ParkLiner - leveling jacks to replace stabilizers?

[DJO]

Thanks for the discussion and warnings!! Helpful!!

[deryk]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

These Parkliners seem to need an awful lot of repairs and modifications for a trailer that has only been in production for a short time. Next camper I buy is going to be one I can just use and not work on, tired of that deal.

Well then you need to order the trailer with all the options that you think it needs...and hope you got them all.

Frank didn't buy his new from ParkLiner and is wanting different options... electric water heater and leveling jacks instead of stabilizers. I also didn't buy mine new and am ok with the options mine came with. I use a Bal leveler for side to side leveling and my tongue jack for front to back. I do carry a scissor jack and a pair of jack stands if I was ever again camping in a god awful spot and am forced to jack the axle up like in one camp ground i stayed in.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by deryk

Well then you need to order the trailer with all the options that you think it needs...and hope you got them all.

Frank didn't buy his new from ParkLiner and is wanting different options... electric water heater and leveling jacks instead of stabilizers. I also didn't buy mine new and am ok with the options mine came with. I use a Bal leveler for side to side leveling and my tongue jack for front to back. I do carry a scissor jack and a pair of jack stands if I was ever again camping in a god awful spot and am forced to jack the axle up like in one camp ground i stayed in.

Thanks Deryk! Bottom line is our ParkLiner did not need anything. Well, it did need the batteries moved, but ParkLiner has come up with a very elegant solution to that problem, and are doing it for me. Gail complains I get something new (whatever it is) and seem to take on projects with it. I'm a project guy and am having fun. Not much more I want to do with this trailer, so back to projects with the truck and wife's new Escape. I'm also rebuilding my hot rod and a 1947 Old Town canoe. And am continually remodeling the house. Oh yeah, I'm still a workin stiff too!

Frank

[deryk]

Oh me too Frank! My mom yells at me why I keep taking on projects lol.

I really think about this winter covering the walls with poplar wainscotting and since I have some of the same varnish as my woodwork making is all the same colour...make it more cabin like!

My friends over the weekend while camping didn't have their 10x10 ezup staked, it blew over and broke...I kept the top to cut it and take measurements to make a pattern to make a top out of sunbrella so it has a vintage style look to it...I'm thinking of going that route for an awning so it better sheds water and be able to add a screen room or privacy walls! I saw online you can buy a 12" leg extention so i could set it up right against my ParkLiner and be able to open the door.

http://www.ezupdirect.com/product/leg-extensions/

[bluebird]

To ALL who have spoken about the Stabilizer Jacks vs Leveling Jacks issue for the Park Liner, I believe the following will solve your problem:

Stabilizer Jacks are NOT Leveling Jacks. Stabilizing Jacks are meant to do just that, only stabilize the Park Liner AFTER leveling.

The Stabilizing Jacks supplied with your Park Liner are NOT meant to lift a wheel off the ground, but to just steady the unit after leveling.

Once you find your "sweet spot" at the camp-site and you are off-level from side-to-side, I know the following product will solve this concern. Go to the following LINK and check it out. The price is right, the product is simple to use and ruggedly built. Be sure to watch the available video. This will amaze you, and it works.

3604 - Camper Leveler

Once your Park Liner is level side-to-side, it can be fine tuned front to back using the front jack.

Then, you drop the Stabilizing Jacks to the ground just to "stabilize". If a jack does not reach the ground, you can then place a leveling block (or blocks) under it to fill in the space.

If you have any questions, please ask. Don't stress the frame and/or fiberglass by trying to lift the frame!

Bruce Bombardier

[deryk]

Interesting Idea Bruce! Too bad my ParkLiner doesn't have flat sides (I just checked with a 3' level) But its definatly lighter and smaller then my BAL leveler
I just got a set of 10 blocks from Camping World for $5 (had a $20 off coupon plus a credit from a return)

But yes the rear stabilizers are just so the front end doesn't rise up when you walk to the back of the trailer...not to lift it up for leveling purposes.

Now say your stuck in a godawful spot and you can't lower the tongue jack any lower to level it... would a scissor jack and a jack stand under the axle be ok to lift it a bit or just lots of blocks under the 2 tires?

[cpaharley2008]

If anyone is interested, I have a slightly used B@l leveler and pizza bag for sale $40 will deliver to Algonac Rally in September if wanted.

[bluebird]

Back to you, Deryk,

I don't try to use a level on the side of the Park Liner for just that reason. The level that works great for me is found at Camping World at the following LINK:

2-Way Bubble Level - Four Corners ZK-015 - Levels - Camping World

I attach it using the self-adhesive backing/or have permanent luck with a stronger 3M double-sided tape for outdoor use you can find at Walmart.

Attach this to the top of the A-Frame on the flat surface just in front of the tongue jack.
It is easy to see your level side-to-side and front-to-rear and works like a charm.

To answer your question, I would use blocks under the two tires and stay away from the axle and frame.

Bruce

[deryk]

Thanks Bruce! I use a similar level and a bullet type as a backup lol.

I do normally carry a few boards(and sadly forget them...I have thought of spraying a line down the middle in florescent yellow) and now have a 10 pack of leveling blocks just got this week from Camping World RV Leveling Blocks, Set of 10 - Four Corners D11-133 - Chocks & Levelers - Camping World For $5 and change I couldn't complain. Will see how that goes over the next month... might change my mind and try the Andersen leveler...I've seen something similar out of wood here somewhere.

[frankcfx]

$75 to replace a couple of 2" X 6" boards for side to side leveling!!! That is what the 28050 light weight leveler costs !!!
Frank

[deryk]

Got mine for I think it was $50 on ebay with shipping... always google anything you want to buy online for a better price.

I do like the BAL, except I have 15" rims and if I'm on grass or soft dirt I have a problem getting it around my tire...have to park it on a board to get the BAL on.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by deryk

Got mine for I think it was $50 on ebay with shipping... always google anything you want to buy online for a better price.

I do like the BAL, except I have 15" rims and if I'm on grass or soft dirt I have a problem getting it around my tire...have to park it on a board to get the BAL on.

You have 15" rims?!? I couldn't fit a 15" wheel and tire on!

Frank

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Front to back leveling is obviously easy and so is side to side.

Ginny looks to see which side needs to go up and puts a 2x6 with a beveled edge under one wheel. Usually that's close enough.

She then adjusts front to back and I put the stabilizers down.

Norm, is that a 45 degree bevel? Got any pics? I have plenty of scrap 2 X 6 around, and that sounds like the best idea I've heard yet!

Thanks,

Frank

[Donna D.]

For those considering the Anderson, there's been discussion on the EscapeForum. Problems when the ground surface is slippery and the Anderson shooting out rather than the tire going up on it. In fact, one tandem axle owner got the Anderson jammed between the tires.


I've used a BAL leveler for my Scamp for years and LOVE IT. As a single traveler, I don't have a "Ginny" to help level. I just park where I want and rachet up the low side. Now that I have a TA, I have TWO BAL levelers... I'm going to give them a test this next week. Fingers crossed!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by frank_a

I have plenty of scrap 2 X 6 around, and that sounds like the best idea I've heard yet!

Funny… that's what we used on our family's p-up trailer back in the 70's... back when there was no BAL, no lego blocks, and FGRVs were the new kids on the block! Boards have their limitations, of course. They are slippery when wet (as previously noted), they can slide apart if you have to stack several, and they are relatively bulky and heavy. But they do work (cloth-type sandpaper or stair tread grip glued to one side helps with slipping and sliding) and they're cheap. The newer devices improve on some of the limitations, but nothing is perfect for every conceivable situation. You have to decide what works best for you. If you're looking for something as simple as a button on the dashboard, it doesn't exist, and we take our trailers places the big rigs don't dare to tread! A small set of 4 lego-type blocks has sufficed for me so far.

[Jon in AZ]

Another "new-old" idea whose time has probably come and gone is digging out the high side. Many places it's a definite no-no. Two years ago we camped at Cyclone Lake (a nearby "rent-a-lake" camping/fishing site) the week after a large group of big tandem axle RVs. I knew that because the entire sloping meadow overlooking the beautiful lake was pock-marked with not-so-beautiful trenches for the high-side wheels of ten or fifteen of them! Even if they had bothered to fill them in (which they didn't), vegetation was removed, which spoiled the view and disturbed a fragile ecosystem.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by bluebird

To ALL who have spoken about the Stabilizer Jacks vs Leveling Jacks issue for the Park Liner, I believe the following will solve your problem:

Stabilizer Jacks are NOT Leveling Jacks. Stabilizing Jacks are meant to do just that, only stabilize the Park Liner AFTER leveling.

The Stabilizing Jacks supplied with your Park Liner are NOT meant to lift a wheel off the ground, but to just steady the unit after leveling.

Once you find your "sweet spot" at the camp-site and you are off-level from side-to-side, I know the following product will solve this concern. Go to the following LINK and check it out. The price is right, the product is simple to use and ruggedly built. Be sure to watch the available video. This will amaze you, and it works.

3604 - Camper Leveler

Once your Park Liner is level side-to-side, it can be fine tuned front to back using the front jack.

Then, you drop the Stabilizing Jacks to the ground just to "stabilize". If a jack does not reach the ground, you can then place a leveling block (or blocks) under it to fill in the space.

If you have any questions, please ask. Don't stress the frame and/or fiberglass by trying to lift the frame!

Bruce Bombardier

So Bruce, you have a ParkLiner? When did you get it? Got pics?

Are you associated with this product you're suggesting for leveling?

Thanks!

Frank

[bluebird]

Hi Frank,
Our new 2015 Park Liner has been ordered as of three days ago. We presently have a Camp-Inn Teardrop single axle. It's weight and price range is approximately the same as the Park Liner. We have been using the #3604 Andersen Camper Leveler with great success. No, we are not associated with the company. We just like to share when we are excited about a product that works.

Regarding the comment above about it slipping on a slick surface, we have never experienced that. The tire only has to rise the 1/2" onto the leading surface. Compared to 2X6's or the leveling blocks (which are about an inch high), all one needs is a little common sense and not a heavy foot on the gas pedal. This simple product is quite hefty, only 2 pieces, and wouldn't slide easily (a great product and not expensive). Used with the level I suggested, an easy time of it!

Ask Tom Bass at Park Liner what he thinks of this product. He also uses it and is enthusiastic about it. I think Tom may be Chandler's COO.

Did anyone else know that Park Liner is now offering a Fiamma awning?? We had one on our Roadtrek (2007-2010) and it is another superior product. We have ordered our Park Liner with this new option.

Regards, Bruce

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by bluebird

Hi Frank,
Our new 2015 Park Liner has been ordered as of three days ago.

Did anyone else know that Park Liner is now offering a Fiamma awning??

Regards, Bruce

Wow! Good for you Bruce. Very exciting! When do you expect delivery (or pick-up)?

We are using a Gander Mountain canopy that many other ParkLiner user use. Very simple, inexpensive and easy to use. We had ours on through torrential downpours and winds substantial enough to knock tents over while camping in the Adirondacks last weekend. Both the Canopy and our Clam 1660 came though the weather fine.




The Fiamma awning does look neat and easy to use. This is a first attached canopy offering for ParkLiner as far as I know.

I'm off in a week on my way down to the factory for some updates to our trailer, which was #006 in the production line back in 2012.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks,

Frank

[bluebird]

Back to You, Frank,

We live in NC about 2 hrs away from Park Liner. We expect to pick up our new camper sometime in August! Can't wait.

Bruce