Levelers February 10, 2005, 10:00:54 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50623All the FolksI have been doing some research due to recent posts on this board concerning levelers. Not the hydraulics, Bigfoot, Kwikee, etc. but the commercial or home made type you drive up on to gain enough elevation to get that fridge level and so you won't roll out of bed at night (or any other time).I've got a set of 1" plywood blocks already made but as yet unused. I've looked at the Lynx brand and have seen the ones CW advertizes in their catalog.Tonight while surfing the web I came across this site:www.rkrp.com/ramplevelers.htm#They have a set which looks similar to CWs but are somewhat different. They are called "EZE Ramp Levelers". Any one out there know anything about this particular brand?Steve S. Lazy Bones
Re: Levelers Reply #1 – February 11, 2005, 10:01:07 am Yahoo Message Number: 50640Steve -We bought 2 sets in Yuma last year. They work fine. It is all we carry now. They stow in their bag and we keep them in the forward left hand storage compartment in our 26.5' RB.Dave Steele
Re: Levelers Reply #2 – February 11, 2005, 10:35:13 am Yahoo Message Number: 50645QuoteI've got a set of 1" plywood blocks already made but as yet unused. I've looked at the Lynx brand and have seen the ones CW advertizes in their catalog. Tonight while surfing the web I came across this site: www.rkrp.com/ramplevelers.htm# They have a set which looks similar to CWs but are somewhat different. They are called "EZE Ramp Levelers". Any one out there know anything about this particular brand? Steve S. Hi Steve S., From looking at that website, I thought the product was the same as CW's. I bought a set at CW last year because I heard that if you have any blocks break, CW replaces them. I checked the box the CW levelers came in and they were another fine quality product from China; the blocks you are considering claim to be USA made, and less money too! I wonder who those Texans are using to make them? Why is it that nearly every product you find in CW, Radio Shack, etc has those quality assuring words, "Made in China"?Steve K.
Re: Levelers Reply #3 – February 11, 2005, 12:52:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50652Quote Hi Steve S.,From looking at that website, I thought the product was the same as CW's...QuoteSteve K. Steve K.Yes, as I said in my original post, they are very similar to those that CW is selling. However, if you look closely you can see that the interlocking pattern is quite different.And, the fact that they are made in the USA would induce me to buy them over the China products. And, as you noted, the price is right. Who knows, perhaps those enterprising Texans are having them made by readily available hispanic labor.As for the Lynx types, I don't think you are doing your tires any favor by parking them for extended periods on that open grid-like pattern they use.Steve S. Lazy Bones
Re: Levelers Reply #4 – February 11, 2005, 05:19:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50662QuoteAs for the Lynx types, I don't think you are doing your tires any favor by parking them for extended periods on that open grid-like pattern they use. Now that we are full-timers, we have some questions about using the plastic levelers for extended periods of time. We have 3 sets of the orange Lynx levelers and during our part-timer years we used them a lot over the course of 3 years and during that time, we have had only one of them crack, so we can report that they are very durable. We also really, really like that they are lightweight and that they are so versatile -- in that we can raise each corner of the LD to a different height if necessary to get the coach level.As far as causing damage to our tires, we did not worry about that when we were vacationers, since we rarely stayed in one site for more than 2 - 3 days at a time, so we figured the tires weren't getting abused for very long periods of time. Plus, we were always very careful to get them as centered as possible so the tires didn't slop over the edges which we understand causes a lot of stress on the sidewalls.Now that we are staying longer in one spot, we are much more concerned about protecting the tires from the stress of sitting on those plastic grids and so we are trying to come up with a cap of some sort to use on top of the Lynx levelers so that the tire is being supported on a solid surface. We thought about using a 1" x 10" board cut slightly larger than one Lynx block and somehow securing the board to the top of the Lynx block. That way we could still use the Lynx blocks, but always put a solid cap between it and the tire. We would need some way to secure it in place and we were thinking maybe a thin, wooden cross bar that is screwed on underneath the board and it would wedge between the grids on the levelers. We could bevel the front face of board edge so it would be easy for the tire to move onto it. We sure would appreciate any ideas on how to deal with this.We've been impressed with some of the adjustable board combos that others have come up with for levelers, but we are really pressed for weight and cannot even think about going that route, nor can we install the automatic levelers. So I think we're hoping that we can just be creative with our current Lynx levelers.We also have been looking at the Fiamma's, but we hate to buy another set of levelers since we already have the Lynx. Also, we can't really see how you can independently adjust the level on each tire with them. If, say the left front tire needed to be higher than the right front, how do you do that with the Fiamma's?Thanks again for all your ideas and wisdom.Chris W. (30'TB)
Re: Levelers Reply #5 – February 11, 2005, 07:59:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50670We have the Fiamma's and to get one side higher than the other we position one ramp farther away from the tire. When you drive up on them, one tire is on the 3rd level and the other on the 2nd or 1st.Jonna
Re: Levelers Reply #6 – February 11, 2005, 08:38:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50673"we are much more concerned about protecting the tires from the stress of sitting on those plastic grids and so we are trying to come up with a cap of some sort to use on top of the Lynx levelers so that the tire is being supported on a solid surface...We also have been looking at the Fiamma's, but we hate to buy another set of levelers since we already have the Lynx." Here's my two cents' worth: look at your costs in proportion. You want to hold onto $35 worth of Lynx levelers that can damage $1,200 worth of tires...when $35 worth of Fiamma ramps will solve the problem. Doesn't make much sense, does it? ;-) I say ditch the Lynx blocks. If you feel bad about throwing them away, leave them at a campsite for somebody else to use. Get the Fiamma ramps. They're much lighter than homebrew wooden ramps, surprisingly compact, and far more convenient than the Lynx levelers--and they won't damage your tires! Make sure you get the extra-wide Fiamma ramps (20 cm. wide), not the regular narrow ones.Andy Baird
Re: Levelers Reply #7 – February 11, 2005, 09:05:22 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50674QuoteHere's my two cents' worth: look at your costs in proportion. You want to hold onto $35 Quoteworth of Lynx levelers that can damage $1,200 worth of tires...when $35 worth of Fiamma Quoteramps will solve the problem. Doesn't make much sense, does it? ;-) So, Not to cause any controversies here, but I hear a lot on this group about lynx levelers being hard on tires, but I am having trouble finding any evidence to support this. I am pretty sure I use these levelers from time to time and have never seen any tire damage caused by them. I did a search on the web for "Tire Damage Lynx Leveler" and did not get any information to support lynx levelers being bad. I am having a hard time seeing how the company could sell these if they were a danger to tires when used, and a lot of people use them.So are we working with facts here or opinions based on somebody looking at one of these and saying "boy those would sure be hard on your tires."?Randy
Re: Levelers Reply #8 – February 11, 2005, 09:45:30 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50676wrote:"Make sure you get the extra-wide Fiamma ramps (20 cm. wide), not the regular narrow ones."This point is very important for any type of leveler; the leveling block(s)/ramp should be wide/long enough to *fully* support the tire's "footprint" all around.Joan
Re: Levelers Reply #9 – February 12, 2005, 07:39:12 am Yahoo Message Number: 50682The yellow levelers are excellent for use in keeping your sewer hose up off the ground, as more and more parks are requiring. But using them under a motorhome's tires is a less satisfying experience! Don't ask me how I know this!Virtual hugs,Judie SKP #17907
Re: Levelers Reply #10 – February 12, 2005, 07:46:30 am Yahoo Message Number: 50683"I hear a lot on this group about lynx levelers being hard on tires, but I am having trouble finding any evidence to support this." That's a good point, Randy. I vaguely remember reading warnings against these levelers from what I thought at the time was an authoritative source, but I can't find anything on the web now to back this up. The most I can say is that it *seems* intuitively like a bad idea to put several tons of pressure on a series of knife edges--the pounds per square inch at the actual point of contact must be astronomical, and that *seems* as if it can't be good for the tire. The fact that you haven't seen visible damage doesn't mean damage did not occur, of course. And we can't rely on the "they must be OK, or they'd be off the market" argument. For example, as I'm sure you know, there are many brands of tire "dressings" on the market that can damage sidewalls. Nevertheless, in the absence of authoritative evidence, such as a warning from a tire manufacturer, the case against Lynx levelers must be regarded as unproven, so my comments were unjustified. So leave it at this: the wide Fiamma ramps cost the same and are a helluva lot more convenient (and durable), so they seem like better choice for most people.Andy Baird
Re: Levelers Reply #11 – February 12, 2005, 09:37:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 50687AFAIK, "wide" = 20cm = a bit less than 8 inches (1 in = 2.54 cm . 8 wide inches is fine with a perfect align, but all too often I found that not easily achieved. So I got rid of the levelers bought at LD factory and went to 2x12 wood (11+ > 8-). My ideal might be that new plastic wood replacement the national parks are using for decking, etc.best, paulQuoteSo leave it at this: the wide Fiamma ramps cost the same and are a helluva lot more Quoteconvenient (and durable), so they seem like better choice for most people.
Re: Levelers Reply #12 – February 12, 2005, 10:23:40 am Yahoo Message Number: 50691wrote: "AFAIK, "wide" = 20cm = a bit less than 8 inches (1 in = 2.54 cm . 8 wide inches is fine with a perfect align, but all too often I found that not easily achieved. So I got rid of the levelers bought at LD factory and went to 2x12 wood (11+ > 8-)."I made four levelers of 2" x 12" fir; each is about 22" long with one end cut at a 45ยบ angle. Each leveler has a rope handle on one edge, and two holes to drop carriage bolts through to keep two stacked levelers from sliding apart. The things are heavy, but functional!"My ideal might be that new plastic wood replacement the national parks are using for decking, etc."I was only able to find this stuff in 8" widths when I looked at it for making levelers. Maybe now that it's becoming more popular for decking and such, it might be available in wider widths.Joan
Re: Levelers Reply #13 – February 12, 2005, 12:33:12 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50698there have been a few thread lately on rv.net you may find some interesting reading there: http://rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14522022/srt/pa/pg ing/1.cfm http://rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14450350/srt/pa/pg ing/1.cfm http://rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14230310/srt/pa/pg ing/1.cfmymmv,Jerry
Re: Levelers Reply #14 – February 12, 2005, 06:14:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50704QuoteThe most I can say is that it *seems* intuitively like a bad idea to put several tons of Quotepressure on a series of knife edges--the pounds per square inch at the actual point of Quotecontact must be astronomical, and that *seems* as if it can't be good for the tire. I feel this way too when I look at them, but after parking on them a few times I don't see any problems. I suspect if I understood tire physics and weight distributions a little better for this type application I would find that they are probably not bad for your tires. I also suspect somebody at lynx (or whoever designs them) did the numbers before they put these out.Quote So leave it at this: the wide Fiamma ramps cost the same and are a helluva lot more Quoteconvenient (and durable), so they seem like better choice for most people.Yes. a couple of Fiamma ramps are in my future when I get the chance to track some down. I still have about 11 months till retirement so need to motorhome when the oportunity presents itself. Ordering stuff that needs to be delivered is a bit problematic because of my travel schedule so I tend to not do it unless I really need to. But if I run into some at a store someplace I will pick some up. I currently have 4 of the two-level ramps LD sales (I picked them up when I picked up myrv) and one set of (10 blocks) lynx. I mostly use the lynx when I only want to move up one block, so they only take one block. Generally don't stack them. One time I needed to use both sets of levelers so I could perch up on 5 each of the lynx to get 5 inches. It actually worked well, but this is the main reason I want some higher ramps.The Lynx though are very handy if you only need a bit, say to keep your head pointed up so all the saliva doesn't run out when your sleeping.Randy
Re: Levelers Reply #15 – February 13, 2005, 07:15:39 am Yahoo Message Number: 50716Joan and others,Let me put
Re: Levelers Reply #16 – February 14, 2005, 01:18:20 pm Yahoo Message Number: 50761In a number of posts folks have referenced "Fiamma" levelers. Fiamma lists two diferent types of leveling systems, "Level Up Plus" (one piece stepped block) and "Level System Magnum" (ramp system). Anyone have any comments pro or con after using either of these systems? John '04 23.5FL
Levelers Reply #17 – June 01, 2005, 07:29:39 pm Yahoo Message Number: 54246Anyone tried Level-Airs? http://www.levelair.com/pages/3/index.htmbest, paul
Re: Levelers Reply #18 – June 02, 2005, 03:07:12 am Yahoo Message Number: 54251Paul,They look interesting, but the 4.75" lift would be inadequate
Levelers Reply #19 – June 10, 2005, 09:52:09 am Yahoo Message Number: 54569Hello,We recently purchased a new '05 MB. After 4 years, with our old motorhome, doing "The Block Leveling Suffle"...We would like to add hydralic levelers. Reviewed the extensive posts and am leaning toward the BIGFOOT. But, I am concerned about after install maintance/repairs and the considerable drive for factory install. Camping world quoted me $3300 installed for the HWH and Bigfoot $3100. I would prefer the bigfoot and the FACTORY install, but the convenience and repair services of camping world is tough to beat. Any Comments?Thanks, John Comunelli-'05 MB Arlington, TX
Re: Levelers Reply #20 – June 10, 2005, 10:23:35 am Yahoo Message Number: 54572John, Do the systems include the automatic level control? I find that very convenient. Bigfoot was offering their system at a special price with the automatic controller (about $2800 installed as it remember), but the special is no longer on their web page. You might give them a call and ask if there is any special and what the factory-installed system with automatic leveler would cost. Then you would know if a trip to the factory is worth while. I waited until I was going to the east coast and combined the installation with another trip.Barry 01 r rb tx at
Re: Levelers Reply #21 – June 10, 2005, 12:25:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 54584"...We would like to add hydralic levelers...am leaning towardQuotethe BIGFOOT..."John Comunelli-'05 MB Arlington, TX JohnHave you also considered Kwikee "Level Best 2000"? I had them installed on my 2004 30'IB and think they are the best thing since sliced bread.Steve S. Lazy Bones
Re: Levelers Reply #22 – June 10, 2005, 03:26:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 54592John, I had my Bigfeet installed at Quadra Mfg's Lakeland location. I was pleased with the installation and have had excellent performance for the past two years. If I were to use anyone other than the manufacturer for installation I would ask the following queations before proceeding.What length of jack will be used front and back? Some with different MB models have had 17 inch jacks front and back. Others have had 19 front 17 back. The decision on length is based on how much ground clearance can be achieved. I have 7.75 inch clearance with my 17's.How many Bigfoot systems has the technician installed? It seems that every coach has its own installation idiosyncaries. Lazy Daze is a rare bird to most Camping World techs.How do you plan to route the wires to the power supply? They should know that the power supply is the house batteries. They will have to tap into the battery box and seal it.I point these questions out because they were problem solving opportunities that Quadra and I discussed during installation.The system will add 175 lbs.Total cost including tax for the special they ran two years ago was $2800 for the full automatic.I don't think I would be satified with a manual controller.Good luck with your decision. I would also recommend that you test drive the LD after installation to check for rattles and test the levelers on different contoured surfaces. I had a rattle that required a shim to keep one of the hydraulics away from the frame.Malcolm 02 Blue MB Bee Cave, TX
Re: Levelers Reply #23 – June 10, 2005, 08:46:39 pm Yahoo Message Number: 54606Quote from: john comunelli" I have the Bigfoot on my 2000 MB. Since I live in FL, the factory in Lakeland was convenient for me. Very satisfied to date. Have the automatic system. One nice thing about a C.W. install is that should you need service they have sites across the country. Beats having to go back to the factory should it become necessary. I've made a number of improvements to the Roamin'Room but the levelers are by far my favorite. It's so nice to just push a button and stand back and watch the leveling process. Especially on those dark & stormy nights. I haven't had to, but should you need to change a flat tire, the leveler makes a great jack.EdFt. Pierce, FL
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Levelers Reply #24 – June 11, 2005, 05:50:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 54627Ed: Kathy and I have a '99 LD that we are considering leveling jacks for. Can you give me an estimate on the cost? Also, is the system they installed on your rig three footed or four?Thanks, Bob
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