Leveling a Scamp When Camping

[CampyTime]

Dear FGRV Friends,
Although I have 5 years experience leveling a pop up camper, I have never done so with my Scamp 13, as I just picked her up in October and the camping season was over here in Western NY.
My pop up had the same stab jacks in the back as the Scamp does. In the front of the pop up, I put stationary jacks. This is, of course, using Lynx levelers, wood pieces, etc. to get the trailer level front to back and the best I could side to side.
Is the leveling process of a Scamp much different? My concern is now that I have a 3 way fridge, they're supposed to be super level, right?
Thank you for your time and responses which I know will be helpful to me!

Sincerely,
Wendy (CampyTime)

[honda03842]

Wendy,

We have a 1991 Scamp and do not find that 'super' leveling is critical to the operation of the fridge.

We have a level mounted on the front and side of our trailer and we attempt to get the trailer level side to side, nothing strict or religious about it.

We carry a couple of 2"x 6" x 1' Often we'll put one under the low side of the trailer's wheel by towing the vehicle onto it. We have sloped one edge of the 2x6 to make it easier to do. One board is usually adequate.

To level front to back we use the trailer's tongue jack.

We do not use the corner supporting jacks to level the trailer. Their primary purpose is stabilization.

[CampyTime]

Hello Honda,
Thank you for the earnest sweet and simple reply! I have some boards but I think they're all less than one inch.

So if I get this correctly, you're backing up when you get to the site, find a pretty decent spot while backing up and using your levels but if its a little low on one side, you back up a little behind it and then come forward on the board. Does that sound right?

I have some stab jacks for the front as well which I should use or do you just let it rest on the tongue jack?

Sincerely,
Wendy

[Francesca Knowles]

The jacks are meant for "fine tuning". Level on blocks within a degree or so, then adjust using the jacks.

I have a set of Lynx levelers for running the tires up on, as well as a Bal leveler that's used once the trailer is parked. But I must confess I rarely carry or use the Bal as I find the Lynxes to be more versatile, not to mention easier to carry/stow.

[Glenn Baglo]

You need to distinguish the difference between "stabilizer" and "jack". A stabilizer does just that and is no substitute for a jack. Which do you have?
Easiest thing to do ( and cheapest ) is drive one wheel up on scrap boards and use the tongue jack to level front to back.

[Donna D.]

Towable trailers are leveled two ways. Front to back by raising or lowering the tongue. Side to side is leveled at the wheels. You never level using stab jacks or stabilizers. Those are used only to keep the trailer "stable" where the person sitting at the dinette doesn't feel like they're in a boat because there is someone walking around inside the trailer!

[kdhanso]

The method Glenn describes is the same way we level ours. When we bought our Scamp the PO didn't provide the stabilizer rod that is normally used to adjust/tighten the rear stabilizers.

We will back in and then place a piece of wood under the low side wheel and pull forward onto it...adding wood if necessary until level. Place chocks and unhitch.

Then adjust the front jack until the bubble is slightly low, drop the rear stabilizers and tighten them with a few more cranks on the front jack which also levels the trailer.

[stevebaz]

I do as KD does to level my trailer. I use the Lynx levelers and carry 2 bags of them, much easier to store than dirty wood blocks and they dont disappear in someone's campfire. I camp out in the boon docks of the desert and getting a flat area where you want it can be trying. If I use a pop-up canopy instead of my bag awning the extra blocks placed under the legs of the canopy by the trailer the canopy clears the door.

[Jon Vermilye]

You might want to take a look at the Anderson Leveler. Very fast & easy leveling side to side.

[Scamper Jim]

Wendy,

The degree of level required to avoid damage to the frig cooling unit varies with the type of boiler you have in your frig.

The earlier style of Dometic refrigerator with the square boiler box cover had to be super level to avoid blocking the normal refrigerant flow.

The newer style of frig from them has a round boiler box cover. Being super level is not as important. In fact, they state that “Spirit or bubble levels are no longer being supplied with the new style refrigerators as the RV or vehicle only needs to be leveled so it is comfortable to live in, with no noticeable sloping of the floor or walls."

Source: Dometic Manual Refrigerator Diagnostic Service Manual. 8/89. Pages D-6-7 and D-6-8

You can tell which version you have very easily by opening the access panel on the side of the camper and look to the far right, and you can see the boiler box cover. It is just above the pilot lighting hole. A round tube means you don’t have to be as careful.

[Glenn Baglo]

One advantage to scrap wood for leveling ( aside from being cheap ) is that when you photograph your trailer you don't have those florescent orange or green lego blobs ruining the shot.

[cpaharley2008]

In lieu of blocks for side to side there is B@L trailer leveler, seen here Amazon.com: BAL R.V. Products Group 28050 Light Trailer Tire Leveler: Automotive
if interested, I have one for sale and will be attending the rally in New York, discussed here http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ble-61524.html
send me message if interested.

[honda03842]

Wendy,

The 2x6 method is certainly the lowest cost. There are many different more expensive solutions but blocks work for most. Go to Lowes and ask them to cut up a couple 14" long 2x6s and ask them to bevel one end. Most of the time one is enough to level a side. We carry 3 with us. Sometimes we find we need one under the rear jacks (oops stabilizers).

We do leave the front of the trailer on the tongue jack and use this to level the trailer front to back. (Do not put the rear stabilizers down before leveling with the front tongue jack.)

We have also added an additional stabilizer on the door side of our Scamp. Personally I don't think it's necessary but Ginny likes it.

Another thought we have two 4x4x4 inch blocks that fit under the rear stabilizers foot.

Your description is satisfactory for leveling one side, A number of people have defined the same approach. Depending on the site we put the board in front 'or' behind the trailer's tire.

[peterh]

We have a BAL Leveler like the one CPAHarley suggested in the last post, and we love it, but it does have both advantages and disadvantages that are worth mentioning.

The BAL Leveler's advantages are that it lets you get your trailer as level right-to-left as any floor in a real house and, because it does this by clamping the tire into place better than any set of chocks ever can, it also substantially reduces the amount of wiggle you get in your trailer as you move around. We also find that, once our trailer is level right-to-left, the rest of our setup is very quick and easy.

Its disadvantages are that setting BAL Leveler up is somewhat more time consuming and a bit more athletic than simply backing the trailer onto step boards or Lego-like blocks that raise the low side of the trailer. You not only have to slide the leveler under the low-side trailer tire, you have to crank on the leveler's screw until the floor is level right-to-left. This can be a little trying when it's cold and wet outside.

There are times when I think the best solution is to have two solutions, a BAL leveler for the times when you plan to stay set up for several days and a 2-foot long board with 8" long, 3/4" tall wood "steps" you can back up onto until you're roughly level for a short stay.

[CampyTime]

Hi Everybody,
WOW! What a response! It never ceases to amaze me...what I learn from this forum. Ya know what I do? I copy/past the information into a document which must be about 10 pages long now. If I could only stop adding to it, maybe I'd print it out to read! Ha Ha!
I have one set of Lynx Levelers I kept from my pop up camper, and some pieces of scrap wood, but I don't really think they're thick enough, as I mentioned in my first post. But at least now, I get how to level the trailer, and it is different from a pop up (but Lord knows, I was probably doing that wrong somehow
Bless you all for your elegant chiming in...gosh how I love all the talk and banter! It's fun!

Fondly,
Wendy

[DebbieDB]

I love all the helpful people on this site! I have a friend that suggested carrying a camping shovel. If one side is too high just dig a little hole and then pull into it. Tried it and it works great!

[mary and bob]

I have all kinds of scrap wood, and carry 5 short boards with me. I have the flip down stabilizers at the rear and screw type stands I use at the front corners. We also have a home made step that is like a wood box with rubber stair tread on it. Flipped over and set just inside the door when traveling it holds the two screw stands, boards, stabilizer rod, wheel chocks, and a fire extinguisher that sets just outside the door at the campsite. One thing I didn't see mentioned yet is a small shovel. I carry one of those folding camp shovels and at times have dug out a shallow depression for a wheel to set in to level the trailer rather than raise it up. Sometimes I'll just use one of my boards to move some dirt. This won't work on paved sites, but they are usually fairly level anyway.

[tractors1]

I use a glass of wine for leveling; place it on the fridge and observe to see where the low corner is. Raise that corner, have a sip of wine and inspect again by replacing the glass on the fridge.

Repeat until close enough, refill as needed..................should take less than 1 bottle.

Charlie Y

[papa-t]

I have a round bubble level that I sit out on the counter when we get to the campground. I have a permanant level I mounted to the camper for leveling front to back. I usually usethe blocks
and have with all my campers. Class A, tag-a-longs, fifth wheels and now our Scamp 5er. However at the Cherokee rally a guy had the Bal leveler and it did look great. I like the fact that it chocks the wheel and levels. I will probably be purchasing one before summer.

[rabbit]

The Andersen 3604 is intriguing but I'll wait for some positive testimonials before committing. Any problem with the smaller securing wedge working loose, Jon? I know you singlehand so I'm also wondering if arriving at the needed elevation is a series of cut and try repetitions without an assistant to check level. I currently use the BAL for athwartship leveling but would gladly leave it behind for something lighter, smaller, and equally effective with less work.

jack