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Need ideas for levelling

pasusan
Explorer
Explorer
We go to visit my MIL at least twice a year and we need a better way to park at her house. We've been parking in her yard, but always have to worry about rain and if we'll get stuck and/or make a mess of it.

Her driveway is pretty steep and we want to park our Roadtrek class B on it and have it level enough to sleep in and run the fridge. I used my phone to find the angle of the van as it was sitting on the driveway in the spot we want to park - 7 degrees. So - using that angle plus the wheelbase of 135 inches and the other angle of 90 degrees I used the angle-side-angle calculator to come up with how much the front of the van has to be raised.

16 and 1/2 inches!

Any ideas on how to safely do this?

Susan & Ben [2004 Roadtrek 170]
href="https://sites.google.com/view/pasusan-trips/home" target="_blank">Trip Pics
18 REPLIES 18

DrewE
Explorer II
Explorer II
The little harbor freight folkding work platforms/step stools work very nicely and are not expensive. It looks to me like it would be practical to cut one of the legs shorter on one and reattach the feet to make it accommodate a certain slope.

If the ground is uneven, of course, the step by nature becomes rather wobbly--but that's true for anything with four fixed legs.

Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Explorer
Pasusan, I see there are several suggestions.

If you built a temporary ramp like suggested, if your Roadtrek ever fell off, it would probably roll over on it's side. Be very careful of which I'm sure you will.

Another thought, I'm sure your MIL loves it when you and your wife come for a visit, would she help pay to build a more permanent parking pad that is level maybe with railroad timbers and gravel/dirt fill? I sure would feel safer on something more solid.

Just my thoughts. Safe travels,
MM.
Mr.Mark
2021.5 Pleasure Way Plateau FL Class-B on the Sprinter Chassis
2018 Mini Cooper Hardtop Coupe, 2 dr., 6-speed manual
(SOLD) 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach, 45 ft, 500 hp Volvo
(SOLD) 2008 Monaco Dynasty, 42 ft, 425 hp Cummins

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
pasusan wrote:
Thanks Soundguy for the reminder of needing a step stool...


SoundGuy wrote:
A conventional step stool can be awfully wobbly when used for entering / exiting an RV ... I'd instead invest in an Adjustable Leg Platform Step with spread legs that adjust to the level of the ground it's sitting on so it won't wobble when you step on it.


2DHoop wrote:
Absolutely! One of the best pieces of equipment Iโ€™ve purchased. Expensive for what it does but worth it and much safer than the standard step stool.


I've waffled on getting one myself but I really should as the entry door on our rear entry Coachmen can be really high off the ground when we happen to be parked on a tongue low campsite. Sure is a stretch getting to that first trailer step so a platform step like this would really help.
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
1998 Jayco 10UD * 1969 Coleman CT380

2DHoop
Explorer
Explorer
SoundGuy wrote:
pasusan wrote:
Thanks Soundguy for the reminder of needing a step stool...


A conventional step stool can be awfully wobbly when used for entering / exiting an RV ... I'd instead invest in an Adjustable Leg Platform Step with spread legs that adjust to the level of the ground it's sitting on so it won't wobble when you step on it.


Absolutely! One of the best pieces of equipment Iโ€™ve purchased. Expensive for what it does but worth it and much safer than the standard step stool.
2013 Arctic Fox 25P
2010 Dodge 3500 SRW CTD

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
pasusan wrote:
Thanks Soundguy for the reminder of needing a step stool...


A conventional step stool can be awfully wobbly when used for entering / exiting an RV ... I'd instead invest in an Adjustable Leg Platform Step with spread legs that adjust to the level of the ground it's sitting on so it won't wobble when you step on it.
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
1998 Jayco 10UD * 1969 Coleman CT380

pasusan
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks all for the help!

We will probably end up making our own ramps as a few of you suggested. The good thing is we can leave them in MIL's garage once we get them there.

I thought these looked super cool:

But at 500 bucks for the pair!!


Thanks Soundguy for the reminder of needing a step stool...

Susan & Ben [2004 Roadtrek 170]
href="https://sites.google.com/view/pasusan-trips/home" target="_blank">Trip Pics

old_guy
Explorer
Explorer
one guy said build something or another and bring it with you, why not build it at you MIL's and leave it there.

austingta
Explorer
Explorer
This would work, along with appropriate jack stands. Might have other uses too.

https://www.amazon.com/Hein-Werner-HW93696A-Blue-End-Lift/dp/B004F2GJB8
Frank Brooks Austin TX
2018 F 150 King Ranch max tow package with 3.55 gears
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johntank
Explorer
Explorer
Sorry I doubled posted

johntank
Explorer
Explorer
MFL wrote:
I often see a Roadtrek parked in a driveway in my neighborhood. It is backed in, then front pulled up on auto ramps, like you would use to change the oil.

Jerry



I was thinking the same, a set of ramps would get about 12" of the 16+" he said he needs then double up a couple of 2X's under the high end of each ramp and he would be close to his target of 16+"

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
I looked at some photos of a Roadtrek class B on Google search. That's a tough one you're asking here.

We once had a situation where we were going to park our tandem axle travel trailer on a site that was very uneven side-to-side. It was about a 12 inch slope (really). I was fortunate to check the spot out way ahead of time, as this was a state park and we were camped there, and this spot in question was reserved about a month out.

The only option I came up with was "lumber"... lots of lumber.

At the site (It wasn't occupied when I did this), I measured the slope of the spot and took all those figures home with me. Then proceeded to procure lumber. I started with an 8 foot 12 inch wide 1 inch thick board (from an old barn, and those were the true measurements), and beveled the end. I took another one and cut it a few inches shorter, and beveled the end. I continued doing this until I built it high enough the trailer would be level side-to-side.

Stacking the lumber means ensuring back end of the stack remained straight, while the front end formed a ramp. My biggest concern with the board on top of the previous one would slip out while backing the trailer on the ramp. Or, if I did make it all the way to the top, the back wheel of the trailer would over-shoot and fall off the ramp about 12 inches dangling in air!

I ended up drilling holes through the boards one level at a time and used dow rods to pin them together so the boards would not slip when the tire started roling up on them.

Yes, this was a lot of preliminary work I did, getting the lumber, designing the ramp with solid wood that came out of an an old barn, aged and seasoned over 100 years and hard as a rock. Triming, cusssing, and leaving my DNA (blood and skin) all over that lumber, I finally succeeded.

Transporting the lumber was not problem since I had an 8 foot bed pick up truck towing a travel trailer.

The great thing was, even though it took a lot of preliminary work and building, the effort was an absolute success. Trailer rolled right up the ramp (scared the bee-hee-bee-jee-bees right out of me), but it did work, and my wife had a good set of lungs when she yelled "STOP!" to keep me from rolling off the end.

We were at that spot for almost 2 week, so all the effort was well worth it. (This was a State Park in Western Central Indiana).

I say all this, for a final thought. Building such a ramp as this is probably about your only option. Take the time to do it, practice with it at your home driving up on it, and then take the entire stack of wood to your MIL and leave it there.

FYI, I still have all that lumber, but have never needed to use that much on one side of the camper again. I usually carry the 4 - 6 foot length boards with me when camping at a new campsite (just in case), and ended up using them on many, many occasions since they were originally designed. I keep them in my garage, and when getting ready to travel, make sure I have enough to raise the camper at least 6 inches. I also have a variety of smaller one (2 foot lengths) that fit under each tire separately, or if parked on a slope where I need front-to-back level and need to raise the tires to make this happen (35 feet long, doesn't take much of slope to bottom out the front or back of the camper you know).

My suggestion ... build a sturdy ramp and bring it with you.

kerrlakeRoo
Explorer
Explorer
MIL's house,,, hmmm
Park someplace level, Florida would work.

MFL
Nomad II
Nomad II
I often see a Roadtrek parked in a driveway in my neighborhood. It is backed in, then front pulled up on auto ramps, like you would use to change the oil.

Jerry

gbopp
Explorer
Explorer
Mortimer Brewster wrote:
It seems to me that it would be much easier to protect the grass than try to build (and store) ramps/blocks to level your Roadtrek. I would look into something like this Grid System that would allow you to drive on the grass without destroying it.

I think this may be the best option. It's a one time installation and, it can be removed when it is no longer needed. You just drive onto the yard and you're done. No blocks, ramps, etc to move around or store.