area was gravel too). ...snip
WOW! I've have some movement when disconnecting, but nothing like that! Sounds like you were fortunate to only have a close call. It could have been more serious than that.

From your description, it seems X-chocks etc. wouldn't have helped; everything was sliding on the gravel. Do you think they could have helped?
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Old 05-03-2015, 08:00 AM   #5
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WOW! I've have some movement when disconnecting, but nothing like that! Sounds like you were fortunate to only have a close call. It could have been more serious than that.

From your description, it seems X-chocks etc. wouldn't have helped; everything was sliding on the gravel. Do you think they could have helped?
Not really sure. TT was level and TV was on the slope. Nose end up and hitch down. The TT would've been jacked way too high to the max of the jack just to unhook.

Gravel is gravel. Slippery as ^%#}!!!
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Old 05-03-2015, 09:32 AM   #6
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That's why in Europe the TT's have an emergency brake.........was already wondering why?..lol
Dexter and other mfg's have this as an extra option. As long as the law doesn't require an emergency brake on TT's, manufactures will not put them on
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Old 05-11-2015, 05:48 AM   #7
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I suppose you could have pulled the pin out of the brake safety interlock, which would have locked the wheels on the trailer.
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Old 05-11-2015, 06:08 AM   #8
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Do not rely on pulling that safety chain. That runs off the battery and if your battery dies, well?
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Old 05-11-2015, 07:01 AM   #9
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I've had my TT slide twice now and both times it happened when I was lifting the tongue high to disconnect/connect from the TV. I never thought of pulling the brake pin....your battery shouldn't die as long as you use this method as temporary solution while you connect or disconnect from the TV. I was also using plastic chocks at the time and have since threw them away. I found that rubber chocks hold better in gravel than plastic chocks.
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Old 05-11-2015, 08:32 AM   #10
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As an emergency situation you can pull the brake pin. With 4 brakes it draws only 18 amp.
You can leave the cable hooked to the TV until you're disconnected from the ball or 5er hitch.
When you move your TV be sure the cable from the brake pin is disconnected.
Plastic chocks are cheapo's rubber or home made wood chocks are much better.
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Old 05-20-2015, 01:11 PM   #11
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If I'm camping with electric hookups I always pull the brakes as an extra precaution. Is that bad for them long term? They don't otherwise get any use because I have yet to finish wiring my truck for the brake controller.
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Old 05-20-2015, 01:21 PM   #12
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If I'm camping with electric hookups I always pull the brakes as an extra precaution. Is that bad for them long term? They don't otherwise get any use because I have yet to finish wiring my truck for the brake controller.
I would say setting the brakes until you get the wheel chocks in place would be OK. They aren't designed to be applied all the time. Seems using them as parking brakes for long periods would not be good for the electrical components.

It's more troubling to me for you to be towing without trailer brakes! That seems risky and, if you have an accident, the lawyers could make you pay big time!
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Old 05-20-2015, 01:31 PM   #13
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While up at Lake Tahoe, had just hooked up to leave with motor running. Camp spot was kinda hilly but flat for TT. Truck was on down slope. It seems truck slipped outta gear and started going forward, Wife panics and I'm trying to hold truck in place (9K plus lbs) plus trailer before it hits TT in spot ahead of us. Fortunately, DW regained her senses and was able to reach the brake on time !
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Old 05-20-2015, 01:36 PM   #14
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Crapped my pants just reading these! Has never (knock on wood) happened to me!
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Old 05-20-2015, 01:37 PM   #15
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The owners manual for my Jayco contains this warning, when addressing the breakaway switch . . .

CAUTION : NEVER use the breakaway switch and trailer brake system as a parking brake. Doing so would create a high amp draw on the battery and converter. This can cause damage to wiring, connectors and the breakaway switch.
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Old 05-20-2015, 01:41 PM   #16
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The owners manual for my Jayco contains this warning, when addressing the breakaway switch . . .

CAUTION : NEVER use the breakaway switch and trailer brake system as a parking brake. Doing so would create a high amp draw on the battery and converter. This can cause damage to wiring, connectors and the breakaway switch.
Plus, it does not really function as a parking brake anyway. The reaction arm has to move some distance before the friction material contacts the drums.
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:14 PM   #17
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Time to stop doing that then! I'll just use it temporarily until I chock up.
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:50 PM   #18
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Time to stop doing that then! I'll just use it temporarily until I chock up.
I put the chocks in place before I disconnect the trailer from the hitch. Then there's no need to use the emergency brake switch at all. Eventually, that switch will wear out and/or become loose enough that it starts to come out when you don't want it to. On my last TT, I only removed it once each spring, to test the system.

When I am putting the trailer in storage I use regular wheel chocks. When I am camping, I chock the wheels using these:


Not only do these locking chocks prevent the wheels from rotating, they take most of the front-to-rear rocking motion out of the trailer when walking around inside.

Just my opinion and friendly advice.
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Old 05-21-2015, 01:01 PM   #19
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Don't ask me how I know this but: you will purchase and use X chocks after your trailer comes off the truck ball and falls off the riser blocks falling 6 inches to soft ground and continues into the ground until you have no where near enough travel to get back on the truck ball. So you then dig out under the frame and bottle jack the trailer back up to the riser blocks and inspect for damage. No damage done but off to the store to buy some X chocks. But again don't ask me how I know this.
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Old 05-21-2015, 02:27 PM   #20
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@Scoutr2

"Not only do these locking chocks prevent the wheels from rotating, they take most of the front-to-rear rocking motion out of the trailer when walking around inside."

I have the wide stance wheels on my Whitehawk. Would the wider locking chocks reduce the front-to-rear rocking motion like yours?

-Brian
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