First timer parking in a state park

[billrector]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I took this pic in McKinney Falls State Park. Not my rig. Someone else's.

How is that possible? You would crack that ramp in half trying to even get to that position?

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by billrector

How is that possible? You would crack that ramp in half trying to even get to that position?

Use the hydraulic levelling jacks to raise the vehicle, then put blocks and ramp (as a block) under the front wheel and then lower the jacks to put some of the weight back on the wheel for stability. Simple.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Just to come to the defense of the poor Texas State Park system .... the parks we've stayed in down there have been pretty nice. I'd also caution that some sites in the PA parks can be really poor ....

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The approach of putting blocks between the ball and the hitch to inch up the level is a bit ... errr .... interesting. I would assume that if you inched it up that way, the reverse process would be needed to get it back down again. Needless to say it's not the "normal way" to do things. While there may be a safe way to do it, I can think of a number of ways it might go really wrong in a hurry .....

Bob

[Mollysdad]

I carry a block I made myself for the tongue jack. Two squares of 3/4" plywood 12" on a side sandwiching a frame of 2" x 4"'s on edge. Fastened with drywall screws and glue. I also put a 2 x 4 in the center to support the tongue weight. That way I can gain 5" under the jack without stacking odds and ends of wood or plastic. I added a handle and rope to one side because I'm lazy and it's easier to pick it up. It's VERY stable.
If I were to do it over, I'd use 2 x 6's and make it 7" high. Then I wouldn't need to extend the jack very far.

[Adventure.AS]

The foot of our tongue jack is adjustable and can add about 7” to the lift of the jack. I carry six 2x6” x 1’ boards that can also be stacked under the jack foot.

[rowiebowie]

We were (fortunate?) on our recent trip to stay at many state parks with recently paved sites. Some were concrete, most were asphalt, a few were new gravel. However, hardly any were level.

We had our choice of many open spots so we picked ones that were pretty level, but many were off by inches side-to-side or front-to-rear (and I mean off 3 or 4 inches).

Someone should be forced to a year's hard labor for every site that was so poorly graded before paving. This cruel joke was repeated, over and over.


.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

I can drive the rear end of the trailer into the dirt with the tongue jack and a modest number of blocks..... This stuff with spacers between the ball and the hitch would simply drive it deeper into the dirt.

Bob

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

We were (fortunate?) on our recent trip to stay at many state parks with recently paved sites. Some were concrete, most were asphalt, a few were new gravel. However, hardly any were level.

We had our choice of many open spots so we picked ones that were pretty level, but many were off by inches side-to-side or front-to-rear (and I mean off 3 or 4 inches).

Someone should be forced to a year's hard labor for every site that was so poorly graded before paving. This cruel joke was repeated, over and over.


.

I’m no engineer - just wondering if it’s intentional to slope like that so water doesn’t pool up? Keep mosquito populations down? Just guessing - there are surely other ways to do that too but if it’s consistent in the park maybe it was strategery? [emoji3]

[LAWBC]

Originally Posted by drcmoore48

If this is the wrong forum please let me know.
We recently purchased a 2016 Flying Cloud. Our first outing was at an old Texas State Park with full hook ups. Backing into the spot was challenging as it was narrow, sloped and had a big tree bordering the curb side. 6' or so in front of the AS was a downward slope more pronounced than the black-topped pad the trailer was on. That pronounced slope was a small gully used beside the roadway to channel water.
Leveling was challenging on this our first outing. I have 20 stackable 8 1/2" square plastic one inch plates to use for leveling. I used about 6 of them to get the AS level side-to-side. And I only had enough plates to do one wheel.

Front to back I used about a dozen or more to level the rig and even then it the electric jack was 3/4 extended. It took about an hour and I was pooped after it was over. My dilemma (and thereby my question) occurred when it came time to go home. When I let the jack all the way down I was still 5 or so inches from the ball on my Ram 2500. And I had only 2 stacking plates to work with. The only solution I knew was to lower the AS on to something that would safely support the trailer and then start taking 1" plates off that had supported the trailer to make it level.

So what's the best way to handle a wompy pad like we were parked in and one where the rear tires of the tv were in that 8" gully? Your input much appreciated. Thanks.

Find another campsite, don't waste it on frustration or maybe the chance of damaging your trailer for a campsite. That is what I have done and If here is nothing available I move on.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Keep in mind that a *lot* of these parks were put in by the CCC back in the 1930's. Any leveling done may have been by hand / mule. Campsites likely were "camp where you like". You found a site and pitched you tent. If you had a trailer, a single axle at around 20' was "a big one".

Now toss in the fact that the trees grew up a bit since 1933. As the roots do their thing, even a site that was level .... not so much. Chopping down giant trees in a park ... good luck with the paperwork.

If you have never tried to get a 40 foot long pad dead level, it's not as easy as you might think. Yes, you can do it, there's a lot of fiddly work involved. In most areas, there's more than just a little bit of dirt to be moved and ground re-packed afterwords.

As mentioned above, a dead level site is ... errr .... not a good idea. You need some slope to the site. If it's level, after that big rain in the night, you step out into a lake where the grass used to be. That's not a random guess about how it works, that's from direct observation in a number of states .... including Texas

Lots of fun ....

Bob

[davidrrand]

Even if the site where the trailer will end up is dead level, the approach will determine how difficult it is to unhook and hookup. A slope up or down in approaching the site requires the power jack to operate often beyond its limits. It is best that the TV and the trailer are on the same plane and straight when connecting or disconnecting.
We all know this is not always possible.

[SailAS]

I did not read the entire thread. Wife and I spend many many nights in Texas state parks on our 25 FB Safari and it's not uncommon to find a pad that's not level either forward and backward or left to right. I have a F350 4x4 and the tongue is quite high on it as well without a load.

What I carry with me is a series of two by fours only a foot long so with one end tapered Ive got additional blocking but you can always put something under the tongue and get it backup to the right height. Getting the ball lower than the trailer tougue is significantly harder if the spot is severly sloped w/o sonething under the tounge.tongue. I have a "blocking cone" for ny tongue that is probably 12 to 14 inches high and I use it when there is a severe negative slope.

[rick1009]

Hi,

I noticed you are from Longview. We live in Plano. We are members of the Texas Highland Lakes Unit #172. Club members are always willing to help. I find looking at the State Park Website for sites can be helpful. After you get a site with the Reservation Site, do not hesitate to call the park. Here is a link to join our mailing list, if you would like.
https://tinyurl.com/htzu4vm. Debbie