Where to level?

[spb0311]

Hello All,
First timer with probably a dumb question. When I go to level the camper left to right, do I use a 2' or 4' level on the floor and go by that? Do I do the same front to back? From all I read, the fridge needs to be very level to work efficiently. Do I crank out the side slide before leveling?

Thanks

[TonyMac]

Very level is an overstatement. My fridge, a Norcold 1200LRIM wants to be within 6 degrees front to back and 3 degrees side to side. As it is mounted sideways in most rigs, the rig needs to be 6 degrees side to side and 3 degrees front to back. 3 degrees is a drop of 5/8 inch in a foot, 6 degrees is about 1 1/4 inches drop in a foot. I use a 2 foot level so those inches double. My pea brain looks for 1 inch in either direction, or the annoying whine of the copilot, to tell when I'm level enough. The fridge cooling unit needs this leveling, but I can feel good if the shelves are level. Coincidently, my shelves are on about the same plane as my countertop, so that's where I place my level. It will work out of level for a while, but this can damage the cooling unit, as the refrigerant can puddle in the out of level tubes. This is not an issue when you're going down the road.

[Podivin]

The fridge just wants to be mostly level - it doesn't need to be perfect. After you've done it a few times you can 'level' by the way it feels when you walk the floor, and whether or not doors stay either open or closed without assistance.

To answer you question, over a long run a longer level is more accurate - or at least easier to determine by how much the item being leveled is off. Either will work, but the longer one is a bit easier.

[ArtJoyce]

I use both my 2 and 4 foot level, and level it in my drive. I put the 4 foot on the floor in front of the fridge in both directions and level the camper. Then I use a 2 foot level on the counter next to the range and level in bot h directions. This way the eggs don't all gather to one side of the pan.

Once level I stick on a left to right level and a front to back level on the side of the trailer. But what I do is peal off the two sided tape and use silicone caulk and some painter tape to hold it in place until it drys.

Now I don't need my levels when traveling. I do take a torpedo level.

[NLOVNIT]

I agree with the above. As long as I don't feel like I'm walking uphill or downhill in my RV & the bathroom door stays put (i.e. doesn't swing shut or swing farther open) when I open it, my RV is level enough for the fridge to work.

[Fridge Defend]

Generally, the level of the fridge is measured on the floor of the freezer compartment when there is no ice on it. I check the level inside the freezer with a level checking it in an 'X' pattern -- diagonally across the freezer bottom from corner to corner. I then attach levels on the RV where they are easy to see without opening the freezer. Note, the external levels should be close to the fridge as the RV frame twists on unlevel terrane. I put a level on my cab door to be able to move around to get the rig close to level.

As mentioned above, out of level is reflected in the fact that the fridge is either reduced in cooling or stops cooling all together. This is because the boiler is overheating, and this will damage the fridge.

There is only one way to detect if the boiler is overheating, and we have the patent on this method of safety control for the fridge.

We have instrumented both Dometic and Norcold refrigerator boilers while driving and parked in both level and not-level orientation. What were our findings with the application of the scientific method?
Your boiler can over heat in hot weather even within the published 3/6 degree orientation. Further, climbing grades can also overheat your boiler.

Let us know if you have further questions, there is a lot of info above.

[Bigd9]

I use the LevelMatePro+. It indicates how much each tire needs to be adjusted to obtain level. The only downside I have found is with air leveling coaches, is the same as with any leveling product you use. That is when I pull into a campsite and see a tire needs to come up, say 2 inches, and then let the air suspension down, that could change the leveling numbers significantly.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/0...rkle_lsi4d_cta

[TonyMac]

Somebody mentioned it, but the bathroom door, or any free-swinging door, can be used as a level. If it will stay in place half way open, you're really level.

[Ray,IN]

Protect your investment, install a Fridge Defend/ARP unit.
There is little sense in me trying to explain what is on the website. Suffice it to say we are very happy with the results of installing an ARP unit.

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Protect your investment, install a Fridge Defend/ARP unit.
There is little sense in me trying to explain what is on the website. Suffice it to say we are very happy with the results of installing an ARP unit.

x2!

[spb0311]

Thanks for all the info. I have to laugh at myself. Being a high precision machinist, when I read that things have to be level, my instinct is to get it dead level. I would have been chasing my tail trying to get the entire camper level within a half degree. You should see when I do home improvements, If things are off by a 1/64" it bothers me and sometimes I rip it out and start over. I actually buy high precision tape measures. lol. Getting the camper level within 3 degrees is almost eyeballing it to me because of what I do as a living. This info, will save me a ton of time I would have been spent trying to get the camper dead level. One less thing to be overly concerned about. Sometimes being a machinist is a curse outside of work. Thanks Again

[Fridge Defend]

Originally Posted by spb0311

* Being a high precision machinist, when I read that things have to be level, my instinct is to get it dead level. I would have been chasing my tail trying to get the entire camper level within a half degree.
* Getting the camper level within 3 degrees is almost eyeballing it to me because of what I do as a living.
*One less thing to be overly concerned about. Sometimes being a machinist is a curse outside of work.

There is no 'curse' being overly concerned about something that can become a safety issue. Your being a machinist, and my being an engineer causes us to over think things that can go wrong. But, better safe than sorry. See our videos on tilting a DM2652 3 degrees off-level, and how the boiler overheats. Also you stated 'entire camper level within a half degree', often the fridge is not mounted in the rig so that it is level with respect to the entire rig. My Lance camper, the fridge is out of level by 1 degree when measuring with a 6" level in an 'X' pattern across the freezer floor with respect to the counter tops. I actually measured a fridge in a slide-out that was a full 3 degrees out of level with respect to the rest of the RV. This person was complaining about poor fridge performance and his boiler overheating. He choose to turn off the boiler safety thinking that the boiler safety was the issue, the entire time it was the fridge out of level! The boiler safety was just giving him the same kind of input you get when you turn something on your lathe and then measure the cut afterward. Do not use a yard stick and expect precision.

[Bobertgoes]

I ask dumb questions so i do not make dumb mistakes.

The 3 degree/6 degree answer is correct.
Look at the coils on the back of the fridge, or internet search the coils as they will be the same as yours since yours is mounted and hidden... The long section of coil runs side to side of the fridge, the short runs front to back. The long section needs to be within 3 degrees, and the short 6.

6 degrees slope is quite steep and 3 is not going to go unnoticed in a camper. Get it pretty level that you can live with it and it will be within spec unless you are kooky and like sloping floors.

The purpose is so that the liquids in the fridge cooling unit can drain downhill, down those coils without getting stuck because the coils slope up at one end; that's your 3 and 6 degree figure.
Mess up and you will slowly cook your innards over time and ruin the cooling unit.

Be careful if you know you will be parking off-level ahead of time and turn off fridge before. I do not know how long it needs to cool off before the risk of cooking the trapped liquids is gone - wether it is as soon as you turn the burner off, or if it takes minutes.

[Fridge Defend]

[QUOTE=Bobertgoes;6153164]
* I ask dumb questions so i do not make dumb mistakes.

* The 3 degree/6 degree answer is correct.

* 6 degrees slope is quite steep and 3 is not going to go unnoticed in a camper. Get it pretty level that you can live with it and it will be within spec unless you are kooky and like sloping floors.

* The purpose is so that the liquids in the fridge cooling unit can drain downhill, down those coils without getting stuck because the coils slope up at one end; that's your 3 and 6 degree figure.

* Mess up and you will slowly cook your innards over time and ruin the cooling unit.

There are no dumb questions, and this is why most folks practicing science use instruments to answer there questions. As stated before, we overheat a fridge by tilting it at 3 degrees at each of our seminars. Why? Not only does the fluid need to drain, which is indicating that ALL the tubes slope, the fluid needs to be prevented from pooling. Pooling occurs due to the tubes being tilted up.

"careful if you know you will be parking off-level ahead of time and turn off fridge before."

This is the initial reason we designed and developed the Fridge Defend. I stopped for an emergency and burned up a 35 year old fridge! I was carful, but forgetful I was parked off-level for 35 minutes.

"I do not know how long it needs to cool off before the risk of cooking the trapped liquids is gone - wether it is as soon as you turn the burner off, or if it takes minutes.

It is not the trapped liquids that is the issue, it is the fact that the trapped liquids do not get back to the boiler. The trapped liquid is the condensed ammonia. The ammonia drives the entire refrigeration process via the boiler, and when the ammonia does not get back to the boiler the boiler temperature rises. If one detects this rise in temperature and turns off the heat source, the fridge is not damaged. Easy and clear, this is why we have a utility patent, the utility is prevention of fridge failure which leads to fires.