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DinTulsa's avatar
DinTulsa
Explorer
Dec 22, 2015

So lets say you need to bring one side up 3-4 inches

Just picked up our first TT. We will mostly be rving on sites that are level concrete pads that won't require much more that a 1" block on the side with 3 slides to help level it out. But lets say we find ourselves in a spot that is significantly lower on one side. How do you bring the trailer up if you have a series of 1 foot blocks, or plastic pads, without causing the top blocks to kick out as you try to climb up them. I have considered carrying 1 ft. sections of 1x8, 2x8 and if I needed more than a couple of inches grab a set of Anderson levelers for up to 4 inches.
  • It would be rare to find a campground sloping so much to one side that the 8 foot long axle needs to be propped up more than about 3". But I see from the pictures above that it can happen.

    Most of the time I find that I need to raise the front or rear of my motorhome by several inches, while side to side is normally within a couple of inches of being level. This is because my wheelbase is 190" (a little over 15 feet" while the distance between the tires is a little under 8 feet.

    I was camped next to a person in a fifth wheel at a level parking lot in Huntington Beach CA. IT was sloped only enough to prevent water from puddling on the paved surface. They felt the need to put 3/4" plywood under one of the front jacks in a attempt to 'level' it. Really you do not need to be that level. The refrigerator needs to be somewhat level for ammonia water mixture to return to the boiler, but does not need to be 'exact'. Your bed needs to be somewhat level, or at least the headboard side higher than the foot side to sleep well. Other than that, you are level enough. Walking around inside the 10,000 pound vehicle on springs while shifting 400 pounds of passengers from the dining table to say the other side of the space will cause it to sway a tiny amount anyway.

    Good luck,

    Fred.
  • I have (2) 2x8 by 5 feet and (2) 2x8 by 4 foot.. cover most issues

    plus I have a 12 ton bottle jack, with a metal plate for between frame and jack. for flats and help if necessary for leveling...
  • I wish our last seasonal spot only had a 3-4" difference side to side...


  • Maybe the mod can resize your picture so its not necessary to scroll back and forth to read your thread.

    Anyhow were old time campers and camped when most campgrounds were just a dirt road in and a few picnic tables scattered around.
    Sometimes it was necessary to dig one side down and ramp up the other (truck and trailer).

    We still sometimes camp in remote areas or older campgrounds that requires maybe 6"-8" of wood boards to get level. I have several short 2"x8"x12" long or 3' long. I also use 4"x7"x 36" long cedar ramps with one end angled with a chainsaw.
    Its nice to camp in some of the newer campgrounds or RV parks with a concrete or gravel pad to sit up on that a 2x will get me leveled.
  • I have a bunch of scrap deck boards from when I built my deck. I can park on the side of a mountain and level the trailer, picnic table, small outside table for fridge etc etc.
  • Thank you for the ideas....I have a good Idea on how I will start out.
  • If you look closely you can see 2X6 blocks cut at 45 degrees and stacked as my levelling blocks. What you can't see is the 8" bolt with a point ground on the end. The blocks are drilled through an the bolt is hammered through the blocks and into the ground to keep the blocks from kicking out when i drive up them.

  • We have these leveling blocks. They interlock like legos. I have stacked them four high (uses 11 blocks for one wheel) and we have no problem driving up on them.

    It is a little more difficult to get them really high for two axle set ups because the wheels are close together but it can be done using more than one set. For two axles and two 'levels' you would need six blocks.
  • I use pieces of 2x10 with the ends cut at 45 degrees. My longest one is about 6 feet and keep it in the truck bed for other uses too. I also have some shorter pieces that can sit on top of the long section. Knocking the ends down to 45 degrees helps keep them from moving. If I'm on the long board and need just a little more I then add one short piece for one of the wheels.

    The more times you set up the more you will get a feel for what you need just by eyeballing the site.

    I sold the plastic blocks in a garage sale.
  • I use wood blocks. Most are dimensionally 1 1/2". If I need to raise the side of the trailer 3" that would be a two block stack. I have some longer boards that make this relatively easy.