Leveling is one of those things that sounds simple until you’re at a campsite at dusk, rolling forward and backward three times, wondering why your bubble still won’t center. It took us a few trips to get a consistent system down. Here’s what we use and how we do it.
Why Leveling Actually Matters
If you sleep in an unlevel rig, you’ll feel it. You roll toward one side of the bed all night, and your refrigerator—if it’s a two-way absorption fridge—works harder and less efficiently when it’s off level. The interior doors will also swing open or closed on their own depending on which way you’re tilted, which gets annoying fast when you’re trying to keep the bathroom door open or the bedroom door shut. None of it is catastrophic, but all of it is the kind of thing that grinds on you after a few hours.
What Type of Level to Use
The simplest option is a standard torpedo or I-beam level — we use an I-beam, but any cheap torpedo works fine. This Craftsman 9-inch magnetic torpedo level runs under $10 and does everything you need it to do.
If you want something more purpose-built for the trailer, adhesive bubble levels that mount directly to the rig are popular. The Sun Company Lev-o-gage II and the Apex RV Graduated Bubble Level both stick to the exterior (typically one on the rear bumper for side-to-side and one near the door for front-to-back) so you can read them without carrying a separate tool around.
For a step up from that, the LevelMate Pro mounts inside the trailer and connects to your phone via Bluetooth. The app shows you both axes at once and tells you exactly how much height you need to add, which is useful if you’re leveling solo and don’t want to keep walking in and out to check. The Camco EZ Level does something similar—Bluetooth, dual-axis, with indicator lights on the device itself that go green when you’re level—so you can use it with or without your phone.
We’ve stuck with the I-beam because it was already in the toolbox and it works. But if you’re starting from scratch, the adhesive stickers are probably the most convenient low-tech option since they stay on the trailer and you never have to remember to pack them.
Side to Side First, Always
Newer trailers may have automatic leveling systems, but smaller rigs like the R-Pod 192 don’t, so you do it manually. The sequence matters: side to side first, then front to back.
The reason you do it in that order is that front to back is adjusted with your tongue jack, which you can do without moving the trailer. Side to side requires you to actually drive onto blocks—so if you get the front to back right first and then discover you’re off side to side, you have to rehitch and reposition the whole trailer. Do side to side first and you only have to drive forward once.
We check side to side with a bubble level on the back of the trailer while we’re still outside. Once that’s set and we’re chocked, we go inside and check front to back with a bubble level on the floor just inside the door, then adjust the tongue jack from there until it centers.
What We Use to Level: Valterra Stackers
Our go-to is the Valterra Stacker leveling blocks. They interlock, they’re easy to stack to whatever height you need, and come with a handy carring case. You drive up onto them slowly while someone outside watches the bubble level and tells you when to stop. One block is usually enough on a mild slope, two or three if the site is more uneven. They’ve held up through six seasons with zero issues.
Also, we put levelers under our stabalizers. We have two packs, and there’s been times when we needed to use all the blocks. One trick: If you need more than one level, make a “bridge.” So, three on the first level, two on the second level, etc.
What We Don’t Use: The Andersen Leveler
We have an Andersen Leveler and have used it once. The concept is that you drive up onto a curved ramp until you’re level. In practice, for a smaller trailer like the R-Pod 192, I found it harder to control the stopping point than just stacking blocks. It may work better for larger, heavier rigs where stackers get impractical. Also, the owner of the company was reported to have carved graffiti into rocks at a national park, and that has always left an icky feeling with me. The RV Travel article covers it if you want to read more.
Wheel Chocks Go On Before You Unhitch
Once you’re level, chock the wheels before you do anything else—before you unhitch, before you drop the stabilizers. We use the MaxxHaul 70472 solid rubber chocks. One on each side of the tire, snugged up against the rubber.
Stabilizer jacks are not designed to hold the trailer in place if it rolls (or to level the trailer). Chocks do that job.
Front to Back with the Tongue Jack
Once the rig is level side to side and chocked, adjust front to back by raising or lowering the tongue jack. On the R-Pod 192 the tongue jack adjustment is fast, so small tweaks are easy. Once you’re level both ways, drop your stabilizer jacks down until they make firm contact with the ground. Also, we put levelers under our tongue jack.
Easy RV Setup Gear That Actually Gets Used
It took us a few campsites to get the sequence right, but once it clicked it takes maybe ten minutes start to finish. The order of operations matters more than the gear—but having stackers that interlock and chocks that don’t slide makes the whole thing faster.
A quick heads up: this post contains a few affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission, basically road trip coffee money. It doesn’t change your price, and I only link to things we personally use and keep in our R-Pod. If you’re new to RV life and wondering what’s actually worth buying, I put together RV shopping lists to make it easier. You’ll find the true essentials, a few upgrades that make life smoother, and the gear that survived the “do we really need this?” test.