Leveling blocks vs Tri-leveler |
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3224 |
Topic: Leveling blocks vs Tri-leveler Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 8:36pm |
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I am with you Happy, the orange blocks are quite simple to use. I park the pod where I plan to unhook. I place my level on the floor parallel to the way I enter inside. By picking up the low side of the level I can tell how many block's I need to add just by seeing how many inches I have picked up the low side of the level until the bubble is dead center level. If it is 3" low I need 3" of blocks and so on. By using this method I nearly always spot on level after the first try.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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Happy Tripping
Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 473 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 8:06pm | |
I'll try - The shape is a 'V' with a crossbar, the tire resting between the arms of the 'V'. The degree of 'splaying out' of the short lengths is predicated on the width of your tire, immediately adjacent to the leading edge of the 2X4 crossbar. Too short and it pinches the tire, too wide and its unnecessarily wide. The crossbar is raised above floor level on the short lengths of 2X4 and is the part that actually blocks the tire. Now that I think about it, pointing the open end of the 'V' AWAY from the tire might, from an engineering standpoint, actually be more effective. I'm not an engineer. The person who originally described it said that it was used without problems on parked private airplanes in winds, my version works and is certainly inexpensive, but it is both bulky and heavy, so now I just use the orange things.
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rawest50
Senior Member Joined: 07 Mar 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 440 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 6:48pm | |
Have you checked out Andersen levelers. Simple and easy ifyour out of level is 4" or less across the R Pod.
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2017.5 RPod 179
2017 Jeep Unlimited Wrangler 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Off Road Crew Cab 2 Weiner dogs Great wife puts up with my BS ❤️ Thoroughbred Racing. |
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riotkayak284
Senior Member Joined: 29 Apr 2016 Location: Nashville, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 162 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 2:48pm | |
Give me old-school wood 2x6, they work every time!!!!
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TheBum
Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 11:53am | |
The impact wrench idea for the BAL leveler was a bad one. It severely damaged the screw. We use the Anderson leveler now and it's so much easier to deal with. I mounted a level on the front of the Pod where we can see it in the rear view mirror, which makes it very easy to determine when you're level without having to exit the TV.
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 10:42am | |
A picture or sketch of what you are describing or even a more thorough description would help. I am having a hard time visualizing what you are describing. One other option for leveling that is pretty easy to use is an Andersen leveler. It is in essence, a curved ramp that one simply drives onto until the wheel is lifted enough to level the trailer. It is limited to 4" of lift, but that is often sufficient. I have used the BAL leveler and agree that it is quite a workout to use it. Greasing the screw helps. It is capable of a higher lift than the Andersen leveler and has the advantage of not requiring driving onto of off of like boards or blocks. What I don't like is that the platforms that hold the tire are welded so that they do not stay flat to the tire, but tilt which distorts the tread and sidewall. That is the main reason I have not been using mine lately. Otherwise, I like that one can simply park the trailer and then level without having to guess, move, adjust, move, etc. until it is leveled. At small elevations, the distortion of the tire is not bad. For that though, the Andersen leveler is easier. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Happy Tripping
Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 473 |
Posted: 22 Mar 2017 at 10:22am | |
"Thanks the BAL looks great but I was looking for a lower cost solution"
Several years ago a forum member described chocks made from 2X4s, a roughly 20 inch long crossbar with 10 inch lengths at each end splayed out. He said it held airplanes so why not an r-pod? I made them, they are heavy and bulky but the price is tight.
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Mountainrev
Senior Member Joined: 22 Jul 2014 Location: Eagle, Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 193 |
Posted: 17 May 2016 at 10:05am | |
If you camp on relatively level sites, then the BAL is not the way to go, IMO. Where it shines is when you have to raise one side 5" or more in order to level. You would need a lot of boards or "Lego" blocks to do that! It is a bit challenging, but I don't find it that hard. But again, if you are in a site that is very sloped or rugged, like National Forest campgrounds often are, then I believe the BAL is the best option for leveling. The BAL can be challenging to get under the tire, especially if you have the 15" tires that come with the Hood River Edition. If you drive unto a 1" or 2" board first, then it's quite easy to slide the BAL under the tire. I don't think you'll have much trouble selling yours. They're pretty popular. |
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2014 177
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Turbodiesel "I lift my eyes to the hills." |
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fwunder
Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676 |
Posted: 16 May 2016 at 9:50pm | |
I use the orange blocks and 4x4 wood chunks under stabilizers. Orange blocks are easy, 'specially if wife just picks up corner of pod and I slide 'em under wheel.
fred |
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2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits
2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
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sailor323
Senior Member Joined: 11 Jun 2015 Location: S Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 281 |
Posted: 16 May 2016 at 9:27pm | |
I'd like to disagree with mountainrev. We found that the BAL leveler was easiest to use on sites that were already more or less close to level. It required a LOT of effort on sites that were not close to level. Add to that the difficulty of getting the thing in place and removing it and it is an exercise in frustration. Our BAL leveler is for sale
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