Bring along a shovel

[J Mac]

Last night I saw a seasoned RVer level his trailer with a shovel.
I've always backed up and driven foreword trying to "jocky" into position levelling blocks etc. They pushed out of the way and so on. Total hassle!
This fellow though, backed up, scooped a half shovel full of site dirt out of the way, just ahead of his high tire, pulled foreword, and dropped down into the shovelled divot area and became level.
Later I guess he refilled the divot and all was good.
What do you think?

[Jim Bennett]

In most places I have needed leveling, it would not be a good idea to dig a hole. Often it is on grass which I would not feel right disturbing, or even one real hard ground where shovelling would not be very easy.

I can pull up onto blocks really quick. Looking at the level usually tells me just how many I need.

But, if it is in a spot that could easily be repaired, why not? Other than having to carry a good sized shovel.

[Devil Dog]

Thats the way I've always done it, Some times I forget to fill the hole when I pull out and head down the road. Rarely do I use blocks under the tires.

[gbaglo]

In B.C., I have discovered, it's a good idea to carry a shovel, in case the Forest Service is between you and your destination, digging trenches across the road.
You can fill them in..

[KarenH]

Eek, there's a reason for those trenches!

[gbaglo]

Well, if I'd been camping at Billy Lake Forest Service Recreation Site and discovered that I couldn't get home without restoring the road, I'd do what I had to do.
No notice, nothing. Just holes in the road, and CAT tracks.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

In B.C., I have discovered, it's a good idea to carry a shovel, in case the Forest Service is between you and your destination, digging trenches across the road.
You can fill them in..

Hi: gbaglo...We have those type of trenches down here too!!! I call them "Speed bumps". I've never thought of carrying a shovel though. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[KarenH]

They're called water bars and they're designed to funnel water off the road to prevent erosion and to sustain road integrity.

[gbaglo]

I made it across half a dozen, slow and sure, but he started digging deeper and I was dragging my hitch coming up the other side. I managed to turn around on the one lane road. If I'd had the trailer behind me, I would have had no choice except fill in the ditch to get across. Just glad we didn't camp at Billy Lake and discover the trenches on our way out. Should have bought that 4x4 Tacoma instead of the RAV4.
Speaking of Forest Service roads, we had a couple different Backroads Mapbooks with us. "Totally useless, a waste of money, haven't been updated in years", said the locals. The roads change from year to year. Some disappear and new ones are created. Chataway Lakes Resort provide us with navigation directions to the surrounding lakes. Zero the odometer at the resort gate and turn left at .2 kilometers, take the right fork at 1.3 kilometers. After we reported our experience, the owner was going to drive the roads so she could edit her instructions.

[gbaglo]

BTW.
No cell service.

[gbaglo]

Oh. And we also had a Forest Service map of the area. It was at least eight years out of date. And, they had the nerve to start charging $2.50 for the previously free maps, about six years ago.

[Brian B-P]

Back to digging in at camp sites...

I would not normally do this, because it may be destructive to the pad area. Digging a hole in packed gravel and then later tossing the material back in is not the same as leaving it tightly packed.

On the other hand, if the campground operator says it is okay, this is a great way to get level without getting excessively high. We had our motorhome in an RV park for a whole season, and the operator suggested doing this. The site sloped significantly down from rear wheels to front (which is a long way with this motorhome), and it allowed us to level without an excessive step up, or raising the front wheels off the ground with the leveling jacks.