What do you use to level your truck camper

[Rusty]

bubble in the middle level with lego blocks....for a long time

have broken a few legos...use them to cap an extra 1"...use them for jack stand bases as well

being on the level makes all the difference..refrigerator, sleep, cooking....having been a builder for a long time...level is important

somebody did mention using airbags earlier....got to get separate controls installed..

 

[Shadyapex]

rocks

Rocks for us as well. But the air bags can help with final leveling when necessary. Keep it simple. I've found that one spends the first couple of years in a new discipline adding things to the kit; and the rest of your life trying to subtract them. My pack gets smaller, and lighter, every year; as does my camera bag, my camper, etc.

 

[Bill D]

Rocks for us as well. But the air bags can help with final leveling when necessary. Keep it simple. I've found that one spends the first couple of years in a new discipline adding things to the kit; and the rest of your life trying to subtract them. My pack gets smaller, and lighter, every year; as does my camera bag, my camper, etc.

I agree with your way of thinking. I enjoy my travels much more when I travel light.
I try to carry multifunction items. It's also fun to improvise.

It's all about balance though. I still want to enjoy myself. I'd rather bring bug spray than cover my body with mud

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Just a quick thought on the plastic leveling blocks. As I was picking the rocks out of the undersides, and trimming the distorted locking lugs, it dawned on my to start bringing along a couple of pieces of scrap 1/4" plywood bases to use under the blocks and keep the rocks out. Probably about the length of three blocks laid end to end.

 

[PaulT]

Just a quick thought on the plastic leveling blocks. As I was picking the rocks out of the undersides, and trimming the distorted locking lugs, it dawned on my to start bringing along a couple of pieces of scrap 1/4" plywood bases to use under the blocks and keep the rocks out. Probably about the length of three blocks laid end to end.

+1 (Now that I've mangled a couple of mine.)

I carry a couple of short 2x8 boards that are also useful for a jack base.

Paul

 

[hoyden]

I've gotten pretty good at feeling for level, but I do keep a 8" leveler too. And sometimes use my phone leveler app.

My mom uses a pan of water to determine level. (they have a beautiful '60's Avion slide-in cab-over)
She figures they'll be boiling water for tea or coffee anyway....

I've got orange levelers if I need some height somewhere too, but often just use rocks if they are handy.

I also chock the wheels cuz I'm paranoid of rolling (especially when camped near a cliff)

 

[GroovyDad]

My mom uses a pan of water to determine level. (they have a beautiful '60's Avion slide-in cab-over)
She figures they'll be boiling water for tea or coffee anyway....

I love it! Now that's simplicity.

 

[hoyden]

I sent this thread to my mom and, in her ever practical way, she replied,

"Actually, I put a very small amount of water in a flat bottom pot. If the rig is tilted, one side is likely to be dry, or have very little water.
You don’t want to use very much or it’s hard to read."

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I've gotten pretty good at feeling for level, but I do keep a 8" leveler too. And sometimes use my phone leveler app.

My mom uses a pan of water to determine level. (they have a beautiful '60's Avion slide-in cab-over)
She figures they'll be boiling water for tea or coffee anyway....

<snip>

Not only really practical, but really cool! Avion TCs are the Airstream of truck campers!!!!

 

[PackRat]

To level my truck and old Alaskan 20 years ago, Legos weren't around.
I got some scrap 2x6s and some 1/2" plywood. I cut two sections about 30" long and beveled one end of each and drywall-screwed them to the plywood with 1/4" between them, the ply being the same footprint. At one end I added two more 12" sections of 2x6 with a beveled edge to them.



They can be used as levelers, wide bases for a jack if necessary, can be used is soft sand to drive up/out on and stacked face to face, fit in the rear seat of the truck in winter or between Alaskan and truck bed when out and about.

As they say, if you are going to need it, then bring it...rocks or usable down wood may not always be available and who wants to be digging one or two holes even a few inches deep in rocky ground. Plastic is lightweight but bends and breaks and I see the remnants of those levelers in campgrounds from time to time.

How you choose to roll is up to you though...

 

[kmcintyre]

I agree with your way of thinking. I enjoy my travels much more when I travel light.
I try to carry multifunction items. It's also fun to improvise.

It's all about balance though. I still want to enjoy myself. I'd rather bring bug spray than cover my body with mud

We keep trying to go light.... the rocks work well but we have been to places where there weren't any.

 

[Advmoto18]

On my old truck, I used a 12" torpedo level.

On my new truck...I'm really spoiled! There is an instrument cluster app!

Not my truck! From the Ford web site.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Bill, thanks for the reminder! I completely forgot about the truck gauge screen! My iPhone was my in cab go to level.

 

[Bill D]

We keep trying to go light.... the rocks work well but we have been to places where there weren't any.

I have used is a piece firewood. Pretty easy to pick or make the size you need.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Hi guys.

I know this is an older thread, but I've been reading my way through all the threads here because, now that I'm retired, I'm planning to buy a truck camper to travel around the country in.

A few people here have mentioned that they use 2X boards, but they sometimes split. I've read, over in the mainstream RV forums, of people reporting the same thing on 2Xs they use under their jack pads. They've solved it by cutting the boards into perfect squares, and screwing two them together with the wood grain running crosswise, like in plywood. They no longer split.

Based on that, I'm thinking that if you cut a piece of plywood to the same length and width as your 2X boards and screwed - and maybe glued - it to the bottom of each board, no more splitting.

Regards
John

 

[hoyden]

Optimistic Paranoid - I opted to spend the $28 and get some levelers. Have used them often!

https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Lynx-00015-Lynx-Levelers-Pack/dp/B0028PJ10K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1508089614&sr=8-3&keywords=rv+levelers

 

[klahanie]

A few people here have mentioned that they use 2X boards, but they sometimes split. I've read, over in the mainstream RV forums, of people reporting the same thing on 2Xs they use under their jack pads. They've solved it by cutting the boards into perfect squares, and screwing two them together with the wood grain running crosswise, like in plywood. They no longer split.

Based on that, I'm thinking that if you cut a piece of plywood to the same length and width as your 2X boards and screwed - and maybe glued - it to the bottom of each board, no more splitting.

Haven't read the whole tread, sorry if this is a repeat ... I skipped the 2x s and just use 1" plywood pieces cut to different lengths. I like this better than a thicker composite because they are easier store (for me) and allow more variations in height. Also the pieces can be used for a jack base, spacer etc and can be useful around the yard/garage - plus the wood was free ! I also carry a few other bits of wood for various uses including some 4x4 blocks useful as wheel chocks - important to have imo. I like to chock a wheel or two if the truck is up high on a leveler - even tho, I know, it's been made level.

Down side is the weight. I usually just take a few pieces.

If we're bush camping I'll endeavour to use on site rocks, logs etc. Don't want to stop to retrieve my ply wood if we have to leave in a hurry (my paranoia).

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Haven't read the whole tread, sorry if this is a repeat ... I skipped the 2x s and just use 1" plywood pieces cut to different lengths. I like this better than a thicker composite because they are easier store (for me) and allow more variations in height. Also the pieces can be used for a jack base, spacer etc and can be useful around the yard/garage - plus the wood was free ! I also carry a few other bits of wood for various uses including some 4x4 blocks useful as wheel chocks - important to have imo. I like to chock a wheel or two if the truck is up high on a leveler - even tho, I know, it's been made level.

Down side is the weight. I usually just take a few pieces.

If we're bush camping I'll endeavour to use on site rocks, logs etc. Don't want to stop to retrieve my ply wood if we have to leave in a hurry (my paranoia).

Nice! You could drill large holes in them to reduce weight without affecting strength.

 

[Lighthawk]

A few people here have mentioned that they use 2X boards, but they sometimes split. I've read, over in the mainstream RV forums, of people reporting the same thing on 2Xs they use under their jack pads. They've solved it by cutting the boards into perfect squares, and screwing two them together with the wood grain running crosswise, like in plywood. They no longer split.

-------

We use scraps of LVL in 1 1/4" thickness. They have out lasted 2x lumber for years.
I did give the a coat of primer one day when I was painting other materials.

 

[Cedar]

We haven't had any problem with our plastic levelers we got at the Evil Empire. They work just fine. The problem is the places we have to park. They are so NOT level that our two sets of 10 each get used up on one wheel. We have used big piles of rocks (sketchy) and wood. I find that whatever is strong enough works pretty good on our rig, which is a Tacoma access cab and a Fleet 4WC. Sometimes we just can't get our level bubbles perfect and we are tired so we go with "that's good enough". We have even dug out holes for the wheels when we were in a steep location. I guess if you stick to RV parks that have level pads, its a personal choice as what to use to level your camper. I've seen everything and people swear by what ever they are using that works for them. Remember Mr. Rogers used to say "Everybody's different". Same goes for what works for leveling your rig.