Loving God's Country! wrote:
Being Class A newbies we would like to know what everyone uses for their leveling blocks? My hubby bought and cut some 2x10's to length but these seem very cumbersome! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!! Thanks!
LGsC,
Well, any nominal lumber, i.e. 2"x4", 2"x6", 2"x8", and 2"x 10", WILL CRACK at some point in time, some sooner, some later. You see, there's no strength laterally to keep it from cracking. Any undo stress, that puts un-even torque on that 2"x10", i.e. dirt or off road leveling in those kinds of camping situations, will crack them, guaranteed. Now, you say that their "cumbersome"? Well, yes ANY wood is cumbersome, no way around that.
The "Leggo building blocks" that so many are talking about are fine, in many situations but, they too are subject to crack and break. I know because, I've cracked and broke those Leggo ones many times. If you camp or park on nothing but perfectly level, pavement or concretes, yes, those will suffice but, you'd have to make sure they are as wide as your tires are or, if not, you're subjection your expensive tires to potential damage due to uneven supporting of the treads.
I've been using any and all types of lumber, Leggo blocks and more for decades. Because we camp in places that are not perfectly level, many of the times, we need a small lumber yard to accomplish leveling to our satisfaction.
I use nominal lumber too but, I've created a way to handle the "cracking" situation. I SANDWICH all my nominal lumber with 3/4" plywood. Plywood, in and of itself, is not all that strong but, if you apply it to the lumber in the manor in which I have, together you get some seriously strong, extra heavy duty leveling blocks. Without going into miles of details, just take a look at the pictures below and see if there's anything that might catch your eye. In essence, when you sandwich the nominal lumber, it might (and quite often still will)crack but, IT CAN'T GO ANYWHERE! The plywood keeps everything intact.
I also install what's called "Mule Tape" for handles. All that is is, some 5/8" wide Nylon webbing, cut to a length that fits my hands and, is screwed on with larger wood screws and washers. That way, I can use a hook tool and retrieve them easily from under the coach or, I can carry them easily. And a really good part, those handles COLLAPSE when the blocks are stored tight against each other. Can't beat that!
Yes, it's a bit of weight to haul around, big deal. We've always got what it takes to handle many leveling situations we encounter. It's a matter of preference and what's important to you. It doesn't cost a one red cent to haul this lumber around and, I have a dedicated space for it. See what you think.
Scott



