Welcome back weekend road warriors! Today, we’re taking a deep dive into a crucial aspect of the RV life – how to level your fifth wheel camper. If you’ve ever felt like your camper was doing a little shimmy or sensed an uncomfortable slant when lounging inside, fear not! We’re about to uncover the secrets to achieving that perfect, leveled setup. Ensuring your home on wheels is comfortable and secure for your stay.
Leveling your fifth wheel can seem daunting at first. But I assure you after following these steps and a few practice rounds you will feel like a pro. Each campsite will be different but with a little patience you can get a level set up every time. You will have a much more comfortable stay, and reduce unnecessary wear on your RV!
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The importance of a level fifth wheel camper
First things first, why is leveling your fifth wheel so crucial? Picture this: You’re cozied up inside after a day of exploring, and suddenly, you feel like you’re sleeping on a slope. Not the ideal scenario, right? Or when you’re walking from the kitchen to the bedroom you feel the camper shake. Not having a level fifth wheel can make for an uncomfortable stay, and even cause some acid reflux while you sleep depending on the slant!
Beyond the comfort factor, proper leveling is essential for the functioning of various RV components, like the refrigerator and propane appliances. Plus, it ensures the stability and longevity of your camper’s structure. If your fifth wheel isn’t level and you’re walking around putting weight on things at the wrong angle can cause undue wear.
Another big consideration here is if your fifth wheel camper has slides. Putting your slide out without your RV being level can cause a lot of damage to the slide system. If your slide comes off of the track you will need a technician to come out and put it back on!
Step 1: Choose the right campsite
Leveling starts with choosing a wisely leveled campsite. Ideally, you want a spot that’s as flat as possible. Some campgrounds have sites with a paved pull through area to park your RV. These are often made to be extremely level, and the solid concrete makes for easy adjustments.
Others may be filled with gravel, or just dirt sites. These can be a little trickier since gravel and dirt can shift as RVs pull in and out. You can still get a level set up on sites like this with the right tools! But the more level the site is to begin with, the less work you have to do adjusting your fifth wheel camper.
Scouting the site before setting up camp can save you a lot of hassle later. Look for flat ground and avoid areas with noticeable slopes. Try searching the campground on Google Maps. Often times you can click “Street View” to get eyes on the campsites you’re looking to book. See if the site looks visibly level, or has any obstacles like trees or rocks.
I also recommend searching Youtube to see if campground walk through videos are available. Luckily many camp life bloggers create videos walking or driving through popular campgrounds! This can help you get a feel for the campground, and any specific sites you may be thinking of booking.
PRO TIP:
The first time you stay at a campground be sure to make your own map of favorite sites! It is much easier to see if sites are level in person. Typically when you check in the office will give you a map of the campground. Take a walk around the campground with this map and mark your favorite sites for next time! It is much easier to gauge how level a site is in person. Creating your own map of favorites will make for easy choices when you go to book your next trip to that campground.
Step 2: Parking
Now that you’ve picked a campsite it’s time to park your fifth wheel. Before you begin, try to visually gauge which part of your campsite is most level. Aim for that section while you are backing in or pulling through your fifth wheel camper.
When parking your fifth wheel you always want to be cognizant of the layout of your campsite. You’ll want to try to optimize your outdoor living space and relation to your fire pit. In addition, you need to line up your fifth wheel with the campsite hookups and connections. If your fifth wheel camper has slides, park in a place where they have plenty of room to open without hitting anything.
Step 3: Level side to side
After you’ve parked, the next step in how to level your fifth wheel camper is leveling side to side. This just means you need to get the left and right sides of your fifth wheel on a level plane. To see if your fifth wheel camper is level you’ll need a simple level tool like this one. The longer, the better, so you can get an accurate reading.
Start by placing this level on the back bumper of your fifth wheel. Place it in the middle of the bumper so you can get a read of how level your fifth wheel camper is from left to right. You want the “bubble” to sit within the marked middle section of your level.
If the bubble is to the left of the marked section you need to bring the left side of your camper up higher. If the bubble is to the right of the marked section you need to bring the right side of your fifth wheel up higher.
Getting your fifth wheel camper level side to side
If your fifth wheel is level side to side on your first try – congratulations!! This will not happen often and is a thing to be celebrated. Skip on down to Step 4.
If your bubble is not in the middle you may be wondering how to level your fifth wheel side to side. This is where some of our leveling tools come in. (For a full list of RV starter tools you can check out our starter kit post here.)
The goal here is to raise one side of your fifth wheel so that it is on the same horizontal plane as the other. You can accomplish this by adding height beneath the wheels on one side of your fifth wheel. This can easily be done with some long planks of wood and leveling blocks.
- Keep a few lengths of wooden planks in your RV passthrough or tow vehicle. These should be wide enough to fit the width of your RV wheels and long enough for all wheels to sit on.
- You’ll also need some leveling blocks to incrementally find the right height for your RV
Start this process by pulling your fifth wheel out of the parking spot. Try to remember where your wheels were before pulling out or have your partner mark where they were. Then, place a long wooden plank under where the wheels were on the side that needs to be higher.
The wooden plank will give a nice solid base for your wheels to be raised. If the ground is soft it may push into the ground a little bit but at least it will keep the base the same.
Now, use the leveling blocks to create a stepped ramp for your wheels to pull back onto. For example, place one block several inches in from the start of your wood plank. Then stack two blocks together for a higher base. Repeat until you have the proper height to level your fifth wheel camper. Place a few stacks together along the wood plank so create a solid base the length of your wheel axel.
Once you have your platform ready, pull your fifth wheel back into place. Do this slowly so you can align the wheels onto the platform you’ve created. This may take a few tries, and a bit of trial and error to get the right height depending on the slant of your campsite. Once back in the parking space, use your level tool to see if your fifth wheel camper is now level side to side.
Step 4: Level front to back
Now, let’s tackle the front-to-back leveling. Luckily this part is a lot quicker and easier than leveling side to side. You will want to lower your tongue jack and unhitch your tow vehicle before beginning this step.
Take your leveling tool and place it either on a wheel hub or open your RV’s door and place it facing front to back in the middle of the floor.
If the bubble is to the left of the marked middle you need to lower the front of your RV. If the bubble is to the right you need to raise the front of your RV.
For this, you’ll use your camper’s tongue jack. If you have a power jack simply use the button to raise or lower the front of your RV as needed. If you have a hand crank you can turn in the right direction to raise or lower the front of your RV. Then check your leveling tool to see when to stop.
PRO TIP:
Use a few square blocks of wood to make a platform for your fifth wheel’s tongue jack. If you lower your jack directly into the ground it could shift as it sinks into the ground. The wood will create a solid base, and also make it so you don’t have to extend the jack so much. We find that wooden blocks are better here than plastic leveling blocks as those can become slippery in the rain.
Congratulations! Your fifth wheel camper is now level and ready for your trip. Now let’s secure the set up to avoid any shifting.
Step 5: Secure and stabilize
After a quick double check of your level tool and walking inside to make sure your RV feels level it’s time to secure and stabilize. A few more tools come in handy here to avoid any shifting while you’re using your RV.
- Use these wheel chocks to avoid your wheels from rolling as your fifth wheel settles.
- To quickly set up your stabilizers use a battery powered drill like this Ryobi and a socket extender.
Place the wheel chocks in between the two wheels of your axel. Extend the chocks until they are securely pushing against each wheel and filling the space between. This will prevent your wheels from shifting.
Now it’s time to extend your stabilizer jacks. Stabilizer jacks are not meant to level your RV. Your RV should already be level at this point. They are meant to provide a point of stabilization so that your fifth wheel does not rock as you walk around inside. Do not use them to level your RV as they are not meant to fully support all the weight and stress.
You can find after market Leveling Jacks to add to your RV. These are much more powerful than the built in stabilizer jack and are meant to support the weight of your fifth wheel. These are often expensive but can take the guesswork out of leveling your fifth wheel if you really want to avoid it!
Before you extend your stabilizer jacks place a few leveling blocks or wood blocks underneath them. Similar to your tongue jack, this will provide a solid place for the jacks to rest on and avoid them sinking into the ground. It will also allow you to stabilize your fifth wheel without over extending your stabilizer jacks.
Extend your stabilizers just enough to reach the wooden blocks or leveling blocks and be secure. If your camper “bumps up” or shifts higher you have extended the stabilizer too much and the camper weight is now resting on it. Reverse the extension to relieve this pressure.
And there you have it! A perfect guide for how to level your fifth wheel camper. The actual leveling will vary campsite to campsite but the process is the same. Once you have done this a few times it will feel like second nature. Like we always say, don’t let anybody interrupt your process! This is an important part of setting up your fifth wheel and you don’t want to miss a step and be unsafe.
Achieving that perfect balance isn’t just about comfort; it’s about ensuring the longevity and proper functioning of your mobile home. So, the next time you roll into a campsite, armed with your bubble levels and leveling blocks, remember that you’re not just setting up a camper. You’re creating a cozy haven on wheels that’s ready for any adventure that comes its way. Happy camping!
