What is level?

[Mollysdad]

This is more of a philosophical question than a technical one.
How do you determine the standard for level? (side to side)
Find a flat parking lot? I've put a bubble level on my floor, counter, table, and freezer and none agree perfectly.
I start with the floor, since I can see the level without getting in.

The question occurred because I just got a Level Mate Pro, and it wants to start with the trailer level. Whatever you tell it will become the standard to duplicate. "This is level"! (the unit itself doesn't need to be perfect because it's only reproducing what you told it. So if you mount it 10 deg. off, it will think level is 10 deg. off.)

At some point level is "good enough" since we don't carry 1/4" blocks to put under the wheels!
I'm pretty tolerant as long as the blood isn't rushing to my head at night, or my drink didn't tip over.

Water in a glass? Marble? Bowling ball? Phone app?

[lsbrodsky]

I have always used a bubble level on my A-frame. That is also what I used to calibrate my Level Mate Pro. In the end, if the water drains out of the shower floor, I am satisfied.
Larry

[SandKSmith]

The above too, but also when the refrigerator door or bathroom door stays in place when opened. I couldn’t figure out how my shower light switch got broken—- the fridge handle hits it if left open and the front is too low.... glad the dealer only charged me a dollar for the switch.

[Halford1]

I put a leveler on the concrete pad site and determine whether its level or not and figure out how many lynx blocks I need to use under the tire. I plan to get a longer leveler as opposed as the one foot leveler I use.

I just use shovel on ground sites. Put dirt back in hole when I leave.

If the site is not level and I did nothing, the shower door will not close, so will the fridge door. The front door will not either.

[Daquenzer]

I use the kitchen table for side to side and the AS floor or kitchen counter for front to rear. If I'm close that's good enough. The big thing is I want to make sure that the water drains in the refrigerator to the hole and then outside. In one case the water wasn't draining as well as it should and we had water coming out of the refrigerator. I've really only had to level side to side one time. We were in a city campground and it clearly sloped to the side. I use the the Anderson type levelers and it worked pretty slick I thought. I guess if it slopes a little bit I'm not going to get picky. After all we are camping

[JDG]

I have a 33 Classic and the level pro. I had to relocate the level pro due to bad Bluetooth signal. Remounted at recommendation of Level Pro. The unit now sits side to side in the unit as before it was aligned with the center line of the trailer. You have to tell the unit how it is oriented in the trailer. Signal would freeze before and not update. Works much better once located with line-of-sight to the front windows. As far as the “what level” question: I find with a 33 foot trailer there is a lot of flex which makes it hard to get one solid “level” reading in every spot of the trailer. I used a foot long carpenter’s bubble level on the floor by the door and mid ways back. I also check dinette table and counter top by stove with iPhone level. Once it’s pretty close (your personal tolerance) I set the level pro. The level pro can be re-calibrated anytime you want. I have found it impossible to get all parts perfectly level. Seems to work well for me. I have it calibrated to the 1/4 inch setting and use the Anderson levelers or wood blocks depending on site. Best of luck.

[Kamiak]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

This is more of a philosophical question than a technical one.
How do you determine the standard for level? (side to side)
Find a flat parking lot? I've put a bubble level on my floor, counter, table, and freezer and none agree perfectly.
I start with the floor, since I can see the level without getting in.

The question occurred because I just got a Level Mate Pro, and it wants to start with the trailer level. Whatever you tell it will become the standard to duplicate. "This is level"! (the unit itself doesn't need to be perfect because it's only reproducing what you told it. So if you mount it 10 deg. off, it will think level is 10 deg. off.)

At some point level is "good enough" since we don't carry 1/4" blocks to put under the wheels!
I'm pretty tolerant as long as the blood isn't rushing to my head at night, or my drink didn't tip over.

Water in a glass? Marble? Bowling ball? Phone app?

What are you trying to level? In most cases, that's the fridge. In my case, for whatever reason, the fridge is not installed perfectly level to the frame...at least not at the A-frame. I know from experience about what fraction of a bubble the two are different, so I "level" at the tongue where it's convenient. If I want to be sure, I use the freezer compartment floor. If i was trying to define a reference point for a high tech level, that is what I would use. Otherwise, I believe that my 20-year old Airstream owners' manual says something to the effect that if you don't mind, the fridge doesn't mind.

[Lumatic]

I have been told the "levelness" of the trailer is most important concerning the refrigerator. I have also been told newer fridges are more tolerant than older fridges. I have a level permanently mounted on the front of my Airstream It has a level for fore and aft and also port and starboard. The side to side level is fine, but the front to back sucks. I use a 6" carpenters level for fine tuning. Within an inch and my fridge is a happy camper.

[rmkrum]

I calibrated the electronic level to a bubble level on the countertop above my fridge. That seems to be close enough for the fridge and walking inside. Front to back level is more critical for the fridge and easy to adjust precisely with the tongue jack, even hitched up.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

On a 30' Classic, there is a lot of flex. Level with the stabilizers down is different than with them up. Level with the truck attached is different than level with it unhooked. Level across the A frame is very different than level on the back bumper. Level at the beds is different from level at the bathroom counter / kitchen counter / dinette. Floor front / back is different ahead of the axles vs behind them.

All that varies site to site and with just how the stabilizers are put down.

So what matters? Rolling out of bed matters. After that having the bathroom door stay shut matters a bit. Our trailer can be *way* out of level left / right and not have any issues with the fridge. I've never tried unleveling it front to back to see if I can mess the fridge up that way.

Water always hangs around in the bathroom sink so that's not worth bothering with. The kitchen sink drains well enough off level that it isn't an issue.

One thing that level *does* impact are the readings on the tank monitors. They seem to be quite sensitive (like +/- 20%) to level.

Bob

[majorairhead]

We use an 18 inch level placed on the floor inside the door (rear twin setup with front door) and level front to back and side to side from there. Easy Peasy


Airstream could have saved me at least $1.99 by eliminating that useless bubble up front on the jack.....

[tjdonahoe]

Square bubble level..on the counter....

[rmkrum]

Mine eliminated itself by blowing off the jack a few years ago. I keep a vinyl bag over the head of the jack to keep water out...it was a pain to calibrate and not convenient to use.

I need to replace it someday. For now, I use the LevelMate Pro gadget with my phone.

[skyguyscott]

Hardly any surface in your Trailer will be exactly even with any other, especially when parking on an incline and the use of stabilizers.

So, it's a matter of your priorities. So here is my list, YMMV:

1) Most start with the fridge, since many need to be perfectly level to work most efficiently (If you're doing a short stay and using the fridge as an ice box, or if yours is a compressor fridge, you can disregard)

2) Bathroom shower, so it drains down the drain without water pooling in a corner. (Especially if yours is a wet bath!)

3) Stove and/or Kitchen sink, for obvious reasons.

4) Counter tops, so stuff does not roll off.

5) Beds/floor. These I find I can tolerate if they are a few degrees off.

Note none of these are exactly even with each other. All my doors and drawers have latches, so that is not an issue for me.

I know some owners cheat toward better drainage, if that is an issue for you.

[Caffeinated]

Like others here, I’m mostly worried about the fridge. But I make it easy on myself. I keep a small like six inch long level I found at Home Depot in my tool box, and place it on the exterior front bedroom window protector trim piece to check for side to side level. If it’s more than half a bubble off, I’ll break out the red Anderson levelers and adjust as needed. Fore and aft I use the belt line to check, and adjust with the tongue jack. So far the fridge works, and the beer and wine stays in the glass.

Mike

[Silvr_Bullet]

I keep a 6 inch magnetic level in the trailer I place it on the A frame for back to front leveling and on a crossmember L frame for a side to side check. I purchased from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/2-Pack-Level-.../dp/B01MTMRQFR and use on counter top above fridge.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, a small level on the tongue of my trailer and another one [larger] on the top of the belt molding near the center of the trailer. They both match or agree, so that's my confirmation. Also a large level sitting on my rear bumper. With all three levels level, then I can mount my bubble levels on the front of the trailer and one small one on each side of my trailer.

[A W Warn]

(for me) The required accuracy of a leveled trailer is about people comfort, not about the refrigerator. The refrigerators are fine a bit out of level. (Dometic installation instructions say not "noticeably" out of level) So what matters?
I don't want to feel out of level when I'm lying in bed or walking across the floor.
I don't want things to roll/slide off of the table or countertop.
I don't want liquid in a pan on the stove top to leave the bottom of the pan exposed.

When I level my trailer I place a torpedo level on the cooktop burner. Everything else feels good, doors are plumb, drains work.

[Bill M.]

I use a bubble level on the trim line along the side of the trailer and on the window edge on the front. I keep the level in the magazine rack by the door so I can just reach in and get it. For me "close enough" really is close enough.

[Mollysdad]

A bit off topic but the most frustrating thing I find is the microwave on the slide out drawer. If I'm not level (Too high on the right) the drawer won't stay open unless I put a prop of some kind in the path.

Front to back is easy for me with the Husky 5000 jack. I sit inside and place a bubble level phone app on the counter top. Then I use the remote to center the bubble perfectly. (I always wondered if passersby think the jack is running away? So far no one has knocked to warn me my jack is haunted!