leveling

[Vanderpooch]

Curious what everyone uses to level their rigs for the night.

This is what i have found so far:

http://www.lynxlevelers.com/lynx_levelers.html

http://www.northwestexpeditions.com/ramps.htm

thoughts, suggestions?
What do you use?

 

[BenG]

I use some 2x6 about 2 foot long ,have six of them and just stack ontop of each other as needed that makes easy ramp to drive up, and when one splits there used for fire starter

 

[chnlisle]

Usually this.

 

[chnlisle]

Sometimes this.

 

[HERR42]

i carry the lynx product...a number of the other folks do as well.
lightweight, easy to store, smaller than a cubic foot in their carrying case.

 

[craig333]

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/rv-leveling-blocks/4155

Actually I rarely level my truck. I try and get relatively level front to back and then don't worry too much about side to side. I just sleep whichever way gets my head uphill.

 

[EdoHart]

I carry the Links and a piece of 2x8x8 redwood, though the primary reason for the latter is to place under the jack if I need to change a tire on soft ground.

 

[Alaskan Snowbirds]

Curious what everyone uses to level their rigs for the night....thoughts, suggestions?
What do you use?

VP,

I originally intended to get some ramps similar to the ones you gave a link to (like yours better, the ones I was looking at were flat instead of curved to fit the tire) but in our constant battle against "stuff" we held off and have been happy using the chnlisle levelers. They've never failed and always fit in with the surrounding environment

Happy Trails!
'birds

 

[chnlisle]

http://www.bobhatch.com/mhPages/levelingBlocks.htm This guy made his own. They're pretty nifty and wont break like those plastic Chinese legos.

 

[Jack]

Made a 3 1/2 day trip back from Portland to LA through SE Oregon, NW Nevada and then down the eastern side of the Sierras. Found a gem of a campground 12mi NW of Bishop. Horton Creek BLM, $5 night, BYOW (no water). Oh, and note the environmentally conscious leveling devices.

 

[MarkBC]

I thought I'd revive this old thread (from before my time) to ask:
Has anyone ever built leveling ramps out of metal?
...like maybe from aluminum angle or channel combined with expanded metal...something like that?

My leveling ramps -- what I drive up on to make the truck level-ish when camped -- for the past several years have been 2x10s and now 2x6s, 6 total, 2 each of 3 different lengths that can be stacked to give me up to 4.5 inches (or whatever 3 times the thickness of a 2x6 is) of leveling lift under two wheels.
These are a very inexpensive solution, and get the job done...but seems like something based on light-but-strong metal would be lighter and, possibly, nestable for storage.

I should mention that I have neither equipment nor skill to do any metal work myself (other than simple cuts in soft metal), so this isn't a natural way to go for me...but still, it's a vision that I've had for a couple of years, and I wondered if anyone else had had a similar vision and made it real, or if anyone had seen something lightweight (that's the whole point) commercially available.

The plastic ramps, like the Lynx product, would seem to meet my lightweight goal...but I've read that they eventually break, and I'd need a couple sets or more to get the same leveling range that I have now, and they're not cheap if they break. Users of the Lynx product or similar, please weigh in and tell me, "I've used mine for years and they never fail" if that's the case...or confirm "POS!" if that's the case.

Thanks for any ideas/input along this line.

 

[Lighthawk]

I was using 2x6's but when they split i replaced them with LVL (laminated venner lumber) commonly used on framing sites. It comes in various thicknesses. I think my collection is 1 1/4" or thicker. Got carried away and slapped some primer on them. I carry half a dozen, which can also be used for jacking or mudholes. See post from Memorial Day when i buried the front end in glop.

 

[craig333]

I use these http://www.campingwo...ks-8-pack/43849

I've seen them on sale for under ten bucks. Plus my truck isn't light and I've never damaged them in the slightest.

 

[highz]

I bought the Lynx levelers 10 pack on sale a couple of years ago. I haven't needed more than ten blocks yet, but you never know. They go on sale from time-to-time - Adventure RV has a sale at the moment.

http://www.adventure...-pack-p-36.html

They're light and are quick to set up. The manufacturer's warranty is for three years. Since I've had them for about two years, ask me in a year if they've broken

 

[SLO_F-250]

Mark, I thought about fabbing up something out of metal, but weight and function always fought me. I never figured anything out. Plus with having the 7.3L leveling out in the from with some sheet metal thing would be tricky.

I used to use 2x6's cut in different lengths with a 45 degree edge on them. Worked ok for years. The problem was that when I got (3) high they would just slip off each other. And yes, for some reason I needed (3) stacked more than you would think.

Recently just bought (2) sets of the camco blocks. Similar to Lynx etc. About $30 a set off Amazon, came in a bag, and are easy to store. They work great so far and I have not regretted the spending the $60. They hold the 3/4 Ton diesel truck weight fine. Time will tell, but so far so good.

 

[MarkBC]

IF the leveling-with-Legos products are durable as you guys say (and reviews on Amazon and camping retailers are very good, too), then that sounds worth a try. I'll order some before my next trip.
To equal my current leveling-lift ability I'll need two sets of 10...assuming bowling-pin stacking (4, 3, 2, 1). That (4 x 1") won't give me quite the height of three 2x6s, but pretty close, and lots of times I don't need the full height anyway.
So, thanks for all the input.

RE using wooden 2 x whatever lumber:
A contractor friend with a table saw cut me two sets of three 2x10s a few years ago, and they worked fine (other than being heavy bulky). I actually drew up plans for him using SolidWorks -- Yes, overkill, but I had SolidWorks on my computer at work, so why not?

(like the wood-grain texture I applied?)


The wood eventually cupped and split, so he cut me another set...so cheap, why not?
Early this year I asked him for another set, and this time I specified kiln-dried, thinking that they'd be less likely to warp, and I specified 2x6s, to cut the weight. Just being 6 inches wide automatically makes them 40% lighter than the 2x10s, which is a step in the right direction...but still bulky and less than perfect.

BEFORE I had wooden leveling ramps I used natural lifts, as shown in this camping scene near the western base of magnificent Notch Peak of the House Range in western Utah:




----------------------------
UPDATE:
I've ordered two 10-pack sets of LynxLevelers from Amazon.

 

[highz]

I might have mentioned in a thread somewhere that I bought the Lynx levelers so that I could level my camper in the parking lot at work, without dragging rocks to and from the parking area. When camping, I had happily used the natural levelers (rocks, holes in the ground, etc.) . But, I guess I'm getting lazy, because I do like not having to hunt for just the right rock. Levelers of a known height are a nice convenience.

 

[MarkBC]

I might have mentioned in a thread somewhere that I bought the Lynx levelers so that I could level my camper in the parking lot at work, without dragging rocks to and from the parking area. When camping, I had happily used the natural levelers (rocks, holes in the ground, etc.) . But, I guess I'm getting lazy, because I do like not having to hunt for just the right rock. Levelers of a known height are a nice convenience.

So...they didn't supply you with standardized rocks at work?

I see why you got fed up and retired!

 

[highz]

No standardized rocks, but we did have standard candles! (sorry, more nerd humor).

 

[BobM]

I use one of these