leveling blocks?

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baranpd

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2020
Posts
5
I have 39' motorhome and wondering what type of leveling blocks everyone suggests? Brand? I see reviews online but not sure where to start. Thanks!
 
Are you talking about leveling blocks to put under your levelers so they don't sink into the ground or damage asphalt, or the ones you put under your tires when you don't have a leveling system? 

You might want to put the make and model of your motorhome at the bottom of all your posts so we know what type of motorhome you drive. 
 
I would avoid them if possible. If my refrigerator works I'm happy.

The auto adjusters are top of the line but expensive. I've seen those moon shaped things you drive on and the stackable plastic things that look like big Legos to people just using plain 2" by 8" wood boards.

Most camp sites are pretty level and they normally list it on line. I've researched them over the last 20 years and never bought anything other than a bubble level. This is the one I have. There are over 6500 reviews and its five bucks. I keep mine on the console or a cup holder. Great when backing in and it takes the guess work out of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-25573-Bullseye-Level/dp/B000EDSSDY/ref=asc_df_B000EDSSDY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312098740701&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15605567835425029419&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015630&hvtargid=pla-434881294974&psc=1

 
I've only encountered a few situations where the leveling jacks were not appropriate, i.e. they would've put the rear wheels off the ground.  So the solution was to use them just up to that point and live with the tilt which wasn't too bad.  But if I had the blocks I probably would've used them.  Technically I guess you'd need enough for three corners but I think you could probably get away with just one corner for most situations so the storage wouldn't be too bad.  Hard to knock the tried and true 2x12 boards stacked up but a bunch of those take up space.  Lego blocks take up incrementally less space but cost more.  The half moon deals look neat but I wonder how they'd work on gravel or dirt.  Might try a set just to see.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
A 39 ft coach surely has its own leveling system. However, you may want some boards/blocks in a few situations, e.g. extreme unlevel terrain or soft soil where the jack feet sink in easily.  I always carried some 2x10 planks cut to modest lengths and placed those under jacks or tires when & if needed.  I've seen others use plastic blocks made for the purpose, but they always seemed undersized for a big coach.
 
I wouldn?t expect campgrounds to tell you how level the sites are.  Maybe it?s a regional thing.

We use the sets from Walmart-Lynx,I think. 
 
The typical "lego" interlocking blocks should be used in stacked pairs at a minimum with a heavier rig. Unfortunately, the bottom of the low lego will be bent/filled with gravel/etc. thus distorting it's fit and it will never fit into the top of another lego.  **sigh**


We paint vertical stripes on the sides of the legos that have been used on the bottom. That way, when grabbing the legos, we know to put the striped ones on the bottom since they won't work on top of any of the other pristine legos. I guess that makes them the sacrificial legos.


This was just a hint to make life easier rather than be faced with a full set of useless legos that can't be stacked. Mark the bent ones and only use them on the ground/pavement/mud.


Walmart brand (Camco) is just as good as any we've found.


We eventually purchased a Quadra BigFoot leveling system. These legs have 10" square feet so we don't need the legos which are the same size - plus, since the BigFoot retracts using hydraulics we can also pull the levelor up out of the mud without having to use a shovel and crawl under the MH. Love 'em...
 
I bought Camco to replace the old 2X6 lumber I used to carry in my camper. These are far superior in design and use. I bought the 4X2 (17″ X 8.5″) rather than the 2X2 for my single tire camper because you can build steps linked together (longwise 2X2 exposed) which allows you to build higher leveling blocks. If you put 2X6?s or 2X2 leveling on top of each other they tend to ?squirt? out from under the tires. These don?t. One caution is that if you are on dirt, mud, or gravel I would recommend you place a 1/2″ piece of plywood cut to 18″X9″ under these to help stabilize them and keep them from distorting due to soft or uneven surfaces.
https://www.rvhometown.com/best-rv-leveling-blocks/

 
For my dual axle travel trailer, I have several 2x10's (long enough for both tires to sit on) for leveling side-to-side, and I used 1x6 deck board pieces about a foot long for under the stabilizing jacks. I have since stopped using the under jack pieces, as they just weren't needed and were more weight to carry around.  All wood is available by dumpster diving at a local homebuilding site. They have to pay to get rid of their debris, so they usually don't mind you taking some. Home Depot also sells damaged wood cheaper.
 
If you are talking about blocks to set under your leveling jack feet,
We've had good luck with these
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Envirotile-Reversible-16-in-x-16-in-x-0-75-in-Slate-Brick-Face-Flat-Profile-Rubber-Paver-MT5001608CM/302907057

Three years and they are starting to show some wear, but they work really well as long as you have solid ground under them. (They don't help much if the ground is really wet and mushy.)
 
We have been using Camco leveling blocks for a few years and they are the same as before. They lock together and are super solid and hold the trailer weight with ease. If you want to learn more leveling blocks, start here:
https://www.riversidetrailer.com/best-rv-leveling-blocks/
 
I carry several 2X8's about 16-18" long for the tires. I built some 16X16 pads, about 6" tall, to place under the jacks. I even put handles on them so I could reach under the coach with a hook to pull them out, because they're pretty heavy. They're a little more difficult to get under there, but I can push them under with my foot.
 
I used a pile of lumber myself. Still have the lumber pile
Come summer I'm going to load it up and head to the Campground and find some folks low on fire wood.
(I no longer have an RV to level)
 
We have a 27' class C without jacks.  In our travels to music events and the like, we have been placed in some very off-level spots, with no chance to move, so we must be ready. 

We have a Level Mate Pro, which is my favorite accessory by a large margin.  We also carry six packs of Camco yellow blocks.  It's a very rare situation indeed that we can't get within an inch of perfectly level.  I've had a corner of that rig up on on over 10" high pile of blocks more than a couple of times, with no trouble.  And, with the Level Mate Pro, it's rare it takes more than one shot to get it perfect - only the worst spots sometimes require a second attempt. 

With this system we've received plenty of compliments from bystanders when they see how quickly we get level, even on challenging terrain with a ridiculous pile of blocks on the ground.
 
I guess the shorter the wheelbase the better. Our beds are front to back; I've put my pillow on the other side of the bed a couple times. No big deal as long as the refrigerator works.
 
The fridge is certainly a primary concern, but I understand that if it's reasonably comfortable in the rig (meaning you don't feel like you'll roll out of bed) the fridge should be okay for a while.  My other big concern is the slides.  We have three (a lot for a 27' coach), and I can tell you that the motors sound smoother and less stressed when I'm level.  I don't like to deploy them if more than a couple of inches off level. 
 
Larry N. said:
But not quite so well with a 36,000 lb. motorhome...

I've got 2 sets of those legos and tend to stack 5 of them under each leveler.  Useful life with a coach that's only 23,000 lbs seems to be about 4 years.  Mine are due replacement next summer.
 
FunSteak said:
The fridge is certainly a primary concern, but I understand that if it's reasonably comfortable in the rig (meaning you don't feel like you'll roll out of bed)

I don't want to sound crude but between my wife and my dog I feel like an Oreo cookie. I'll roll out of bed when pigs fly and hell freezes over. LOL
 
Tom55555 said:
I don't want to sound crude but between my wife and my dog I feel like an Oreo cookie. I'll roll out of bed when pigs fly and hell freezes over. LOL

I always wondered what it felt like to be the filling.  I was always more of the loose cookie in the package.
 
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