By Tony Barthel
Automatic leveling systems have come a long way, and some travel trailers have seven-point automatic leveling systems. However, you can save many thousands of dollars and simplify your RV experience with a set of leveling wedges instead.
I like to write about products I’ve found that I use regularly on the road, and these Andersen levelers are one of those products. Effectively, they’re just a curved plastic wedge device. But, in practice, they really make setting up camp a simple affair.
Last year, I was on a business-related camping trip where I had to set our Rockwood travel trailer up in windy, rainy, miserable conditions. The campsite I was assigned was about as level as a politician on the campaign trail. Fortunately, I had my Andersen levelers with me. I had previously applied bubble level gauges to the front and side of my travel trailer.
How to use Andersen levelers
Basically, I just backed the trailer onto the Andersen wedge until the bubble level indicated that I was level side-to-side. Simple. From that point on, you use the trailer’s tongue jack to level it front to back and then set your stabilizer jacks.
Unless you’re moving slowly, you can have camp ready in just a few minutes with this methodology. It’s pretty great.
The Andersen wedges are relatively foolproof, starting about 1/2” thick on one end and going up to 4” thick on the other. Only once have I come across a paid campsite that was so off-level that I wasn’t sure that it was going to work.
The wedges come with two pieces: the actual wedge that you drive onto, as well as a smaller wedge that you use to lock the larger wedge in place. If you happen to have a two-axle trailer, you’re going to have to get two sets of these. There is a package that includes all four of these pieces.
I’m a huge fan of simple things that my brain can understand. A plastic wedge falls into that category. I know that multi-point automatic leveling systems are becoming more widespread in their availability. But I just love solutions that don’t involve a lot of mechanical wizardry to make them work. I’d prefer plain old crank windows in my pickup, which are impossible to find.
Are there alternative levelers if these don’t work?
While my trailer only has a single axle, most have two. There have been more than a few people who have complained that the Andersen wedges don’t fit well between the two wheels of two-axle trailers. While Andersen says that you can cut the tip off one of the levels to make their product fit better, Camco Manufacturing has come out with a level that is similar to the Andersen product that will fit well in two-axle trailers.
Camco’s solution has a rubber surface on one side to avoid slipping. I’m told their product works really well.
Either way, these simple wedges can make a big difference when you’re setting up camp and want to get to those beers in the fridge or those fish in the stream. Oh, my record for going from a trailer attached to the pickup truck to camp setup and a beer in hand is seven minutes—thanks to the simplicity of these levelers.
Another thing I like about the Andersen version of these is that you can set them on their side and put your tongue jack into them. (Sorry. Something about that sentence just seems naughty.) So, they seem to have multiple uses.
Since they work with almost any RV configuration, they’re definitely a core component of any camping setup.
You can buy these levelers here for a totally worth-it price.
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RVT1260
Only issue I have had with the Andersen Levelers is the footprint is small and they sink into a soft surface more readily than the square yellow blocks. Otherwise, great product!
Have had them for about 8 years and love them! Setting up and leveling is so easy.
I cannot recommend them highly enough. Only once have I needed to have something extra to drive up onto first, and that spot was so out-of-level that it was crazy.
If you ever venture off road, another good alternative that serves 2 purposes, is auto traction pads that will get you out of sand or mud, but can also serve levelling pads, because they fold up in sections to offer different levelling thicknesses.
Amazon.com: Pinto, Inc GoTreads Emergency Automotive Traction Tool – 2-Pack (Orange) : Automotive
$100 for 4 chunks of plastic seems excessive, so although interested, I never purchased a set. About a year ago, on the strong recommendation of a friend, I bit the bullet and bought a set. No regrets! I love them. The ease of use and time savings over the last year have been worth the expense.
We bought a pair of these ‘roll-ons’ many years ago, but not Anderson. They are hard, HARD rubber. They actually work well but are SO heavy I quit bringing them. Now we use them at home if we have to use our home dump station. I lift up the side opposite the dump valves to help completely dump our tanks. Then I bought two hard plastic ‘ramps’ with two levels. I was 500 miles away from home when I bought them so I was unable to see if they’d fit between my axles. They don’t! I hesitate to ‘cut-to-fit’ for fear of reducing the strength and integrity of the cut end. So now I just use them for raising the rear of the truck to raise the front of our trailer in a quick one-night-stay without having to disconnect.
i have a level indicator (level mate pro) that tells me how far each corner is off
how could i use these to make the necessary adjustments?
currently i use 3/4″ rubber mats cut to size & insert the # required, but i have to carry quite a few (dual rears) and they are heavy
I also have level mate pro and using these levelers makes it really easy to set up.
Mark, these ramps don’t level all four corners, just side-to-side. Using the app that works with your LevelMate, you can creep your rv forwards and back while watching the app on your phone until it shows you’re level side-to-side. Then you level front to back using your front landing gear. LevelMate does the same thing Tony is doing with bubble levels, but electronically. In fact, my comment was going to be I love my leveling ramps, but I also love my LevelMate Pro!
Camco levelers and a Level Mate Pro make it easy for me and my 2017 Flagstaff 25KS!
I hated the Andersen levelers, due to the slick surface they slide on grass, dirt, gravel and most any surface. The other brands have a surface that grips.
Not to mention the owner of the company caught defacing our National Parks.
Tim nailed it; the vandalism of our National Parks is incomprehensible and inexcusable. I will NEVER buy anything from that family or their company.
I went with Beach Lane levels – similar design but I think a bit better. He did make a public apology, and I appreciate that. However it still speaks to character.
Same here plus their customer service is outstanding! The zipper broke on my Beech Lane Bag, and I emailed them about it. They asked me to send my Amazon receipt, and sent me a new one! These plus my Level Mate Pro make it so easy to setup my trailer!
Anderson levelers are probably alright on hard ground. But when I tried to use them on softer ground (I guess that was the reason) they broke and were no longer usable and the Company did not stand behind them.
I broke several and just gave up on them. They would crack at the ‘belly button’
We have broken a couple of them on gravel surfaces, but the company has honored their warranty and replaced them free of charge. Can’t ask for better than that.
I’ve only been using the Anderson levelers for one season, but I haven’t had any issues with them. Combined with the Level Mate Pro, I can level from the driver’s seat.
My latest addition is a snap pad for my tongue jack, which will eliminate placing a board beneath it. Anything that can make it easier/quicker when it’s rainy, dark, cold, or just after a long day!
You’ve got it figured out – that Level Mate Pro is a great addition to any RV!
Just be sure that whatever you use to support your tires they are at least as wide as the tire tread so you do not have any part of the tread hanging over the side of the support. This can cause internal structural damage.
I have the Andersen set up and they work great on rough surfaces. Get them on smooth asphalt or concrete and the hard plastic slides along like they were on wheels. That’s my only issue.
They come with a thin rubber pad so use it…
That pad must be new. I like that idea! I’ve had my setup for 8+ years. I solved slippage by just kicking the wedge solidly under where the tire meets the surface.
These things are amazing! When we were camping for three weeks in Michigan, we used these multiple times. I don’t know what we would have done without them.
I’ve had the Andersen set for 3 years and love them. I have used them many times on gravel, asphalt and concrete with no issues. I have not used them on grass that I can remember so I will not comment on grass. They are simple, easy to install and to remove. I also like the fact that I can make very small adjustments to get as level as practical. I recommend them.
I’ve used both the Anderson’s and Camco’s. I prefer the Camco’s and that’s what we’re using currently. I did not like that I had to cut the Anderson’s and they were heavy and tended to slip on some surfaces. We actually got one stuck in between the tires and had to use a big rubber mallet to hit it out. The Camco’s are light weight, no cutting and have never had one slip.
Had a set of Anderson wedges. After a year they fell apart . Broken everywhere. Contacted Anderson, they wouldn’t do anything about it.
Beech Lane has a lifetime no-questions-asked warranty, but you do have to produce your receipt.
Whatever you use for leveling be sure they are wider than the contact patch of your tires in both width and length and that you are centered. Having the tire tread hang over the edges can result in high internal stress that can initiate a belt separation (blowout) many miles later.
I have pictures showing what NOT to do on my blog https://www.rvtiresafety.net/search/label/Leveling%20blocks
Anderson Levelers work even better when you install the Levelmate Pro to use in conjunction! My wife and I have the camper level and set up in no time.
I tried Anderson levelers, but they slipped on the ground and were heavy. Not to mention that I had to cut one. I prefer the yellow Camco version and never an issue. No cutting and they are light weight which is a plus.
I use the Beech Lane version of the curved leveler along with this electronic leveling system (it is far more reliable than the ones that use your phone as the receiver).
I start into a site, stop and turn on the transmitter inside the trailer, and very slowly continue into a site. When I hit a spot that is level, I stop (a few inches can make a huge difference). If I don’t hit a level spot, I reverse direction, move to a spot as close as I can get, get out and set the curved leveler – – behind or in front of the wheel as the site dictates. I get back in the car and move watching the meter in front of me. Stop when level. Much faster than a 2nd person looking at a bubble.
Bingo. Exactly what I do!
I use the yellow leveler which has worked great but there were a couple of times where after a rain there was a layer of mud over the asphalt. The levelers just slid instead of rotating. I solved that by buying a couple of cheap floor mats. We do have some of the stacking blocks that we use in case we have a flat. We stack enough under the good tire to raise the flat.
Thank you for the product review and endorsement, Tony. Have a great weekend and safe travels!