RV Fridge - Get It Cold And Keep It Cold

Do you find that your RV refrigerator does not keep your food cold enough?  Does your RV fridge have its own unique smell?  Do you know how to chill down a warm RV fridge?
Many of us store our RV in places that do not have electricity for us to keep the fridge plugged in and working all the time or even a few hours before we take off for a fun-filled and safe camping adventure.
So let's talk about the care and feeding of an RV refrigerator.








1.   I hope you do not keep the fridge sealed as tight as a drum during storage.  You need to leave the door cracked open just a bit so that air can move in and out of your fridge. This helps keep the inside of the fridge dry and reduce mold build up.  Did you ever wonder what that slide button on the fridge door is used for? Well to lock the door during travel to be sure but, if you slide the button so that you are locking the fridge door while the door is being held open the slide lock can be used to keep the fridge door from closing during storage. Be sure your fridge is as clean as possible before you close the door on the RV.  Making sure the fridge is clean will help stop the growth of mold inside of the unit.  Also if possible you should use a Naturally Activated Charcoal Odor Absorber like this one; RV Activated Charcoal

RV Activated Charcoal

This little odor eater would hang from a shelf at the back of the fridge to help keep odors out.  You can also use a box of baking soda but that can spill going down the road and make quite a mess. 

2. What can you do to get the fridge colder quicker once you get to the campground or on the way?  You could buy a bag of ice and put it on the top shelf of the fridge next to the silver fins at the back.  You could buy some cheap cold packs That look like this;

Cheap Cold Packs

Freeze them (usually three) and use them in place of the ice.  Very little if any water to clean up.  Or you could get some Zip Lock Heavy Duty Freezer Bags and put ice cubes from your home freezer in them and use them in place of the bought ice. Another idea for an ice pack is to partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be refrozen many times. The frozen Dawn will conform to the place you need an ice pack. Maybe a bit more water to clean up than you would like.
The Nu-Ice Freezer Pack is a  chemical freezer pack capable of maintaining a sub-zero temperature by putting the pack into an insulated environment for up to 96 hours. This is accomplished by first freezing the special pack to initiate the simple chemical reaction within the pack. 

Nu-Ice Freezer Pack

But you could do even better and help the ice or cold pack by adding an RV fridge fan like this one; RV Fridge Fan.

RV Fridge Fan

It uses 2 D cell batteries (be sure to use alkaline type) and will give you 30 days of use before the batteries need to be changed.  It will reduce your fridge cool down time by half. I use one in my TT and it does work. (just be sure to turn it off before storing the rig).

I know some of you are a bit more high tech than a simple battery operated fan inside the fridge and would like something a bit more.  I reference you here; High Tech RV Fridge Fan.

CAUTION:  Do not run your RV Fridge on GAS while going down the road.  Guys this is very dangerous for a lot of reasons and not recommended by anyone in the know that I have talked to.   I am sure someone will tell you that they have done it for years with no problems.  But it only takes one time, of a fire or explosion or both.

3. What else could you do to help your RV fridge?  You could put a fan on the backside of the fridge inside the outside fridge compartment.  I am talking about the outside compartment in the back of the fridge.  There are several types of this kind of fan.  One type uses a thermostat to sense when there is too much heat, inside the outside compartment, thus slowing down cooling, and turns on the fan.  Or there is the DIY system that uses a 12-volt computer fan that comes on whenever power is turned on to the rig (this is what I use).  Let's look at them both, first the thermostat controlled fridge compartment fan; RV Fridge Outside Compartment Fan

 There is some DIY here as well but a lot less than the system that I use.  Follow the link and read some of the user comments to better understand how this system works.

 RV Fridge Outside Compartment Fan

Next, let's take a look at the one I used; 12 Volt Computer Fan

This is a completely DIY project so please remember that.  I found a convenient place on the inside of the outside refrigerator compartment's grated grill cover and mounted the fan with some zip ties.  I ran the power wire from the fan to the rigs 12-volt power line, that I found inside the refrigerator compartment.  My 12-volt lines were the same color as the fan's wiring. The fan blows air across the fins on the outside of the fridge located inside the fridge compartment.  The power draw is so small I did not worry about it and the fan runs whenever the rigs 12-volt system is on.  The fan is designed to be used in a computer so is whisper quiet. Boy does it work.

4. So we have the fridge getting cold but how cold is it and when can I put in some food?  Well if you do not have a thermometer to measure the temperature then how do you know?  There are two kinds of thermometers one is digital and one is analog.  Let's look at them both.

Digital RV Thermometer Digital RV Thermometer

Digital RV Thermometer

The unit has two sensors one for the freezer and one for the fridge.  The unit runs off batteries and can tell you at a glance from the outside of the refrigerator unit what is going on inside and when your unit is cold enough for food.

Analog RV Thermometer; Analog RV Thermometer

 Analog RV Thermometer

This simple unit hangs from one of the shelves in the fridge and tells you when it is safe to put in your food. The negative thing is that you have to open the fridge to tell if it is ready, letting in more hot air and letting the cold air out.  I am saving for the digital version.

Well, we've got your RV refrigerator humming along but, it is time to go home and park the rig until the next time.

How can you get it cleaned out and dried out fast?  One of these guys should help; Inexpensive Hair Dryer

Inexpensive Hair Dryer

Because I do not dry camp I have the power needed to use this, to dry out the fridge and freezer fast and get going home. Darn, the ice cream is going to melt again.

Until next time.

Improve Your Over The Air HD Reception

If you are RVing for just a weekend or full timing it, the chances are good that you will be within the range of one or more HD TV channels.  The problem is that most of us just can't seem to get enough signal to watch TV.  Heaven forbid that it rains and you would need something to entertain the kids besides a good book.






Most RVs come with a crank-up antenna like the following.

While this antenna is a good one, it was designed for mostly VHF analog TV reception.  (The old style TVs.)  Most of the TV reception today is UHF digital and calls for a bit more antenna.
Winegard has solved the problem with the addition of the Wingman below.

Wingman HD TV Add-On



This unit attaches to your current Winegard crank-up antenna and really does boost HD TV reception.  No special tools are required to attach it to your current antenna.  Just follow the instructions that are included with the antenna.
I have added one of these Wingman Antennas to my crank-up RV antenna and have really seen a major improvement in the number of channels that I can receive as well as the strength of the signal on the channels that I could always get.

Let's talk about the maintenance of your crank-up antenna.  At least once an RV season you should get up on the roof of the RV and lubricate all the swivel points on the crank-up mechanism.  I have used  White Grease in the past but this year I am going with T9 Lube which is a bit less messy than the white grease.

Now that you have a great HD TV Antenna you might need some help pointing your TV antenna for better reception of local stations, try this link: Maximize your television reception.  Follow the instructions,  just enter the zip code where you are, or use the map to place a pin where you are and the site will tell you the best direction to get the strongest local TV signals. Be sure to tell the program that the antenna will be mounted more than 30ft in the air to get all the TV channels.  Along with a list of the TV stations within range.

Have you read stories about RVers forgetting to crank-down their TV antennas and losing them to a tree?  Here is an idea to stop that.

RVminder Tags

This kind of idea has worked for me.  You could use some brightly colored ribbon and just write Antenna on it and attach it to the crank handle of the antenna and put a second reminder in the towing vehicle.  Anything to remind you to crank the antenna down.



Also, do not forget to check the antenna amplifier switch is you are having problems with off the antenna reception.  When you switch from park satellite/cable you will need to turn the antenna amplifier back on.  Most RV parks request that you turn the antenna amplifier off when hooking up to the parks system.

Until Next Time.

RV Humidity -- An RV Rig Killer!

A strong title, but true.  One of the major killers of RV walls is moisture in the form of humidity.  You don't even have to be using your RV it can be sitting in storage and humidity can still be present on the inside above a safe level.  Mold depends on moisture to grow and flourish. What is a person to do?  Well, the safe level of humidity for an RV is 40% or thereabouts.  So the first thing you need to do is know your current humidity level and the best way to know that is with a humidity monitor.

Humidity Monitor

In the photo for the Humidity Monitor, the screen is showing 53% which is not acceptable for an RV.  The reading shown is more likely a Sticks&Bricks house.
Now that you know what the humidity is.  What can or should you do if it is not right.  You need to try and find out the source of the moisture causing the high humidity.  People give off moisture when we breathe, but getting rid of all the kids is not an option be they fur or not.

Next showers or taking a bath gives off moisture.  Be sure that the bathroom fan is turned on during the bathing process, even in the colder months.  Wipe down the shower and bath area to reduce the amount of moisture that is evaporated back into the air of the RV.

Cooking is another moisture generator.  Keep lids on pans when cooking, to keep the moisture down, open a window a bit to let the warm moist air out, and turn on the kitchen vent if you have one.  Many of the newer RVs do not vent the stove vent to the outside.  This is not good, as an inside vented stove hood keeps the moist air inside the RV.  Do not let a tea kettle steam longer that is necessary.  Don't leave a coffee pot running all day long.  Make a cup as you need it or the coffee pot will add to the humidity in the RV all day long.

Try to locate any seals in the RV slides that is letting in outside air and seal that area.  You can cut strips of foam insulation like Reflectix or other foam insulation.  If you find caulking around the tub or shower stall or even around the kitchen/ bathroom sink is missing or cracking re-caulk using 100% silicone sealant like shown below.  This keeps water from going in the RV wood structure or supports where, if conditions are right, mold will start to grow.

100% Silicone Sealant

If it is during the colder months and your RV has single pane windows you might add Bubble Wrap to the windows.

Bubble Wrap

To install the bubble wrap do the following.

Cut the bubble wrap to the size of the window pane with scissors.
Spray a film of water on the window using a spray bottle.

Spray Bottle

Apply the bubble wrap while the window is still wet and press it into place.
The bubble side goes toward the glass.
To remove the bubble wrap, just pull it off starting from a corner.

This bubble wrap will help insulate the inside of the window from the outside of the window to further reduce moisture forming on the inside of the window when the outside air is colder than the inside air.

Do you dry clothes in the RV by hanging them in the bathroom?  Did you remember to turn on the exhaust fan?  It is not wise to dry clothes in the RV during the colder months because drying clothes adds to the amount of moisture inside the RV.  Do you have a combination washer/dryer?  Make sure the dryer is vented to the outside.  If you do not the dryer will add to the moisture in the RV.

If it possible let the RV inside temperature drop a bit in colder weather so the air inside the RV will hold less moisture.  Cooler air holds less moisture than warm air.  You may have to dress a bit warmer, but your RV investment will thank you for being a bit cooler.

Poor air circulation inside the RV can make mold grow in drawers, closets, and even cabinets.  Keep the air moving even when you are not inside your RV.  How may you ask? You can open two or more roof vents or a roof vent and crack a window so that air naturally flows in and out.  You can add a MaxxAir vent cover

MaxxAir Vent

over your current roof vents so that you can keep your vents open without rain or snow coming in the RV when the roof vent is open. You should put your RV in storage with vents cracked a little bit to allow for air movement.

If your RV does not have LED lighting you could swap out your current incandescent light bulbs for the LED equivalent.  This will reduce the about of air heating that the hotter incandescent bulbs are known for.  There is an LED replacement light for most all of the RV incandescent bulbs used in RVs. As an additional benefit, your RV battery will last longer during dry camping with LED lighting and depending on the LED light you buy you may find that the inside of your RV is now brighter with the lights on.

OK, we have talked about what not to do and some of what you can do to reduce moisture in the RV now let's get serious about stopping or greatly reducing moisture in your RV.
1. Get a dehumidifier.  They come in several sizes and types.
The ezest one to do business with is the bead type.

Eva-Dry Dehumidifier Beads

Twin Pack resealable packaging
100% silent operation
Lasts 45-60 Days
Indicator beads let you know when it's ready to be discarded.

You can spot these around the RV and in closets, cabinets, drawers where ever you feel or think moisture may be lurking.
Next, you have the mechanical dehumidifiers.

Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier Edv-1100, White

Whisper quiet
Renewable reservoir
Compact size is perfect for bathrooms, closets, and R.V.s
Low energy consumption
One of these usually works but if you have a severe problem you may want to consider two of them.

If you have an RV more than 36 feet long you may want to consider this one.

Ivation IVADM35 Powerful Thermo-Electric Dehumidifier

Squeezes Up to 20 oz. of Water a Day From Humid Air
Very Quiet Operation Due to No Moving Parts
At Capacity, Indicator Lights Up and Device Shuts Off
Compact at 4.45 pounds, 6.8" x 8.5" x 14"
For bunkhouse RVs,  you will need two.

And if you really need more moisture removal you can use a sticks and bricks type unit.

Keystone Energy Star 70 Pt. Dehumidifier

Removes up to 70 pints of moisture from the air per day
1.3-gallon water tank with transparent water level indicator, full bucket alert, and automatic shut-off when full
Removable, easy-cleaning dust filter with a clean filter alert
4 durable, rolling casters for easy movement

 It is generally felt that combinations of dry and mechanical work the best.

Well, that should about do it for this topic.  I hope you found the information helpful and can use some of the ideas presented.

Until Next Time







And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. Just click on an Amazon link, then shop as usual.

Pressure And More Pressure On Your RV's Water Lines

Are you putting to much water pressure on your RV's PEX water lines and their PEX fittings?  Do you know how much pressure you can put on your RV's water lines and their  PEX fittings?
Let's take a look and see what's what.








RV manufacturers typically use PEX  PlasticTubing for all RV plumbing runs. The two sizes are commonly used, 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch. These are the standard size because the outside diameter of the tubing is about 1/8-inch greater than the called-for size. Red PEX is usually the Hot water line and Blue or Clear the cold water line.  But, not always.  There are special fittings used with this type of water line called PEX fittings.  Below are some examples of some fittings you might see under one of your sinks.

The fittings can be of any color or even colorless but they will all have the ribs you see on the fittings above.  You will also note that each PEX fitting has a crimped ring around it.  The ring looks like below.

To put the ring on the PEX tubing and secure the ring you would need a crimping tool.  Shown below.

OK, now that you understand what you currently have let's discuss the problems this type of system brings the RVer.  The whole system can leak at any time and usually does. Every connection, if it is not put on correctly, will leak at the worse possible time. Ah, you say no problem I will just squeeze the ring with my trusty pliers.  Well, your trusty pliers will not be able to squeeze the connector hard enough to seal the leak in most cases.  What to do?  Change the fitting to a more updated connector.  We will cover that in just a minute.

Why do these cheap PEX products not work well all the time?  PRESSURE, water pressure from campgrounds varies greatly and can not.  The PEX water system in an RV cannot safely go above 65 pounds of water pressure.  I will not allow mine to go over 55 pounds of pressure.  

How do I control the RV Parks water pressure with a brass water pressure regulator? 

Brass RV Water Regulator

 You can adjust this type of regulator to any safe water pressure you like for your RV.  This type of regulator does not affect the flow of the water just the pressure. There are lesser expensive water pressure regulators like the one shown below.

Fixed Water Pressure Regulator

While this type will regulate the water pressure it also affects the flow of the water which some people find objectable.  Either one will protect your RV water system from to much PRESSURE.

OK, you just found a PEX fitting under the kitchen island that is leaking now what can you do to fix the problem and how much time is it going to cost you?

You should carry a few Shark Bite connectors like the ones shown below.

Shark Bite Coupler

Shark Bite T

Shark Bite to Threaded 

There are even more fittings to choose from but you get the idea.  The advantages of these types of connector are, 

• INSTALLS IN SECONDS: 1/2 inch straight coupling requires no special tools, no soldering, no crimping or glue. Just push to create a watertight seal

• COPPER, PEX, CPVC: SharkBite straight coupling plumbing fittings fits copper tubing, and CTS CPVC and PEX and connects all three types in any combination

• CERTIFIED: SharkBite fittings are certified to 200 PSI and 200°F and can be reused up to four times

Now doesn't that beat the PEX connector and all the fuss it would take to fix a leaky connection?

The real story here is to control your water pressure coming into your RV.  If you do not you will find leaks and under the shower or under sink water damage.  

One other thing you may want to add a water shutoff to your toilet so in case you need to work on it you do not have to shut off all the water to the RV.

Shark Bite Shut Off

Until Next Time

And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. 

Just click on an Amazon link, then shop as usual.

Propane Gas Saving Tips

I am sure most of you have noticed that gas of all kinds including diesel fuel is going up in price.  Many of us would like to stretch our Propane Gas as far as possible.  Well, there are some basic tricks of the RV lifestyle that can help you do just that.  You must have access to AC power (shore power) to make these tricks work.

The first one has to do with your hot water heater.  If your unit is a dual operating type (AC and Propane) force your unit to use AC whenever possible by shutting off your propane tanks. Turn your hot water heater off overnight.  The tank will keep the water hot to warm all night.

But your comment is, how will I cook anything?  The answer to that follows.

Second is to use induction cooking.  An induction cooktop uses magnetic energy to heat and cook whatever is in a pot or pan that a magnet can stick to.  For example, this Deluxe Burton Induction Cooktop is what I have and it works just great.  This is what it looks like;

Deluxe Burton Induction Cooktop

Here are some of the features of this Induction Cooktop ;

• 1800-watt high-quality induction cooktop provides 10 power levels
• Push-button controls and digital display; 180-minute timer with auto shut-off
• 10 temperature settings; overheat sensor; in-line fuse
• For use with induction-compatible cookware; the unsuitable-cookware detector
• Measures 13-2/7 by 12-1/2 by 2-3/5 inches

As mentioned in the features of the cooktop you must use cookware that a magnet will stick to.  Most cookware today is aluminum and so would not work.  You do not need a completely new set of cookware just enough to get by with using the induction cooktop.

Here is an example of Induction Cookware shown below;

Induction Cookware 

Any cookware will work as long as a refrigerator magnet will stick to the bottom of the pan or pot.  Here is a chance to go to Goodwill or other secondhand shop and make a killing on induction ready cookware.  Just be sure to bring your refrigerator magnet with you.

But you are a baker by trade and need to often use the oven that came with your Rig for that purpose.  What are you to do?  Well let's look at a solution called the Infrared Countertop Oven shown below;

Infrared Countertop Oven

Some of the features of this innovative oven are shown below;

• Digital-controlled infrared oven cooks food quickly and easily
• Cooking methods include conduction, convection, and infrared radiant heat
• No preheating, defrosting, or ventilation needed; dishwasher-safe parts
• Extender ring, cooking rack, baking pan, manual, and recipes included
• Measures approximately 14 by 14 by 16 inches
• 3-inch Extender Ring, 2-inch rack, 10-inch baking pan 
• Cooks up to a 16 Lb. turkey /141b ham with Extender Ring

So now we have the baking taken care of and we are not cooking with gas but electricity and so are saving gas and bucks ($). 

I heard you lady in the back row.  You are cold at night and need some heat so turning off the Propane gas is not an option.  Let's look at some options here as well.  

You could put one of these Mattress Heating Pads on your bed and plug into electric and sleep warm as toast all night.  These heated pads come in all the popular sizes King, Queen, and Twin.  I have shown the queen size below;

Mattress Heating Pads

Because heat rises this mattress type heating pad is much better than a heating blanket and will use less power to keep you toasty warm during the cold night. 

Ah, but you need to heat the Rig so you need more power, I mean heat.  Then you want a Ceramic Space Heater  This type of heater generates a lot of heat for very little electricity used.  The one pictured below is what I use.  I have a 30ft TT and use two of the Ceramic Heaters. One blowing toward the bedroom and one in the living room blowing toward the kitchen.  These heaters will cook you out of the Rig, they can generate so much heat.  I winter camp in North Texas and it can get below freezing, as we all found out in the winter of 2013/2014.  But even though my water hose froze outside, inside we were as warm as toast.  Shown below is the  Space Heater I have;

 Space Heater 

I have listed some of the features of this unit below;

• Ceramic space heater with adjustable thermostat for comfortable warmth—ideal for home or office
• 1500-watt high setting; 3 output options: Low, High, or Fan Only; power indicator light lets you know when it’s plugged in
• For safety: tip-over switch with auto shut-off and overheat protection with auto shut-off; ETL listed
• Carrying handle for easy transport; not for use in bathrooms, laundry areas, or other high-humidity rooms

If you have a four-legged friend (Furkid) traveling with you, please take note: this unit comes with Auto Shut-Off.  If the Ceramic Heater is tipped over the heater shuts off automatically.  This is a very important feature if you are traveling with four-footed friends.  There are some clumsy two-legged friends out there as well.

Again I remind you that these LP Gas saving tips only work if you have access to a power pedestal so you can get AC power.  With these hints, the Propane Gas becomes the backup plan and not the main source of energy for your Rig.  I know from experience that these hints and tips will work.

Until next time.

And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. 

What Are Those 12 Volt Sockets Good For?

We have all done it.  Left the cell phone charger sitting on the kitchen table closed the front door, made sure everything was locked up and left for our weekend RVing get away.  If you have one of those not very smartphones you know that in 8hrs or less the phone will be dead and your Hot Spot, Weather App, and every game that keeps the kids quiet during the ride will come to an end.







What to do?  Have you ever wondered what the 12 Volt Standard Wall Plate that looks like this is used for?

2 Volt Standard Wall Plate 

Or maybe you will remember this 12 volt Wall Plate with Antenna Amplifier & Switch it looks like this;

12 volt Wall Plate with Antenna Amplifier & Switch

Both of these wall plates have a 12-volt power socket just like your car, truck, or RV does.  You could plug a car charger for your phone or tablet computer into the wall plate and it would start to charge your phone or tablet computer.  Ah, but you say you have a charger for your phone already why would you need another one for the Rig?  If you remember you left it on the kitchen table and left for this trip.  OK, now what?  Well if you bought one of these 12 Volt Single Outlet USB Charger which looks like this;

12 Volt Single Outlet USB Charger

Then all you would need is either the Apple Charging Cable which looks like this;

or the Android charging cable which looks like this;

Android charging cable

and you could charge your phone, table, or any USB device and never have to worry.   You say that you need to charge two USB powered devices at the same time.  Don't worry be happy and buy a Dual USB Charger which looks like this;

 Dual USB Charger

Now all you have to do is plug in the appropriate charging cable and you are good to go.  If you need longer charging cables than 6ft you can get them up to 10ft for both Apple products and Android products.  If you would like to be able to plug the charging cable into a normal wall outlet you can buy those also.  And for those of us that want it all you can buy the USB Charging Kit Bundle  The one shown below is for Android but they have them for Apple as well.

USB Charging Kit Bundle

But they have the Apple Charging Kit Bundle as well, which is shown below;

Charging Kit Bundle

Well, that should get you going and you can just plan on leaving any of the items we talked about in the Rig for the next time you leave the charging cable and power supply on the kitchen table.


PLEASE NOTE:  The following comments may not apply to all RVs.  Without checking the wire gauge behind the socket plate there is no way to be sure that the following products can be hooked up to the 12-volt socket in your RV.

Along with the ideas above, you can use the power plug to power small appliances such as a coffee maker

12-volt coffee maker

or maybe a 12-volt frying pan.

12-volt frying pan

Maybe you are boondocking and would like to use your PS3, or some other video game or even some device that only runs on AC.  Then you would use a DC to AC converter.

DC To AC Converter

This would allow you to power Dual USB ports that can charge most phones and tablets simultaneously (Max 4.8A total output), while two grounded AC outlets (300-350W) great for charging a laptop, breast pump, nebulizer, game console, kindle, TV, DVD players, lights, iPad, and other electronic devices.

The idea here is that if the park AC power fails you can use the 12 battery that powers your rigs lights, to make coffee while you wait for the power to be restored.  While you are refueling next time at a truck stop go inside a look at all the 12-volt appliance available to the trucking community that you can use in your RV or towing vehicle. [NOTE, not all 12-volt wiring can handle 12-volt appliances.]

CAUTION:  This is not a long-term solution for power outages as your rig's battery will run down very quickly if you make dinner this way with no way to recharge your RV onboard battery now that the AC power is out.











Until next time.

And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. 

Is It Level??? Is It Stable????

Is It Level??

How many times have I heard that phrase at a campground?  I can't even count them or remember them for that matter.  How do you know when your rig is level and what can you do if your rig is not?
Let's look at some of the possibilities.





The first thing you need to do is eyeball the site that you will back into or pull forward into.
Does the site appear flat?  There could be a drainage crown to the site, meaning that the center is higher than either side so that the rain water will drain off quickly if it does rain.
Maybe there is a slope in the site toward the right or left.
All of this needs to be taken into consideration when looking at the site.
Ok, you are pulling or backing into the site and you have the support of a ground crew so getting into the site is not the problem.  The door side of the rig appears lower that the street side or is it?   How do you know? Well at some point in the life of your rig someone should have put bubble levels on it.
(For you guys with money we will discuss auto leveling equipment at the end.)

They should look like theses RV Bubble Levels

RV Bubble Levels 

If you have nothing, or what you have is so small as not to be readable then an up-grade is in order.  You should mount one of these in the front of the rig where the level can be easily seen, after taking the rig to a Walmart type parking lot and using a construction level, checking that the rig is sitting truly level before you mount the above levels to the rig.  The second level is mount on the street side of the rig at the same height that you mounted the front of the rig level.  Be sure you have confirmed that construction level and the RV level agree that the rig is level.
Why you ask?  Because if you are more that 5 degrees out of level your RV refrigerator may not work or will not work efficiently.
But you may not have a TT maybe you have a 5th wheel and need something a bit bigger.  Enter the 5th wheel bubble level.  This is mounted on the pin box so you can see the level from the drivers seat.

5th Wheel Bubble Level

Even if you have auto-leveling on your fiver you want to start out as close to level as you can so as to not put to much stress on the self leveling system.

Ok, you have found that the door side of the rig is low and needs to be raised up to bring that side into level.
Now the fun begins.  You will need to put something under the wheels to raise that side of the rig.  You will need what is called a RV Tire Leveling Block,

RV Tire Leveling Block

RV Tire Leveling Block

These blocks interlock so they will stay put if more than one is used and they are designed not to sink into soft soil or blacktop.  Just how many you will need to level up the low side is often just simple trial and error.
I always start with one above ground level under each tire on the low side and go from there.  Let's say that you needed two under each tire on the low side to get level.

Did you remember to pull up on them and not try to back up on them?
Better for the tires if you pull up on the leveling block rather than backing up on them.

Also did you make sure all tires were centered on the blocks not on an edge?
The axle of the tire or the hub in the middle of the tire should be centered on the leveling block.
Why? Because it puts less stress on the tires, that really do not like being off the ground in space.

Here is yet another way to level your Rig.  This one is a bit different that the square block used above, this one is a Ramp Style Leveling System and will help you level your rig from any increment between 1/2 inch and 4 inches.  This ramp style will hold up to 30,000 pounds.  If you have two axles then you will require two ramps per side.

Ramp Style Leveling System

The smaller ramp is used to chock the RV from moving once the RV is level.  The ramp with the holes in it, is the adjusting ramp. 

You have check the levels on both the front and side of the rig right?  So now what?  You need to check that the fridge is level. On way to do that is to use a Torpedo Level

 Torpedo Level

This small 8" level can be use inside the fridge or on the nearest counter next to the fridge to check to be sure that the fridge is level. (Level - not more that five degrees out of level, is very important to the good, safe, and efficient operation of an RV fridge)

You are now level so what is next? Unhooking and stabilizing the rig.
Once you are unhooked you need to put down the corner stabilizer jacks.  Most travel trailers use Scissor Jacks

Scissor Jacks

This type of jack is NOT for leveling your rig.  It is to keep the rig from moving back and forth as you move around inside.  If one of the jacks does not meet the ground you can use one or more of  the tire leveling blocks to help stabilize that corner of the rig.  As shown in the above photo a hand crank is the normal method of deploying this type of jack and can be a real pain.  There are two fixes for the hand crank used on these jacks.  One is the Stabilize Scissor Jack Socket for an electric or battery operated drill.

stabilizing Scissor Jack Socket

The second but more expensive way is to motorize RV scissor stabilizing jacks

motorized RV scissor stabilizing jack

This jack is remote control and is powered off the rig so it makes the stabilizing fast and easy.

Many of the newer 5th wheels will have will have powered corner jacks and landing jacks.  Some will have auto leveling that will level and stabilize the fiver.  But what happens when you are still getting sea sick from someone walking inside the fifth wheel or travel trailer?
For the 5th wheel there are several things that can be used and have had success.
First is the Stabilizer Jack

5th Wheel Stabilizer Jack

I use these back at the bumper, where the bumper joins the frame of the fifth wheel.  The use of these has really made a difference in the movement of the trailer.

Next is the expandable wheel chock or X-chock.

X-Chock

This chock does double duty if you use a paddle lock to lock the chock from being removed it will stop someone from being able to steal your RV with-out a lot of work.

Your rig is now level and corner supported but, when someone walks around the inside of the rig it still does the shimmy, shimmy, shake.  Now what?  There are many suggested solutions out there to solve this problem but here is the simplest one that works.  The RV Stabilizer           

RV Stabilizer   

One of these can be added to the rear of the rig to stop side to side motion and or one can be added to the side of  the rig to stop the front to back motion.  This looks simple and it is but, it does work.

The X-Chock from above will also work on Travel Trailers to help stop motion and help to prevent theft as well.

OK, now for the guys with money.  If you would like to add remote control automatic power leveling jacks to your TT or 5er, the following is a company that has received good reviews for their lift systems; Big Foot Leveling System

Big Foot Flip Down Leveling Jack for TT

The type of DIY that is required to install this system is not in the scope of this blog.  But this type of wireless remote control system is out there and for those who would like to add automatic power leveling to their rig here is a place to start.






Until Next Time

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