I just want to confirm some things. Im sure this is detailed in the Library and that is where I am going to next. You level the trailer from side to side with the tires and you level front to back with the jack on the front. The stabilizers are not for leveling at all, they are only for stabalizing purposes. Using the stabalizers for leveling could damage the frame of the trailer. Does that all sound correct? Feel free to correct me on anything thas wrong.
Leveling a Travel Trailer
- Thread starter coachk34
- Start date
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Mexray
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- Aug 31, 2006
- Posts
- 440
Not all that hard, really...here's how I did it:
1. get ahold of a 3ft carpenters level and a 6ft long, straight, 2x4 - sight from the end to check it has no curves or 'wows' along it's length.
2. go out an scout for what looks like a nice level street, parking lot, driveway, etc, big enough to park your rig for a few minutes...laying the level on the 2x4, check your spot to see if it's level, side to side, etc...
3.park your rig on your spot and check inside on the floor with the level to insure you're 'plumb' side to side - if so, then use the tongue jack to adjust your fore and aft leveling using the 2x4 with the level on top...
4. now you can go around sticking on your permeant mount 'levels' knowing you are pretty close to 'level' all around...
good luck
Ray
1. get ahold of a 3ft carpenters level and a 6ft long, straight, 2x4 - sight from the end to check it has no curves or 'wows' along it's length.
2. go out an scout for what looks like a nice level street, parking lot, driveway, etc, big enough to park your rig for a few minutes...laying the level on the 2x4, check your spot to see if it's level, side to side, etc...
3.park your rig on your spot and check inside on the floor with the level to insure you're 'plumb' side to side - if so, then use the tongue jack to adjust your fore and aft leveling using the 2x4 with the level on top...
4. now you can go around sticking on your permeant mount 'levels' knowing you are pretty close to 'level' all around...
good luck
Ray
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Finding level ground as Mexray suggest makes the job easy. If you cannot find such a spot, level the rig as you would in a campground by driving it up onto wood or plastic spacers and using a carpenter's level (preferably at least 30" long) to check level in both directions. Put the carpenter's level on the floor and check it at a couple of locations, since sometimes the floor has a bow in it. Once the rig is level, you can mount the new bubble level indicators in a convenient place.
You might want to check the fridge level against the floor level before mounting the new indicators. I've seen a few rigs where the fridge was mounted on a platform that was noticeably off level with respect to the floor. Since the fridge is somewhat fussy about level, especially in its side-to-side orientation (which is usually fore & aft in the trailer), you may want to bias the overall trailer level toward the fridge's needs.
You might want to check the fridge level against the floor level before mounting the new indicators. I've seen a few rigs where the fridge was mounted on a platform that was noticeably off level with respect to the floor. Since the fridge is somewhat fussy about level, especially in its side-to-side orientation (which is usually fore & aft in the trailer), you may want to bias the overall trailer level toward the fridge's needs.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Carry a couple 1x 10 and 2 x 10 boards about 24" long. Pull the low side up onto one and recheck for level. After a few times, you will know what thickness you need to make the bubble in the level move a certain amount, so it won't really be trial and error. That IS the simple way.
The sophisticated way is to install leveling jacks for around $4000, similar to what a motorhome has. Most people opt for the simple way.
The sophisticated way is to install leveling jacks for around $4000, similar to what a motorhome has. Most people opt for the simple way.
Stewie Griffin
Well-known member
snook said:
Snook, check your local RV dealer, I have one near me (General RV in Birch Run, MI) and they have a huge showroom with lots of goodies. I picked up these plastic leveling pads that interlock like leggos, you can stagger them to make pulling the trailer onto them easier, they are very strong, lightweight and have their own packaging system. Also, they have chocks that also interlock with the pads but they are sold seperately. They are called "Lynx Levelers".
tennsmith
Well-known member
I have found the small levels that stick on your trailer to be quite accurate with respect to how many "inches" a side needs to be raised to make the trailer level. Just be sure to get the levels in the right position. (one is intended to be up/down and the other "roll" about the pinbox when viewed from the front of the trailer) I'd back the trailer into the desired position, read the level on the pin box, pull up far enough to put down enough boards to achieve the required height on whichever side was low, and then back back onto the boardss. I carried 2 ea 4', 2', 1', and 4 ea 6" sections of 2x6 to use for leveling the trailer. If your 5th wheel hitch does not pivot from side to side, you may want to put the rear wheels of your tow vehicle up on a board also (particularly when reconnecting) due to the fact that the trailer is now "level" and your truck isn't. This makes it hard to get the receiver latch closed.
We pulled up to the campsite a little after dark Thursday, got the spacers out and leveled up the TT. We put the slide out and unpacked for the night. The next day we noticed there was a little lean in the TT. I checked the bubble on the front and sure enought, it has moved from the center to the right. My wife and I both know it was centered but now it wasn't. Today when I put the slide back in the bubble went back to center. So my question is; is that normal? and two is it ok to put the slide out then level?
glen54737
Well-known member
you can get a very little out of the stabilizers put the lowest corner down first and tighten it up then the next and so on.
You may have a little lean form the slide if the stabilizers aren't tight
You may have a little lean form the slide if the stabilizers aren't tight
It's not unusual for a slideout to cause the RV to tilt a bit in its direction. You can adjust for that by leveling with the slideout side a bit high before extending it. As for whether to level or extend the slideout first, follow the manufacturers directions. Not all are done in the same order.
PhilsFrontier
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2010
- Posts
- 56
Let me first get a few terms corrected here....
level is horizontal
plumb is vertical
I have a few 'shims' I cut out of a 4x4. about a foot long on a 1:12 slope. I thenmy .02 have from 0-2 inches of play when 2 are combined to make a level surface for the tire to rest on. I haven't tried them in the field yet, but in the driveway they worked great. I just used my little hydraulic jack to lift the low side and raise it until it is maybe 1/4 to a 1/2 inch high. Then put the shims under and lower the jack slowly onto the shims.
I can't wait to try out my shims in the campground next week!
my .02
level is horizontal
plumb is vertical
I have a few 'shims' I cut out of a 4x4. about a foot long on a 1:12 slope. I thenmy .02 have from 0-2 inches of play when 2 are combined to make a level surface for the tire to rest on. I haven't tried them in the field yet, but in the driveway they worked great. I just used my little hydraulic jack to lift the low side and raise it until it is maybe 1/4 to a 1/2 inch high. Then put the shims under and lower the jack slowly onto the shims.
I can't wait to try out my shims in the campground next week!
my .02
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Sounds like it ought to work, Phil. Most RVers just drive up onto the ramp/shim, though. Most find that more convenient than using a jack.
PhilsFrontier
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2010
- Posts
- 56
I have tried driving onto blocks. my GF parents have an older 27' Rockwood mh and we borrowed it last year once. It has blocks for leveling and after a few tries I got the rig level. It took about 4 or five blocks I believe. They were 2x10s about 16" long or so iirc. Those blocks took up a fair amount of space in the pass through. My shims when stacked on the other hand are only about 2.5 inches high 4 inches wide and about 12 inches long. The other reason I like the idea of shims is that instead of trial and error with blocks; i simply raise the low side until level and set in the shims(maybe tweak it a bit to get her bang on).
Also this gives me a reason to have a good hydraulic jack on board for changing a tire instead of the cheap-o that comes with the vehicle. It is pretty easy to crank the hydraulic jack compared to a screw type imho.
btw there is a few inches of fresh snow on the ground here today. Gotta love living in the north.
Also this gives me a reason to have a good hydraulic jack on board for changing a tire instead of the cheap-o that comes with the vehicle. It is pretty easy to crank the hydraulic jack compared to a screw type imho.
btw there is a few inches of fresh snow on the ground here today. Gotta love living in the north.
