Do we need to park our Unity on level ground all the time?

Although we have not yet picked it up (anxiously awaiting next week), we're scoping out a 30'x12' pad on our property (note next posting).

The area the pad would go is not that level (6 degrees from center), but would ultimately level it with the chipped stone or concrete.

We don't anticipate running power to the unit for the few weeks it'll take to build the pad, so...

Assuming the refrigerator is off, is there any issue with the temporary "tilt"?

--Tom

No.

vdoefx,
I agree with jackfish BUT! The question needs to be asked: Will you want to prep the unit for travel while on the pad? Will you move it to a level area when you want to start the refrigerator a day or two before you depart for a trip? If the answer is yes, then make your pad level right up front. It will save you hassles down the road.

Bob

You can block up the low side with pieces of 2x6 or some pre-made leveling blocks. You will need the leveling blocks when you go camping so why not practice at home.

I park in a non-level area, or at least non-level enough so that I don't want to operate the refrigerator constantly. But it hasn't ended up being an issue, I just load the cold food from the house refrigerator and turn on the RV fridge just before I start out. With the load of cold food the RV fridge cools down very quickly while underway. In the past I used to load the fridge a day or two before the trip but I find that it takes so little time that there's no real problem in just doing it in the morning before I start out.

We do basically the same thing, but the night before we put a large bag of ice cubes in both compartments (single door fridge). The fridge is quite cold when we load the cold food from the house and start it up as we take off. And the ice cubes are mostly still frozen.

Joe
2014 Unity MB

Our dealer told us that the newer fridges shouldn't be affected by the rig being off level. We start cooling it about 2 days before we take off and have had no problem. Now you have me worried!

If you have an absorption refrigerator it shouldn't be operated off-level beyond the manufacturer's specs, regardless of what your dealer told you. Look them up and check that you are OK.

I can tell you from experience that the single door fridge in our '12 MB won't hold cold when parked on a slope during a hot afternoon, and slowly cooled back down afterwards when back on the flat. Didn't someone post that specs for the 8555 fridges are 3 and 6 degrees max?

My shed is level but the parking pad below it is not - I have to move my ERA to a level spot to prepare for a trip [cool down the fridge]. If I were putting in a pad, I'd have it level and with access to 110 power.

And further info...

New 2015.5 TB bought 3 weeks ago... and drove it home with 55% fresh water in the tank on our sloped driveway.

Noticed that the reading is at 15% yesterday, and wondered if the noticeable slope is causing the low reading?

I'm thinking that I'll move it today and see if parking it on a level surface raises the fresh water back to 55%.

Are the sensors in the fresh water, black and gray tanks sensitive to variations in slope for their readings?

--Tom

From what I have seen the tank sensors are indeed sensitive to the angle you are parked.

Just as a reference point ( your experience may vary) ............my last home had a 5 % drive way slope.

Parking the RV nose up the refrig had no problem. Parking nose down the refrig would stop working.
Obvious the refrig instructions say level parking only ( level spec in my frig book is 6%). Out of level while underway is not a problem.

Frig is the only device that is level sensitive.

rvthereyet said:

And further info...

New 2015.5 TB bought 3 weeks ago... and drove it home with 55% fresh water in the tank on our sloped driveway.

Noticed that the reading is at 15% yesterday, and wondered if the noticeable slope is causing the low reading?

I'm thinking that I'll move it today and see if parking it on a level surface raises the fresh water back to 55%.

Are the sensors in the fresh water, black and gray tanks sensitive to variations in slope for their readings?

--Tom

Click to expand...

It's not the sensors, but the movement of the liquid itself. The sensors are only on one side. Park it slanted so the liquid tilts away from the sensor, and it will read low. Turn it around, and the sensors will read high by the same percentage. Level ground is level liquid, and the only true reading.

Having said that, that's one of the few things that I envy about the newer coaches -- my guage does not read in percentages, just empty, 1/3, 2/3 and full. But, I don't believe any of the gauges are accurate -- I'd love to be surprised inf the new ones are accurate.