Sprinter Chassis Leveling

[Bompa13]

We installed the Equalizer Auto-Leveler System on our 2017 24G.

Factory did the work and a great job as it looks like it came that way.

Their clamp mount system doesn't void MB warranty and in 2 years no mount has moved or loosened up at all.

They do make the rear stabilizers but we opted for the 4 point Auto Level.

Call them and get a quote, you will be happy with their system

Bompa

[Mooneypaul]

If you want levelers to get the rig level, they are great. But if you want something to reduce movement inside while parked, consider Sumo Springs and or Agile modified Fox rear shocks. We put them on our 2016 VG and have been happy. These also reduced rocking when leaving uneven surfaces.

[Mike Owens]

Has anyone used the Bigfoot System? Comments?

[LarryW]

Winter’s point regarding hot pavement is a good one. To protect the parking lot or to compensate for soft ground, a plastic or wood pad is needed. Gotta get out to place those.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by Mike Owens

Has anyone used the Bigfoot System? Comments?

No personal experience, but one place you might consider is Brazel's:
https://www.brazelsrv.com/Package-De...gFoot-Leveling

I have no idea how BigFoot compares to HWH levelers, but I know HWH is more expensive.

My only experience with Brazel's was purchasing Koni FSD shocks and struts. Before ordering I checked them out pretty thoroughly. It is family owned and operated, has an "A+" BBB rating, and nothing but positive reviews (at least those that I read).

One thing that stood out was when I emailed a couple questions they replied very promptly. My experience with most businesses is that they do not reply to emails, or if they do it is a canned response.

I'm curious about the BigFoot levelers. I've heard of them but don't know much about them. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[LarryW]

I did some business with Brazel’s. Positive experience.

[Mike Owens]

I will be installing myself so I just need a good system. The HHW is a bunch more money and I'm just trying to see if it's worth the money or not.

Thank you for the replies so far and keep em coming!

[ldfeat]

Originally Posted by bcubed50

We are down sizing from Winnebago 2012 Tour to View. Are leveling jacks a desired option on Views (Sprinter Chassis).

Definitely worth every penny we spent on the HWH jacks for our coach. You may save a little weight increase by not having to carry around so many leveling blocks? And you will probably save a lot of time and aggravation leveling your coach after a long day's drive. Lots of bang-for-the-buck on this purchase IMO. Larry, 2014 Reyo P

[LarryW]

When they work...most of the time...I say worth it.

[ldfeat]

Originally Posted by Winterbagoal

I had heard that mentioned in other topics, too. Some other threads on other forums also mentioned that some systems which will fit Sprinter cab cutaways do not need to drill holes in the frame, they're clamped on, and so don't weaken the steel in those areas.
In hindsight, I wish we'd foregone the factory stabilizers, and opted for a hydraulic or other automatic jacking system. It's one of the things I now miss from our Sunstar. It was a nice option. I might still add power leveling jacks at some point in the future, but would have to sacrifice the stabilizers, to decrease the overall weight. I wasn't even thinking about power automatic jacks when we optioned out our Navion. My bad.

The HWH guys told me that they got Mecedes Benz approval to install the jacks on the Sprinter chassis. One stipulation was that they could not drill holes for the installation. So, the jacks are clamped on. Larry, 2014 Reyo P.

[Mike Owens]

Well I made the decision to get automatic levelers. I filled our Navion with water and fuel then went to the local weigh station yesterday (Friday work day ha ha). I left the slip at work but with the normal coach load minus food and some clothing I have plenty of capacity to justify the weight difference from stabilizers to levelers.

I will be installing it myself and taking pictures along the way. I am leaning to the Big Foot system currently.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by ldfeat

The HWH guys told me that they got Mecedes Benz approval to install the jacks on the Sprinter chassis. One stipulation was that they could not drill holes for the installation. So, the jacks are clamped on. Larry, 2014 Reyo P.

I've heard that about the HWH levelers. BTW -- HWH must be doing something right when it comes to both their product and installation, as well as customer service. I don't believe I've read even one negative comment about them. I'm not surprised, since they are located in the great state of Iowa!

It is surprising that that MB gives HWH that restriction when they allow WGO to drill holes in the chassis to attach the frame extensions that support the rear of the coach and the receiver hitch.

As a side note:

It may not be an issue since there is no load bearing, but WGO also drills holes in the frame/chassis for electrical grounds.

The ones I've worked with had the area around the hole ground down to bare steel (for a good connection) but unprotected in any way and left to rust.

There are any number of ways to protect the steel from rusting. There may very well be better products/methods, but I used "Kopr-Shield". It is essentially silicone grease that is loaded with fine copper powder (plus zinc, etc) to make it conductive. It also works very well as an anti-seize on hardware, and to protect metal from corrosion.

For anyone who may be interested, I am not necessarily recommending this vendor but the price of Kopr-Shield varies wildly and they seem to have one of the best deals:

https://www.specialized.net/cp16-tho...und-16-oz.html

16 oz for $28 with free shipping. I have not done business with them. They seem OK (Google reviews are very good).

(For reference, an 8 oz container on Amazon is $38!)

My apologies for getting sidetracked.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by Mike Owens

Well I made the decision to get automatic levelers. I filled our Navion with water and fuel then went to the local weigh station yesterday (Friday work day ha ha). I left the slip at work but with the normal coach load minus food and some clothing I have plenty of capacity to justify the weight difference from stabilizers to levelers.

I will be installing it myself and taking pictures along the way. I am leaning to the Big Foot system currently.

Mike,

I'm officially envious!

We'd like to get levelers but we are already over the GVWR.

Our View has an OCCC of about 1,420 lbs. At first glance I thought, "Almost 3/4 ton, that's more than enough!"

After all, it's just my wife and I and our dog -- no kids, grandkids or other passengers.

What we found though is that by the time we had it loaded it was over the GVWR.

We try to be very weight conscious -- no "kitchen sink", no cast iron cookware or rock collection, etc -- just lightweight (Corel) dishes; a couple aluminum pots; food; drinks; clothes; some tools (not the whole tool chest); dog food, etc.

I'm leaving a lot of small stuff out, but suffice it to say that everything fits in the cabinets (we do use the shower to store drinks and a lightweight plastic dog kennel).

We dump the tanks often, usually when they get to 1/3, and rarely carry more than 1/3 tank of fresh water.

There are some mods that add weight -- a couple solar panels; large inverter (~50 lbs); a memory foam mattress; and a 100' #10 gauge extension cord (typically not necessary but comes in handy when staying with family/friends).

When we've weighed the rig loaded normally, while on a trip with empty (or almost empty) grey & black tanks it has been slightly over the GVWR.

The point of my rambling story -- and you may very well be aware of this (it's more of a general statement) -- is that when weighing an RV, one really should actually be on a trip or have it fully loaded as it normally is while traveling.

It's amazing how fast the weight adds up.

One thing I've never done is weigh our View when it is completely empty. That would be interesting. Theoretically it should indicate that we have the factory OCCC, minus the weight of the mattress, inverter, and solar panels.

FWIW -- I read posts by members of other forums who spoke with MB engineers who confirmed that there is of course a large safety factor built in to the GVWR. They indicated that a few hundred pounds over is OK -- but for obvious reasons, no one is going to say that "on the record". Even if the GVWR is not etched in stone, less weight is always better (with any vehicle).