By Cheri Sicard
Jared Gillis of All About RVs, one of our readers’ favorite RV YouTube channels, is here to talk about something that every RVer has to do. Without a doubt, how to level your RV is one of the first skills you should master, as it’s important for comfort and for your RV’s functionality.
Why is it important to level your RV?
Your RV’s refrigerator likely works off absorption, and in order for it to work properly, it should never be more than 2 degrees off from level.
When parking, it’s important to level from side to side first. And always remember, your stabilizer jacks are there to provide stability. They should not be used to level the RV or to hold significant weight.
Jared says that over the years they have used many methods of leveling, including wooden boards and various commercial levelers. The method he now uses is what they have found works best for them. The process is now quick and easy, thanks to two tools.
Jared likes Andersen wedge levelers, which he demos in the video. I, too, have recently become a fan of this style of leveler, although I like the Rophor brand as they needed no trimming to work with my double-axle trailer.
How to level an RV: There’s an app for that!
Jared also uses an electronic gadget and app called the LevelMatePRO that tells you to the degree how much you need to level side to side or front to back.
I can’t say I have ever gotten so high-tech about it, but if you like such gadgets, I can certainly see how it would be helpful. Especially if you are a boondocker, as the app lets you drive around to choose the most level spots as it tracks the situation as you move.
Watch the video to see how it works and how easy it is to install.
Once you have installed and set up your baseline parameters, the app will help you level to those specifications each and every time, no matter where you park.
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RVDT2790
I had issues with the Anderson levelers slipping on the ground as I was trying to drive up on them. Plus they are heavy. I switched to the yellow Camco levelers and not a single issue with them. No slipping, lightweight and no cutting to get them to fit between the tires.
I switched from Camco to Beach Lane leveler. The rubber mat avoids slipping on both loose gravel or pavement. I also sold my LevelMate Pro. It worked well, but changing batteries was a pain as was connecting to a phone based receiver app. I replaced it with this leveler and love it. Dedicated fast connect receiver, and USB charging for both transmitter and receiver.
I back or pull onto the leveler (if I need one) from the driver’s seat; carry the receiver out to the hitch and level from the tongue jack after unhitching. Mounted bubble levels are now just my backup.
We have a truck camper, and use the LevelMate Pro. I find it ideal because it lets me know precisely how many inches of levelling I need to put under each wheel. The ability to drive around a proposed camp site (we do a lot of boondocking) while monitoring the “levelness” of the rig is very useful. We use a combination of 3/4” plywood pads, lengths of 2×6 and Lynx levelling blocks to level. The plywood pads are often required due to the uneven nature or softness of the ground and provide a large base for the other levellers to sit on (we have a dually and the plywood pads are large enough for both rear tires to sit on). Once we are level, I drop the camper jacks for stability.
There are many free leveling apps for your smartphone. Some are part of a “toolbox.”