After a long day of travel, you finally arrive at your destination. But there’s one step left before you can enjoy your vacation: level your RV. While this isn’t an imperative step, it makes a big impact on your comfort. Otherwise, water will pool away from drains, the fridge won’t work right, and you may slide down when you lie in bed. We created the following beginner’s guide to leveling a travel trailer. For all your RV needs, visit Airstream of Montana. We are located in Missoula, Montana.
Location, Location, Location
Make things easier on yourself by setting up in a good location. Sure, it can be hard finding a flat surface at a campsite. But it’s worth the extra time driving around to find an even location. You’ll have a much easier, faster time leveling your RV if you can nab one.
Left to Right
Once you find the right spot, situate your travel trailer about one and a half feet from where you want it to park. Use a level to see if you need to elevate the right or left side. You’ll get the most accurate measurement from a physical tool. But if you have nothing else, you can download a smartphone app.
Your next step is to put RV leveling blocks or boards behind the wheels for the side you want to elevate. Be cautious about using wood leveling blocks. If your tires don’t rest perfectly flat on them, your tires’ steel belts could get bent. This can cause a dangerous blowout on the road later. If you must use them, make sure they can cope with the weight of your RV. They also need to be wider than your tires.
Once you situate the blocks, back up your travel trailer slowly onto them. After your trailer is in place, use your level to make sure it got raised correctly. You may need to add or remove blocks to get it just right. But the more often you use your travel trailer, the better at this process you will get. Before you know it, you’ll raise it the perfect amount in one go!
Stabilize
Your travel trailer is level from side to side – you need to keep it this way! Left as it is, your RV could move around and undo your process. All you need is wheel chocks, bricks, or boards in front and behind the wheels. Place them right up against the wheels for ultimate stability.
Remove the Travel Trailer
You’ll need to disconnect the trailer, tow chains, and wiring harness. Most people do this manually, which works but is time-consuming. An electric hitch is an RV upgrade that drastically speeds up this process. Whichever approach you use, you’ll want to park your tow vehicle out of the way once your travel trailer is removed.
Level From Front to Back
Your RV is halfway level (from left to right). Now you need to level it from left to right. Use your level again to see which side you need to raise. Then lower or raise your jack accordingly. Double check your efforts with your level.
Secure Your RV
You will want to keep your travel trailer from shifting about while you walk around inside it. At each corner of your RV are stabilizers. These push into the ground to stabilize your travel trailer. They work well, but be careful about raising them too high. If your trailer gets off the ground, it’ll be damaging to the trailer and the jacks.
For all your travel trailer needs, visit Airstream of Montana. We offer a range of new and used RVs for sale. We also operate a parts replacement and service department. We proudly serve those in Missoula, Bozeman, and Kalispell, Montana.
