Leveling question for someone smarter than myself...

[TandT]

I have been RVing for 30 years and leveling has never been much of an issue. Usually a quick process.

This BH is so big and long that when I move a bubble around inside or outside the trailer, every spot is on a different plane. Don't know exactly where a level spot is inside the trailer.

Why doesn't Heartland, or any mfgr. put a sticker somewhere in the coach that they determine is a good spot to level, to a least get everything close to level. (On a coach by coach basis when they roll of the line.) They could have a known level pad and just find a level plane inside based on that. Place a sticker that says LEVEL HERE. Or, place levels inside or outside the unit at the factory. The whole premise of parking an RV is to have it level. Seems simple enough, but I've never seen it.

I know in the past they always said the refer. was the spot. In this unit the refer is in a slide so it seems to tilt back ever so slightly. If I level the refer the rest of the coach seems slightly out of whack.

 

[kakampers]

Everybody does it differently...for us I use the bubble levels on the outside of the each, front to back and side to side, to get it close to what is supposedly level...then I go inside and check the bathroom door. If I can open it, and it "stays" where I put it...it's level!!! Works for us, and we live in it!

 

[JohnDar]

I use the kitchen counter near the sink to check. If that's level in both directions, I'm done. The JT LVL-1 you asked about, although a PITA, seems to work there. So will a spirit level.

 

[boatdoc]

Diana puts a 2' level on the sink counter in our 3670 and I do the outside work. I DO NOT let her say "good enough" because in a day or 2 it won't be. What ever you do, let her make the call on level. She stores the level in the closet next to the front door so she's always got it handy and no, I don't use it for anything else.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

I agree with everyone. I have several areas that are different. Cabinet doors, WC door, kitchen floor, none are exactly the same. I tried to get a happy medium among the kitchen/living area floors and the bedroom floor. When I got that, I applied the levels outside. One on the side and one under the bedroom over hang. Both are viewable while we are operating the landing gear. I use the graduated type levels that tell you how many inches are needed to be added. My front to rear level also has a sliding marker that you position on the bubble when your rig is at the height to unhook the truck. When you go to hook up, raise the rig to the slider and yu're at the right height to get under it. No guesswork involved.(unless someone moves the marker).

 

[rustyshakelford]

Newbie question but what's the tolerance for leveling? I have some blocks but haven't used them yet. It's been close enough for us to still be comfortable. Nothing to extreme but noticeable. I get the front to back level by placing a 2' level on the basement floor but haven't messes with the side to side leveling.

Also, how do you level with hydraulic landing gear? It seems I run the legs down, they go until they reach resistance. Then the other leg comes down. Once it hits the ground they go in unison. Seems they would follow the contour of the land and could not be used for leveling.

Thx

Brett

 

[Birchwood]

To level my Pinehurst I use a 2 ft carpenters level on the floor just inside the main door.Check side to side first to see if blocking is required under the tires.Once its level side to side I turn the level on the floor and level end to end with the front landing gear.
On my rig if it shows level in both directions all doors will stay in position.I have a number of 1in and 2 in thick boards I use under the tires if required.

 

[TedS]

I used the floor to find level with a 2-ft level, side-to-side and front-to-back then apply outside level bubbles. I found it close enough, half a bubble for the refrigerator, but more important, 'feels' comfortable when walking and sleeping. With a bullseye, the bubble is inside the inner circle. I did have a level mounted to the hitch box of the previous trailer so I could see side-to-side as I parked the trailer. I am going to put one on this BH. Use the landing gear for front-to-back level.
Rustyshakelford, the landing gear conforms to the uneven side-to-side under the legs and only provides up and down for front-to-back level.

 

[JohnDar]

Newbie question but what's the tolerance for leveling? I have some blocks but haven't used them yet. It's been close enough for us to still be comfortable. Nothing to extreme but noticeable. I get the front to back level by placing a 2' level on the basement floor but haven't messes with the side to side leveling.

Also, how do you level with hydraulic landing gear? It seems I run the legs down, they go until they reach resistance. Then the other leg comes down. Once it hits the ground they go in unison. Seems they would follow the contour of the land and could not be used for leveling.

Thx

Brett

If you only have front hydraulic jacks and the standard electric rear stabilizers, then you will need to place boards or blocks under the tires on the low side to level it side to side. The front jacks will only give you level front to rear. In that situation, before unhitching, you check your side to side level, add material under the low side tires to raise it to level (requires moving the trailer back and forth until you get it there). Once that's good, then you can drop the front gear and get the front to back level set. Then drop the rear stabilizers. A trick to get the trailer stable is to find front to rear level, then drop the nose about 3/4" and then set the rear stabilizers firm to the ground. Then raise the nose back to level.

If you have hydraulics jacks in the rear (or the electric Rieco-Titans), then you can use the front and rear jacks on the low side in unison to get the side to side leveling, without jockeying the trailer and putting down lumber or blocks.

 

[ziggy]

Diana puts a 2' level on the sink counter in our 3670 and I do the outside work. I DO NOT let her say "good enough" because in a day or 2 it won't be. What ever you do, let her make the call on level. She stores the level in the closet next to the front door so she's always got it handy and no, I don't use it for anything else.

Glad to see she got you trained Gary. I hate it when Mark moves my tools and doesn't put them back. LOL
Kristy

 

[hillsonwheels]

Rustyshakelford.......Have read and can't remember where (Must be like Dolly Parton. I'm suffering with CRS!) that in order for the refrigerater to operate properly, your coach needs to be within a half bubble of level side to side and front to back. Our level up system sure took the guess work and stress out of the side to side leveling. My bride may not have to divorce me after all.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Rustyshakelford.......Have read and can't remember where (Must be like Dolly Parton. I'm suffering with CRS!) that in order for the refrigerater to operate properly, your coach needs to be within a half bubble of level side to side and front to back. Our level up system sure took the guess work and stress out of the side to side leveling. My bride may not have to divorce me after all.

thanks for all the info. I was wondering what the adverse affects of not being level were. So far i think were are good to go. I will need to practice leveling some more and maybe can pick up some hands on pointers at the spring tx rally were going to in April.

thanks and have a great day

brett

 

[Bob&Patty]

Ken and Kathy's potty room door is the best way to test for level. It will tell up or down...front to back. I use the door trick if I think I have screwed up.

 

[DougS]

As Dick said, level is best done on the bottom of the freezer. The refrigerator has an anti rust element in the fluid that if not level could boil and turn hard and block the tubes. Over time the refrigerator could stop cooling. When the units are made, don't assume the refrigerator is set perfect in the rig.
What I have always done is to level the rig to the freezer once and when it was perfect, I then mount small levels on the outside of the rig on two corners. I then use the two new levels when setting up in a site. Hope this helps. Most refrigerator owners manuals cover the importance of a level refrigerator.

 

[nscaler2]

We use a level placed right on the cooking grids of the stove. I don't like my eggs to run to one side of the pan.

 

[TXBobcat]

Everybody does it differently...for us I use the bubble levels on the outside of the each, front to back and side to side, to get it close to what is supposedly level...then I go inside and check the bathroom door. If I can open it, and it "stays" where I put it...it's level!!! Works for us, and we live in it!

This is exactly how I use to level my Bighorn. Then I also got an Auto Leveling system. No sweat now.

BC

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

We use a level placed right on the cooking grids of the stove. I don't like my eggs to run to one side of the pan.

My wife solved that problem easily. Scrambled!

 

[Wharton]

We do what Ray does. Initially figured out level for trailer based on refrig. Then place sis to side and front to back graduated bubble levels on the trailer. Have used the same method for many years, works fine.

 

[lwmcguir]

We do what Ray does. Initially figured out level for trailer based on refrig. Then place sis to side and front to back graduated bubble levels on the trailer. Have used the same method for many years, works fine.

Have done it ths way since the first Excel camper was made. Worked for us as well.

 

[davebennington]

The leveling problem makes me laugh sometime because if I level our coach with the refrig, then the shower won't drain and if you try to comprise between the shower and the refrig the cook top or the counter tops is not level. Bottom line I just try to strike a level between the refrig and the shower and let it go at that as long as I don't roll out of bed at night because the slope is to great everything is OK.