How do you level?

[samhain7]

I am self taught...my method may. It be the best, so I am curious how you all tell you rig is level?
I have seen the bubble indicators you attach to the sides..which I may get. In the meantime, how do YOU tell your level?

[hstechteacher]

I am a second generation RVer so yes I too have the milk crate assortment of 1xs, 2xs,4xs, and even a set of 5/4" stock. A set of each consists of a short(to go between wheels) and a little longer one for front or back. My last trailer, 26' Layton had very little twist so leveling was easy. My new monster, 314 Jayco w/ slides has proven to be a pain so far. We just took it out for the first time and was not happy with how much it moved around with even my 5 year old walking to the bathroom. I am still searching other threads about leveling and stabilizers with slide outs, and don't want to highjack this topic so I might start a new thread.

Just wanted to also add that I have a method of leveling not mentioned yet.....out here on Long Island we do a lot of beach camping. So I just take a shovel and dig sand out from beneath the high side tires in place!!!!

[jaycocreek]

The freezer.

[BubbaChris]

jaycocreek wrote:
Seems not to many are concerned with the frig being level... Seen to many crash from continued mis-use.

The tricky part is I don't know which part of my frig is really square and could be used for leveling. I asked the RV tech and he said the bottom floor is sometimes designed to be "off" to manage spilled liquids.

So how should I check my frig's degree of level?

[2oldman]

samhain7 wrote:
..wouldn't it be better to have both wheels on the one side of a tandem level rather than have one wheel in the air?

Ya.. I hate when that happens.

[jaycocreek]

wouldn't it be better to have both wheels on the one side of a tandem level rather than have one wheel in the air?

Yup!

[samhain7]

2oldman wrote:
Why is that bad?

I dunno. Was more so asking...wouldn't it be better to have both wheels on the one side of a tandem level rather than have one wheel in the air?

[Community Alumni]

EnochLight wrote:

PackerBacker wrote:
It also significantly lowers the fire risk as compared with Dometic or Norcold units.

... Eric

The new helium tech is awesome, but to suggest that there's a fire risk using a traditional hydrogen unit from Dometic or Norcold is unnecessarily alarmist. This tech has been in use for over 90 years.

Still, those new helium units are attractive. Hopefully they'll come down in price for us mere mortals to afford. 😄

I didn't mean to be 'alarmist' . I've also had both Dometic and Norcold units in previous rv's and I had a number of recalls done. My guess is if there were no risks then there'd be no recalls to mitigate them.

The Atwood happened to be the fridge that came with my new trailer; it wasn't something that I was particularly looking for, I would have taken whatever was in the rv.

... Eric

[LVJJJ]

Look for the most level area of the camp site (near the pedestal).

Eyeball it from back and side, determine the number of inches to raise the lower side, select correct number of yellow plastic leveling blocks, double check by eyeball, crank it up or down using eyeball, go inside look to see if wands on the shades hang vertical (might try the bathroom door thing),crank down stabilizers, done.

I used to use level bubbles but they were too small to be accurate, plus are they mounted right? I have found that it's how the trailer "feels" when walking around inside that is the best way to level.

[jaycocreek]

Lynnmor wrote:
If you level the trailer frame and the fridge is not level, you have bigger problems.

Never worked in trailer manufacturing..Saw it right off.:B

I used to and there are so many reasons that the frame can be level and other things in it are not,but it's not worth arguing about.

Leveling the frig is just to simple and after you replace a couple you'll see why it is so important.A retired RV tech once told me that not leveling an RV frig properly kept him in beer money in retirement.He replaces them or the unit on the spot whether it's in hunting camp or your driveway.

[EnochLight]

PackerBacker wrote:
It also significantly lowers the fire risk as compared with Dometic or Norcold units.

... Eric

The new helium tech is awesome, but to suggest that there's a fire risk using a traditional hydrogen unit from Dometic or Norcold is unnecessarily alarmist. This tech has been in use for over 90 years.

Still, those new helium units are attractive. Hopefully they'll come down in price for us mere mortals to afford. 😄

[Lynnmor]

If you level the trailer frame and the fridge is not level, you have bigger problems.

[Community Alumni]

jaycocreek wrote:
Seems not to many are concerned with the frig being level... Seen to many crash from continued mis-use.

Woodalls on why we even level an RV.

The primary reason for leveling any modern RV is to enable the absorption refrigerator, specifically the low-temperature evaporator coils in the refrigerator, to function properly. Due to the dynamics of the RV absorption refrigerator, the evaporator coils inside the cooling unit must permit the gravity flow of liquid ammonia through a portion of the system. And as any RVer who can spell "RV" will know, liquids simply won't flow uphill. Without getting too steeped into the theory of absorption refrigeration, suffice it to say that it can indeed be costly if the refrigerator is operated off-level. True, newer cooling unit technology incorporated in today's RV refrigerator employs a more vertical approach to evaporator positioning, still the refrigerator must be "relatively" level for optimum operation. Fore and aft as well as side to side leveling remains a concern

It used to matter more to me to have the fridge level but with the Atwood Helium fridge in my new trailer, it is no longer critical. It also significantly lowers the fire risk as compared with Dometic or Norcold units.

... Eric

[EnochLight]

Lynnmor wrote:

I do a similar thing. I use the frame and adjust the trailer to get as level as possible front to rear and side to side. I also check at multiple places because these lightweight frames twist easily. Once leveled, I install levels at opposite corners so that I can see any twist. The cheap levels can be stuck on only after replacing the junk foam with VHB tape from 3M.

I have the same levels from Camco. They lasted 1 year and now the liquid is no longer green - got sun bleached. 😞 It's clear.

[jaycocreek]

Seems not to many are concerned with the frig being level... Seen to many crash from continued mis-use.

Woodalls on why we even level an RV.

The primary reason for leveling any modern RV is to enable the absorption refrigerator, specifically the low-temperature evaporator coils in the refrigerator, to function properly. Due to the dynamics of the RV absorption refrigerator, the evaporator coils inside the cooling unit must permit the gravity flow of liquid ammonia through a portion of the system. And as any RVer who can spell "RV" will know, liquids simply won't flow uphill. Without getting too steeped into the theory of absorption refrigeration, suffice it to say that it can indeed be costly if the refrigerator is operated off-level. True, newer cooling unit technology incorporated in today's RV refrigerator employs a more vertical approach to evaporator positioning, still the refrigerator must be "relatively" level for optimum operation. Fore and aft as well as side to side leveling remains a concern