How I level my trailer

[theoldwizard1]

Okay it is only a pop up, but the procedure should work on any trailer with jacks at all 4 corners and a tongue jack.

First, get yourself some of those inexpensive level indicators. Place them on the front, left side, and buy an extra one for the back.

Start by "eyeballing" the trailer as it sits, BEFORE you disconnect the tow vehicle, and decide if you need any spacers under the tires or not.

Now with the tow vehicle unhooked and move out of the way, lower the tongue jack until the trailer is clearly leaning forward. Place/lower your 2 jacks in the back and raise the tongue jack until your trailer is approximately level, front to back. Check the rear, side to side level. Likely you will have to lower the tongue jack and adjust on or the other rear jacks.

With the rear level side to side, raise the tongue jack until you are clearly above level (nose high). Place/lower the front jacks. Lower the tongue jack and check the front side to side level and the side front to rear level. Adjust as required.

This may seem like a lot of fiddling but using the tongue jack is a lot simpler than trying to jack a corner (unless it is a tiny amount).

[NanciL]

Please don't give wrong advice.
Some newbie that doesn't have a clue might read you completely wrong advice and end up bending their frame.

From one who has both a pop up and a travel trailer and does it by the book

Jack L

[SoundGuy]

The OP has offered such stunningly BAD advice it's hard to believe he's in any way serious ... surely this has to be a joke. :S

That said, he wouldn't be alone ... here are a couple of pics I took a few years ago in one of our provincial park campgrounds. Maybe this owner and the OP are related?! :W

How NOT To Level ANY Trailer





The proper method of leveling any trailer is to park the low side tire(s) on something - wood, Lynx, Andersen Leveler, etc - and adjust front-to-back level using the tongue jack. Period.

And to the OP - trailer stabilizers typical of those on most popups, travel trailers, etc, are called "stabilizers" for a reason, otherwise they'd be called levelers. They're stabilizers, designed to stabilize the trailer, not level it. :R

[bikendan]

Walaby wrote:
As other say, on larger TT's, the corner jacks are for stabilizing only, not for lifting.

I wouldn't recommend this.... I guess if it works for pop up fine.

Mike

It doesn't work with a popup either! The OP is giving BAD info ESPECIALLY for popups, which have weaker frames.

I didn't know better with my first popup and did what the OP is recommending. The result was out of alignment door and bed ends. And bent stabilizers.

I owned two popups and advise you NOT to do what the OP is doing.

[bdpreece]

" How I level my trailer"

How I level my motorhome:
I ask my wife which corner is low and raise it even if the level shows otherwiw0ise.

If that does not work I lay her on the floor and which ever way she rolls is low.

[ScottG]

In any other application, those "jacks" are just that, JACKs. Just because RV parts manufacturers do a CYA paragraph in the instructions doesn't mean the world will come to an end if you use them that way. If you drastically over load them it will bend the ACME screw a bit - that's all. In 30+ years of RVing I've never seen one that collapsed because it was used as a "jack".
I've used my jacks to jack my TT countless times over the decades.

[drsteve]

You shouldn't be jacking anything with the stabilizers, on a pup or a TT. As others have said, level side to side by pulling onto a board, and front to back with the tongue jack. Put the stabilizers down snug enough to steady the rig, and that's it.

[DutchmenSport]

You may be able to do this with a pop-up, but anything larger requires the trailer be as close to level (side to side) before ever unhitching. This mean putting something under the tires to raise the low side.

Once finding the exact position you want the trailer sitting, you mark that spot where the tires sit. Then pull forward or backward, put something in that spot, like boards or Lynx blocks, and then pull the camper on them, raising the low side. Chock the tires (always). Then unhitch (only after chocking the tires). After you unhitch, then you level front to back with the tongue jack, then lower your stabilizer jacks snug.



Unless you have built in hydraulic levelers on your camper that are capable of actually lifting the whole thing, the rest of us depend upon raising the low side by rolling the tires up on something.

When we had a pop-up, I always leveled by putting lumber under the tires first, then front to back with the tongue jack; never leveled using the stabilizer jacks.

To each their own though!

[Walaby]

As other say, on larger TT's, the corner jacks are for stabilizing only, not for lifting.

I wouldn't recommend this.... I guess if it works for pop up fine.

Mike

[wing_zealot]

That may work on a popup but I suggest you probably don't want to try that with a TT.

[Lwiddis]

On my Winnebago the corners jacks are for stabilizing only.

"DO NOT attempt to lift the unit with the stabilizer jacks. These are not designed to bear weight, only help stabilize the unit from movement."