When you have your motorhome parked, you want it to be leveled. This will allow you to be more comfortable when resting inside it. If you check and see that your motorhome does not remain level, you might panic and wonder how to get it leveled properly.
This is where this article comes in. Here, we’ll be showing you how to level a motorhome with hydraulic jacks by listing the proper equipment, steps, and precautions you should take.
Let’s dive in.
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What Do You Need To Level Your Motorhome?
Leveling a motorhome isn't too difficult. There are automatic systems that can do most of the work for you, but if you need to do it manually, the best way to level a motorhome is by using hydraulic jacks.
These hydraulic jacks are often built into most motorhomes, and you can operate them from the inside to level your motorhome. Manually leveling a class C motorhome involves operating those jacks to fix your alignment.
Due to hydraulic jacks being built in, you will not need a lot of tools. Some tools like wheel chocks can help the leveling process but aren't mandatory. Having a friend overseeing the leveling process can help, especially if it is your first time trying to level a motorhome.
You should keep the instruction manual for your particular model with you as it can contain some key details for reference on the hydraulic jacks and overall system. We will generally present an overall guide, so it is important to note that details can differ depending on what model or motorhome you're using.
Safety Precautions You Should Keep In Mind
Trying to level a motorhome isn’t a dangerous task, but it does help to keep some safety precautions in mind to avoid damaging your motorhome. These precautions include:
1. Checking For Level Ground
Before you attempt to level your motorhome properly, you should check the ground it is on. Uneven ground will end up making your leveling process flawed and difficult. Before attempting to level your motor home, make sure it is parked on flat, solid ground. If an area is damp, it can interfere with the leveling process, so avoid that.
2. Checking Your Tires
Disruptions in your motorhome's tires can make it difficult to level it properly. If you have a flat tire, you will be unable to level your motorhome without fixing it first. Also, make sure your tires aren't uneven or lifted off the ground.
3. Checking The Jacks
Make sure to check up on your motorhome's jacks from time to time. They can be damaged or worn down over time and, as a result, can interfere with your leveling process. So make sure to check up on it before leaving with the vehicle.
Process to Leveling The Motorhome
With the proper precautions in mind, we can now look at how you can go about leveling the motorhome. First, we'll look at manual leveling in some motorhomes and then automatic ones. The steps of manual leveling include:
Step 1: Parking The Home
The first step for both types of leveling includes parking the motorhome. You want to park it on flat and solid ground. Once you’ve located the proper ground, you should set your transmission to parking mode and temporarily pull up the handbrake to lock the motorhome.
Step 2: Observing The Unevenness
Once parked, get out and look at how the motorhome is uneven. Note the directions where it is tilting. Generally, you will want first to fix the horizontal leveling and then work on the vertical leveling.
Step 3: Turning On Accessory Mode
Using the key of your vehicle, set it to accessory mode. This will power the leveling system. A "travel mode" indicator will let you know that the jacks have been deployed, and you can now begin adjusting the motorhome's leveling.
Step 4: Locating The Leveling Panel
Now, you will need to check up on the leveling panel. This is a panel with some direction keys and lights. The lights will show you which direction you need to adjust to get the proper leveling. When it is properly leveled, the lights will turn off. One light indicates that the leveling is off in one direction, while two lights indicate horizontal and vertical misalignment.
Step 5: Adjust The Leveling
There will be an up and down button accompanying the lights in the panel. You will want to press up and then hold it as this will cause the jacks to deploy and start lifting the motorhome.
Continue to hold it down until the light dims out. If you happen to overshoot, readjust with the down button.
If a second light is still on, you must repeat the adjusting process with a second set of up and down buttons. Doing this for two pairs will allow you to level both sides of the motorhome.
Step 6: Turn The System Off
Once you are done leveling (this will be indicated by the lights being turned off or dimmed), you can turn off the jacks and take the key out of your motorhome. This will cause the leveling control panel to be turned off.
Leveling A Motorhome With An Automatic Leveling System
Now, let's look at how to level a motorhome with an automatic leveling system. We'll continue the steps after you have parked your vehicle. The steps after that include:
1. Deploying The Jacks
Before starting up the leveling system, you will need to deploy the RV leveling jack hydraulic. You can do this from inside the motorhome by turning it on in accessory mode and locating the "front" button. This will deploy the jacks, and then you can move on to the next step.
2. Pressing Auto-Level Button
A prompt should let you know if you need to level your vehicle or not. If you need to, locate the auto-level button, which will begin the process. The motorhome will begin to adjust itself, running several checks. You can stop this process at any time, but you do not need to provide any further input for it to level itself properly.
3. Turning System Off
Once the automatic system is done, it should indicate that the leveling has been successful. After displaying that, you can turn the system off.
EndNote
So there you have it - everything you need to know about how to level a motorhome with hydraulic jacks. It's not as hard as it might seem, and with a bit of practice, you'll be able to do it like a pro. Have fun on your next camping trip!
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