Andersen Levellers

[bankr63]

I thought it would be good to give a quick review of the Andersen Levellers now that I have been using them for a couple of years. I still consider them an essential part of my camping gear, and they are my “go to first” option for levelling, but I have found a couple of situations where they are ineffective, and I go back to my Lego blocks.

In general they are very easy to use, and you can hit level on the first shot, assuming that the site is not too off kilter. I have had a couple of situations where I needed more lift than the Andersen provided, and had to add Lego’s under the Andersens for extra height.

Also, I have a tight wheelbase, so did have to cut the toes off them to get them to fit. Unfortunately our new Maxxis tires are just a bit taller than the old Goodyear rubber, so they are back to being very tight now, but I can get them in place with a bit of convincing. A warning if you are going to cut them with a power saw; get ready for the biggest pink snowstorm you have ever seen. Use a dust collection system if you have one.

The first situation where they do not work well at all for us is in very soft sandy soil. At our favorite lakeside camping spot, I find that the levellers will sink down into the soft ground as much as they lift the TT. So they might dig in 1 to 1.5 inches as you back onto them. That only leaves about 1.5 of maximum lift, which is not enough. I think a slightly wider design might help this issue – because of the rounded shape, the contact patch is actually fairly small. The workaround here is the same as above, put something flat under to distribute the weight.

The second situation occurred this summer. We have had a pretty wet summer up in Eastern Ontario, and our favorite local CG has become pretty muddy. On our last outing, I could not get the trailer up onto the Andersens at all. They would just slide in the mud behind the TT tires. After a few attempts going forward and backward, we gave up and switched to the Lego’s. It would be nice if there was a bit of tread on the bottom of the levelers to add grip on slippery surfaces.

I still like them more than blocks because of the full variable lift; you don’t have to guess how many blocks you need, or retry if you guessed wrong. That can be a great time saver when they are working well. I don’t think you can just turf out your other levelling solutions though; sometimes it takes a combo of things to get the TT level.

Given the opportunity, I would buy them again, but would love to see an "improved" version.

[RogerR]

I have really loved mine. With a single axel I only need one. Have not had the sinking problem you have had.

I did manage to break off 4 inches from the end. Called Andersen, sent a picture in a text message and got a new one free in mail. Really great customer service.

They also now have a rubber mad to prevent slippage on concrete or smooth surfaces.

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by RogerR

They also now have a rubber mad to prevent slippage on concrete or smooth surfaces.

So they do! Don't think I saw that 2 years ago. $5 online direct from Andersen seems pretty reasonable.

I'm not sure how well it will work in mud, but adding it to my wish list anyway. It looks to be a bit wider than the leveler, I might try it for the soft surface problem too if it is at all rigid.

[RogerR]

The rubber mat is just that, rubber.
About as stiff as a floor mat or carpet square.

[Beartooth]

Originally Posted by RogerR

I have really loved mine. With a single axel I only need one. Have not had the sinking problem you have had.

I did manage to break off 4 inches from the end. Called Andersen, sent a picture in a text message and got a new one free in mail. Really great customer service.

They also now have a rubber mad to prevent slippage on concrete or smooth surfaces.

I use a rubber horse stall mat that I cut down to 12”x12” to stack (with the LEGO type blocks) if I need some extra height. They might help with mud and sand also. You can get something like a 4’x6’ for about $29.00 or so at TSC. You can cut to any size you want, they cut easy with a razor knife (box cutter) with a new blade. I even use two 6’x12” strips to park the camper on while at home on my concrete driveway to get the tires off the ground.

[01tundra]

We loved our Andersen leveler, but since we typically camp in State Parks that can be very non-level it just didn't provide enough lift at times.

Easy fix was to buy the Andersen Rapid Jack #3620, it's the same thing as the leveler, only taller and heavier built. Works wonderful on our single axle TT as a leveler and gives us a couple inches more lift for those really out of level spots that we sometimes find ourselves in. The Rapid Jack also comes with the thin rubber pad for smooth/slick surfaces to prevent slippage.