Manual Leveling - With Under Wheel Blocks

[Piros1]

Being in the sign industry and around construction for around 60 years my eyes are trained for plumb and level. I can pretty much look at a site and know my coach well enough to tell if me leveling system will reasonably get the coach level or not. I generally pull into my spot short a couple of feet and throw down the blocks I need, backup or pull onto them and hit auto level and I’m satisfied. Being in the sign industry and around construction for around 60 years my eyes are trained for plumb and level. I can pretty much look at a site and know my coach well enough to tell if me leveling system will reasonably get the coach level or not. I generally pull into my spot short a couple of feet and throw down the blocks I need, backup or pull onto them and hit auto level and I’m satisfied.

In the old days before having auto leveling systems I would back the trailer into position and decide how much adjustments needed, throw out the blocks backup onto them chocked the wheels unhooked and leveled front to back. I use to carry two small levels that I set on the floor just inside the doors that my wife would watch as I backed up the blocks. Simple process but worked. We didn’t have apps or cell phones in the early years. When I did get a cell phone it did one thing, made phone calls.

All this aside it is interesting to see how others perform different tasks setting up their RV and make use of today’s technology.

Thanks Danperryy for sharing and the others too.

I think I’m going to take a look at the “Levelmate Pro”!

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Even better, it allows you to pick the best spot, within the campsite, by telling you the most level area.

Originally Posted by Piros1

I think I’m going to take a look at the “Levelmate Pro”!

As Dutch Star Don suggested, one aspect of the Levelmate Pro that's nice is that it displays "live" on a smartphone. That is, as you pull onto a parking site, the display shows the current state. Often pulling forward (or back) a short distance can have a significant effect on the degree of "off level".

Take care,
Stu

[SeeTheUSA]

Originally Posted by 777 Driver

As Dutch Star Don suggested, one aspect of the Levelmate Pro that's nice is that it displays "live" on a smartphone. That is, as you pull onto a parking site, the display shows the current state. Often pulling forward (or back) a short distance can have a significant effect on the degree of "off level".

Take care,
Stu

Plus working the LevelMatePRO live is so much easier than trying to handle a hunk of plywood and a handful of washers while trying to find the sweet spot!

[Jerryss2]

Originally Posted by danperryy

We have a motorhome that we use blocks under the wheels to level. It is always a bit of a challenge to level it with the proper height block (stack). I wrote a little spreadsheet that did the calculations to determine the block heights for each wheel to level the motorhome.
I use a free "bubble level" Android application laying my cell phone on the floor and reading the angles of the spot I will use for the home. I then enter the "tilt" values of the spot into the spreadsheet (that also contains the wheelbase and the track width for my motorhome). The spreadsheet then gives me the block height for each wheel. I place the blocks in front of the wheels and drive onto them. Whola - a level floor!!!

Note: orientation of level: Phone (level) aligned front/back of MH - top of phone to front of MH. A negative X angle says the left side is higher. A positive X angle the right side is higher. A positive Y angle the Front of the MH is higher.

Here is a link to the leveler spreadsheet (A Google sheet). To use it you may choose to copy it or allow "offline" use. Remember to set the wheelbase and track of your vehicle to get proper block heights.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

The following is a Master - non-editable copy of the sheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

Note: Wheelbase, track with and block height all use the same unit of measure (inches, cm, rods, meters). Provide inch values for the WB and Track and you will get block heights in inches.

Nice job, too bad there are too many complainers on this forum

[Peter M]

Now if the Level mate pro would additionally provide the best spot for satellite reception the wife would be happy.

[Dmeyer07]

Originally Posted by gatorb8

or LevelMatePro

I had one, got rid of it. Level mate pro plus.

Great concept just wasn't accurate enough for me.

I tried everything but kept getting inconsistent results. The company spoke with me and still couldn't get it to read consistent.

Shame too, loved the idea!

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by Dmeyer07

I had one, got rid of it. Level mate pro plus.

Great concept just wasn't accurate enough for me.

That's curious.

I've only used mine for a couple of months. Once I calibrated it (easy process), it's provided spot on accuracy. When I park, it shows each corner with an accuracy of 1/4". Extend the jacks to level until all corners show 0" off level and it been spot on level.

Sorry that yours didn't work.

Take care,
Stu

[Shotokan]

Originally Posted by danperryy

We have a motorhome that we use blocks under the wheels to level. It is always a bit of a challenge to level it with the proper height block (stack). I wrote a little spreadsheet that did the calculations to determine the block heights for each wheel to level the motorhome.
I use a free "bubble level" Android application laying my cell phone on the floor and reading the angles of the spot I will use for the home. I then enter the "tilt" values of the spot into the spreadsheet (that also contains the wheelbase and the track width for my motorhome). The spreadsheet then gives me the block height for each wheel. I place the blocks in front of the wheels and drive onto them. Whola - a level floor!!!

Note: orientation of level: Phone (level) aligned front/back of MH - top of phone to front of MH. A negative X angle says the left side is higher. A positive X angle the right side is higher. A positive Y angle the Front of the MH is higher.

Here is a link to the leveler spreadsheet (A Google sheet). To use it you may choose to copy it or allow "offline" use. Remember to set the wheelbase and track of your vehicle to get proper block heights.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

The following is a Master - non-editable copy of the sheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

Note: Wheelbase, track with and block height all use the same unit of measure (inches, cm, rods, meters). Provide inch values for the WB and Track and you will get block heights in inches.

Hey Dan, thanks for the spreadsheet. For the fun of it, I started working on this problem and then thought someone might have already solved it. So I Googled it and hit this thread.

Don't your calculations assume that the front-to-back slope is the same on each side of the vehicle and that the side-to-side slope is the same in the front as it is in the rear of the vehicle? Say the front driver-side wheel is in a hole and the front passenger-side wheel is on a mound. To be completely accurate, wouldn't you need four separate slopes for 1) driver side front-to-back, 2) passenger side front-to-back, 3) front side-to-side, and 4) rear side-to-side?

[Bylandorsea]

Originally Posted by 777 Driver

I like my Levelmate Pro. Easy installation/setup and it makes leveling simple.

Attachment 322676

Attachment 322677

Take care,
Stu

This is all I have been looking for!!

Downloading now thanks

[Triangle Drifter]

2X8" boards here plus a couple of basic sailboat angle of heel indicators stuck on the 5er.

The side to side is seen plenty good enough in the truck mirror & the fore & aft is right above the landing leg switches.

Very easy to judge whether one wheel on the board or both, maybe both plus one, whatever. After doing it a few hundred times you get quite good.

[Shotokan]

Originally Posted by Triangle Drifter

.....After doing it a few hundred times you get quite good.

Made me laugh! Isn't that always the way?

[Toby Dog]

I used the frame once. Guess what the key word is. If I have to lean side to side a mm or so I let the road side be the lower. It helps to drain the tanks in a full hook up site and it keeps Sweet Thing from saying (in Bill Burr falsetto) "Is this slide leaning?"

[dixonge]

After a year or more of dealing w/ the damned blocks we've upgraded to curved levelers and ramps. If we get desperate, we add some blocks back into the mix. We even picked up a shovel and pickaxe to dig ruts for tires. Very handy when boondocking.

The best scenario, when possible, is to have the front a bit low while the side-to-side is level. That's an easy leveling job w/ ramps. If it gets too complicated I tend to just find another spot...