Leveling Your Travel Trailer at the Campsite
One of the best ways to elevate your camping trip to a camping experience is with a travel trailer, but sometimes, elevation is exactly the issue. Unlevel ground can cause an unlevel trailer, which can cause all sorts of safety hazards and maintenance issues. We here at Minneapolis Trailer want to ensure your trip goes exactly as planned, so we’ve put together some tips for leveling your travel trailer at the campsite. For more information, or to see the travel trailers we have for sale, contact our store in Rogers, Minnesota, today!
Supplies
For this process you’ll need:
- A level or leveling app.
- Leveling blocks or wood boards.
- Wheel chocks or blocks.
- A leveling jack.
- Stabilizing jacks (if there are none built-in to your trailer).
Location, Location, Location
Your first step is one of the most important: picking your travel trailer’s parking spot. Find the most flat area you can, preferably on firm and sturdy ground. Sand and gravel will shift under the trailer’s weight and force you to re-level everything, so if you need to park a bit further away from facilities than you would like, it may well be worth it.
Right to Left
The first step in the actual leveling process happens while your trailer is still hooked up to your tow vehicle. Use a level or a leveling app and place it on the tongue of the trailer to see if it’s leaning to one side or the other. If one side is lower, you’ll need to move the trailer, place leveling blocks or boards where you want the tires to go, and put the trailer back in place on top of them. Recheck the level and adjust again as needed.
Keep it in Place
Now it’s time to disconnect the tow vehicle, but first make sure your travel trailer won’t be moving and undoing your work. Place chocks or blocks in front of and behind each wheel to secure them, then move the tow vehicle out of the way.
Front to Back
Now it’s time to finish the leveling process itself. Use your level, either on the trailer’s tongue or inside the trailer, to see if it’s level from front to back. If not, use a leveling jack to adjust the lower side until the travel trailer is sitting evenly.
Stabilize
Now that everything is level, it’s time to ensure it stays that way. Shifting weight inside the travel trailer can undo your work, so use the stabilizers in the corners of your trailer to keep everything in place. If you don’t have any, stabilizing jacks can be utilized. Make sure they’re firmly planted on the ground, but don’t add so much pressure that the stabilizers get damaged.
Ready to hit the campgrounds? Contact us at Minneapolis Trailer for more tips, or to see our travel trailer selection. We proudly serve the people of the Twin Cities of Minnesota—let us serve you today!