How to Raise RV Leveling Jacks

Recreational vehicles make it easy for their owners to travel around the country while retaining the comforts of home. One of the downsides to an RV, though, is that it is subject to sloping and sometimes unstable surfaces. To counter this, many long-distance RV drivers use RV leveling jacks when they plan to park for multiple days. These jacks, when raised, operate as a makeshift foundation for the RV, leveling it and eliminating the fear of an emergency brake giving way and the RV careening down a hill.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

4 leveling jacks
Wood planks or bricks
Level

Step 1

Park your RV on as flat a surface as possible. If at an angle side-to-side, you can try to level it out by driving the wheels of one side up on wood planks, bricks or the curb.

Step 2

Make sure the emergency brake in the RV is set.

Step 3

Set a level on the flat floor in your RV and see which way the bubble raises. If it stays between the lines etched on the level, the floor is sufficiently level. If it drifts off-center in a direction, use the leveling jack on the opposite side.

Step 4

Take out all travel pins stuck into the leveling jacks. Use the crank handle to crank the hex portion of the jack screws clockwise for about 12 turns to disengage the travel locks. Position the jack under the frame of the RV so that adequate support is given. Keep going until the drop leg is released. If the leg is too long to connect with the bolt at the end of the support leg, or if the leg's foot pad does not fully connect with the ground once it is fully deployed, pull out the pin on each leg to make an adjustment.

Step 5

Pull the crank handle down from the RV to ensure the leg properly locks. If it does, the drop segment will not slide up into the support segment when weight is applied. If you cannot get the leg to properly lock, lower the jack and reposition the RV on a more level surface. Repeat this process on all four corners of the RV.

Step 6

Check your bubble on the level again to see if you have effectively leveled the RV. If still not level, raise the lowest corner of the RV's leveling jacks by cranking the jack screw with the crank handle. Continue doing this under sufficient balance is reached.

Article Written By Jonathan Croswell

Jonathan Croswell has spent more than five years writing and editing for a number of newspapers and online publications, including the "Omaha World-Herald" and "New York Newsday." Croswell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Nebraska and is currently pursuing a Master's of Health and Exercise Science at Portland State University.

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