How level is my Ollie ?

[hardrock]

I want to determine if my Ollie and TOW vehicle are level.  I have determined that the bubble level is OK for quick setup, but not terribly accurate.  I have played with it by loosening one screw on the bubble level and tightening another.  I then compare this with my 8' carpenters level I have placed just inside the Ollie cabin door stretched across the floor.  I then adjust the bubble to the carpenters level.

 

What I am trying to do is determine if my Ollie and my TOW are level when hooked together.

 

Question - if I am trying to determine the levelness of my Ollie when hooked to my truck, where would I measure the height from the ground to the point on the Oliver in the front and in the back? My perception may be off, but when I park on a level  driveway, put a level on the inside of the trailer and it shows level, It appears to be lower in the front of the trailer than in the rear.  I have placed a 2x4 x 10' long on the ground and the 8' level shows the ground is level after trying it in several places. I did check the 2x4 and it is plumb and true. My Oliver is a 2015 Elite and the tow is a Tundra.  This may be TMI but a level and accurate carpenters level inside should equal the same height on the front and rear of the Oliver !

[ScubaRx]

Try placing the level on the outside under the edge that forms the belly band.

 

You can also measure the distance from the bottom of the frame to the ground in the front and back.

[Try2Relax]

I've found that my belly band has slight "waves" in it, and this might throw off your level, if yours does too. I use the bottom of the frame, front and back to measure from, of course you could always use the frame bottom for your level too.

 

You say it "appears lower" and mention your perception, do all your checks come out good then and it just "looks" off? Mine rides 1/2" lower in front and I'm good with that. When your taking about perception, if your truck doesn't appear perfectly level too it can throw off how your seeing the trailer sitting, ie: if it dips at all in the back it can make the trailer look like it dips in the front. Disconnect the trailer, level it out and then step back and see how it looks by itself.

 

Post a picture and then we can all see it.

[DavePhelps]

What you are seeking is a horizontal alignment between your TV and trailer. Level is nice but hard to achieve in the field. What you need is a flat surface (does not need to be level) between the front tires of your TV and the furthest rearward tires of your trailer. When hitched, look at your setup and sight down the middle seam of your trailer (or any prominent horizontal line) and compare it to the same on your TV. The lines should be parallel or very close to it. Both should also be parallel to the ground. You can measure or just go by eye.

 

If you have to measure, level your trailer as you mentioned, stick the dumb end of your tape measure up in your hitch (where the ball would go) and measure down to the ground. This is the same measurement as the top of your hitch ball should be on your TV. Be sure to allow for your rear end dropping when the trailer is hitched up (tongue weight). My E-250 drops about 1-1/2", half tons will probably drop more. Sounds like you may need a ball mount with a shorter drop. Important to note however that if your TV is really squatting (low in the rear) under the load of the tongue weight, you need to address this first, as your TV should be parallel to the ground , or close, while hitched. Only then can you proceed with the rest of the process. Hope this helps.

 

Dave