Make Hooking Up Your RV Trailer Even Easier With These Hacks
By JOSHUA ST. JAMES
Arrive at your site before dark to see potential slopes. On level ground, put two chock blocks in front and behind a tire to ensure your RV stays securely in place.
Chock And Block
Leveling blocks even out the ground under your tires, preventing the RV from tilting or leaning to one side. Place blocks in front and behind the tires and chocks on both sides.
Curved leveling and chock combinations are also available. They conform to the shape of your tires, provide a tighter grip, and include a chock and leveling block in one system.
Once chocked and leveled, lower the tongue jack to ensure stability. Avoid the hassle of finding the correct height later by marking the jack with a carabiner.
Tongue Jack Height
After unhooking the tow vehicle, extend a safety chain to the ground and attach a carabiner to that link. Adjust the height of your tongue jack to level and stabilize your RV.
When it's time to hook it back up to the tow vehicle to leave, adjust the tongue jack's height until the carabiner is off the ground.
A backup camera on your tow vehicle is worth the investment to save time, eliminate frustration, and ensure seamless alignment between the hitch and coupler.
A Backup Camera
RV setup can be taxing when trying to operate jacks and stabilizers manually. With the proper attachment, a cordless drill is significantly easier and faster.
A Cordless Drill
Impact drills have more power and torque, but a regular cordless drill will still do the job. When raising the stabilizers with a drill, use a jack pad to ensure safety.
Use a surge protector to protect your RV's electrical system from damaging power spikes, and check it regularly. Many RV users fail to test the site pedestal.
Surge Protectors
Bring a multimeter to test the voltage of the pedestal for overly high or low readings. Most sites use a 30- or 50-amp power supply, depending on the size of your RV.
Each plug has a different number of prongs, so match the type your RV requires. Always carry a backup generator and a heavy-duty, RV-specific power extension cord.