Homemade RV Leveling blocks allow the recreational vehicle to be level when it is parked. The RV should always be leveled when parked within a maximum of two degrees from the plum what would represent a maximum inclination of half a bubble on a bubble level measurement. There are several reasons for the RV leveling, notably to minimize stress on the frame and in the structure that supports evenly the weight of the RV. Another reason is to allow the flow of ammonia inside the RV fridge allowing proper refrigeration and condensation. Furthermore, leveling is required to have adequate tank fluid readings. Finally, in RVs with slideout, the rig requires to be leveled to avoid malfunctions.

Homemade RV leveling blocks can cost between $ 6 and $32 and can be easily assembled using wooden planks or rubber pavers under each wheel and measuring with a bubble level until obtaining a reading of a maximum of two degrees of inclination.

DIY RV Leveling Blocks

Tank Fluid Readings

If your RV is not properly level then your tank sensors will not read correctly. Depending on the slope, your sensors may read as more full or more empty than they really are. This can even affect drainage by not allowing all of your tanks to empty. It’s not a fun surprise when you think you’ve fully emptied your tanks only to arrive home and realize there is still liquid in them! Trust us when we say, you do not want that fluid sitting in there until your next camping trip.

Slide outs are designed to be opened and closed while the RV is level. Continuously extending or retracting your slide outs while your RV is not level can create additional wear and tear to your RV and could cost you in the future if any repairs are needed. 

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Many RVs will not be equipped with an auto-leveling system. So, before you ever arrive at your first campsite, you must know how to manually level your rig.

The leveler used has to accommodate the whole area of contact between the ground and the tire to support all the weight correctly.

Also, for safety reasons, it’s important not to stack blocks higher than five inches.

There are a few ways you can go about leveling:

• Using hydraulics:
• Leveling blocks.
• Planks of wood.

Hydraulics

Hydraulic leveling systems are an easy way to get precise leveling for your RV. The system will raise or lower a section of the RV, as needed.

It can move single corners independently, however, it is better to lift a whole end or side simultaneously. Moving single corners excessively can twist the frame of your RV.

It’s also important to consider the surface your RV is on. This should preferably be a hard surface, such as concrete. If the RV is on a soft surface, such as dirt or even soft asphalt, it could cause the jacks to sink into the ground.

Leveling Blocks

Most Leveling Blocks can be locked together to form an incline. This will make it much easier to keep them in place as your RV drives onto them.

These use an interlocking system that enables them to support a tremendous weight, up to 40,000 pounds to be exact. They will set you back just under $30 dollars.

Wooden Planks

Using wooden planks is probably the cheapest way to level your RV. However, it does have its downsides. Planks of wood can quickly rot or decay when exposed to the elements. Untreated wood is fine. You can always do a little work with a sander if desired. But it’s also okay if you leave the wood as is. Just make sure the wood is strong enough and isn’t old or decaying.

They also dislodge if the RV weight isn’t distributed evenly. In saying that, knowing how to make your own correct wooden leveler, you can avoid those problems.

What You Need To Level a Towable RV

• A bubble level
• Blocks (or 2 x 6 pieces of wood, if you prefer)
• Wheel chocks (Very important because towables don’t have transmissions or parking brakes of their own!)

What You Need To Level a Motorized RV

• A bubble level
• Blocks (or a few 2-inch by 6-inch pieces of wood if you prefer)

With those items packed, you’ll be ready to level your RV when you set up camp.

How To Manually Level Your Towable RV

You will need to level your RV both left to right and front to back. Here are the steps you need to know to get your rig level.

Leveling Your RV Left to Right

Use Your Bubble Level

1. As you are pulling into your campsite, try to get as close as possible to being level left to right. TIP: Rolling forward or backward as you’re pulling can help you get close to level left to right.

2. Using a handheld bubble level (or a built-in level inside your RV) check your level left to right. TIP: Some good spots to place that handheld bubble level are on the RV floor, the RV’s rear bumper, or a countertop.

Go Up On Blocks

3. If you’re not level, grab your set of blocks. To get level left to right you’re going to raise your left tires or your right tires by pulling the RV onto blocks.

4. Decide if you need to raise the right tires or the left tires to become level left to right.

5. Look at the angle of your campsite and trailer. Decide if it will be easier to roll back onto blocks or to pull the RV forward up onto blocks. If you’re going to roll back, place your blocks behind the Wheel. For pulling forward, lay the blocks in front of the wheel. TIP: If you’re close to level, try going up on just one block. If you’re off by a bit, try going up onto two blocks.

6. Check to see if you are now level. If you’re not yet level, you may need to add another block. TIP: Make it easier to drive up (or roll back) on the blocks by building a platform­––for example, use five blocks to make a kind of ramp or slope to go up the height of two blocks

Chock Your Wheels

7. Now that you are level from left to right, do NOT unhitch. Instead, grab your wheel chocks and chock the wheel that you did not raise up blocks. Place a wheel chock on both sides of the tire so that your camper can’t roll.

Unhitch

8. With both wheel chocks firmly in place, you can now go ahead and unhitch.

Level Your RV Front to Back

Use Your Bubble Level

1. Grab your bubble level one more time, but this time check the level of your RV front to back.

Adjust the Jack

2. To get your RV level front to back, adjust your level by either lowering your Fifth-Wheel’s Landing Jack, or your travel trailer’s A-Frame Jack, onto blocks. Some jacks are power jacks and some are hand-crank jacks.

Stabilize

3. Now that your RV is level, lower (or place) your stabilizers. Be sure there is equal pressure on all of them.

4. Now that your RV is both level and stabilized, you can extend your slides if you have them.

How To Manually Level Your Motorhome

Many Class B and Class C RVs won’t have an auto-leveling system, so you’ll need to manually level your motorized RV when you arrive at your campsite.

1. Grab your bubble level and check your level both left to right and front to back. A countertop can be a good spot to place the level. TIP: You might be able to level your RV just by raising one low corner onto blocks, so check your level both left to right and front to back before you start.

2. If your level is off only front to back, raise your front wheels or your back wheels by driving up on blocks. Which ones you raise onto blocks depends on what your level is telling you.

3. If your level is off only left to right, raise both of your right wheels or both of your left wheels by driving up on blocks. Which ones you raise onto blocks depends on what your level is telling you.

4. If your level is off a bit both left to right and front to back, adjust by raising the one low corner up on blocks.

Remember that you always want to start out as level as possible.

Note: if the level is way off, and you would need to drive onto a stack of more than three leveling blocks, you need to choose another campsite.

Leveling Your RV With an Auto-Leveling System

Most Class A’s and some towable RVs are equipped with an Auto-Leveling System or hydraulic leveling system that makes leveling as easy as the push of a button.

These generally make any adjustments you need by using hydraulic jacks to easily raise the low corners of your RV. These systems are great, but you still need to start fairly level, so get your bubble level out and make sure you’re as level as possible before you begin.

1. When you arrive, park the front end of the RV to the downhill side of an uneven campsite or parking space. You want your low corners in the front so that you’ll be leveling by raising the front end of the RV rather than the rear.

IMPORTANT: This is a must because when you’re in Park only your rear wheels are locked. Your RV could roll off the jacks if one or both of the rear wheels is raised off the ground! If you have any doubts, chock your front wheels and use the parking brake if applicable.

2. Place blocks or jack pads under your jacks. Make sure you’re not about to place your jacks down on an icy or slick surface or the foot pads could slip. TIP: Jack pads prevent your jacks from sinking in and protect the campsite’s parking pad. Remember that jacks can sink on asphalt if it’s hot.

3. Use your control panel to level your RV using your Auto-Leveling System. Your control panel will have lights telling you which corners are low. Use the corresponding buttons to automatically level those.

Each leveling system is going to vary so be sure to read the manuals you receive at the dealership for details on the specific leveling system installed in your RV.

No matter which auto-leveling system you have, never lift your RV wheels beyond the ground when extending your rear stabilizers. Also, remember to check your RV’s manual to find out if your RV needs the slides extended before or after the RV is leveled.

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