I have a Class C, and I currently use Lynx Blocks. Pain in the ***, but I figure...... you have to start at the bottom (been RV'ing for three years). I measure, if I need them, I stack up, if I don't, NICE!!!! I just chock the tires. A friend of mine (who thinks I am CRAZY for having an RV...) insists that I should have "automatic" levelers installed. I think it's..... push a button, they come down, done. Yes, that would be nice, but I guess I get a challenge from "is the bubble straight..." I'm not an engineer, I'm a retired auditor (close enough!). I find that I have to "anticipate" for the slideouts. I can be level.... until the slideouts come out, then I'm "off" again. My friend claims that if I have auto levelers, I can put the slideouts out, then level. Yes, the Lynx Blocks are a pain, but I'm not ready to give up that "pain" yet. Can anyone convince me that I REALLY REALLY should go to auto levelers? JJ
DXSMac, I really like our automatic leveling system. Our first motor home did not have one, but after trying to level with blocks a few times we knew we had to have one. We were glad the second motor home came equipped with one. To level all we have to do is push a button and it does the rest. Our procedure is to level before putting out the slides (just in case we have to move the coach). Once in a while we feel like it needs a little adjusting after the slides are out, but we just leave them out when we make that correction. I put one of those little bubble levels on the bottom of the fridge. (Someone told us that was the best place because counters and the floor can be slanted, but usually the fridge is mounted very level. I don't really know if that is true or not, but we go by it.) After the system says the coach is level I check the bubble, and most of the time it is very close to the circle. I also rely on how I feel. Sometimes the coach just doesn't feel level even though everything says it is. So to really find out if it's level I use a very sophisticated scientific method. I open the bathroom door. If it swings shut we are not yet level. If it stays open we're ok. This is the most accurate measure I have found so far. By the way we still carry the blocks with us because sometimes sites are so unlevel even the automatic system can't get the job done. One final thought. If you ever decide to sell your RV a leveling system would be a good selling point.
I have had units without leveling and after owning a motorhome with leveling will NEVER have another unit w/o it. So much easier also don't have to go up in the blocks and then find out you are not level, back off, add a block and start over! What a pain. I can get set ip in 10 minutes with the levelers. Mine are not fully automatic-- I have to move a lever until lights go off, but it works fine and I would highly suggest you add them
Have been without powered levelers in the past, having had one TT, and two fifth wheels. We now have a motorhome with a leveling system. It is the best to be able to pull into a site, and level the rig within a minute or less. I also double check the level with the bathroom door, if it stays in the position placed, you are level. Just that simple. At this point, in my Rving career, we surely would not revert back to a non-leveling powered unit.
One or two more thoughts. You said, "I figure...... you have to start at the bottom." I say you don't need to. Go for it. Make it as easy on yourself as possible. Your knees and back will last longer and will love you for it! Also my inlaws had a fifth wheel that did not have an auto leveling system. Many times I watched them struggle to get it set up with blocks and boards--driving on, driving off, adding boards/blocks, trying again. They have 25 years on us so I know it was not easy for them, and I would not wish that kind of experience on anyone else. Also on one trip they blew 3 tires within a few days of each other. The tire company said it was because they had been sitting on blocks for too long. (They were full timers so they usually went some place for the summer and then came back for the winter. This meant the 5W sat on blocks almost all of the time. We have since heard that they probably did not have the blocks placed properly.) You will not have that problem with auto leveling since your tires don't sit on blocks, but you do have to watch out for another problem. We have heard that you should never raise your tires off the ground. However, there was a discussion about that on this forum and many people felt there really wasn't a problem with doing that. If our tires are going to be off the ground that's when we drag out the blocks. Guess it is a matter of preference. Hope this info helps.
Thanks folks! I guess the time saver would be a big plus! It usually takes me 20 minutes just to level. JJ
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Sep 24 2007, 10:15 PM) [snapback]8447[/snapback] I have a Class C, and I currently use Lynx Blocks. Pain in the ***, but I figure...... you have to start at the bottom (been RV'ing for three years). I measure, if I need them, I stack up, if I don't, NICE!!!! I just chock the tires. A friend of mine (who thinks I am CRAZY for having an RV...) insists that I should have "automatic" levelers installed. I think it's..... push a button, they come down, done. Yes, that would be nice, but I guess I get a challenge from "is the bubble straight..." I'm not an engineer, I'm a retired auditor (close enough!). I find that I have to "anticipate" for the slideouts. I can be level.... until the slideouts come out, then I'm "off" again. My friend claims that if I have auto levelers, I can put the slideouts out, then level. Yes, the Lynx Blocks are a pain, but I'm not ready to give up that "pain" yet. Can anyone convince me that I REALLY REALLY should go to auto levelers? JJ Have the campground re-landscape the place. Simple. if you consider the manual kind like trailers have, buy a cordless electric impact gun (kind of like an electric drill but hi torqueing) instead of manual cranking. have your sweetie check the level button or install external level indicators. [attachmentid=57]
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Sep 26 2007, 06:55 PM) [snapback]8470[/snapback] Thanks folks! I guess the time saver would be a big plus! It usually takes me 20 minutes just to level. JJ Boy I would add the levelers-- I can get completely set up in my 34 foot motor home in less than 10 minutes-- I mean water, sewer, electric, level, awnings out, the whole 9 yds. Leveling takes less than 5 minutes and no strain on the back, no on and off blocks.
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Sep 24 2007, 07:15 PM) [snapback]8447[/snapback] Can anyone convince me that I REALLY REALLY should go to auto levelers? JJ If you’re taking that much time to level I really feel for you when it’s 100 degrees or raining. That by itself would convince me to go to auto levelers. If you make the leap, then get four jacks. I’ve talked to people that have the three-jack system and they all said they still have to use blocks half the time. Kinda defeats the purpose of push button leveling. The comment in this thread about the rig being level when the bathroom door stays open in one place is absolutely true. I have bubbles to level my motor home and a small carpenter level, but neither is as accurate as the door trick. And just think, if you clear the leveling boards out the storage bins you’ll have room for something more important….like a case of beer.
And just think, if you clear the leveling boards out the storage bins you’ll have room for something more important….like a case of beer. *************************************** You are right. I have three packages of Lynx Blocks, and those take up room! Then, I have three chocks, and those take up room in another area! JJ
I'm curious if you installed those automatic levelers or not... We've camped for couple decades with Class Cs, in which it was just SOP that one spent a minimum of 1/2 hour messing around with blocks of wood in mud, sand, windstorms, rain and freyed nerves. When we decided to go full time, with our first Class A...we could not BELIEVE how nice it was to forego this little dance at the end of a day of driving! Go for it, you deserve it!
QUOTE(FosterImposters @ Nov 10 2007, 06:47 PM) [snapback]9099[/snapback] I'm curious if you installed those automatic levelers or not... We've camped for couple decades with Class Cs, in which it was just SOP that one spent a minimum of 1/2 hour messing around with blocks of wood in mud, sand, windstorms, rain and freyed nerves. When we decided to go full time, with our first Class A...we could not BELIEVE how nice it was to forego this little dance at the end of a day of driving! Go for it, you deserve it! Actually, I asked about it at the RV dealer I use. They said they would LOVE to sell me a full package of that for about $2,000, but they didn't think it was really worth it on a Class C. So, for now, I'm sticking with the blocks and doing the dance.
Hope you reconsider. We have the joystick model (not the pushbutton one) on our Class C. It was a bit cheaper than the pushbutton model and works just as good. Same jacks & hydraulics just a different mechanism. Maybe you can look into this instead. It's soooo worth it, IMO.
If you go with an aftermarket leveling systm make sure it is the type that extends with a solid piston rather than the so called drive off which fold and kick up. Those type will give you nightmares if you raise all 4 wheels off the ground.
