Leveling with half of a Lynx block??

[profdant139]

We use those Lynx blocks (they look like giant Legos) to level our trailer. Works well, does not slip, easy to store and to clean.

But every so often, a stack two blocks high is not enough, while three blocks are too many.

Has anyone developed a halfway step? I tried to make one out of wood and it did not work well -- it tended to slip out of place as I drove the trailer up onto the stack of blocks.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and advice!

[profdant139]

rockhill mentioned the issue of slipping. Whether I put a piece of plywood under the stack or over it, the plywood does not stay perfectly in place. The Lynx blocks, of course, move as a unit, since they are interconnected.

That is why I think that the best solutions are (1) a thick rubber mat (which should not slip in contact with the blocks) or (2) putting the plywood under the higher tire if needed, in order to avoid the dreaded "in between the blocks" syndrome, described above.

I should add that since we do a lot of boondocking in very rough terrain, this whole issue is not just theoretical. We are not on a concrete pad, or even on gravel -- we are often on a mix of rocks and dirt.

Finally, since I am lucky enough to have a spouse who loves really remote boondocking, I will happily do whatever it takes to keep her happy - - if that means fiddling around with the leveling blocks, I will do that!! 😉

[fj12ryder]

bucky wrote:
We sure get bored in the colder months don't we. I've seen RVs more than a foot out of level more than once and the occupants were happy as clams.

Some people may be fine that way, others, including the OP, are not. He was asking for suggestions that will help with his wife's inability to tolerate out-of-level conditions. A little tolerance is a wonderful thing.

[bucky]

We sure get bored in the colder months don't we. I've seen RVs more than a foot out of level more than once and the occupants were happy as clams.

[rockhillmanor]

You said putting a board under the plastic lynx blocks results in everything slipping when you drive on the stack.

You are supposed to pyramid the blocks. So the tire climbs the pyramid which eliminates any slipping.



And yes you will have to buy a second pack to use when a higher lift is needed so you can pyramid the blocks properly.

[drsteve]

fj12ryder wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
I guess I have been doing it wrong. I get close with blocks and then always fine tuned with the leveling jacks. It isn't uncommon for me to lift the trailer an 1" or more with the jacks. I actually find that putting a little extra into each jack helps take the tire and suspension bounce away.

Some of us are just too picky, I suppose! Funny, with my new 5er that has the 6 point self-leveling system, I am at the point now where if it's close, that's good enough, because the leveling system will take care of the difference ... as long as it's close.

It's not that some are too picky, it's that some builders strongly advise against using the stabilizer jacks to do any lifting. Stabilizing only. I guess they figure lifting just one corner of a trailer could put a lot of stress on the frame. Dunno. Guess that's why they call them stabilizing jacks and not leveling jacks.

Not just the frame, but the walls too. When you try to level with stabilizers, it is easy to move the side walls enough to cause the entry door to not close correctly.

[Boomerweps]

SoundGuy wrote:

Boomerweps wrote:
Where did you find the Lynx half width blocks? What is their proper name for a search?

Lynx manufacturer doesn't offer half Lynx so I made my own, cutting them on my table saw.

So you showed pics of the "better halves" 😉
The reason I thought they were factory was because if you put the two pictured together, it looks like you would have cut through several reinforcing edges the long thin way. I might pick up another set of these to make a few halves. I have 2 sets of ten now but I have needed all twenty before at a CG for leveling.
I searched fruitlessly, a lot of sales websites and even found the factory website, for those things!

[Boomerweps]

profdant139 wrote:
By the way, the Lynx blocks appear to be about an inch and a half thick, in answer to the question above.

The Lynx leveling blocks are 8.5 x 8.5 x 1.5 inches. When stacking, each layer provides a ONE INCH lift. The extra .5" is the interlocking top protrusions. Courtesy of the factory website, just looked to confirm my faulty memory 😉
So for the mathematically inclined it makes it easier to compute angles and blocks needed.

[profdant139]

By the way, the Lynx blocks appear to be about an inch and a half thick, in answer to the question above.

[profdant139]

I really like Dutchmen's solution -- very "outside the box" thinking. By raising the high side a little, the low side has to be raised that much more, getting us out of the in-between stage. Very clever, and thanks!

I am going to try that trick on our next trip. I always bring a few 12 x 18 inch pieces of three quarter inch thick plywood, so I would just try to level with the Lynx blocks. If I get into the "too high or too low" trap (as sometimes happens), just back the trailer down off the blocks, slap my plywood under the high wheel, readjust my Lynx blocks if necessary, and we're level!

I can't wait to tell DW about this, for a couple of reasons. First, she'll laugh at herself for not thinking of this on her own -- this solution is exactly her kind of reasoning. And second, I am always bragging to her about the membership in this forum and the clever solutions that you folks often come up with -- this will prove my point!

Someone suggested using the stabilizer jacks. My jacks are not strong enough to significantly alter the level. And I am concerned about putting a lot of force on the chassis -- this little trailer was designed as an ultralight, and the frame is nothing like the underside of my truck! 😉

[wa8yxm]

One of the things many do not understand is you do not need to be ABSOLUTLY level Now a degree or two or three off level is OK.

What is a degree off level? Well I use 2x12's to level. each layer is just shy of 1 degree side to side.. That's 1 1/2 inches on an 8 foot wide axle.

I ran a calculator 3 degrees is 0.42 feet on a 8 foot run so 5.04 inches

How thich are the lynx levers????

[fj12ryder]

DutchmenSport wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
I guess I have been doing it wrong. I get close with blocks and then always fine tuned with the leveling jacks. It isn't uncommon for me to lift the trailer an 1" or more with the jacks. I actually find that putting a little extra into each jack helps take the tire and suspension bounce away.

Some of us are just too picky, I suppose! Funny, with my new 5er that has the 6 point self-leveling system, I am at the point now where if it's close, that's good enough, because the leveling system will take care of the difference ... as long as it's close.

It's not that some are too picky, it's that some builders strongly advise against using the stabilizer jacks to do any lifting. Stabilizing only. I guess they figure lifting just one corner of a trailer could put a lot of stress on the frame. Dunno. Guess that's why they call them stabilizing jacks and not leveling jacks.

[DutchmenSport]

Delete

[discovery4us]

I guess I have been doing it wrong. I get close with blocks and then always fine tuned with the leveling jacks. It isn't uncommon for me to lift the trailer an 1" or more with the jacks. I actually find that putting a little extra into each jack helps take the tire and suspension bounce away.

[DutchmenSport]

Delete

[profdant139]

If someone could figure out a way for me to add an axle, I would!! 😉