Leveling question...

Freespirit

@marchule,  Hopefully one of these links will work. I have not tried to copy and post links before. This particular video has been posted on the forum but I could not locate it. Mark has done numerous upgrade videos to his TAB and I think documents his work very well. 

https://youtu.be/ZD3v6RzdM9U

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3v6RzdM9U

fstop32

You are correct @marchule, I should have included that piece of info 8^ D     

Basically, I took the distance between the wheels on my trailer, 64" and drew a triangle with a base of 64" and a height of 1" (1" being the thickness of my blocks).  Then I cheated and used the geometry app on my phone (because I no longer remember the actual math formulas) and input those values for the "base and height" .  The app then filled in the remaining values relative to that triangle, one of which is the value of angle "a" which equals .9 degrees.  So each 1" block I add will give an additional .9 degrees of lift at the low wheel.  So for example if my Clinometer reading says I'm 3 degrees off I know that adding 3 blocks (3 x .9 = 2.7 degrees of rise) I get pretty darn close to the 3 degrees of slope indicated by the Clinometer...close enough for government work!

I'll also give credit to a YT video I ran across after working my triangle magic from "The Hands Guy" (my name for him, I think his given name is Mark" on this topic...  which I now see @Freespirit posted above me, thanks Freespirit!

PNWtabber

@fstop32 -- watched your video.  Which Android clinometer app do you use/recommend?  I've often wondered what the angle of my driveway is.  Thanks.

marchule

Thanks Freespirit and fstop32!  My Tab 400 has 77 inch wheelbase.  The angle for a 1 inch block is roughly .75 degrees.  I placed my phone on the frame and checked with a bullet level.  The Clinometer reading and level closely agreed.  Also, 2 cranks does shift back to front by .1 degrees for the 400.

fstop32

@PNWtabber, makes you want to drag out the ole high school geometry book again right?  I just grabbed a free one called Clinometer, it's like the 2nd one that popped up in Apples app store.  I've not tried any other ones.  You could also go analog and pick up one of these at Lowes/HD etc...
It's not as fancy as the app but it's cheap and good enough to get you where you want to be...level 8^D

FWIW, I wanted to make it clear that the video was not "my video", it's one of many under the title "Tab Trailer Upgrades and Maintenance" on YouTube.

rcarlson1957

Level Mate Pro, your phone and Andersen type curved leveler and use a drill to raise/lower jack and stabilizers. It really doesn't get any easier than that.

Jake_Elwood_and_us

When I turned 19 I slept on the continental divide in the Wind River range in Wyoming. It was probable uncomfortable but I didn't care. Now many years later I want a level trailer so I can sleep. This isn't a post about what brand of level to use, that's easy. I bought a 400 Boondock so I could have creature comforts while still pretending to be roughing it. My first indication that I might have too high of expectations from the T@B was leaving a gas station and bottoming out the hitch in the gutter. The next was trying to level the trailer at a boondock camping spot. There was no way. The way I figure it, one only has about a level to a little less than 5 degree give before it is too steep to adjust front to back. Anymore with the slope going downhill behind the TV and the tongue can't go low enough. I didn't buy a boondock to stay at a KOA, even if they would have me. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Sharon_is_SAM

@WilliamA posted about his pintle hitch mod.  Wonder if this would help?

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/578/adding-a-pintle-or-other-style-hitch-to-a-trailer

You can generally avoid bottoming out by approaching at an angle.  

Binghi

Aim your TV + trailer combo downhill and carry several 2x6 pieces or other means to hike up the trailer tongue.

How far back from your TV does your hitch extend? Too great a distance combined with not enough TV height clearance could be the problem at the gas station.

Jake_Elwood_and_us

Sharon_is_SAM said:

@WilliamA posted about his pintle hitch mod.  Wonder if this would help?

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/578/adding-a-pintle-or-other-style-hitch-to-a-trailer

You can generally avoid bottoming out by approaching at an angle.  

I like this, maybe a project for next winter, time to go camping.

Binghi said:

Aim your TV + trailer combo downhill and carry several 2x6 pieces or other means to hike up the trailer tongue.

How far back from your TV does your hitch extend? Too great a distance combined with not enough TV height clearance could be the problem at the gas station.

My ball is about 4" to 6" from the back of my bumper of which the receiver is flush with. My next TV will have higher clearance but this one is not bad.

Marceline

Jake_Elwood_and_us said:

When I turned 19 I slept on the continental divide in the Wind River range in Wyoming. It was probable uncomfortable but I didn't care. Now many years later I want a level trailer so I can sleep. This isn't a post about what brand of level to use, that's easy. I bought a 400 Boondock so I could have creature comforts while still pretending to be roughing it. My first indication that I might have too high of expectations from the T@B was leaving a gas station and bottoming out the hitch in the gutter. The next was trying to level the trailer at a boondock camping spot. There was no way. The way I figure it, one only has about a level to a little less than 5 degree give before it is too steep to adjust front to back. Anymore with the slope going downhill behind the TV and the tongue can't go low enough. I didn't buy a boondock to stay at a KOA, even if they would have me. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

I don't know why you bottomed out leaving a gas station, but in my experience that kind of bump can happen if there's no curb cut. Or maybe your hitch height is too low?

If it's a steep downslope towards the back of the trailer, how about running the tires up on blocks to reduce the height difference between the back and front of the trailer? I would back down the hill, then arrange a bunch of lego-style leveling blocks in front of the tires and pull forward onto them. If one side is lower (side-to-side) you should also take that into account when building your block stacks.

This isn't the greatest picture, but you can see that I have leveling blocks under the tires on both sides (because of the downslope).

Jake_Elwood_and_us

Marceline, Great picture, this is what I ended up doing, just wasn't sure it was the best way to handle to slope. Also I was concerned about the trailer rolling back without chocks in place.

It looks like the right side is higher from the photo even though you have more blocks under that tire.

Marceline

Jake_Elwood_and_us said:

Marceline, Great picture, this is what I ended up doing, just wasn't sure it was the best way to handle to slope. Also I was concerned about the trailer rolling back without chocks in place.

It looks like the right side is higher from the photo even though you have more blocks under that tire.

It's been a long time since I took that photo, but I think that I probably had one of these chocks behind the right tire. It's yellow so in the photo it looks like a taller stack of blocks. I would definitely chock at least one of tires, even if they're on blocks.

Denny16

Especially if they are in blocks.  The Anderson leveler solves a lot of these slope issues, here is our TaB set on a slope greater than 5-degrees, the Anderson Leveler is red, and I used a yellow chock in the back in photo below.  I have also used both Anderson units, one in rear and one in front of large slopes.  These work great.

Cheers 

ImNotThereYet

GatorEgg said:

I have two stick on bubble levels.  They’ve been there three years and thousands of miles.  One is centered above passenger side wheel well flair. The other is centered over the propane box.  

They cover all bases, fore and aft, side to side level.  Bought the in the camping isle at Walmart for about $8.

That is what I'm going to do, however to keep me and my wife together, I bought a circle level for her to put on the countertop inside. Last time out, we got all crazy about getting it level. Let's hope this helps! LOL! I'm going to see if her level inside gets the levels on the outside. If it's anything like last time, I'll just go with her level inside. It's funny, when you're younger, you hear older couples "yelling" at each other and you say to yourself, "We'll never be like that!", but then you realize, you're yelling because you can't hear! My favorite is from Christmas vacation, "The BLESSING!" If you've haven't seen that film, that scene is my all time favorite! That's us now!

jbajor

I cannot recommend this enough!  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0933KKXD1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

especially when used with leveler:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BH5MAA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

sequimite

I'll be bringing a BAL leveler with me to the Washington East/West Meetup in a week or so with the intention of selling it. It's too heavy and bulky for my use.

BrianZ

I think @rcarlson1957 summed up above quite well how I feel on the subject of leveling.  Seeing your L-R level on your phone app while in the driver's seat as you're backing up onto an Andersen wedge is the fastest & easiest way to go.

Four years ago, I did not want to pay for the Levelmate device, so got a much cheaper inclinometer with Bluetooth for connecting to a now free Android leveling app called "Remote Level"..
https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/109938/#Comment_109938

I'm happy to say, we can still use it on a newer Android phone, though it's still Android only, and while not available on the PlayStore, it is available for download elsewhere..
https://apkaio.com/app/org.huebert.remotelevel
The device is still available on Amazon..
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRPKDV9

WayneW

Geez, I guess I’m really old school. I carry some 5/4 x 6 and 2x4 boards, eyeball things, then fine tune it by putting the chapstick in my pocket on a cutting board that’s over the stove to see which way it rolls. While I’m in there I usually grab a cold beer from the fridge. No Bluetooth, no batteries. Sometimes I need to add/remove a board, but that’s okay. 

Binghi

Hear hear for old school: I put a 9” bubble level on the floor. I do use an Andersen leveler.

Maxcamp

Finally got around to widening the BAL tire jack to fit a R15" tire.  Zipped in half with grinder and welded in 3 pcs of 3/4 dia x8" sch.30 tubing and a 1/8" cover plate at bottom.   Rush job, not pretty but works well.

bevedfelker

I have a bubble level app on my iPhone that works great.