Leveling

gooddogs74

Is there a point to leveling the trailer other than making it more comfortable to walk in?  Is it as simple as adjusting the tongue jack and the stabilizers to get it close or do you need some kind of equipment? A small level came with the trailer,  not sure if I need anything else.   

dragonsdofly

Yes, there are other reasons to level the trailer besides human comfort. Your tank guages won't work properly or may give you incorrect readings. Most of your trailers equipment will operate better when level. Doors can swing open or closed when not level. A/C condensation can overflow the drip pan if the trailer is not leveled. It can be harder to drain and flush your black and gray tanks, etc. I'm not meaning an engineering type of level, or within millimeters of perfect, but general within the bubble kind of level.

gooddogs74

Ok, I guess this is my next area of research then.   So. Much. Stuff. 

Haloo

I got a set of leveling blocks (Camco) for my 400 and use the leveling app on my iPhone.  I set the phone flat on the kitchen counter to get a reading.  So far it has worked great.

dragonsdofly

@gooddogs74, we were in the same place as you. Total rv newbies. Never did this before and in 1 year 18,000 miles, 35 states (we are not retired) during only 2 vacations, and all this stuff is comfortable, if not completely second nature. But it will be, soon. You got this. As I said, enjoy the learning experience.  -Denise

Haloo

gooddogs74 said:

Ok, I guess this is my next area of research then.   So. Much. Stuff. 

While your at it, if the dealer didn’t give you a pressure regulator for the city water hookup, make sure you get one of those.

Also get a surge suppressor for when you hook up to shore power in campgrounds.  Sometimes the power isn’t very consistent, or may not be properly configured.  Search “surge suppressors” on this forum for the different approaches you can take.

jgram2

In the 320, sometimes you actually cannot get the fridge lit on propane if you are not level.

ScottG

I level the camper carefully mostly so I don't roll downhill while I'm sleeping.

ericnliz

@ScottG , I laughed HARD when I saw the lol was from @Verna!!! Ya' know, the one who ...hmmm...(forgot) to put the stabilizers down!

gooddogs74

I do have the water pressure regulator and I bought the Progressive EMS surge protector.   

Verna

Hey, @ericnliz, I made it all the way to Western Texas on this trip without having to put the stabilizers down. If it just overnight, I don’t bother....until the 20 mph winds hit me broadside!  I went two more nights without having to unhitch to level, and yes I put the stabilizers down. Sometimes it just makes for a quicker getaway in the am, says the not-a-Morning-person. 

ScottG

@ericnliz, I must have missed some story somewhere along the way...  I was talking about rolling downhill in the bed, but it sounds like @Verna may have had a different sort of downhill rolling experience on a particularly windy night!

Verna

@ScottG, nope. Just the thought of a T@B rolling away makes me think of my driveway with approxinately 12” drop from the house to the street. No way am I going to put a wheel on my T@B tongue jack!

I was so rudely awakened last week by a 20 mph wind hitting me broadside. I got the stabilizer tool out at 1:30 am, didn’t care if I disturbed anyone, and I put those stabilizers down quickly! 

Ratkity

V, I'm guessing there was no way you could turn the T@B a bit where you were at the time. I hate wind storms more than tstorms or fog. I even hate the wind that gets pushed through when a fast moving front rolls in. The human barometer in me hates it too! 

Verna

@Ratkity, I was at Monahans Sandhills SP in TX with the sands moving daily. It was an unexpected windstorm (to me, I must have missed the forecast) and I have a foot, not a wheel on my tongue jack. No way was that T@B moving in that drifted sand nor with the foot!  I have the foot because the wheel does absolutely no good for for me in sand. And I stay in the sand most of the winter, as I am now. 

Michigan_Mike

I was up about 9K feet earlier this year in Colorado and the terrain dropped off sharply behind the trailer.  The only other thing behind the wheels was one of them concrete parking barricades which wouldn't have done much if the trailer rolled.  I not only took great pains in leveling the trailer, I installed my wheel chocks and found some decent sized rocks and wedged them behind the wheels.  As an added safety measure I also took the safety chains and hooked them to my Silverado.  

My rear stabilizers were nearly fully extended and I needed to add cribbing under them to get the trailer level.  Needless to say the wind started to howl that night and we could feel the gusts hitting the side of the trailer and it was a bit scary thinking of the possibilities.  It didn't happen on that trip, but there have been times I'd wake up, thinking the trailer was rolling downhill.  And I know a lady who nearly lost her teardrop along the Blue Ridge Mountains after unhooking the safety chains, jacking the trailer up off the hitch and not properly chocking her wheels, then watching it take off downhill before lodging against a fallen tree.  

Things can and do happen so evaluate the terrain, leave yourself an out and take whatever safety precautions you feel are necessary to protect yourself, others and your trailer.  

Estancio

Odd man out here...I have never had a reason to "level" my T@B in 7 years of use. On level terrain, I always use 4 stabilizers and a non-rolling tongue foot. On uneven terrain, I have always remained hitched up to tow vehicle. I do adjust the direction In which I sleep.

ericnliz

@Estancio, Yep, 'ya gotta watch out for that downhill slide thing!

JustJohn

Gooddogs, When I first got my T@B I used the same yellow blocks I used to level my Silver Shadow. After a while I went with the Bal system. It worked very well but was bulky and needed to be cleaned to work properly. Then I saw the Anderson leveling system at a campground in West Virginia. After watching the lady next to me level her Micro Winnie in about 2 minutes with the Anderson drive on system, I ordered one that night from Amazon. The point being, there are serveral different ways to level so take some time to decide what's best for you. No one system suits everyone. I am all about making things easy(some might say lazy) and the Anderson blocks work well for me. The Bal is also a good system and used by many on this forum. One advantage of both systems is they act as wheel chocks when in use.

dsatwork

Unlike 3-way, the  Norcold AC/DC fridges are very forgiving.

http://www.thetford.com/customer-support/faq/dedc-faq/#answer-5

How level must the refrigerator be?

Our AC/DC refrigerators (both Built-ins and Portable) will operate at angles of up to 30 degrees off level in both planes.

jkjenn

I installed a Bluetooth leveling device before my last trip. It helped me find more level spots at Walmart and saved me time by helping me  find the most level spot in my site before I left my TV. 

mammabear34

gooddogs74 said:

Ok, I guess this is my next area of research then.   So. Much. Stuff. 

Yes I feel the same !  I just brought mine home last week and SO glad I found this forum so I can learn everything there is to know, but WOW So..... much...stuff !!!!

Smullis7

jkjenn said:

I installed a Bluetooth leveling device before my last trip. It helped me find more level spots at Walmart and saved me time by helping me  find the most level spot in my site before I left my TV. 

I received the same device you have for Christmas...still have to install it, but I think I'm going to like it better than guess at the most level spot.  :-)

ColleenD2

Question please, if you get the Anderson system, do you need one set or two?

Sharon_is_SAM

You only use the one Anderson leveler to back over with one wheel.  

DenisP

I use two Anderson levelers for winter (long term storage) as a means to possibly reduce flat spot by cradling the tires similar to how some collector cars are stored long term.

lkc001

Some 3-way fridges are more finicky than others, even within the same brand name fridge.  A good rule of thumb is to be no more than 1/2 bubble off level.  Had one fridge in an old RV that would run no matter how unlevel and same brand fridge in another trailer that had to be almost dead-on to run. . . . . . being un-level also affects other things as stated by other posters.   

lkc001

jkjenn said:

I installed a Bluetooth leveling device before my last trip. It helped me find more level spots at Walmart and saved me time by helping me  find the most level spot in my site before I left my TV. 

@jkjenn--what is the name of this bluetooth device please?  Thanks!

lkc001

@jkjenn--Thanks for the info about this unit!

lkc001

gooddogs74 said:

Is there a point to leveling the trailer other than making it more comfortable to walk in?  Is it as simple as adjusting the tongue jack and the stabilizers to get it close or do you need some kind of equipment? A small level came with the trailer,  not sure if I need anything else.   

@gooddogs74--in addition to all of the other good info and answers here, the "stabilizers" are just that--ONLY to be used as stabilizers--NOT to jack up one side of the trailer to level--you use either leveling blocks & back-up onto them or Andersen levelers, etc to level one side or the other.  If you use the stabilizers to jack up the trailer you might torque/twist the trailer frame.  They are only for stabilizing after you are level.  You'll be fine---write out a checklist for hookups & unhooking/setting up--pretty soon it will be second nature.

Bayliss

@gooddogs74 , since I had the perfect spot on my 320S Boondock platform, I installed these levels, which I purchased at Camping World.  They come with adhesive tape on the back, but I added self-tapping screws.  If you go this route, be sure to properly level the camper before attaching them.  A level parking lot is a good place to do that, but you may still need to slightly raise one side by pulling that side's wheel onto one or more leveling blocks.  You will also probably need to unhitch the camper from your tow vehicle so that you can properly adjust the camper level front to back using the front crank.  Use a standard construction level (large or small) on the camper floor to determine when you are level in both directions.  Once you are satisfied that the camper is level, attach the two levels outside the camper.  The mounting location depicted is handy because it is right where you need it when unhitching your camper.  I like these particular levels because they provide a simple indication of how many inches you need to raise or lower the camper.  By the way, if the small level you received from the dealer is round, that is good for placing inside the refrigerator to check if it is level, or close to level, which is definitely important for proper operation.  (Greg)