We just arrived home from our trip down the Pacific Coast Highway. We overnighted at 11 different state parks along the way. The parks, especially in Oregon, were fantastic. They were laid out well with no issues backing the fifth wheel into each site.The common problem that we found at every site was that the parking pad was anywhere from 1 to 5 inches off level side to side. Front to back level is not an issue. That is easyly taken care of with the front jacks. But when they are out of level side to side, it then involves getting out the stacking blocks. Put the trailer up on the blocks then find that there was too many or too few. Redo it again until it's level.I can live with an inch off level for one night but 2 or 3 inches is just too much. The last sight we stayed in Washington was at least 5" off level. It had been a long drive and I was too tired to get out the blocks. Just after we got set up, the skies opened up and it was a torrential downpour. The trailer was so off level that the top of the slide was angled in towards the house. There was a flood of water running in the slide and out the door. I just pulled the slide in and went to bed.I don't know if the private parks have the same issues with their sites but to me it is a pain that I can do without when I'm trying to relax and enjoy my vacation. Besides, I'm tired of being able to only have half a bowl of soup.

Yep. You gotta get the blocks out. Or get some auto levelers.

Adding a set of hydraulic automatic leveling jacks would probably make your life a lot easier in most parks. They're not cheap though...

Were the site paved or unpaved IE store, gravel etc.

We have camped at every Oregon State Park on the coast and most of the Washington ones also...many of them multiple times and have never seen any of them that much out of level...maybe 1 or 2 Lynx Levelers at the most.Were your sites paved? Where did you find ones that were 5 inches out of level?(not saying that you didn't, just interested)

When I first get close to where I want to unhook, I will put my torpedo level on my counter and raise the level to see how much one end needs to be raised to make it level. I will multiply that gap by 8 (feet) since my level is about 1 foot long and my overall width is about 8 feet. So if my level gets raised up about 1/4 of an inch, then I will block up one side 2" and we're good to go.

Out of level campsite pads | Good Sam Community

camperpaul
Explorer
Apr 26, 2014
In late December, I set up in a campsite in Chain o' Lakes SP (Illinois); trailer was perfectly level.

In early April, the ice and snow melted under the wheels and the trailer was then about 3" out of level.
hotpepperkid
Explorer
Apr 26, 2014
Very seldom do I not have to add something under at least one wheel
bentpushrod
Explorer
Apr 26, 2014
Here's my camper this weekend. I could have parked on a level spot. But chose this one.
BeckyIO
Explorer
Apr 26, 2014
I bought leveling blocks day 1 I had my RV, needed them at my very first site. I think there's a lot of gimmicky RV gadgets that aren't really necessary for enjoying the lifestyle, but having something to make the RV level I'd say is crucial at least for me - the fridge is the one thing I can't afford to replace in my RV, if it breaks I'll literally need to cut a hole in the fiberglass to get it out, the door an windows weren't made big enough. If you're too cheap for the commercial plastic blocks, you can also cut wood down to size I've heard, works just as well.

Been a full-timer for over a year now and I'd say I've used them at about 80% of the sites I've parked in. I have a bubble leveler on the front of my trailer and I'm good enough at reading it now to tell at a glance how many blocks I'll need. It can get annoying trying to level it in the rain, I try not to travel on rainy days.

Good luck!
jdog
Explorer
Apr 25, 2014
downtheroad wrote:
We have camped at every Oregon State Park on the coast and most of the Washington ones also...many of them multiple times and have never seen any of them that much out of level...maybe 1 or 2 Lynx Levelers at the most.

Were your sites paved? Where did you find ones that were 5 inches out of level?

(not saying that you didn't, just interested)

Same here! X2
BurbMan
Explorer II
Apr 25, 2014
Pirate wrote:
I like how KY has added "resort" to the name of their state parks even though the one I went too sucked.

Yeah, we're classy like that.

Reminds me of sites where you have to run the tongue jack all the way up, hold the front of the TT with the stabilizer jacks while you retract the tongue jack, then add more wood and send it back up.
bobx2
Explorer
Apr 25, 2014
What's a level site? Guess I would have to spend time in campgrounds to understand that concept. I will spend the time to level up my trailer. It's worth the extra time and work.
wbwood
Explorer
Apr 25, 2014
What cracks me up is to see motorhome levelers on stacks of blocks.
ohiopicker
Explorer
Apr 25, 2014
When camping in my fifth wheel, I carry two pairs of 2" x 10" planks that are sloped on one end for easy backing onto them. They ride in the back of the truck when traveling. If I stack all four on the same side, I can get 6" of lift. We haven't run into a situation yet where they couldn't level the camper.
Pirate1
Explorer
Apr 24, 2014
We have a wheelchair lift in our RV, mounted right behind the passenger seat area. The lift only has x-amount of vertical lift. If I have to jack up the right side to get the rig level, I could end up with the wheelchair lift not touching the ground when used. Needless to say, my frustrations with campgrounds that say they have level sites is never ending. I'm talking only a few inches here to make things a hassle. I have carried extra ramps to build linking ramps due to unlevel spots. I just wish when they said level they really meant it. Many many are not even close. One guy even said if your tire is not hanging in the air, it's level.

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