Cinder Blocks For RV: Tips For Leveling RV With Cinder Blocks
If you are going to live long-term in your trailer, you have to assess all the aspects of that life. One of those aspects will be will the wheels and the stabilizing jacks are strong enough to hold everything. If the answer is no, then you have to look for other building materials to support that trailer.
The first step would be to buy hydraulic jacks capable of lifting the weight of the trailer and holding it in place. The next step would be to decide on what footings you will have. You cannot place cinder blocks directly on the ground as they will not last or stay in place.
This is a complicated process and to learn more about this project, just continue to read our article. It has the information you will need if you want to duplicate this project. A lot of your work will depend on the type of ground you have to work with.
Can You Put An RV On Cinder Blocks?
It is possible and the project will be both time-consuming as well as hard work. For self-drive RVs, there are different types of leveling blocks on the market you can use instead.
These commercial leveling blocks are made to be driven over, cinder blocks are not. That means you are going to need a powerful jack that can hold the weight of your RV or trailer while you construct your cinder block stabilizers.
The key to doing this project is also one of the toughest aspects of it. You will have to have the RV or trailer in position and build the cinder block levelers underneath either RV.
Then, you will have to deal with settling. If you are not going to dig below the frost line you will have one side or the other side settling faster than the other. This will happen even if you put 2 or 4-inch concrete blocks 2 by 2 feet wide as your foundation or footing.
There is some good news in all of this. Many RV owners have done this very project and have had a lot of success with it. It can be done but the foundation has to be built right to succeed.
Some have used shims to help with the settling issue.
Should You Put Blocks Under Stabilizer Jacks?
When you talk to others about this project or mention it on one of the RV discussion forums, you will get a lot of opinions on how it should be done. Before you mention it on a forum, do some private research first. Know the weight of your trailer or RV when loaded.
That will tell you how many blocks you will need as well as how many hydraulic jacks will be needed. One of the issues you will face once you have built the cinder block supports is how to handle hydraulic jacks.
These are not the toughest jacks you can have on your RV or trailer. They are there for stabilizing only not weight bearing. So you should not use them in the latter capacity.
Also, if you put them on cinder blocks, those blocks could settle or shift and your stabilizing jacks can get damaged. This will apply to your slides if you have any.
Settling and shifting can cause a lot of damage to those slides which translates into heavy repair costs. At least in the worst-case scenario. You can put some 2 by 12 pieces of wood or concrete blocks under those jacks and let them do their stabilizing job but that should be about it.
How do You Level a Camper With Cinder Blocks?
Leveling is one of the more important aspects of RV life. You need close to perfect level if your fridge is an absorption-style fridge. You want almost level anyways and close will do it in most cases. You can make adjustments if needed.
The way to go about this is to dig a little patch of an area where you are going to put your blocks. Make that patch level first. Then place your 2 by 2 by 2” concrete block on the ground.
Then stack the cinder blocks in place on top of that concrete block. Some people say stack them vertically for better strength others will say horizontally. You make your own choice on that part of the process.
Interlock those cinder blocks so that they have a harder time falling apart. Also, you can use treated wood2 by 12s if needed. Most people will use hardwood shims or wedges to get that final level you need.
Some people will argue if you should lift those tires off the ground or not. You do not want them permanently touching the ground and there are two ways to go about this. One is to lift them up so they never touch the ground.
The other is to put treated 2 by 12s or concrete blocks under them and let the wheels rest on those. The reason behind this method is that the wheels will carry a lot of the weight of the trailer or RV.
That will help your cinder block levelers out a lot. It is best to keep the cinder block supports away from the end corners. Just keep them on the frame.
Leveling RV With Cinder Blocks
Leveling is also a difficult task and you probably will have to resort to using shims to make sure your RV or trailer is level. These shims are very vital to this part of using cinder blocks.
That is because these blocks can settle at different rates and you only need a little extra support to get level again. Hence the shims will do the trick for you. Leveling is not the easiest part of this project.
You have to take your time on this and get it right. Your trailer or RV will not be fully supported if they sit on only a few cinder blocks and not all of them equally.
You want to make sure you build each support in the same manner, dig the holes to the same depth and be prepared to use shims. Some people call those wedges.
There are tricks to leveling and one is to use a clear tube. Put colored water in it and use the water level to help you get your RV or trailer level. Attach one end of the tube to a stake which is driven into the ground at the level you need.
Then measure each spot where you are putting those blocks. This will take two people to do and that is okay.
Putting a Travel Trailer on Cinder Blocks
This process is going to be the same as it is for an RV. As you may have noticed we made mention of trailers at the same time we mentioned motorized RVs. There is nothing different in the process except you do not have a motor to worry about.
The same problems will be there as well. The biggest problem will come after you finished building all the cinder block posts. How will you sit the trailer on top of the blocks?
That is where the jacks come in and you will need at least 2 or more powerful jacks with a high weight capacity to lift the trailer while you are working. Once the pillars are built, you can lower the trailer on top of them, watching where you need to put shims if needed.
This is not a rush job. It is advised to leave the tires on as you may be assessed at a higher tax level if you remove them. It is a lot of hard work but it may be worth it if you are staying in one place for a long time.
A Case For Commercial Levelers
You may not want to go to all that trouble even if you are staying in one place for a very long time. Commercial levelers help out a lot and may be a great choice instead of cinder blocks. Here are some positive points about these levelers:
1. Removes stress from RV frame & structure
2. Helps RVs to function at optimum levels
3. Keeps fridges operating better and safely
4. Get more precise holding tank readings
5. keeps stress off of slide outs
6. Adds more comfort to your situation
Some Final Words
There is a lot of work in using cinder blocks but they are a good construction material to use. The key will be to know your stuff and make sure you get those foundations level.
When you hear a lot of free advice, etc., pick the bits and pieces that are the best options to use. Not all free advice is sound or will work. But remember, keep those tires on to stay taxed at the proper tax level.
