Leveling your Travel Trailer

Ahhh….you've finally pulled into your campsite after a long day of traveling, activities, and sightseeing. You’re probably ready to just hit the hay and crash for the next week. Unfortunately, if you’re in charge, then there are some extra steps that need to happen before your travel trailer is fully set up. One such step is making sure it’s completely level. This isn’t a particularly necessary step, but it can certainly make your stay more comfortable. Airstream of Utah has provided a guide to leveling your travel trailer, but if you need additional help, stop by our location in Salt Lake City, Utah, near Park City. We also serve Jackson, Wyoming.

Find a Suitable Location

There’s no need to make this fairly simple process harder than it has to be. Start with a space that’s already pretty level so there are only minor adjustments to make. You don’t always have a say in this matter, but if you have a little wiggle room--and you need it--then use it. You’ll also want to avoid terrain that tends to shift under weight, like sand and gravel. These can constantly throw off the evenness of the travel trailer, so harder, compact ground is better.

Level from Side to Side

This process is going to start by leveling your trailer from side to side, perpendicular to the hitch. Have someone ready to move the whole unit back and forth a few times, because it’s going to take some trial and error. Start with the trailer in the place you’d like it to be and use a level to measure the evenness of the unit. Make mental note of which side needs to be raised a little bit and then pull everything forward. Lay down leveling blocks or boards to compensate, then back up again onto the blocks or boards. Measure again and decide if the height needs to be adjusted again. Keep going until you’re satisfied with what the level tells you.

Secure your Trailer and Disconnect

When you’re done with the previous step, use chocks or blocks, in front and behind the wheels, to keep the rig from moving around, and set the brake if you have one. Then, disconnect your tow vehicle and pull it out of the way of your work and traffic.

Level from Front to Back

Turn your level so you can measure the evenness from front to back. This time, you’ll just need to use the hitch to adjust the height, using the jack to raise and lower it as necessary. Hopefully, this part will go a little faster.

Stabilize

The final step is to lower your stabilizers. Stabilizers are four jacks, located at each corner of the rig, that keep the evenness of your trailer from getting thrown off by your everyday movement. They often come with their own tool for easy use, but some owners attach it to a power tool to make the process faster.

Keep in mind, while you may be tempted to use the stabilizers for leveling, this isn’t a good idea. Part of this is simply because the stabilizers aren’t meant to lift so much weight. When your only option is to raise one side, you’ll need something that can handle the work, and stabilizers can’t handle it. Also, when you’re working with four different leveling points, you’d have to adjust the other three jacks every time you moved one. It’s simply easier and safer to put stabilizing at the end.

After leveling your travel trailer and following a few other setup steps, you’ll be ready to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere around you, whether you’re out in the heart of your favorite national park or lounging in a luxury RV park. If you still need a travel trailer to trek around in, stop by Airstream of Utah and we’ll help you find the perfect model for your family. We welcome all current and future RV owners from Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, as well as Jackson, Wyoming.