Best Location for LevelMate Pro

[Tom and Doreen]

For those who have mounted one, where is the best location for mounting a LevelMate Pro on an Olly II? I'm planning on mounting one possibly in the front closet or above the master switch panel. 

[Guest]

We mounted our inside the closet, above the door. No problem getting a signal. We plug it into portable battery for power.

Kirk

[CnC]

We first leveled our Ollie2 on a concrete surface, then mounted the battery operated Bluetooth unit inside the garage opening on the vertical forward panel.  That way we can switch it on/off easily before and after manipulating the rear stabilizer up/down switches located there.

Charlie.

[Tom and Doreen]

Thanks very much for the input, I like those ideas better than mine!  I'll likely install it on the inside of the closet as shown above.  Thanks! 

~Tom~ 

[Rivernerd]

Another option inside the closet:  the wall between the closet and the bathroom.

The bath vent that runs through the roof is visible on the left side of the photo.  Because that wall between the closet and the bath is thin, to avoid penetrating the bathroom side of the wall, be sure to either:  (1) use washers, as I did or (2) attach it with double-stick tape or Velcro.

In hindsight, it would have been easier to use double-stick tape.

[Hokieman]

I mounted mine same location as Kirk did in photo above.   I used 3M VHB tape as  I was worried screws would come thru the wall.   I had concerns it would sag after awhile but it has been holding position for over a year.  I just use the internal battery power supply, but it’s awkward to replace the batteries.   The bath wall is easier to get to for battery changes.

[Tom and Doreen]

Great ideas folks, thanks!  I bought a Velcro mounting pad that's about the size of the LevelMate Pro that I'm planning on using.  

[GraniteStaters]

I use Velcro to install in the dinette seat on the wall adjacent to the bathroom.  It doesn't need to be visible and can be remove to install new batteries. 

 

[Roger]

I mounted mine right above the switches just inside the door.  It makes it easy to reach up and turn it on and it is out of the way otherwise. I used double-sided tape to attach it. 

[Rivernerd]

Roger:

Where did you obtain the dial dimmer switches for the Porch Lights and Outside Courtesy lights?

 

[hobo]

On 2/28/2023 at 10:49 AM, Rivernerd said:

Roger:

Where did you obtain the dial dimmer switches for the Porch Lights and Outside Courtesy lights?

 

I'd like to know that too.

[topgun2]

there are a ton of these available HERE

Bill

[Dave and Kimberly]

Roger... is it really necessary to be able to turn it on/off ?    My understanding is that it "goes to sleep" until you use the app on your phone, which then wakes it up again when it's time to use it.   Advantages for the Pro + (over the original model)  seem to be almost 3 times the battery (240mAh vs 620mAh), ability to run off of a micro USB port, and compatable to Apple Watch.   Other wise it seems that they both work and function exactly the same.

[SteveCr]

5 hours ago, Dave and Kimberly said:

Roger... is it really necessary to be able to turn it on/off ?    My understanding is that it "goes to sleep" until you use the app on your phone, which then wakes it up again when it's time to use it.   Advantages for the Pro + (over the original model)  seem to be almost 3 times the battery (240mAh vs 620mAh), ability to run off of a micro USB port, and compatable to Apple Watch.   Other wise it seems that they both work and function exactly the same.

I have my Level Mate mounted in the rear attic compartment near the TV switch outlet. I wanted to mount it with screws per the instructions but in a hidden area. It works good there. As far as battery life...I have replaced the original battery once in almost two years. I keep the unit on during trips and off while not on a trip. It does go to sleep.

Steve

2021 LE2

[Fritz]

 Previous post incomplete; will post how-to on wiring levelmate shortly....

[Fritz]

I, like others, mounted the Levelmate in the closet, because it is about halfway between the driver’s seat in the tow vehicle and the stabilizer switches in the rear of the trailer (I've found that signal strength is generally fine with this location).  The Levelmate is installed with 3M Command velcro strips.  Secure, no screw holes, removable.

It’s easy enough to reach into the closet and turn the Levelmate on.  But the batteries are rather short-lived, so I would run back to the trailer and turn it on prior to parking (and leveling).   Problem is, it is too easy (at least for me) to forget to turn off the Levelmate.  Result: dead battery, yet again.

So I decided to hard-wire the unit.  Theoretically the unit could be wired directly to the trailer’s 12V system, but I used the USB cable that came with the Levelmate instead.  This requires an accessible USB charger; the closest existing USB charger was too far away.  Thus, wiring the Levelmate consisted of installing a USB charger within a cable-length of the Levemate unit.  As there was no really good location in the closet (criteria being a wall with accessible space behind), I installed it in the galley cabinet (referred to hereafter simply as “cabinet”) above the microwave cabinet.  

I also wanted the Levelmate on easily for driving (so that it is ready to use when I want to park), but off when not driving or parking.  So I connected the Levelmate to the same circuit as the rear camera.  On when driving, off when parked.  The Levelmate draws very little current (or the 2032 or 2050 batteries in the Levelmate, depending on model, would be insufficient), so I was not very concerned about overloading the camera circuit.

There are many (and probably some better) ways of wiring the Levelmate, but here’s what I did: 

1.     I began by removing the screws securing the main Oliver switch panel to the wall (giving access to the wires behind it) and the port cover in the cabinet.


 

2.     The rear camera switch has 3 wires attached: 2 tan wires and one yellow wire.  In my trailer (2021 LE2), the bottom tan wire is continuous 12V, the middle tan wire is 12V only when the camera switch is on, and the yellow wire is ground.  I verified this with a circuit tester, using metal in the exterior lower refrigerator vent as a ground.  (It would be SO GOOD to have an electrical diagram for the trailer!)



3.     I removed the closet light, and used a 36” zip tie (3/8” width) to fish between the closet-light hole and the cabinet port.  I tried fishing with 2 different wires (which were either too stiff and it would get stuck, or to thin and would bend); the zip tie was sufficiently stiff yet flexible, and I could work it though without getting caught on reflectix insulation.



4.     Once I confirmed my ability to fish, I drilled a 1 1/8” hole in a part of the cabinet that did not have wires behind it, and another hole for the USB cable (3/8”, I think).  Similarly, I drilled a hole in the closet (1/2”, I think) for the other end of the USB cable.  The hole sizes for the cable are different because the cable ends are different sizes.  

5.     I taped the small end of the USB cable to the zip tie, and pulled it from the closet to the cabinet.  I placed a rubber grommet in the smaller hole, and a rubber bushing in the larger fiberglass hole, to protect the cable from chafing in the fiberglass holes.  In both cases, I cut the grommet and bushing on a bandsaw to slip them over the cable.

6.     I then spliced the tan middle tan wire on the camera switch with a quick-splice snap-wire connector, to which I connected a shrouded spade connector attached to about 10” of 16 ga wire, which in turn got connected with a shrouded connector to the positive terminal of a Blue Sea 2.1A USB charger (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Charger-Socket/dp/B0082CXEI8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QD4BPGGKK7GE&keywords=blue%2Bsea%2B2.1%2Busb&qid=1685469544&sprefix=blue%2Bsea%2B2.1%2Busb%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-1&th=1).  There are cheaper charging ports available, but the others in the trailer are this brand, and Blue Sea previously responded quickly when a charging port in the trailer failed.  The negative charger terminal was similarly spliced to the yellow wire on the switch.

In conclusion, I’m happy with this solution to a first-world problem—it lets me use the Levelmate app when pulling (or backing) into a site without having to first run back and turn the Levelmate unit on.

 

 

[Fritz]

The pictures did not come on my post above (ugh!).  Here is another try.  You'll just have to imagine that the photos are appropriately placed with relevant text.   

[Rivernerd]

No photos visible to me.

[Galway Girl]

Originally I mounted in back of closet and it was hard to reach.

I moved it to the outside of the closet door just below fire extinguisher mounted with double stick Velcro.  

I can reach it while standing outside with the door open to turn on/off when setting up camp.  I can pull off easily to change batteries.

 

 

 

 

[Steve Morris]

I mounted my LevelMate Pro+ in the corner, above the main switch panel. I piggybacked off of the street-side awning switch. The top (negative) and bottom (positive) wires are always hot. I tried following the manual as to how to use wire it permanently, using the white and black wires in a USB cord. But after a few hours fiddling, and cutting up two different USB cords, I could *not* get 12V DC to the unit. I did find a pair of wires that deliver 12V, but they were not the two that connect with the micro USB plug on the printed circuit board. Frustrating!

I ended up gutting a USB plug that fits in a lighter socket, soldering the positive and negative wires onto the appropriate terminals, then used heat-shrink tubing to encapsulate the assembly, including the USB-A plug. I connected the two wires to the awning switch, plugged the other end of the USB cord into the LevelMate, and good to go!

(The LevelMate is level. The perspective of the photo throws it off)

 

Plenty of room for more wires...  🤪

[John E Davies]

If the unit is not secured using screws, how do you know that it is still level after changing batteries? Do you relevel the trailer each time? It seems as if screw mounting would be most trouble free in the long run.

I wish the small aftermarket manufacturers would use better looking and smaller boxes, most I have seen are ugly, kludgy in operation and way to large, like a project box from Radio Shack. The LevelMate looks crude with the protruding screw ears…. Here is the Fridge Defend box:

Isotherm gets it “almost” right, it is very slick, except for the bizarre curved smily face shape and the flashlight bright LED numbers, which I had to cover.

How satisfied are owners with the LevelMate appearance? Maybe a white version would work better, or just paint the box….

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

 

[John E Davies]

On 6/1/2023 at 1:53 PM, Fritz said:

The pictures did not come on my post above (ugh!).  Here is another try.  You'll just have to imagine that the photos are appropriately placed with relevant text.   

There is an Edit function on the drop down box, click the “3 Dots” symbol to reveal it. You can edit any post that you made regardless of its age. For example:

 

 

 

It is actually quite easy. Most problems with picture are due to slow Internet connections, like using cell in a sketchy cell zone.

I do wish there was a way for a poster to delete his post.

Thanks for posting them, the more pics the better IMHO.

John Davies

Spokane WA 

 

[Rivernerd]

4 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

How satisfied are owners with the LevelMate appearance?

That is one reason I placed ours in the closet.  It is not real attractive, but we never see it unless we are looking for it, mounted above door height, on the interior closet wall.

You raise a good point about securing it with screws, rather than Velcro or double-stick tape, to avoid  having to re-level the trailer.

[Patriot]

Our totally free iPhone bubble level app. It works excellent every time . 👍🏻😊

[Allen Lee Rohner]

Is everyone on this topic satisfied with the performance of the LevelMate Pro?

Thinking about purchasing LevelMate Pro+

I want to thank everyone for all the mounting suggestions.

Best Regards,

Allen