Newbie - Leveling on Driveway

[Shani]

Hello,

New to this site and travel trailers. Purchased our first camping trailer this spring =).

I will be parking it on my driveway while it isn't in use but wanted to get it as level as possible. My understanding is that it is needed to be level if I want to run the fridge.

My driveway slopes down and then the street slopes up so when I am unhitching my trailer the bottom of the tongue jack (while it is all the way up) is only about 6 inches from the driveway. I used a block of wood under that and then jack up the trailer with the tongue jack. I still need to go up quite a bit to get it level and wondering how I would be able to do this. I have also read that some trailers have stabilizer jacks that can be used to actually lift the trailer (allowing me to get more blocking under the tongue jack), but other places I have read that they aren't meant to hold the weight.

My goal was to be able to start the fridge a day or so before we head out camping so it gets down to the proper temp.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

(I tried to attach a picture, not sure if that was the right way)
Image of Trailer on Driveway

[Tvov]

Looks good!

[Shani]

Got the trailer levelled. Used the 4 corner jacks to hold the trailer while adding the blocking I made. Quite a bit easier once you have the right setup.

Blocking Picture

[Shani]

Thank you all for the great feedback. I turned on the fridge last night to see if it would run and it does =). So I'm not too concerned about getting it perfectly level. I will also be looking into the adjustable tripod, that will assist to raise it a bit more while blocking.

This site has been great, thanks again!

[DE88ROX]

Like others have posted. You might have to step it up "sorta" to get it level.
When I go to Michigan Speedway for the races, I have to do something similar.
Unhook camper, raise tongue as high as it will go. Place blocks under the stabs. Lower stabs onto blocks, raise tongue jack and place more blocks under it as well as the stabs.

I don't have an issue with the front being supported by just the stabs. Each one is rated for 3,000lbs. They're nothing more than your typical scissor jack you find in most cars and are more than capable of supporting the front of my camper for a short amount of time.

Nice looking rig by the way.

[SoundGuy]

rbpru wrote:
Then I let the TT set on the stabilizers and raise the tongue jack and set wooden blocks under the tongue jack.

My process for leveling our trailer on our sloped driveway is essentially the same but you're a lot more trusting of the stabs than I :E, ergo the reason I instead place an adjustable stacker jack atop a stack of 16 plastic leveling blocks and set that assembly under the trailer's A-frame whenever I want to raise or lower the trailer tongue jack in order to add or remove the wood stacks under the jack. 😉

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:
Multiple stacks rather than one single stack allows me to unhitch / hitch up in stages, using a tripod stand under the A frame in stages to achieve this.

Shani wrote:
Thanks for the picture. Is there a specific tripod stand you would recommend. I tried searching for them but kept coming up with results only for a 5th wheel.

Also for the load requirement for a tripod stand, would I just use the trailer tongue weight as the minimum I would need?

Sorry, I should have used the more correct description of Stacker Jacks ... will easily support the trailer weight.

[rbpru]

My driveway slopes down, so when I need to level the TT, the first thing I do is chock the wheels. I extend the tongue jack all the way.

Next I lower the stabilizers onto wooden blocks. Then I let the TT set on the stabilizers and raise the tongue jack and set wooden blocks under the tongue jack. I repeat the process adding blocks to the stabilizers and tongue jack until the front of the TT is level. In my case I actually end up with a concrete block under the tongue jack.

My drive is steep enough so I have to watch the drain pipes in the back.

I was told 3 degrees is close enough to level. I do not know to measure that, so I do the best I can.

[PUCampin]

Stabilizers. There are a couple different types and several mounting methods. Some can bear weight, others can't.

The kind that fold down out of a bumper or are stored horizontal and drop down like landing pads, these are only for stabilizing not bearing much weight and could collapse if asked to do so.

Scissor jacks that drop straight down, like the OP has, are actual jacks and designed to bear weight. BAL ( the most common manufacture for the ones on RVs) rates the jacks at 5000lbs each. What is important is where and how these jacks are mounted. If they are attached on a small cross member or outrigger the structure will not support much weight, attached to a primary frame member they can.


From the picture, the OP has scissor jacks mounted to spacer tubes attached directly to the main longitudinal frame members. These jacks absolutely can support the weight of the trailer mounted this way, and the front ones be used together to take weight off the tongue jack.

I have BAL scissor jacks mounted in a similar fashion, I have on more than one occasion used the front jacks to support the front of the trailer while doing something with the tongue jack.

[myredracer]

Assuming you have a Norcold fridge (like in our KZ) if you read your fridge manual you will find that the fridge can be out of level up to 6 degrees front-back and 3 degrees side-side. That Connect model would appear to be 30' long and a quick trig calc. says that if the tongue were up or down by 12", that'd be approx. 3 degree angle so you should be fine but close (since your fridge is facing the curb side looking at the fridge). You might only need a little blocking, if any.

[Shani]

SoundGuy wrote:
My own driveway slopes far more to the street than it appears yours does ...when level the rear bumper is only ~ 10" off the ground while the tongue is close to 3', and this is with a much shorter trailer that's just 22.5' long. :E The solution is simple - I use a triple stack of 2x, each stack being 6" tall, effectively bringing ground level under the coupler up by 18". Multiple stacks rather than one single stack allows me to unhitch / hitch up in stages, using a tripod stand under the A frame in stages to achieve this.

Thanks for the picture. Is there a specific tripod stand you would recommend. I tried searching for them but kept coming up with results only for a 5th wheel.

Also for the load requirement for a tripod stand, would I just use the trailer tongue weight as the minimum I would need?

Thanks again.

[Shani]

Thank you everyone for the feedback, it is much appreciated.

[stevemorris]

jack stands under the A frame

raise the trailer as high as possible, put two jack stands under the A frame, raise the jack up, add wood blocks, raise the trailer more

do not put jackstands under the trailer frame, only under the A frame

I've been doing this for several years, my driveway is too steep to level the trailer any other way

[WNYBob]

I think the OP wants to know how to raise the tongue higher than the jack can be extended.

I would get or make a tall jack that can be put on the A frame near the jack, and then raise your jack an put more blocks under it and raise again.

I would also put blocks under your stabilizers, remember stabilizers are not me to be JACKS.

[Tvov]

Soundguy has an excellent picture for good wheel chocks. Make sure the trailer can't move!

I would prefer to not use the stabilizer jacks for holding the weight of the trailer, even though I agree with dodgeguy. Try using wood blocks under the A-frame of the tongue if you don't have a tripod as Soundguy posted. As you lift the trailer, put blocks (4x4, 6x6, I have found 6x8 to work well because you can just flip them around for different heights) under the tongue's A frame, lower the trailer, retract the tongue jack, then add more blocks under the tongue jack to then lift the trailer higher.

After you figure out your best way to raise the trailer, then cut custom pieces of wood to fit as you are raising the trailer so you aren't balancing different pieces of wood each time. Label the wood, and don't use them for anything else so they are always available when you need them.

After saying all this, it might be better to just buy an adjustable tripod that fits under the hitch.

Or you can do something entirely different, lol. Just be safe!