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Leveling your Trailer


Michael A

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With today's smart phones, it is real easy to have a level measuring device that tells you how many degrees of tilt your trailer is experiencing. You then get out your leveling blocksTrailer Leveling Table.xlsx and use a hit or miss technique to get your trailer just right. Wouldn't it be nice to know the exact height you are going to need? It turns out you can calculate it based on the trailer's wheel base and the degrees of tilt. Using the tangent function, the attached Excel spreadsheet shows a table of required trailer elevations based on a user-specified wheel base, and the degrees of tilt. I printed it out and put a copy in my blocks case. Hope people find this helpful. My Oliver Elite 1 has a wheelbase of 67". The resulting table looks like this.

Wheel Base (in) 67 Deg of Tilt Elevate (in)
    0.2 0.23
    0.4 0.47
    0.6 0.70
    0.8 0.94
    1 1.17
    1.2 1.40
    1.4 1.64
    1.6 1.87
    1.8 2.11
    2 2.34
    2.2 2.57
    2.4 2.81
    2.6 3.04
    2.8 3.28
    3 3.51
    3.2 3.75
    3.4 3.98
    3.6 4.22
    3.8 4.45
    4 4.69
    4.2 4.92
    4.4 5.16
    4.6 5.39
    4.8 5.63
    5 5.86
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Good idea.

Another approach with those bluetooth leveler devices is to use something like the curved Anderson leveling wedges and drive onto it on the clearly low side until the device reads as level (or close enough that you can finish the job with the trailer jacks). 

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Jim and  Yanna, Woodinville WA

2004 Ford E250 camper conversion

Oliver Elite II hull #709

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Thanks for the info.  But you may be overthinking it 🙂.  First I assume you mean track width (side to side) and not wheelbase?   Wheelbase is the distance between front and rear axle centerlines on a vehicle.  Track width is the distance between the right side and left side wheels.  And notice that you can use what’s referred to as the small angle approximation, where at small angles near 0 degrees, the SIN and TANGENT values are basically approximately equal to the angle, normally when the angle is measured in radians, but works close enough in degrees also with the Oliver width as the adjacent leg of the triangle, as evidenced in your chart.  Even at 5 degrees, the elevation is 5.86”, only a little over a 1/2 degree of difference using the small angle approximation method, especially since the Lego type leveling blocks stack up in 1” increments.  So I’ve just been using the Lego blocks as a “ degree”.   I put my iPhone on the main aluminum tongue beam of the trailer at the front and use the Clinometer app.  One degree out of level side to side means I will use one block, 2 degrees and I’ll use two blocks, etc.  Once the trailer is leveled to within 1/2 degree that’s usually very comfortable as a “level” trailer, and is well within the limits for the absorption type refrigerators.  1/2 degree within level is waaay better than most folks that I’ve observed camping 🙂.  And we are usually 1/2 a degree up at the front when camped to help drain the tanks.  

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We use 2 x 6 cutoffs, a pocket level, and, sometimes,  a half empty water bottle on its side, on the tongue, as the bullet level on the tongue jack is often wrong.

Before we disconnect from the truck, I step inside and see if it "feels " good. If it does, we're good. 

I  can definitely see other methods, like the Bluetooth leveling system, to be extremely helpful for newbies or single handers. Worth their weight in gold, if traveling solo, imo.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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That’s some interesting leveling data.  I’ve been using the little bubble level on the front jack since May 2016.  I do need to adjust it every so often.  I always have the front a little high so water drains from the shower a little better.  We’re probably never perfectly level side to side, but it’s never enough to be concerned about.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

ALAZARCACOFLGAIDILKSKYLAMDMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKSCSDTNTXUTVAWVWYsm.jpgALAZARCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMS

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I was using the bubble level on the front jack but everytime we'd be sitting in the trailer and say to each other, "boy, it feels like we're leaning." Go check the level and it's right on, so I pulled out my carpenter's leval and put it on the floor of the trailer and it was off by quite a bit. I wiggled the bubble level on the front jack and bingo, it agreed with the carpenter's level. Take home: the front jack level is a waste of time. My solution is a LevelMatePRO. You initially have to level the trailer using whatever method works, then mount the sending device on the trailer, I fastened it to the inside of the front wall of the closet so it's close enough to the truck that it can be seen by the bluetooth phone-app while I'm still in the driver's seat. I put out my anderson curved levelers and drive up on them until my LevelMate  indicates i'm level. It works great. The only issue I've had is having to change the batteries is a pain since it's easier to do it on the table (IE removing it from the mounting location) then trying to do it in the back of a dark closet and risk dropping the screws and batteries, so I have to dismount and remount it every so often. It has an automatic shut-off but I've found I can extend the battery life significantly if I just turn it on when I need it and shut it off when we're done leveling. Additionally, when we first pull into a site, I turn the unit on and drive around or back and forth until I find an appropriate location that is mostly (if not completely) level to start with since it gives real-time feedback, sometimes I don't even need to pull out the levelers. Sometimes just moving 8-10 inches forward or back will result in it going from being 1-2 inches off to being within1/4 inch...

 

I love living in the 21st Century!!!!

albert

 

https://www.amazon.com/LogicBlue-Technology-LevelMatePRO-Wireless-Leveling/dp/B01FGGSWPW?th=1

 

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Albert & Terri Sterns

Paonia, Colorado

Elite II Hull #1125 Standard Floorplan / 2017 Ford F250 gas

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Our bubble in the front jack works, and the doesn't,  and sometimes even disappears and comes back.

I don't depend on it.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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14 minutes ago, rideandfly said:

This small level has worked well for a few years, used double sided tape for installation.

Indeed.

For about $1.50 each get several (Similar to these).  I stuck one on the tongue like Rideandfly, one by the Ollie's door and another one right under the bath window.  I thought about getting bigger bubble levels like John Davies but I simply didn't like the look and since I always get out of the truck to take a look around the area I'm pulling into anyway, these smaller levels don't really cause me any more work.

Having said this - I do have my "eye" (read that I've got a price set on Camel, Camel, Camel) for a LevelMatePro like AlbertANDTerri have, but, I'll need to get a decent smart phone first 😏.

Bill

p.s.  they do sell those simple bubble levels with a white base that matches the Ollie better versus the black base.

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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I bought a LevelMate Pro+ for when we get our Oliver. On a whim, I mounted it in our 5x8 squaredrop.

After careful leveling and setting zero, I used it camping, it was easy as pie to use. In fact, I didn’t need to level the trailer at all. Until I opened the door and it swung wide open. Using the level, it was off 1-1/4” left to right. I guess the tint size of the trailer is too hard for the LevelMate to figure out. 🤷‍♂️

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-----
Steve - Northern Ohio, USA
Wandering around on occasion, always lost.
2021 Toyota Land Cruiser - 2023 Oliver Elite II Twin Hull #1360 “Curiosity”
Facebook - Instagram

Camped in Curiosity = Green —— Visited with Curiosity = Gray

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My 2020 LE II came with a factory installed bubble level installed on the upper left wall inside the rear storage garage.  When unhitching, I first use the tongue jack bubble level along with Anderson levelers to get close.  Then I go to the rear and fine-tune the port to starboard leveling using the stabilizing jacks while observing the factory installed bubble level. I will note that I didn't discover this factory installed bubble level in the storage garage until months and several trips had passed after picking up my LE II.

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Steve and Lornie

LE II Standard  Hull #657  2004 4Runner 4.7 L V8

Oregon

COIDKSMOORTNUTWYmed.jpg

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16 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

 I always have the front a little high so water drains from the shower a little better.

I also like the front a bit higher.  In addition to water drainage in shower, I sleep head forward and like it to be higher than my feet.  It also helps me keep the refrigerator door from getting away from me and swinging back to the entrance area.  That can break the door hinges if it lock out too many times.

Thanks for the tip.

GJ

 

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TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker      OLLIE:  2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed.    OLLIE DYI’s:  BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps.    TV DYI’s:  2 5/16" Anderson System, Timken Bearings, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all.

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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