Levelling trailer

**Larryjb** · 04-13-2020, 07:36 PM

I'm now parking my TM hitch end towards the garage, pointing uphill. (The hitch end is at the high end.)

Now, my problem. I want to level the trailer, mainly so I could use the fridge, but also to make it more comfortable to be in when working on it, etc. Right now, I can level it but the back end is still 10" low. If I were to level it, the wheels would be raised off the ground.

With the wheels off the ground, I have a couple of concerns:
1) I know I'd want to place a couple of jacks under the frame to take the place of support that the wheels no longer do. I can handle that.

2) With the rear raised up quite high, how can I safely support it? I know I have to make a raised pad for the stabilizer jacks. Any ideas of how to do this safely?

I have a couple of ideas, but I thought I'd put this question out there, especially if I've missed something.

**Bill** · 04-13-2020, 08:10 PM

A couple cement blocks, one on the left of the rear corner of the frame, one on the right. Place them so the long dimension is uphill-downhill (so they won't roll), put the openings pointing upward (not to the side - stronger), and put a 12 or 16 inch length of 2x8 on top of each block. This pile should be 10 inches high. If you need a bit more, put a piece of 1x8 on top of the pile. If you need a bit less, take out the 2x8 and substitute the 1x8.

Support the weight of the trailer on the block piles, and lower the stabilizers enough to firmly contact the ground, but no more. Use them as safeties, not support.

Later tonight I'll convert everything into liters.

Bill

**Larryjb** · 04-14-2020, 12:26 AM

One thing missing from this is how to deal with the slope for the blocks.

I had made some wedge shaped wood blocks out of 4×6 landscape ties to make a level pad for the stabilizers.

I could use these on top of the cinder blocks, but I need to find away to prevent them from slipping.

**Bill** · 04-14-2020, 10:41 AM

Larry -

Is there a need to deal with the slope? The weight of the trailer will come down as a point load on the 2x8, and I'm not sure if it matters if the support is slanted. Cutting and inserting a wedge certainly wouldn't hurt ... Of course, all this assumes that the wheels are blocked so that the trailer can't roll downslope, and the trailer is backed up onto these blocks before bringing the weight down on the 2x8.

By the way, don't lose sight of the fact that cinder blocks (weak) are not the same as cement blocks (stronger). Cement blocks are sometime called concrete blocks, but in my area, anyway, the term "concrete block" is sometimes taken to mean "solid concrete". Heavy!

Bill

**Bill** · 04-14-2020, 10:51 AM

OK, on re-reading your post, I understand that you are relying on whatever supports the rear end of the trailer to keep the trailer from rolling/sliding down hill. Not ideal, but I understand it. Perhaps you might start out by building up some wedged and blocked support under the wheels.

Quote:

I had made some wedge shaped wood blocks out of 4×6 landscape ties to make a level pad for the stabilizers. I could use these on top of the cinder blocks, but I need to find away to prevent them from slipping.

At the back of the rig, my preference would be to put the wooden wedge under the block, not on top of it. The weight would press the wedge into the driveway surface (asphalt? concrete?), and the grippy friction would prevent the wedge from slipping downhill. The blocks now sit level on top of the wedges, and have no tendency to slip.

Bill