what is the importance of leveling an RV ?

[pawntan]

My travel trailer does not have an auto levelling and I never care to level my trailer unless it is so tilted where I would fall off my bed.
But I was wondering , what is the importance of having RV parked levelled ? Does it have to do with water channeling during rain ?
I park my RV in my front yard for 5 years rain and shine, and it is always tilted down on the front because my front yard climbs / slope upward a little bit. I back in my RV, so the front part of the RV is facing the street.
I felt a small soft spot/crackling on the roof (1 foot by 1 foot) in the very back of the RV , I wonder if it's because of this.
But if my RV is always tilted down ward in the front, then if there is any soft spot on the roof , it should have been in the front part of the RV right ?

My original thought was : let the RV tilt downward in the front, so rain water rush down in the roof towards the front of the RV, and does not have a chance to pool on the roof. But maybe this is a bad idea.

But then there is also snow, 10-12 inches of snow can sit on the roof for days.
It baffles me though, why there is soft spot on the very back of the RV ?

I checked on rubber roof on the 1x1 soft spot , it is solid, and thick. I do not see holes .

 

[DUSM0518]

If you are talking about level when camping then it might affect how well your refrigerator works. Many of them wont work properly unless its level. The other issue you might consider is strain on the frame or shell from the unit rocking back and forth and side to side if its not level.

 

[RonZ]

Years ago when I got my first RV I was told to keep it level when the refrigerator was being used. This is because of the propane flame heating the condenser element. Now with the new 12 volt refrigerator it's probably not as critical. But you still have some water dripping. If you are just storing it with nothing on, it wouldn't matter if it was tilted.

 

[IBTripping]

I like to have my TT level so, if I drop my hotdog, I don't have to chase it down the floor into the bathroom.

 

[Isaac-1]

The big issue is if you have an absorption style RV refrigerator either running on propane or on the electric element, as running them more than a few degree out of level can cause them to overheat, shorten their service life, and potentially start a fire. This does not apply to traveling down the road, or short stops of under about half an hour, as the movement while traveling will cause the refrigerant to slosh around enough that it will not be a problem. The second issue is if you are trying to cook something like eggs or pancakes.

 

[Oldgator73]

I like to have my TT level so, if I drop my hotdog, I don't have to chase it down the floor into the bathroom.

I’m trying to come up with a reply that will get past the censors…I got nothing.

 

[DonTom]

what is the importance of having RV parked levelled ?

See here.

"HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR RIG IS LEVEL ENOUGH FOR YOUR RV REFRIGERATOR TO WORK PROPERLY"​

More important on older rigs to keep level than newer. And if your refrigerator is a compressor type--then don't worry about it not being level.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Excalibur]

My travel trailer does not have an auto levelling and I never care to level my trailer unless it is so tilted where I would fall off my bed.
But I was wondering , what is the importance of having RV parked levelled ? Does it have to do with water channeling during rain ?
I park my RV in my front yard for 5 years rain and shine, and it is always tilted down on the front because my front yard climbs / slope upward a little bit. I back in my RV, so the front part of the RV is facing the street.
I felt a small soft spot/crackling on the roof (1 foot by 1 foot) in the very back of the RV , I wonder if it's because of this.
But if my RV is always tilted down ward in the front, then if there is any soft spot on the roof , it should have been in the front part of the RV right ?

My original thought was : let the RV tilt downward in the front, so rain water rush down in the roof towards the front of the RV, and does not have a chance to pool on the roof. But maybe this is a bad idea.

But then there is also snow, 10-12 inches of snow can sit on the roof for days.
It baffles me though, why there is soft spot on the very back of the RV ?

I checked on rubber roof on the 1x1 soft spot , it is solid, and thick. I do not see holes .

I level mine before plugging in every time, mostly because I have a side wall flush mounted A/C unit, and I worry about the condensate draining back into the trailer if it is tilted the wrong way. I don't worry about the fridge since it is DC. The pop up I had had a 3 way fridge and that was critical to level before turning it on if I was running on propane. And you dont have to have an auto leveler. I use an old fashioned 4 ft. level on the floor of the trailer. As far as your roof, if you have snow and ice that sits on the roof, I put a good cover on mine every winter to prevent freeze/thaw damage. It doesn't take much of a leak to do damage. I live in the Midwest (southwest Ohio) and there have been times I've had to push 10 inches of "partly cloudy" off the roof. Letting it sit up there can't be good for the roof, water wise and weightwise. And as far as the soft spot, check flashing around any rooftop penetrations, i.e. AC, vents, etc. Water can travel long distances between the rubber and the sub roof.

 

[8Muddypaws]

#1 For the refrigerator.
#2 For comfort
#3 So your neighbors don't think you're 'off'

 

[Gizmo]

Another reason to level besides what already has been stated is if you have slides which can be adversely affected by an un level RV.

 

[Mr Lars]

Also unlevel, the doors don’t close/won’t stay open, walking comfortably from one end of the rv to the other end, shower may leave puddle if way off level.

 

[SpencerPJ]

If I park unlevel, it's always so blood drains from my head, not fills my head while sleeping

 

[Kirk]

But then there is also snow, 10-12 inches of snow can sit on the roof for days.
It baffles me though, why there is soft spot on the very back of the RV ?

When the RV is stored and not in use, I too lower one end to make the water drain off better. I usually lower the front, but it probably doesn't matter which end. When we lived in WY I always pointed the front to the west, where the prevailing wind is from and lowered the front nearly to the ground. The soft spot could be nothing or it might be rotted supports from a roof leak. If it is at the point where the siding and the roof material meet, then I would suspect a leak.

 

[Ray-IN]

Unless the absorption refrigerator is turned on, there is no reason for the RV to be level.
Norcold states 3° side-to-side and 6° front-to-back, as looking into the fridge, is level enough. (calculate that for the length of your RV into inches) Dometic states if you are comfortable living in the RV the fridge is likely level enough.
About the only leak that could cause a soft spot near the rear of the roof is the roof to rear cap/wall seal, or the roof membrane is not seeping through a tiny slit/hole.

 

[John From Detroit]

Unless the absorption refrigerator is turned on, there is no reason for the RV to be level.
Norcold states 3° side-to-side and 6° front-to-back, as looking into the fridge, is level enough. (calculate that for the length of your RV into inches) Dometic states if you are comfortable living in the RV the fridge is likely level enough.
About the only leak that could cause a soft spot near the rear of the roof is the roof to rear cap/wall seal, or the roof membrane is not seeping through a tiny slit/hole.

One of the fun things is to ask just how much off level is 3 degrees side to side
Assuming a 7 foot wheel width 4.2" of difference = 2.8 degrees.