How to Level Your Travel Trailer
An unlevel travel trailer isn't the biggest problem in the world, but like having one ear that won't pop after getting off a plane, it makes everything feel a little off. If you're in the shower, water can pool away from the drain, and if you're trying to sleep, you could end up sliding down to one side. Let's be honest, it's annoying.
Learning how to level a travel trailer is a basic but important skill to master for anyone who wants to own one. Not to worry. This brief guide, brought to you by Sumner RV, will teach you the basics of leveling your trailer. If you need leveling chocks or repairs for your RV, don't hesitate to stop by our service center in Poulsbo, Washington!
Choose a Location
The first thing to learn about leveling a travel trailer is how to not make it hard on yourself. You can go a long ways to having a level trailer by simply being picky with where you park your trailer. Try to find a spot that's got enough flat ground to park your trailer. Just make sure that ground isn't right next to the campfire or under an unstable tree!
Level Side-to-Side
Once you've chosen your spot, start the leveling process. Park your trailer about a foot in a half in front of where you want it to eventually sit. Take a level and measure the lateral level (from one side to the other) of your trailer at the tongue. This should give you a good indication of which side you need to elevate in order to make things level. Place boards or RV leveling blocks at the appropriate height behind the wheels and then back the trailer up onto the boards. You might not get it quite right the first time, so make sure to keep the trailer hooked up until you've got it right.
Chock it Up
Now that the trailer is level from side to side, you'll want to keep it that way by making sure the wheels don't move. Use wheel chocks, bricks, or more boards in front and back of each wheel to keep them from moving. Place the chocks in direct contact with the wheels so that they can't roll at all.
Unhook from the Trailer
After you chock the wheels, you'll need to unhook your trailer before you can move on to the next step. Remember that you'll need to unhook the trailer, the tow chains, and the wiring harness. An electrical hitch jack makes this process extremely quick and easy, so you might consider upgrading to one if you don't already have one. Then pull your tow vehicle clear and park it somewhere out of the way.
Level Front to Back
Once you've pulled your tow vehicle clear, use the hitch jack to level your trailer from front to back. Remember: you'll need to turn your level 90 degrees from where it sat when you measured the lateral level. You can also use a square, multi-directional level which allows you to measure the level without having to move the device itself. Simply raise or lower the jack until the bubble finds its home in the center of the level.
Stabilize
At this point, your trailer should be level. The only step left is to make sure it stays that way. This is where the stabilizers come in. Located on the four corners of your RV, these small jacks are designed to extend down to the ground to keep the trailer from rocking back and forth or shifting position. These jacks come with their own tool, but some RV owners choose to mount the tool on the front of a power drill to make extending the jacks that much faster. You might be tempted to your stabilizers to level your trailer from the outset, but they aren't designed for this. For one thing, you'll spend your time trying to find level, but you'll have a hard time getting there. It's like trying to level a table at a restaurant by sticking coasters under the leg. You can make it better, but it's never quite right. Plus, these jacks aren't strong enough to actually lift the heavy weight of a camper and you might damage them if you try to.
Hopefully you're prepared to level your own travel trailer now. If you need equipment, tools, or parts for your travel trailer, stop by Sumner RV. We proudly serve Northwestern Washington, including Sumner, Poulsbo, Sequim, Everett, Olympia, Renton, Kent, Tacoma, Silverdale, Remington and Seattle. Stop by today to see why we're the trusted home of RV repair in the area!