Best leveler for travel trailer?

[OregonMan]

Hi guys been looking online at leveling blocks for travel trailers and it seems like they're all made out of plastic and a lot of people complain about them shattering under the weight of the tires. My trailer weighs around 5,000 pounds and wondering if you guys have a leveler you could recommend? Seen some guys just use blocks of wood but isn't there a risk of slippage if you just use some blocks of wood? Thanks for any info.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

I used to mess around with boards and blocks and all of that.

Then I got these and NEVER looked back. These made my camping life soooo much easier.

Then I got this and my camping life is complete.

With these I can level my trailer in about two minutes and be in my chair enjoying a cold beverage in under 5 minutes.

No boards or blocks or any of that for me ever again!

[Grit_dog]

@Oregonman, what do you use currently for leveling blocks or boards? Why do you feel the need to change?

Single axle trailer, 3 short pieces of lumber will do about anything you'd need in a reasonable parking location.

[MitchF150]

Well, I fill my fresh water tank with 50 gallons of water before a long weekend camping trip.. If I was really "worried" about weight, I guess I would not do that.. 🙂

Also what else I have loaded in the rig in general.. Just to have what I want "just in case" kind of a thing.. I usually don't even touch 10% of what I haul! ha, ha...

Anyway, don't fret the little things.. Do whatever works best for you and that's how you will enjoy your time in your rig best..

Remember, "what works best for ME is not what is going to work best for YOU"

Mitch

[Lwiddis]

Looks level to me, Mitch. What's the issue? lol

[dave54]

I used wood for years. It works OK. No slippage.
Wood can soak up water. That makes them weigh more when transporting, and make a wet spot in the bin. But they are cheap, and if they break you throw them on the campfire (assuming you haven't painted them.)

Now I almost exclusively use the Lynx blocks. They are lightweight. Do not soak up water. Hose any mud or dirt off, leave in the sun for few minutes to dry. We have 4 sets, we got them for free. Each rig we bought over the years came with a set. One set came via a door prize at a RV show, another was a gift.

I carry 4 pieces of plywood 18x24 to put under them on soft ground or grass. Give them a bigger footprint and do not sink into the ground.
The two different brands of plastic blocks (Lynx and Camco) are not interchangeable. They do not interlock with each other. So you must keep buying the same brand if you want to interlock them.

[Boomerweps]

I’ve become a fan of the Lego like Lynx Levelers.
They have flat tops you can add that I most often use to link two blocks for a wider single level base.
They also have locking wheel chocks you can install and back up against, held in place partly by the wheel weight on the block base.
I still carry a lot of wood blocks for my attached & extra stabilizers. I’ve had to use them and the Lynx blocks to build first and second steps on hill side lots.
Granted, my TT is only a 4K# GVWR.

[MitchF150]

I use 2x6 boards cut to around 18".. Carry 6 of them. I nailed 'handles' on them (scrap romex wire)

I have had some 'split' on me due to the grain, but for the most part, they have worked for me going on 20 years.. 🙂

I would not use them in this manner however... 🙂

[spoon059]

Blocks of wood worked jsut fine for us for 12 years. Didn't have any problems with slipping. I had 2 pieces of 2x8, slightly longer than my wheelbase and 1 piece of 3/4". Made it reasonably accurate side to side.

We got some Anderson leveler style last year and love them. They are so much easier to simply dial in the exact height, no guessing. Much smaller and easier to store than a piece of 2x8.

[ReneeG]

Our fifth wheel is a little over 13k and we use the lego like leveling blocks and have had no problems with them shattering. We also have those Anderson curved levelers you back up into and stop when you're level, but don't use them as much as the linking ones.

[mleekamp]

I've used both and carry both. Had some treated planks left over from a deck build some 12 years ago. Cut them into nice squares and use them all the time. I also use the plastic ones too. As stated by others, plastic is light and less bulky, wood is. Both work and if you can, maybe use both.

[wanderingbob]

Wood , 2x6 or 2x8s . Plastic is for toys and water bottles !

[Tvov]

OregonMan wrote:
.... Seen some guys just use blocks of wood but isn't there a risk of slippage if you just use some blocks of wood? Thanks for any info.

I think you mean "planks" of wood? I use 2x8 and 2x10 planks, roughly 3 feet long (long enough to have both tires fit on it with a 2 axle trailer). Ends of the planks are cut at a 45 deg angle. Never had "slippage" that I can remember.

Biggest pro with wood over plastic is weight capacity - I just don't worry about the boards cracking or collapsing.

Biggest con with wood is weight and bulk - the plastic Lego-like blocks are so light and so convenient with how they stack together.

Which is why I also have the Lego-like blocks. I use them as needed when leveling.

But.... I actually use them more as bases for the stabilizing jacks, and also to level things like maybe a picnic table and our grill.

The plastic blocks are quite versatile. So I have both wood and plastic.

[eHoefler]

I have used the Lynx blocks for 15 years under our Landmark 5th wheel, pushing 18,000 real hard. Never had one break or crack. When parking on gravel, I always stack them on a 6' long 2"x10". Stacking them on gravel will destroy them for sure.

[toedtoes]

I've used the plastic leveling blocks with both my motorhome (approx 7,500lbs) and my trailer (about 3,400lbs). I have never had one break. If they do break, then odds are you didn't have them flat on the ground or didn't have them fully under the tires so they were stressed unevenly.

Many people use wood blocks. I've never heard folks complain about slippage. The main differences between wood and plastic blocks are wood blocks are heavier/bulkier but often free.

There is also the curved levelers. Many people like those.

Chocking your tires is also important regardless of your choice of levelers. You don't mention if you have a single or double axle. If you have a double axle, the X chock is popular.

I have since started using a BAL leveler for the trailer and really like it.