Why Level Your RV? (5 Reasons + Helpful How-to Level Guide)
Being on the level means you have credibility, have respectability and makes you a good person to be around. When it comes to your RV being on the level, you save yourself a lot of trouble and make your RV more fun to be around.
Why level your RV? There are many important reasons why you need to level your RV. First, it helps your fridge operate better and avoid costly repairs. Second, you are protecting your chassis and tires. A third reasons is that you will avoid tipping your rig over if parked in the wrong spot.
To learn more about leveling your RV just continue to read our article. It is filled with the information you need to know about keeping your RV on the level. If you want to have a more enjoyable RV vacation get all the facts on leveling your RV before you run into trouble at the campsite.
Leveling Your RV 101
How Important is Leveling Your RV
It is very important as proper leveling protects your RV from any possible damage that an unlevel parking situation can incur. One of the most important reasons why leveling is important is that it takes pressure off your tires.
Too much pressure on them can wear them down and eventually ruin them. Also, that pressure can be transferred to the chassis of your vehicle and ruin the integrity of your undercarriage.
On top of all that there is a very personal reason why you want to level your RV. You will get better sleep in a level bed than one that is tilted in a variety of directions. Plus, when it is time to eat, your plates of food will not go sliding around.
How Level does My RV Need to be for a Fridge to Work
Technology has upgraded the modern RV fridge. The new models are not like the old days where your RV had to be perfectly level for them to work correctly. Technological engineers have worked on the problem for decades and they think they have solved it.
This means that on a side to side basis your RV fridge can be off level by 3 degrees and still work fine. Then on a front to back ration, you have 6 degrees to play with. This advancement will help you when you go boondocking.
If you are an experienced RV user, you know that sometimes it is next to impossible to find a level spot or get your RV exactly level. With the help of technology, you can now fudge a bit and still have your fridge working like it should.
Why Level an RV Fridge
Leveling an RV is important if you want to use your fridge. RV fridges are not like normal household fridges. The former needs the chemicals inside to flow correctly if the fridge is going to do its job well. That flow depends on the fridge being level.
If you do not level your RV fridge, you may be setting it up to malfunction and possibly cause it irreparable damage. When that happens, you will need to spend more money replacing the fridge.
One way to make sure you have the fridge level is to put a bubble level on its top and check it from time to time. That way you will know when to make adjustments to your RV levelers.
How Long is Safe to Leave a Fridge Out of Level
While some exceptions will take place, the best answer to this question is there is no real safe amount of time for a fridge to be out of level. Some tilting is okay for a short time but once that tilt is too much the coolant no longer circulates back to the boiler.
When this takes place, the boiler starts to heat up and if that happens you are already damaging your fridge. All this will take place in the first 2 to 3 minutes. In other words, you do not have a lot of time to spare.
You can keep the fridge on while moving up and down hills and around curves, as long as you do not run into exceptions like long hills or slow-moving traffic. But if you are doing lots of starts and stops, it is best to keep the fridge off until you are parked for the night again.
Do you Level Your RV With Slides in or Out
The recommended method of leveling your RV is to do it when the slides are in. After you get your RV level then you can deploy your slides and enjoy your camp site. There are good reasons for this recommendation.
- First, if you deploy your slides first, you are putting a lot of strain on your levelers. This strain may speed up the wear and tear and ruin some of the components inside your leveling system.
- Second, it is just easier to deploy your slide outs when the RV is level. Third, most likely your owner’s manual will tell you to wait to deploy the slide outs till after you have leveled your RV. Doing it this way avoids damaging the slide out mechanism.
Can You Level RV With Slides Out
It is possible for you to level your RV with the slides out. The reason for this answer is because not all RVs are made the same. Before you do any leveling, you should check with the owner’s manual to make sure you get the right operating procedure.
While you can get advice from experienced RV users, their advice may fit their RV and not yours. Also, keep in mind that stabilizing jacks were not designed to handle the weight of your RV. They only stabilize a level RV.
The key here is to make sure the ground you park on especially when boondocking, is as level as it can be.
Should I Level the RV When Storing
You should keep your RV as level as possible when you are not going to use it for some time. This will make sure that all appliances and fuel systems will be ready to go and you won’t have a problem when you want to use it again.
If you do happen to have a slight incline, make sure to keep the fuel tank on the lower end of the slope. This will prevent any fuel from moving towards the engine. One tip is to not use hydraulic jacks when trying to keep your RV level through the off season.
The reason for this is that they can leak or get stuck in the same position. When they get stuck, you will have a difficult time releasing them.
How to Level RV at the Campsite
The good news is that most campgrounds try to keep their campsites nice and level for you. Yet there will be those times and places where your campsite is not that level and you need to level up.
Here are some steps for a manual leveling process:
- Before you parking in your spot, walk around the campsite to see where the unlevel spots are
- Back your RV into position leaving yourself a few feet of room
- Place a few planks or RV blocks down in those uneven spots
- Then slowly back your RV on top of those planks or blocks
- Leave one wheel on the ground at all times for added stability
- Use a bubble level and place it on your dashboard to check your level. If it isn’t just re-do the process after making the right adjustments
- If you have an automatic leveling system, make sure to keep a few blocks on hand just in case your system malfunctions or you need a boost.
Level RV On a Steep Incline or Slope
The obvious answer is to avoid these situations as much as possible. But there will be those occasions where you cannot avoid parking on a steep slope. When you are caught in these situations here are some steps to follow so you can enjoy your stay:
- Find the spots where your leveling blocks will be placed.
- Next, grab your shovel, and you should have one with you at all times, and level the ground where your blocks are going to go
- You may need to dig down a few inches to make sure you have a level spot
- Place your leveling block n those spots and add as many as necessary to get your RV level
- Don’t use rocks or small boards to help level your RV as this will be unsafe and a little risky
How to Level RV Side to Side
There are those RV users who only have to push their level button and the RV solves the problem for them. But if you are not that lucky, you need to tackle this task manually. To do this all you need to do is place a 1 by 12 on the ground and back your vehicle or trailer on top of it.
If the RV is not level add boards until you get it level. You may need to pull forward and back up several times till you get it right.
How to Level RV With Blocks
You can use wood blocks or planks, but they may break unexpectedly and ruin your level in an instant. The best way to level your RV is t purchase some RV blocks because they are designed to do the job.
All you have to do is place the blocks down in those spots that seem uneven to you and then back your RV on top of those blocks. After that, lower your stabilizers so that they are firm and keep the RV from rocking.
How to level RV With Hydraulic Levelers
There are many RVs on the road that have this built-in leveling system. All you have to do is push a button and you can level your RV. But there are some tricks to this procedure if you want to get the process right:
- Before you hit the road, make sure there is enough fluid in the reservoirs
- Next, when parked, lift one complete side first. This will avoid any twisting of the frame
- Try to avoid soft dirt and asphalt when camping. Your hydraulic levelers may sink. Keep their footing solid
How to Level RV With Electric Jacks
This is another upgrade that technology has brought to RV users around the globe. All you have to do with electric levelers is park on basically level ground and push a button. Your RV does the rest.
Just remember not to confuse the stabilizers with levelers.
How to Level RV With Wood
The simplest way to level your RV with wood is to make sure your blocks of wood are the right size. 1 by 12, 2 by 12, 2 by 10, 2 by 8 are all good sizes to work with. Just make sure they are the right length for your tires to fit on.
Once you have these pieces ready to go, just place the wood blocks in the uneven sections of your campsite and slowly back your RV on top of them. You ay need to do this several times and add different thicknesses of wood before you get your RV level.
Leveling RV in Sand
There is a creative way to handle this difficult task. All you will need is a few 12 pack carboard soda packs. Just flatten these boxes out and place them in front of or behind the wheels.
The 12-pack size is long enough to handle several leveling blocks and still keep them from sinking in the sand.
What is the Best Way to Level an RV
The best way to level your RV may be by using contoured plastic wedges. After you drive your RV up onto the wedges, you just stop and then place the matching wheel chock into position.
That is all there is to it. The best way will depend on you and your RV’s design. Pushing a button is certainly the easiest until the system breaks down. Whether you do it with wood, plastic or RV blocks, manually is usually the best way to level your RV.
Some Final Comments
Leveling your RV shouldn’t take you a long time to do. But if you do not do it right it can ruin your first night way from home. Just make sure to follow the information above to make sure you get your level right.
Once you get the level right, you will sleep better, your fridge will perform better and you won’t cause any damage to your RV.
