Trailer Levelers??? Buy or use wood

[jimmyg75]

Hello, I have been looking at this forum quite a bit since buying our new Jayco. What a great group of people! I have found so much useful information, so much more than we received at our orientation. So it has been years since I was camping as a kid with my parents. My dad would pull the trailer into a spot and let us kids level it up....... At the time I thought he was punishing us but I have realized he was teaching us how to do things on our own.... So the question is...... we always used wood to level. I was out in garage cutting up some pieces to leave in camper and my neighbor showed me what he uses,

http://www.amazon.com/Andersen-3604-...railer+leveler

I was wondering if some of the more experienced travel trailer owners out here use a store bought product use the good ole pieces of wood. this looks like a pretty slick idea and wouldn't take up much space but I was wondering if they are even worth it.

I have also seen a lot of the leveler blocks out there. So many options that I hate to buy all these fancy gadgets and still end up using wood blocks.

[Crabman]

I started with wood but went to Lynx leveling blocks for convenience, weight, and ease of storage. But wood will work just fine.

[Whistler]

x2 with crabman

[Paulx213]

My driveway slopes to one side so a decade ago I cut some left over 2 x6 boards into shorter lengths so I could level my old trailer. They were free, last forever and work really well.

[Big Sky]

We have some Yellow ramps with multiple levels on them that we use. They are light and a very quick level job. This link is to a similar product. Not the exact same thing we use but very close.

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-44573-RV.../dp/B000BUQOFO

[DJL1967]

I just bought these off Amazon. Price was good so I took a chance. Free shipping too! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Brownie]

For my old trailer, I cut a couple of pressure-treated 2x4 scraps. beveled the ends, cut grooves in one, and added 1/2" x 3/4" strips to the other so they'd lock together. Used them for years . . . even after they broke in two. For the new trailer, I picked up a 10-pack of the Trailer Life "Lego"-style leveling blocks. They're real light weight, come with a nice little storage bag, and I figure I can use them under my stabilizing jacks, as well. If you've already got some scrap wood, you might as well use it. But if you're concerned about weight, these are one way you can cut a couple of pounds.

[Threebutchers]

I think you'll find the Lynx Blocks (or similar) product the most popular. They lock together (don't slip), are about as wide as a 2 x 10 and are very versatile. If you have a small single axle camper, they are lighter and take up less storage than treated lumber.

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[s1njin]

This guy has the right idea and I will be using this. A Hybrid approach that addresses all of the positives of Lynx and all of the positives of wood (in this case ply-wood).

http://rvitch.com/forum/index.php?to...7474#msg437474

You take a length of plywood 10" wide and cut it in half. Apply a hinge between the two pieces. Now you have a long piece of plywood that folds in half. Permanently screw a layer of Lynx levers to this, such that the lynx do not interfere w/ the folding of the base. Cut the base long enough so that you can stack a number of Lynx; this depends on your wheel spread and anticipated needs.

I like this idea b/c the Lynx do not shift upon rolling onto them, and the plywood provides for a excellent base for the Lynx and limits cracking. He also has a 2nd separate plywood base created as per the above but w/ no Lynx attached in order to fine tune his leveling side to side.

[Redhorse 823]

Had the wood so no cost for me...
I would say if weight is a concern then use the plastic system

I would stay away from Plywood as they tend to swell, separate and hold water. Use PT lumber.

[Camper_bob]

I use the lynx, but also carry a little lumber for fine-tuning. So far after 5 outings, I've never had to use more than 4 of the lynx blocks, and only use a little lumber under the tongue jack.

[rugerguy]

I'm a carpenter so it's a no brainer for me.I do use ceadar because it is usually lighter in weight than yellow pine 2x's
I cut them in shorter lengths and have an assortment of 2x6's and 1x6's and cut as sharp an agle on the ends as the saw will let me usually about 50 degrees.
I have more 1x's than 2x's because you can allways double stack a 1x but its kind of hard to split a 2x if you only need another 1/2 to 3/4.
I had a friend who carried some 1/2in stuff but I'm not that picky,I'm happy if I can get the bubble betwen the lines.
Not to start a new disscusion but I have figured out that if I add another 1/4" to 1/2" on the street side,when I put the big slide out, it levels up.
so I do have a couple pcs of 1/4" plywood for that purpose.
But then again I am in Kansas and its not hard to find a flat spot .LOL

[s1njin]

Originally Posted by Redhorse 823

Had the wood so no cost for me...
I would say if weight is a concern then use the plastic system

I would stay away from Plywood as they tend to swell, separate and hold water. Use PT lumber.

He uses exterior grade plywood painted on both sides w/ outdoor enamel type paint. He's been doing it this way for years and has not run into any problems. FWIW.

[djalbrec]

I would recommend using wood for leveling my camper. Just make sure that the wood blocks are wide enough so that the entire tire can sit on the wood. You don't want part of your tire hanging off because that will end up breaking the cords. I carry six pieces of 2 x 10's and four pieces of 1 x 10's. I carry them in a milk crate, so they are not sliding all over the storage area. I have never had a problem getting my trailer trouble using this combination of wood. I feel that if I cannot get it level with these pieces, then the site is too far out of level for me to use it. I then move to a different site.

[clubhouse]

I have a combination of both. 2 packs of lynx and 8 2x8 14" with a notch in the middle of one edge. The notch is so I can lock the vertically in a "+" shape and use for the stab jacks. I rarely use wood under the tires, but should I need it I use the 2x8.

I don't take credit for thinking up the "+" for the stabilizers, I borrowed the idea from a post I saw somewhere. The 8 2x8 are great because depending on the site it provides flexibility for each corner to have a nominal 2",4" or 8" of height for the stabilizers to rest on. Reducing stabilizer travel really improves their performance.

[sirrealone]

I switched from wood to Lynx last year. First time out I was having a heck of a time getting the wheels to go up on the blocks. They just kept pushing the blocks back. I finally looked and realized that 'This End Up' meant something. Worked great after that

[rtbreeves]

Originally Posted by jimmyg75

I was out in garage cutting up some pieces to leave in camper and my neighbor showed me what he uses,

http://www.amazon.com/Andersen-3604-...railer+leveler

I was wondering if some of the more experienced travel trailer owners out here use a store bought product use the good ole pieces of wood. this looks like a pretty slick idea and wouldn't take up much space but I was wondering if they are even worth it.

I have these exact same levelers (you will need 2 packs if you have a tandem axle). They are very simple to use -- you just place them in front of the wheels (thin end touching the front of the tire) and simply drive "on" up until the wrig is level side to side (I place a level across the tongue and hit the brakes when the DW says we are level - DW will then place the included chock underneath each leveler so they stay put). When ready to leave the site, simply drive "off" slowly and the leveler will "kick" up and away from the wheel (again, if you have tandem wheels you will want to drive slowly and remove the forward chock as it kicks between the wheels).

I've used both wood blocks and these -- the Andersen Levelers are much much easier and you don't have to "guess" how many blocks to put down (if you guess wrong with wood, then you need to back up, add/subtract blocks, then start all over again - PITA).

Hope this helps

Hope this helps

[s1njin]

I've never seen these Andersons before. They look pretty neat. I was going to buy another 3 bags of Lynx and two BAL dual tire chocks, but maybe 2 of these Andersons and one BAL dual tire chock will fit the bill.

[Tail_gunner]

I use a "leveling board" that I made from pressure treated 2x8. I took one about 6' long and attached with screws some shorter pieces on it that would align with the tires. I've beveled the end where the first tire rolls on top of the board.

If I only need about 1 1/2" of rise to level the trailer, I can park it with the tires between the blocks.


If I need about 3" of rise , I can park the tires on top of the double stack.


And if I need about 4 1/2" of rise, I can place a double stack of blocks screwed together between the blocks on the board.


With the wider, more solid surface of the 2x8 vs a lego block type block, there is a more solid footing in soft soil where the lego block may settle into the ground.

I've never had a problem with the board shooting out from under the tire instead of the tire getting on top of the board. But if one did have a problem, a small length of chain attached to the end of the board would keep that from happening.

On edit: And I also have some 1x8 pressure treated boards that will get me 3/4" amounts of rise for getting the level right if it doesn't fall into increments of 1 1/2"

[mesuezee]

we use lynx levelers and havent had a problem. they were given to us so no cost at all