Leveling Tandem Tools

[SCOTTinNJ]

Go by any construction site where a house is being built and ask for scrap pieces of 2x6, 2x10, or even 2x12. Cut to the length you need.

I carry a length long enough for both tires to fit on and then a few of shorter length.

They may not last 125,000 years like the Anderson's, but I can replace them easily almost anytime and I'm using something that would have been trashed anyway.

[SteveSueMac]

Pharm - are you stacking the Legos to make a ramp? If you just make a 3" high square block, you'll have a tough time getting on them. Instead, build them up so the first one the tire sees is flat then half way in you hit the next Lego, then half way in to that the next, etc. this requires you to build it like a pyramid so the entire "ramp" supports the weight. I'll look to see if I have pictures of that too...does the description make sense though?

[PharmGeek]

Stevesuemac...let me clarify:

I have only stacked them straight up without a pyramid last weekend when I used my neighbors ramps they have...which conveniently fit between the two tires as well..pull up a bit, then insert the stacked lego blocks and was able to easily roll onto the stack.

Without the ramps, pulling onto them is I presume near impossible..or at least a bad idea.

I know how to pyramid them, and had done that, but that only lets me do one wheel...and when doing 3-5 high, it is (I think) impossible to make two pyramid stacks...although now that I think about it, I suppose its possible to make like two overlapping pyramids...hmmm....I think I would need like 10 more legos to make that happen, lol?

[xrvr]

Gotta make a ramp otherwise you can just push the whole pile. Jim

[extiger]

Another vote for the Andersen's. They are easy to use, simpler than building ramps. I also chock the wheels using Rotochock's. I carry Legos that I sometimes use under the stabilizers, but so far have not had to build a ramp with the Andersen's on top.

I started with wood blocks when I first got my first trailer and later replaced them with Legos and last summer started using the Andersen's. All will work and each has its own advantage/disadvantage

[gandttimes]

Another vote for the KISS method. I have 8 ( 8x8x3/4) and 4( 8x8x1/2) marine ply and 4( 8x8x2in). They all stack neatly in the bumper storage and I can use varying thicknesses to stack and make ramps. And if I lose or break one, I know where more can be had.


George

[PharmGeek]

if cost is not an issue...nothing seems more simple than the andersons for most leveling situations...Ill use some wood for now, but I want them andersons now...and some variety of the in between wheel chocks...which I have no idea which I will want.

[BoldAdventure]

Bought Airstream, can't afford $80 levelers




Sorry I went there. lololol

[AWCHIEF]

LOL Where is that like button?

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Stevesuemac...let me clarify:

I have only stacked them straight up without a pyramid last weekend when I used my neighbors ramps they have...which conveniently fit between the two tires as well..pull up a bit, then insert the stacked lego blocks and was able to easily roll onto the stack.

Without the ramps, pulling onto them is I presume near impossible..or at least a bad idea.

I know how to pyramid them, and had done that, but that only lets me do one wheel...and when doing 3-5 high, it is (I think) impossible to make two pyramid stacks...although now that I think about it, I suppose its possible to make like two overlapping pyramids...hmmm....I think I would need like 10 more legos to make that happen, lol?

Yup! You got it!

[PharmGeek]

Oh kiss it hahahahaha


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[Goal15]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Oh kiss it hahahahaha


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I'm sure I may get excoriated for heresy or something to that effect, but the one time that I have needed to use my Lego-like levelers, I just put my x-chocks between the tires on the opposite side, took my Tundra jack and put it on the channel iron behind the two wheels I needed to raise and jacked until I could slip the Lego-like levelers (lll) underneath the tires.

I do realize that this might work fine for my 23 but perhaps not bigger AS

We seldom encounter a state park or COE site that requires this amount of leveling.

You do have a bottle jack don't you Pharm? No additional expense required.

Dana

[crispyboy]

You definitely should be leveling both tires the same amount though this could change with the grade of the site. Sometimes it is one side, other times it could a one axle.

I really like the concept of the Anderson levelers. Maybe sometime in the future.

For now I have a single set of lynx levelers that I rarely use.
I have a milk crate full of 2x8's with a 45 degree cut on one end along with a few pieces of 1/2 inch plywood for fine leveling. There are shorter and longer lengths so when the trailer gets high the short lengths will fit between the tires.
Campgrounds can get hilly here in KY, I think I have had one side of the trailer 8 inches or so off the ground. Put the truck down in low range makes this much easier.

[PharmGeek]

I must have just been "lucky" in almost always having to use 2 or 3 layers of lego blocks to get the low side up...probably in the last 1.5 years of my first RV experience, over half of the time I needed a good bit of raising of the low side....I had 3 times the level was too far off to get it level, and I just lived with a bit off camber (may have been in my head, but I think it caused me to sleep terrible).

I do have a bottle jack, but only a small 2T variety....not sure what possessed me to get that smaller one vs. a 4 or 5T model....

I will not attempt to imagine the possible downfalls of using a jack...besides jacking it up on axles and damaging them...or weight of the thing getting up then shifting? which seems unlikely while hooked up?...ill wait to hear the excoriation I guess.

[PharmGeek]

btw..I never would have thought about turning off the trailer brakes.....seems like an excellent tip.

[AWCHIEF]

I have been very satisfied with my purchase of the Andersen levelers. Much simpler to use than quessing how many legos to use. Using the supplied small chocks they are rock solid and secure. Worth the 80 bucks in my opinion.

[carver 1]

For those interested in the Anderson Camper Leveler, please read the negative customer satisfaction results on the Amazon site. I'm sticking with my wood 2X8s.

>>ron<<

[PharmGeek]

Carver I read them - some breakage reported....however all in all very few negative reports

I'm sold on the Anderson levelers - is xchock type thingies really necessary with them?


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[PharmGeek]

Although I'll probably wait till birthday or Christmas and ask for them


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[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Carver I read them - some breakage reported....however all in all very few negative reports

I'm sold on the Anderson levelers - is xchock type thingies really necessary with them?


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One guy's $0.02 - yes. The levelers only level. I use something different than x-chocks but definitely apply additional "stabilizing" beyond just dropping the stabilizers (those don't fully dampen forward/backward motion where x-chocks and others do exactly that).

Everyone's mileage varies.