BAL Leveler

[Tbones]

I bought the BAL Leveler from this site for myself for christmas.  Have not tried it yet but plan on just hand cranking it with the provided wrench.

[monkeywrencher]

Looks like the Ryobi has a drill mode so it is not a dedicated hammer drill, but it doesn't have a battery or charger.

[Old Granddad]

bc = because.

The BAL leveler is a bit heavy but just the ticket to get a single axle pup with 12" - 14" tires leveled side to side in a hurry.  You'll need wheel chocks for the high side tire, but not for the side with the BAL.

 

[monkeywrencher]

Tbones - That's what I use, the included wrench.  If the threads are lubed properly and the cup where the base of the jack screw spins has some lube in it the thing works great with the included wrench.  No mods or power tools necessary.  But then again I spin wrenches for a living, so...  Your mileage may vary.

[crazytrain]

I will be ordering the BAL leveler this week as a birthday present to myself. Can hardly wait to use it! 

[Tims94]

I received a BAL leveler for Christmas and tried it out last month to see how it did.  Straight out of the box, it took all my strength to crank my camper with the supplied wrench.  Also, there was a time that I thought the tire moved while jacking.  I have a Fleetwood Cheyenne.  Did I do something wrong?  I watched some YouTube videos and did the same but honestly was worn out after cranking.

[austinado16]

Buddy, you need to get to the gym!

Yes, the tire will sort of self-adjust as the BAL raises.  That's normal, and it's no big deal; the camper's not going anywhere....as you found out.

[monkeywrencher]

Going beyond the gym...

Did the threads of the leveler have a coating of grease on them?  Not a ton, just a coating over all the threads.  If it is used dry, the metal on metal friction will cause it to be very hard to operate (it will also destroy the jack screw).  Was there a bit of grease between the bottom of the jack screw and the cup it sits in?  Same thing here, metal on metal without grease is a bad thing.

Try running the jack screw all the way through from one end to the other with no load.  Does the screw move easily?  It should move very smoothly, if it is rough there is a problem.  Does the screw turn in the cup it sits in easily, again, no load.  It should turn nice and smooth.

Looks like your Cheyenne weighs at max 3000 lbs.  That shouldn't be a problem.

Yes, the tire will slip a little.  The leveler is going from level to canted as it rises.  The natural tendency of the tire is to slide down hill until the load pushing back from the other tire equalizes with the force trying to go down the slide.  No big deal, the PUP isn't going anywhere.

[Tbones]

Monkeywrencher; I do hit the gym a few times a week so if that isn't enough, I will be cheking the threads out for the grease.  Seriously thanks for the tip.  I have yet to use mine so if you see someone setting up camp this spring and they are struggling with the thing it may be me

[luv2campsum]

I like the electric drill idea but cant see shelling out $200 for the whole setup...........

[AZbirddog]

I use the Bal leveler and the Bal single wheel chock . I'm 69 years old and have no problem with either
AZ

[generalbeluga]

I like the electric drill idea but cant see shelling out $200 for the whole setup...........

Believe me, after cranking my a_ _ off a few times using the Bal to level my Utah, I bought the Ryobi P212.  I already had the lithium battery and charger from a smaller Ryobi drill that I had bought a few years earlier.  I agree that if you don't have the battery and charger, you will lay out about $180 for the whole enchilada but, it is still chapter than the Dewalt or other high power drills mentioned in previous posts.  Believe me, it is worth it especially since you can use it to level your four stabs and adjust your tongue jack effortlessly and quickly!  It is also pretty nice to have it along on a camping trip in case you need to drill something.  If you are a senior as I am, the drill makes a snap out of a pretty tough job on a hot summer day in California.

John 

[Tims94]

I'll try it by itself and see.  It had a thin coating of grease on it so I will put a little more on there.   Thanks for the help.


Although I'm not the fittest person, I was surprised how difficult it was to crank.  Im 39, used to play rugby,and have ran at least 1 half marathon in the last 7 years.  I was more tired cranking the BAL leveler than I was after running!

[Malena]

I think you got a dud, Tim. It should be pretty easy, no gym membership required (and it won't replace a gym membership either).

[xmasteach]

I'm a 60 year old female and I did not even break a sweat, are you sure you have it set correctly?
I agree you may have a dud!