How to Use Camper Leveling Blocks | The Simple Process

Using camper leveling blocks means raising the low side tires until the RV is level, then chocking the wheels and lowering stabilizers only to reduce motion, not to lift the camper.

Leveling blocks solve a problem every RVer meets: the campsite that slopes just enough to make the door swing shut on its own and the coffee slide off the counter. The process takes about ten minutes with a bubble level, a handful of blocks, and a slow right foot. For towables, side-to-side leveling comes first (with blocks under the tires), and front-to-back is handled with the tongue jack. Motorhomes use their front leveling jacks for that second step.

Before You Start: Pick the Spot and Check the Level

The method works only if the ground cooperates. Camping World’s RV guidance says to park in the most level spot you can find, and Blue Ox recommends inspecting the area first — clear away debris, rocks, and branches, and make sure the ground is firm enough that the blocks won’t sink into soft soil.

• Park in the most level available spot, even if it’s not perfectly flat.
• Check the level side-to-side and front-to-back with a bubble level on the floor or counter, or a small handheld level.
• Identify the low side — the side where the bubble sits off-center.

Take the reading twice after adjustments; the guidance from Heartland RVs suggests rechecking both directions more than once, since one change can shift the other.

Where the Blocks Go and How to Drive Onto Them

Blocks go under the low side tires, or in the path the tire will travel as you pull forward. Interlocking leveling blocks snap together to build the height you need, and you place them in front of the wheels on the side that needs raising, then drive onto them slowly, per Heartland RVs’ instructions.

Pull-through sites and back-in sites change the geometry slightly. For a back-in spot, drive the low side tires up onto the blocks as you reverse; for a pull-through, ease forward onto them. Either way, the sequence is the same:

1. Stack the blocks to a rough starting height — you can add or remove later.
2. Align the blocks with the tires so the wheel rolls onto them squarely.
3. Drive on slowly, ideally with a spotter outside to guide you.
4. Stop when the tire is centered on the highest block and the camper reads level.

Blue Ox stresses a slow, controlled approach — creeping forward beats gunning it, and a spotter who can see both the tire and the blocks removes all guesswork.

Chock the Wheels, Then Level Front-to-Back

Once the camper sits level side-to-side, the wheels get chocked. Camping World’s sequence places wheel chocks snugly against the tires after leveling to prevent rolling, and both that guide and KOA’s recommend disconnecting the hitch for trailers once chocked.

Front-to-back leveling comes next. For towables, raise or lower the tongue jack until the rig reads level lengthwise. Motorhomes use their front leveling jacks or hydraulic systems for the same job. Checklist:

• Place chocks snugly against both sides of the tires on the low side.
• Adjust the tongue jack (towables) or front jacks (motorhomes) for front-to-back level.
• Lower stabilizer jacks only until they make firm contact with the ground.

Stabilizers do one job: reduce rocking when people move around inside. They are not jacks. Camping World’s guide explicitly says never use stabilizers to lift the RV, and overextending them can bend the frame or sink the feet into soft ground. Firm contact, not pressure, is the target.

Common Mistakes and What to Do Instead

Most leveling problems come down to three avoidable errors. Skipping the chocks after leveling is the most dangerous — a trailer on blocks without chocks can roll. Using the stabilizers to chase a level reading is the most common mechanical mistake, and driving onto the blocks too fast is the one that sends blocks skittering sideways. Take the slow approach, recheck both directions, and if you’re shopping for a set, our roundup of the best leveling blocks for RVs compares the leading options side by side.

Start lower than you think you need and add blocks if the bubble still reads off.