Suppose you plan to park your trailer for quite some time near a tourist spot, a fishing lake, or even during the summer. One of the questions you probably have in mind is how to level a travel trailer on a permanent site.
You can’t deny that leveling is one of the important processes in parking your travel trailer. It contributes a lot to the stability of every necessary equipment you have inside your trailer and the whole experience of your stay. No one wants to fall on the other side of the bed while sleeping because of unsteady leveling.
In this article, I will discuss everything that you need to know in leveling a travel trailer so you can get going on the road towards your desired spot.
Table of Contents
- The Steps in Leveling a Travel Trailer
- Step 1. Pick and prepare your site.
- Step 2. Inspect your trailer and its level.
- Step 3. Use leveling blocks for your trailer’s tires.
- Step 4. Move the trailer onto the blocks.
- Step 5. Use wheel chocks for your tires to better level your travel trailer.
- Step 6. Lower the tongue jack.
- Step 7. Install the stabilizing jacks.
- Final Thoughts
The Steps in Leveling a Travel Trailer
Step 1. Pick and prepare your site.
Before you begin leveling your travel trailer, it is vital to get the best spot, and here are what you should consider.
The first step in leveling a travel trailer on a permanent site is to ensure that you have the best spot that will give you the most even level. In addition to that, you also have to ensure that this spot is free from any obstacles such as bunches of acorns, rotting branches and twigs, wood, and itchy grasses.
If you are going to stay for the summer or an indefinite time, you might want to find a long concrete platform where you can level.
You will have a more difficult time if the place only offers raw land. In that case, your first task is to find the best terrain where you can level easily, or even a slope where leveling won’t be that much of a challenge. You do not want to level a travel trailer on uneven ground.
Once you have successfully found the best spot for leveling, the next step is to clean, so it becomes free of any debris or stationary objects. Most of the time, parking areas for rental recreational vehicles (RV) are already clean.
But in case you are dealing with an uncontrolled location, make sure to remove branches, twigs, or even tall grass on the spot, especially if you are going to stay permanently or for an indefinite time. Remember that you always start the leveling process by clearing.
Step 2. Inspect your trailer and its level.
Before you even picture your trailer and how well it will sit on your permanent spot, you have to know and understand your trailer’s level first. Most of the time, your trailer itself is already uneven. The best tip to do in this situation is to check your trailer and its orientation first carefully. You must know where it tilts and where it is already stable to make the adjustments during leveling.
Step 3. Use leveling blocks for your trailer’s tires.
If it all comes down to the point where major arrangements are needed to level your travel trailer permanently, you have to level a camper on blocks. You can always place the leveling blocks in front of the tires you need to level, they are designed like solid lego blocks to support your camper at whatever angle it should be elevated on the site.
You can buy these sturdy blocks in most hardware stores and make sure to buy enough because you will need even 5th wheel leveling blocks for a perfectly even travel trailer.
Let’s say you become too excited that you forgot to purchase these lego-like blocks; you can still improvise by gathering a number of pressure-treated lumber. However, the downside of using pieces of wood is that they can be destroyed by water or due to rotting in the long run.
So, if you are going to park your travel trailer permanently for longer than three months, you need to have the proper blocks to secure the wheels to the ground.
Step 4. Move the trailer onto the blocks.
Now, with the help of at least one or two people to guide you, you have to drive your trailer over the leveling blocks. Do this slowly and with care while not over-correcting while backing up. Afterward, secure your wheels using wheel spacers.
Your goal is to make sure that the tires are perfectly fit with the blocks. If your tires do not fit even just by an inch or two, you have no choice but to repeat this step again. You can also position some 10 by 2-inch pieces of wood on the platform where you are going to drop the pointed ending of the trailer blade.
Step 5. Use wheel chocks for your tires to better level your travel trailer.
Wheel chocks are professionally-manufactured tools that you can use to make sure the chock is securely fastened to the unlevel side of the equation. But still, it is a better idea to chock all sides of a tire.
You can purchase these at different hardware stores, so do not forget to include these on your list together with the leveling blocks. What if you, again, forgot to buy wheel chocks? Can wood be a better replacement?
Yes, but only for a few months, two to three to be exact. Wood can still be damaged due to splitting and water absorption, which can also destroy your tire a little bit. That is why the best strategy is to invest in proper tools.
Check our list on the top-rated wheel chock on the market here!
Step 6. Lower the tongue jack.
Before you lower the tongue jack, take some time to grab a piece of lumber or a big paving stone where the tongue jack can rest, so it does not sink into the soil in the long run. Place a level near the travel trailer’s center or at the door’s threshold.
While slowly cranking the tongue down, keep an eye on the position of the bubble or assign someone to observe it.
Step 7. Install the stabilizing jacks.
Since your goal is to place your RV level evenly on a permanent site, it is best to use stabilizing jacks at your camper’s four corners.
Some travel trailers already include them, while others sell them separately. If you don’t have any stabilizing jacks, you could want to look in the automotive sector for some jack stands. Or you can also refer to this article about RV stabilizer jacks, it will save you time in finding the right stabilizer jacks for your needs.
They’re made to keep the travel trailer from wobbling or swaying to one side or the other. When you walk about, you’ll hear fewer squeaks, and the tongue jack won’t have to undergo as much stress.
Final Thoughts
Now, that’s how to level a travel trailer on a permanent site. Knowing how to level a travel trailer requires maximum effort to ensure that it is done correctly the first time around.
While you can improvise and use logs to level your tires, it is best to buy leveling stabilizing jocks, wheel chocks, and leveling blocks before you hit the road.
Did you enjoy all the information I have shared in this article? If so, do not forget to share this to other people and keep an eye for our next helpful article!
Okay, so I’m Philip Lopez. I join Riverside Trailer as an editor, where I will be doing research for both content and reviews. I contribute to studies aimed at understanding the most typical problems encountered by RVers on the road. I also keep up with the newest RVing gadget innovations so that I can promptly evaluate and recommend the best options.