By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Joshua from Gander Flight takes a look at RV ramp levelers, also known as wedge levelers; shows you how they work and how to use them; and gives his opinion on whether or not this particular RV accessory is worth it.
As you probably already know, leveling your RV from side to side is important, especially if you are running a propane refrigerator. If you always park in paved, level campgrounds this is never an issue. But if you venture onto not-so-even terrain, you already know that side-to-side leveling can be somewhat challenging.
Introducing ramp levelers. Joshua covers all the details of this RV gadget that makes leveling easy, along with a demonstration of how these wedge levelers work.
The ramps go from 1/2 inch at the short end, to 4 inches at the tall end. If you are off-level more than 4 inches, then you may need a board or two under the RV ramp levelers. However, for most situations, the wedge levelers on their own will be enough.
Leveling your trailer with ramp levelers is simple. You simply roll your tires onto the ramp. Because of the design of the ramps, you can stop your roll at any point, allowing you to dial in the perfect level. You then use the second wedge (also included) to chock the ramp. Easy!
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What kinds of RV ramp levelers are best?
Andersen seems to be the most common brand (and one Tony Barthel has recommended).
However, in the video, Joshua compares the Andersen levelers to another brand, Beech Lane.
Andersen RV Ramp levelers vs. Beech Lane Wedge levelers
What Joshua discovered was that while both brands work well, the lesser-known Beech Lane brand was actually better in a few ways.
The one exception when you might want to opt for Andersen levelers is if you only need a single leveler, as Beech Lane only comes as a pair.
So what made Beech Lane RV ramp levelers better?
- They are rated to hold 5,000 pounds more weight than Andersen (35,000 pounds as opposed to 30,000).
- Andersen is rated up to a 32-inch tire; Beech Lane has no upper-level tire specs.
- The Beech Lane wedge levelers and chocks were sturdier and had more internal support structure than Andersen.
- Beech Lane has a better/easier warranty. Andersen offers a lifetime warranty but the customer must submit photos of the defective product and pay for shipping. Beech Lane offers a 100% no-hassle warranty. If it’s not what you expected, didn’t perform like you wanted, or it broke—it’s covered for ONE full replacement with free shipping or a full refund.
- A pair of Beech Lane levelers cost about half the price of the Andersen levelers and they come with a pair of handy rubber mats that make it easier to level on gravel or slippery surfaces.
Check out the video to see just how easy it is to use RV ramp levelers, regardless of which brand you choose.
*Disclaimer: This video does not necessarily indicate the views of Cheri Sicard or RVtravel.com. Please take all information with a grain of salt and do your own research.Â
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I use the Beech Lane levelers along with the Level Mate Pro app for my 5th wheel. Just pull up or back into my site, look at the app on my phone to see which side is low, stick the levelers behind the wheels on that side, then back up the trailer until the app says I’m level side to side. Easy peasy.
That sounds like the perfect way to use those two tools in combination Jim! I have my eye on a digital level indicator – might be an upcoming video to compare the two of those as well! — Happy Trails, Joshua
I found that 16×16 rubber pavers from Lowe’s cut in half and stacked make perfect, easy to use levelers. I have the Beech Lane as well as some 2×8 boards but nothing is as quick and easy as the rubber pavers, takes mere seconds and they don’t slip, crack or move on any surface. When you push the stack against the curve of the tire it makes a stair step and the tire just walks up. I used my 2x8s for firewood and stashed the Beech Lanes in the garage to make room for a stack of rubber pavers which is all I carry now.
Wow, great tip. Thanks for sharing. Going to get some for sure.
Interesting … what do you think the weight addition is between the ubiquitous plastic leveling blocks and a square of the rubber pavers? Is it something you’d have 20 of available for leveling purposes, or would the weight be prohibitive? – Joshua
I keep a dozen which is plenty for my small motorhome (6 pavers cut in 1/2) Not sure of the weight but the Beech Lanes are quite heavy, the weight of my dozen is probably similar to a pair of those. The plastic levelers are very light weight but easily crushed by my motorhome which is what led me to look for something else.
Are we overthinking these levelers? I use a 2″ x 10″ plank under my wheels. Low tech, no plastic, and cheap.
No, I don’t think so. The ramp levelers are incremental, meaning you can get precise levels – not just increments of 1.5 inches with each piece of wood. And we’ve stayed places that we needed a good 6 inches of lift — had to combine the plastic leveling blocks AND the ramp levelers to get the rig leveled. – Joshua
Again, I absolutely agree with you on this one Josh.
Question—-which one came first? The appear identical except for the Beech Lane ones having an X design inside the largest hole. Who stole the other’s idea? Personally, we have the Anderson leveler and for our needs, it is perfect. When I ordered it for him for Christmas about 10 years ago, he was skeptical. The first time we used it, SOLD! 100%. On only very rare occasions have we required to use a piece of wood with it and even then, it continues to be a simple process. Quick and slick. But my initial question still remains…….hmmm.
No clue as to which came first – but in my opinion it doesn’t matter. If company A has a product that company B improves upon, and it turns out to be better – I’m buying the better product, even if they were not the first to market. You don’t not buy a motorhome from Newmar just because Ford was the first to make a motorhome, you buy the best product that fits your needs. My $0.02. – Joshua
I could not agree more Josh.
Proof reader must be on coffee break, there is a 5000 lb weight rating difference, not 500 lb.
My apologies and thanks for letting me know. I will correct it.
I just fixed it. Sorry, Cheri. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
No, my fault. Thank you Diane.
Since I don’t drink coffee, or take breaks, I must have been snoozin’. Thanks, Bob. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Beech lane appears to do the same job,with a much lower price and superior warranty it’s simple decision for me.
Solved a problem we have in this video – cut off the end to make it shorter to fit between the wheels! Ty
Yes, and most folks don’t know that you can do that on these style levelers – in reality you’d only need to cut one ramp and be able to leave the other whole, unless you have a triple axle. – Joshua