Leveling

[Red Dog]

We have used the Anderson Levelers for over two years now and I highly recommend them.

[garysd]

Originally Posted by Red Dog

We have used the Anderson Levelers for over two years now and I highly recommend them.

Fred,

Did you have to trim yours?

Gary

[Fox hunt]

wow that level mate pro is nice! but $$ not something i need I'm not that picky about leveling but it looks like it makes the process much easier especially when you are doing it alone and in the rain etc...when leveling the tongue back to front is it different for a 5th wheel? it shows a bumper pull.

[Fox hunt]

again lots of great advice thank you

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

when leveling the tongue back to front is it different for a 5th wheel? it shows a bumper pull.

Only that now you've got two jacks to go down instead of one.... and if the ground is unlevel under the jacks they might need to go down at different lengths. That's why a level is important.

[Fox hunt]

and they are electric?

[SFDavis50]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

and they are electric?

Yes, the front jacks on the 5.0 TA are Atwood electric jacks and are individually controlled. As I posted before I plan to use the big round Anderson Jack Blocks which are 8" high under them so they aren't extended very far. This should add to the stability of the trailer and, I hope, prevent the need for X chocks between the wheels.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

and they are electric?

Yes, the two jacks at the front of a 5.0 or 5.0TA are electric; they are the same type of jack as used for the tongue of a conventional Escape... but buried inside the body so this isn't visually apparent.

While it is common for fifth-wheel trailers to use one motor to drive both jacks together, Escape uses two entirely separate jacks so there are two up/off/down switches - it is important to coordinate them to avoid twisting the trailer, but the independent control means that you can accommodate uneven ground or one jack sinking into soft ground more than the other.

[Rossue]

We usually camp in Forest Service type spots which can be far from level. Tight X-chocks help to keep the tongue from swaying towards downhill when unhooking and for front-to-back slopes are good insurance behind the solid rubber chocks.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Many happy owners of the Anderson levelers. Jon V has that great LED level indicator that helps with them.


Personally I use the legos or the BAL levelers but have been lazy and not going for perfect level on most sites this past season.


I use the plastic X chocks and it seems to reduce sway some.


I do recommend some chocking of the wheels, especially for the TT's, as the hitch decoupling can let the trailer free wheel momentarily. Maybe not so much on the 5th.

While I still have the Hopkins visible level, and I even modified it so it runs on a 5V cell phone recharging battery rather than the expensive & fast draining button batteries, I found that with repeated leveling over time I can easily get it close watching the belly band in the mirror. I haven't used it in years...

[rbryan4]

One comment I've noticed about the x-chocks that I haven't seen myself: in my experience they don't do anything to prevent the trailer from rocking. They simply immobilize the wheels.

Chock up, get everything level, then drop your stabilizers and snug them up to the ground. I generally lower them until they're in firm contact with the ground, then give them another half turn each with the handle. By lowering them each with the same force, it doesn't affect level, and pretty much eliminates motion.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

One comment I've noticed about the x-chocks that I haven't seen myself: in my experience they don't do anything to prevent the trailer from rocking. They simply immobilize the wheels.

Chock up, get everything level, then drop your stabilizers and snug them up to the ground. I generally lower them until they're in firm contact with the ground, then give them another half turn each with the handle. By lowering them each with the same force, it doesn't affect level, and pretty much eliminates motion.

Hi: rbryan4... "And I am unanimous in that". Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[gharper]

We have the Andersen levellers and the metal X Chock and think perhaps the best money spent on options. The levellers make it much easier to level and we hate the trailer moving around particularly if one person is sleeping. First year we didn't have the X chocks or the metals pads under the stabilizers and there noticeable movement, now using the pads and X chocks there is very little. Haven't compared stabilizers down with pads versus X chocks with stabilizers and pads though.

The nice thing about using X chocks with the Anderson leveller is if you are in really uneven ground and the leveller is riding up high on one side of the trailer and difficult to block the wheel, the X chock prevents any movement of the wheels and prevents it from rolling.

[garysd]

For those of you who use the Andersen levelers, it seems I should use one for each wheel? I've seen a couple of videos where only one is used on tandem axles.

Gary

[Rossue]

With some side to side levelling you could perhaps use just one, however not to the extent that you leave one wheel hanging in the air as that would put strain on that axle.

[garysd]

Originally Posted by Rossue

With some side to side levelling you could perhaps use just one, however not to the extent that you leave one wheel hanging in the air as that would put strain on that axle.

The video showed the single leveler on the back axle, and not lifted up that much, with the front axle wheel sitting on the ground. But it didn't seem like that would be a good thing to do for a couple of days.

Thanks Rossue, I'll get a 2-pack if I get them.

Gary

[BCnomad]

Originally Posted by padlin

Think Jim's talking about the BAL Levelers.

Yep, use two on my 21 like Donna does on her 5er.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Yep, use two on my 21 like Donna does on her 5er.

Yep and like Ian on his 19'

[garysd]

A 2-pack it is, then!

Gary

[AKCamper]

We bought two Anderson leveler and cut an inch off and they work great. I suggest taking a 5 or 6 foot 2 x 6 along for those times when the leveler are not enough.