How to eliminate chucking and rocking in an RV ⋆ Bright Dais Ahead

This blog takes a quick look at ways to eliminate chucking and rocking in an RV, which for a Fulltime RVer is especially important for day to day comfort. Having lived in an RV for the last 8 months, we have found a few solutions to help eliminate or greatly reduce this movement.

Chucking is the jerking action you feel while towing either from starting from a full stop or when the truck and RV roll over bumps in the road. Since the RV is a separate vehicle, the two-vehicles move separately and you can feel a jerking motion. We have found a product which greatly reduces not only chucking but the feel of motion sickness for passengers.

Then, when the RV is parked and stationary, you want to feel stable and reduce any movement in the rig. With two kids, a dog, and a washer, this reduction in rocking becomes even more important to help over all comfort of long term living in an RV. We also found two products which have helped us achieve a more stable home.

The following guest post was written by our Captain and King, JJ Nens. and inspired by musical songs depicting our life “All Shook Up.”

Chucking and Rocking is a “Rock and Roll Lifestyle“

When one travels and lives full time on wheels, reducing movement is a daily routine. Following are a few of the ways we have discovered to reduce the Rock and Roll in our life on the road.

Eliminate Chucking and Rocking – “Ramblin’ Man Why Don’t You Settle Down“

On travel days, we work to reduce things like “chucking” and motion sickness.

When we left Florida after purchasing our RV at Lazydays in Tampa, we headed west on Interstate 10 on our way to the Rockies. Along the way, we noticed the expansion joints in the concrete roadway and bridge approaches were causing us to “shake, rattle and roll.” In the RV community, this is known as “chucking” – a back and forth motion, sometimes violent, experienced during towing and usually caused by an uneven roadway. This phenomenon was almost unbearable for our family, let alone what it was doing to our rig and precious belongings following close behind.

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After considerable research (by Sherryl), on ways to eliminate or reducing chucking adding the Lippert Flex Air 5^th Wheel Pin Box seemed to be the answer. We installed it during a moochdock stay at Sherryl’s parents’ house in May, and life on the road has been better ever since. The integrated airbag acts as a buffer between our F-350 and the RV to absorb vibrations. The shock absorber handles rebound action dampening kickback protecting the RV (and our stuff inside) from jarring motion.

Installing an EZ Lift — Dad had a bucket truck to help us install the Lippert Components Flex Air Pin Box

Eliminate Chucking with a Lippert Components Flex Air Pin Box — Dad had a bucket truck to help us install the Lippert Components Flex Air Pin Box

And to wrap up our travel day discussion, back roads are nice but sometimes when they twist, turn, go up and go down continuously for a long period of time – tummies react! We’ve cleaned up after a few incidents along the way, and now try to reduce our time on the “long and winding roads” as much as we can. We’ve also found main roads are safer, faster, and more convenient than the rural routes especially with 62 feet of the vehicle (truck + RV) and two little girls who have to potty a lot.

The House is Rockin’

Travel day has come to an end, but the “rock never stops!” Our Grand Design Solitude 3740BH is wonderful, but at nearly 42 feet from nose to tail, the four wheels and six leveling jacks are not enough to keep it stable when stationary with our active lifestyle. The Nens Twins running and jumping around, a washer in spin cycle seated in the nose of the rig, and occasional intimacy 😊, lead to the need for enhanced stabilization.

We were aware of this issue even before we bought the RV, so the X-Chock wheel stabilizers were part of our necessary equipment from day one in order to reduce or eliminate rocking in the RV. The X-Chock provides opposing force between the tandem tires providing added stabilization and preventing tire shifts. They are simple to install and remove especially when the slides are retracted.

Holiday Gift Ideas for the RVer — Fulltime Family Essential RV Gear List

Clothes get dirty, so to avoid trips to the laundromat as much as possible, we had Lazydays install a Splendide Washer/Dryer combo unit during pre-delivery. It’s been a blessing, but when she goes into the spin cycle, let’s say we experience “good vibrations!” So, Sherryl went back into research mode and discovered the Eaz-Lift Camco King Pin Tripod 5th Wheel Stabilizer. This stabilizer tripod fits under the kingpin and helps prevent the RV from rocking from front to back and/or side to side whenever there’s movement inside. If you read the reviews on Amazon, the Eaz-Lift also helps stabilize the rig when mom and dad experience the occasional “dance in the dark,” but that’s the subject of a whole other blog!