Will you Level with me?

[Frederick L. Simson]

In all of the years I have been camping in my trailer, I cannot remember EVER having to level up my trailer on the Driver's side. I am always adding between 1 and 3 layers of leveling blocks beneath the Curb side tires. Up to now, I've been using a separate little step stool to step up into the trailer. For those times when I have to stack more than 1 block under the tire, this is becomming inadequate. When my trailer is on a level spot, the door threshold is 18" above the ground.

I am looking to install a permenently attached step to the trailer. 18 inches is the dividing line where both a 1-step unit and a 2-step unit can be considered. However, the fact that I am always shimmimg up the CURB side tire has me thinking that a 2-step unit would be a better choice.

What would you do?

[Byron Kinnaman]

I indicated that I my trailer is low enough to step right in, which isn't always the case. I carry a step stool with me. I can leave the legs folded and get 3" lift or unfold the legs and get 8". Most of the time the 3" lift is plenty. I hit my head when using it at 8".

As for level. I use a BAL leveler, I beleive I've put it on the street side more than the curb side, but I not sure about that.

[Gina D.]

I don't seem to find any pattern on how I have to level.



What did your welder say about that? Maybe there is more to that frame sag than meets the eye?

[Alf S.]

In all of the years I have been camping in my trailer, I cannot remember EVER having to level up my trailer on the Driver's side. I am always adding between 1 and 3 layers of leveling blocks beneath the Curb side tires. Up to now, I've been using a separate little step stool to step up into the trailer. For those times when I have to stack more than 1 block under the tire, this is becomming inadequate. When my trailer is on a level spot, the door threshold is 18" above the ground.

I am looking to install a permenently attached step to the trailer. 18 inches is the dividing line where both a 1-step unit and a 2-step unit can be considered. However, the fact that I am always shimmimg up the CURB side tire has me thinking that a 2-step unit would be a better choice.

What would you do?

Hi: Frankly I am not quite sure your on the "Level" You really have to "Level with us before we can offer an opinion Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Frederick L. Simson]

What did your welder say about that? Maybe there is more to that frame sag than meets the eye?

He wants to add extra cantilever reinforcement framing beneath the floor directly below the door. He believes that repeated stepping up into the trailer right at the point where the frame is the weakest is what has caused the main channel piece to bend or slope down aft of the 2nd axle, which is right in line with the hinge side of the entry door. The other side does not slope down as much. He says that's because of the location of the kitchen cabinetry; nobody is standing right on top of that frame member. The box shape of the entry step will be incorporated into the frame reinforcements.

[CD Smith]

I level, either one block or two, never had to add three. The side that needs to be raised has been evenly split between curb side and street side.

We do use a step stool because of wife's arthuritis. If fact our Casita didn't have a handle beside the door to help with entry when we purchased it. I added one after a couple of months grabbing the door jam.

[Gerry]

a handle beside the door to help with entry when we purchased it. I added one after a couple of months grabbing the door jam.

I think I will add a handle to my Boler not so much for the weakening of the glass ( thank God we are still fit enough that our legs can lift us) from grabbing the side of the door but the oily finger prints from always on the fiberglass.
I think the leveling of curbside to driverside delema depends on where the campsite fire-pit is located. Almost all the sites I went to this year my wife wanted the front door of the trailer (curbside) faceing the fire-pit, thusly the driverside was low.
Maybe the lay of the land is such that water will run away from pit?
Makes sense to me
Gerry

[Lex M]

We use a 'banana' for levelling, if necessary and a very comfortable 2 step folding step.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Frederick,
I think your welder is on to something. Does the corner raise when jacked with out appreciably moving the rest of the trailer? IMHO, the "order of the day' would appear to be...fix the corner sag first then re-evaluate the step issue.
Kurt & Ann K.

[Alf S.]

I think I will add a handle to my Boler not so much for the weakening of the glass ( thank God we are still fit enough that our legs can lift us) from grabbing the side of the door but the oily finger prints from always on the fiberglass.
I think the leveling of curbside to driverside delema depends on where the campsite fire-pit is located. Almost all the sites I went to this year my wife wanted the front door of the trailer (curbside) faceing the fire-pit, thusly the driverside was low.
Maybe the lay of the land is such that water will run away from pit?
Makes sense to me
Gerry

Hi: If "Life is a bowl of Cherries" what are we doing in the "Pits" Seems you havent quite got a "Handle" on it yet but at least you're working on it!!! My wife is a very serious "Egg"centric camper...She always wants the door facing...OUT!!! Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

hummm, curb side, drivers side? How about door side? Okay, that would work except those folks that have doors in the backside

Actually I need to block most often the side with the door...whichever side that is and it's because the tire usually ends up right where other folks (in bulgemobiles) doors are and there's a divet created (and a pool of water when it rains). First year in A Loop (Oregon Gathering and it rained early in the week) the area in front of my door was a real pool. Actually it turned into a bird bath (as I sat in my lawn chair and watched 'em).

Like Byron, I have a BAL Leveler now (THANKS KENT!) and works great...lots of times I'm parked in nothing more than a cow pasture

[Donald Stahl]

Many years ago when we were much younger and had a Cardinal 13ft. low liner, we camped at a beautiful spot halfway up the side of Mt. Shasta. I recall the slope was so steep, I had to elevate the trailer on the door side about 1 1/2 ft. Exiting the trailer was almost like base jumping.

Most of the time, I suppose that the door side is going to win out re the leveling question.

[Brian B-P]

Our Boler has about a 40 cm (16" ) step-in height. I find that low enough that I would not bother with a step for myself, but it is too high for my wife. We use a separate, non-adjustable, plastic step stool. If I have the trailer jacked up to work underneath, the same step works for me to get in and out.

I don't think I have enough experience for a statistically significant measure of which side is generally lower, but I couldn't enter my vote regarding steps without entering a vote for which side needs blocks, so I checked the last one: don't believe one of the votes for all sites being level!

[Penny Taylor]

<<< Okay, that would work except those folks that have doors in the backside >>>

Oh, you mean doors in the backside of their trailers, not their long johns !!

[Gerry]

<<< Okay, that would work except those folks that have doors in the backside >>>

Oh, you mean doors in the backside of their trailers, not their long johns !!

If they were (wore) long Johns, thier legs would be long enough to not have to need any steps. Back, curb-sde or driver side .

[Frederick L. Simson]

Frederick,
I think your welder is on to something. [b]Does the corner raise when jacked with out appreciably moving the rest of the trailer? IMHO, the "order of the day' would appear to be...fix the corner sag first then re-evaluate the step issue.
Kurt & Ann K.

I have been jacking that corner up with the stabilizer jack until the doorframe returns to square so the door closes properly when camping.

We're planning to jack the frame straight, and sister in a reinforcement alongside the length of the main rail on that side. My rectangular tube frame is less than 1/2 the dimension of what Casita uses.

The welder wants to add a lateral frame under the the door, cantilevered out to the edge of the trailer from the main frame rail. The location of the gray holding tank is presenting a challenge, and is probably the cause of the initial weakness. Since I have been toying with the idea of installing a 2-step pull-out set of steps, I want to incorporate it into the frame design before my welder adds so much steel there that he prevents the steps from ever being installed.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Frederick,
it occurred to me that it might be worth while to question your welder about the cost of a completely new, heavier duty frame. Might be cost effective compared with trying to patch and revamp the old one. There's nothing like a nice secure foundation
Kurt & Ann K.

[Brian B-P]

About the frame fix versus build question...

I agree that a whole new frame would be preferable. It would be lighter for the same strength, and could accommodate exactly the desired features (such as the step support, provisions for storage boxes, tongue length and style, et cetera).

Removing the body from the frame is a substantial job which I have never even seriously considered attempting, and presumably much more difficult than working under the trailer as-is, but doing all of the frame work in place won't be easy, either. It might make more sense to use your own unpaid labour to do a body remove-and-replace, than use an expensive welder/fabricator's time working under the trailer, and compromising the quality of the work.

[Jerry Jacobs]

I have to block up which ever side is lowest, seems about equal to me.

But I would like to know how you secure that wheel after raising it up three blocks high.

Do you just rely on the rear end supports and the secure low wheel on the ground to secure complete trailer

or

do you look for several bricks or tree limbs to try and secure that high tire as well, the store bought wheel wedges or chocks don't fit after raising tire? This can be a real task to complete. I would like to know what others do here--thanks

(I try to secure somehow, I just rest better)

[Frederick L. Simson]

[b]But I would like to know how you secure that wheel after raising it up three blocks high.

Do you just rely on the rear end supports and the secure low wheel on the ground to secure complete trailer

My Fiber Stream doesn't have permenently installed stabilizers. [b]I also have dual axles. So I secure two wheels that touch the ground by chocking both; and use 4 stabilizing jacks, one on each corner of the trailer.