How to level

happycamper · 03-13-2008, 12:33 PM

Hi Everyone,

Been a while since I have been online but I am getting the camping bug. Recently went to the camp show at the Big E in Mass. made me glad I have a Sunline. Anyone have any good suggestions and how to get the trailer level quickly? Also any hints on how to stop the rocking. I put the stabilizer jacks down and snug them up but we still feel the trailer rock. maybe it is the norm and we are not used to it. This will be our second season with the 264SR.

**PTHutch** · 03-13-2008, 01:14 PM

Jim,

Wrt leveling, I’ve put a bubble levels on the front, side by the door, and on the tongue’s A-frame.

Bubble levels on front and A-frame:

Bubble level by the door:

When putting the bubble levels on, I leveled the trailer by checking the level of the freezer using a small 6” level.

When leveling at a camp site, the front bubble level is used to position the trailer such that side-to-side it’s level. This bubble also tells me if I need to put any leveling boards under the wheels and which side I need to put the boards.

When needed I use PT boards under the tires to get side-to-side leveling. I carry 2 boards just in case I get a really unlevel site.

Then I use the bubble level on the tongue’s A-frame to get the trailer leveled fore-aft by raising or lowering the tongue. I can watch the bubble level when raising or lower the tongue to get the fore-aft level close. When I’m done, I use the bubble level by the side of the door to check the fore-aft level and adjust if needed.

I also use a tire lock like this:

This helps to reduce the rocking. I use them only on one side and know people that use them on both sides.

We have a slide like you and I think you'll always have some rocking.

What ever you do, don't put stablizer jacks under the slide room. This could cause damage to the slide machanism.

I’ve read that the farther you extend your stabilizer jacks, the more rocking you get.
I've tried using blocks to keep the stabalizer jacks from extening too far.

However, I haven't really felt any difference when I use the blocks to when I use just 1 or 2 - 2" PT boards under the jacks. So I've stopped using the blocks I made and now I just use PT boards (1 or 2 depending on the site).

There are some stabilizer systems that state they help eliminate or reduce the sway.
Camping World sells the The Eliminator Stabilizing System and there’s also the JT’s Strong Arm Stabilizers.

However I have no experience with either of these items, so I can’t say if they work or not.

Hope this helps some.
Hutch

MACK C-85 · 03-13-2008, 01:50 PM

I must need better stick on levels because my side to side on the front is very inconsistent

Anyhow, I pretty much do the same as Hutch only I use lynx levelers, instead of boards under the tires and jacks. I have found that using several leveler blocks (they interlock like legos) under the jacks does seem to make our T-276-SR more stable. They are very easy to store and work very well.

http://www.lynxlevelers.com/

I've wanted to try the wheel locks, but haven't gotten there yet.

264SRinPA · 03-13-2008, 02:52 PM

add an extra set of jacks in the middle.

**Sunline Fan** · 03-13-2008, 04:58 PM

Jim,

It would be an expensive upgrade, but you could always upgrade to hydraulic jacks. The jacks themselves shouldn't move around too much, but you should always experience a little frame flex in the center of the coach. If you want to stop that, like Mike said, add some jacks just in front of the tires. Pat (Emam) did this and have had great results. ~$90 will get you a pair of scissor type leveling jacks.

Jon

**PTHutch** · 03-13-2008, 07:25 PM

Jim,

FYI - If you're considering adding jacks to the middle of the trailer, you should read this post first. It brings out some good pros and cons to this while considering the frames and the flex of the frames are different between a slide and a non-slide trailer.

Hutch

purplesuebug · 03-13-2008, 07:43 PM

Hutch,
Where did you find you wheel locks??!! I was looking around today and all the ones I saw were pretty cheap looking with a fragile looking ratchet handle and flimsy "brakes" and spreaders. Your set looks a little more beefy. I've been looking for a set and almost went with the ones that sit on the ground until I saw yours tonight. Thanks..............Marshall

**Sunline Fan** · 03-13-2008, 08:01 PM

They're a common BAL product, I'm surprised you haven't seen them. We carry them at General. The only bad side is they're quite costly at around $59.

If you're interested in some, PM or E-mail me and when I'm over there (Monday), I'll try to get you a deal. They can ship them out for roughly $10, which for the price of gas these days, is a pretty good deal.

Jon

**PTHutch** · 03-13-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purplesuebug

Where did you find you wheel locks??!!

Marshall

I picked mine up at Camping World

Jon's correct that their BAL, most RV places should have them also (or should be able to get them).

JohnB made his own, check these out:

Just as good as the purchased ones and probably a lot cheaper to build.

Hutch

**JohnB** · 03-13-2008, 08:42 PM

Fellow Campers

Let’s compare notes. On my T2499 the wheel chocks I made from wood, used on both sides of the camper went a long way to de-wiggle the camper.

Looks like this. This is a NON slide camper. 26 feet

I use short boards in place of long boards. They are cut to fit in between the tires.

However now that I have a much longer and slide camper, T310SR, the tricks that worked on the little camper do not work on the big camper.

My first issues is the BAL scissors stabilizers unscrew. It is the same BAL stabilizer as on my T2499. I lubed them up good and now that un crank when I put a load on them. The heavier trailer seem to do this.

I still use the 2 wood chocks and the boards but I also tried adding 2 hydraulic jacks as center support. Eman here on the forum swears by them on his T2499. I had the 2 jacks so I thought I would try it before adding the scissors type that seem to un adjust with my TT weight.

I use 4 x 4 under BAL’s. I tried like Hutch to add more boards but that did not seem to gain much. Rear

Front

The Wood chocks. Non Slide side

The slide side

Now the bottle jacks. See here. I take up light pressure “before” I let the slide out.

The bottle jacks do not move like the BAL scissors jacks do. They are an improvement and I can tell they are working, but yet on this long TT, they are not enough “yet”

I seemed to have solved the left to right wiggle, but I have front to back wiggle. By tighten up the wood chocks after the tires cool helps, but still I have front to back wiggle.

The longer/larger TT is different then T2499.

I was looking at the telescoping braces Hutch had posted the link to. However I would not buy them, I would make them. Before I do that thought some flat bar and C clamps will be tried to make sure it takes it all out. Have not made it to this project yet.

And I do not know what I’m doing with the hydraulic jacks yet either for long term. One lives in the camper anyway, the other rides in the truck. They cost me nothing other the some time. Actually for price, you can buy a 2 to 6 ton bottle jack at Walmart a whole lot cheaper then a BAL scissor jack. I saw they had the older screw jacks that older trailers use for stabilizing and they want a lot for them.

Hopefully some one on a longer slide camper has solved this and can throw some hints our way. And then I’m sure there is a level of personal how much wiggle is to much.

John

kanyonkitty · 03-14-2008, 07:51 AM

Just a girls' take on the front to back wiggle of our trailers. I think(dangerous I know

) the problem with our crank down stabalizers is their "footprint". In reality, I think that if somehow they could be mounted facing front to back, instead of the side to side orentation like they are would stop most of the rocking. They appear to need a larger "footprint" on the ground. I also use those metal wheel chocks (link below) that sit on the ground between my tires and turn in the center to expand and tighten up against my tires to "lock" them in place. Seem to work pretty good. I also put lynx leveler blocks diagonally under my crank down stabalizers to shorten the extension of them. These things seem to help for me.

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...ks-trailer.htm

Kitty

**JohnB** · 03-14-2008, 09:17 PM

Kitty

Your on the right track, just a slightly different reason I believe. This weekend maybe I can jury rig up something to prove the point and post pics.

Our scissors jacks are more rigid left to right. So they are stiffer in the scissors opening direction.

In the front to back direction the entire jack flexes in the pivot points if you press on then side to side. Then the metal starts to flex.

Next time you crank your down, stop about ¼ inch from the ground. Wiggle it left to right then front to back. Since it is not on the ground, it will wiggle in both directions. It will be flexing at the frame mounting plate left to right until the you crank down and touch the ground. Once you touch down the scissors if very rigid left to right but as much not so front to back. It is still rigid, just not as rigid as opposed to left to right. Sort of like a 2 x 4. It is more rigid in the 4” direction then in the 2” direction.

Technically if you rotate the jack 90 degrees and have the scissors front to back, it will help stop some of the front to back wiggle. However then it will not do as much side to side and you have to fight the crank.

The companies selling the cross bracing are literally doing that, putting a stiff brace in the direction of wiggle in both directions creating cross bracing. The best way to stiffen up a wiggly old barn door is to add diagonal cross bracing to it.

John

Mooney · 03-16-2008, 06:57 PM

Ahh, the TT wiggle.

I actually used my new BAL tire jack/ chock devices this weekend, and could not believe how much difference they made. Our 2380 is not a slide model, but rides high due to the axle flip.

I really wanted to see how well the BAL chock-things worked, so I tried out the unscientific "feel" method before and during the chock use.

I put the scissor jacks down on a 2x4, they extended pretty far due to the topography of the area in the back, and the front was a little less than half extension. OK, wiggled quite a bit, side to side and back and forth (no chocks).

Put in the new chocks, got back inside. I put them on with the supplied ratchet wrech to the point of touching the tires, and then another 1/2 of the available swing.

I am NOT a small person- not huge, but no featherweight either. I go about 250 or so-

NO motion when walking. At all. I was floored. Tried shaking the coach a bit by planting my feet and shifting my weight back and forth, a tiny, tiny bit of motion was felt. Even less motion that is felt when settling into a motor vehicle.

I think the BAL jacks (especially if used in pairs) or something a lot like them is a heck of a good piece of equipment.

One note, I was surprised by the weight of the chocks, they are a lot heftier than they look, and when you open them the first time, they are a bit sticky. You may want to open them in a place other than between the tires on the first try, your holding arm will get tired from the angle while you try to work the ratchet....

**JohnB** · 03-17-2008, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mooney

Ahh, the TT wiggle.

NO motion when walking. At all. I was floored. Tried shaking the coach a bit by planting my feet and shifting my weight back and forth, a tiny, tiny bit of motion was felt. Even less motion that is felt when settling into a motor vehicle.

I think the BAL jacks (especially if used in pairs) or something a lot like them is a heck of a good piece of equipment.

Greg

Also, when you make camp and tighten then up, come back in a few hours after the tires cool and tighten some more. They get looser when the tire cools.

They do help that is for sure. Just on my new longer TT, they do not cure like they did on the smaller TT. But I will still use them, 1/2 wiggle is better then full wiggle

John

mbart5fan · 03-18-2008, 06:04 AM

One thing I've noticed with our 289SR, after I level the coach, chock the wheels, lower and snug the supports, etc, then extend the slide, it's no longer level. The coach leans slightly to the slide side. To compensate I make sure the slide side is slightly higher before extending the slide. I don't know if anyone else with slides has had this happen to them.
I mounted this level on the fornt of the coach.

http://www.rvingoutpost.com/specs.ph...0Super%20Level
At 10" long it's easy to see for side to side leveling.

Mike

**JohnB** · 03-18-2008, 09:33 PM

Mike

Yes I can see the slide side leaning. The suspension will just flex on the springs.

When I did the experiment with the hydraulic jack, it stopped that problem. The jack does not give at all. Now the TT is still level left to right with the slide out.

Just I have front to back giggle…..

John