Power drills for levelling
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11612
Printed Date: 27 Jun 2025 at 5:08pm
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Topic: Power drills for levelling
Posted By: Happy Tripping
Subject: Power drills for levelling
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 7:48am
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A separate thread got me thinking about this. Power drills are commonly used on the stabilizer jacks, especially on bigger trailers. I tried the 'power drill method', too, for levelling but found that the few seconds saved in the levelling process (at most 30 seconds total) wasn't worth the time to get the drill out, so now I just crank away. Good excercise, too. (I guess there is a little Luddite in me)
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Replies:
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:11am
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One reason for not using a power drill is that the drill can raise the stabilizers too much. I have seen people using a power drill and continue to raise the stabilizer as far as possible. this can produce undue stress on the frame. remember that the 4 corners have stabilizers, not levelers. level the trailer first, then use the stabilizers. Put the stabilizers down until they touch and then only a few extra turns. Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:18am
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I couldn't agree more, Happy. Our practice it to keep everything on our Pod as simple as possible. The more simple, the less stuff breaks. And the less stuff breaks, the less time you spend fixing it instead of camping. And for those of us on a retirement income, the more simple things are, the less costly the Pod upkeep. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:24am
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I use a drill for the stabilizers and for the tongue jack. I converted it to have a 3/4" nut instead of a crank handle. The drill works great. I can't agree with the idea that using the drill encourages people to lower the stabilizers too far. It might make it easier, but you won't do it if you know what and why you are doing. You can lower the stabilizers too far by hand. Drills don't lower stabilizers too far, people do. I recently got a BAL leveler and I use the drill for that too. (So far I'm not all that sold on the BAL. I have 14" tires and I'm having way too much trouble getting it under them. It's nice once it's under there.) TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 9:05am
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I'm with TT. Drills don't hurt stabilizers (or other things) people do. I keep my portable in it's little case inside the "garage". It's handy when I'm doing setup, and speeds up the process. When the drill is set to a low torque value, I think you also get a more consistent setting (as opposed to the theoretical "calibrated elbow". ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 9:51am
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+2 ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: texman
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 9:59am
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i use an old dewalt that was beyond reconditioning. So it has just enough torque for ground contact and and then the clutch slips. The drill was destined for the trash, so this was a way to get some good out of it still. just have to remember the batteries is the only catch and after leveling, the stabilizers are down in about 2 minutes and no sweat.
------------- TexMan 2015 182g 2018 Sequoia http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9122&title=texman-182g-mods - TexManMods |
Posted By: Subzilla
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 10:26am
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+1 with texman and glueguy.....set the torque to the proper amount based on judgement and you're good ------------- Mark Concord, NC 2017 RP 179 "Podzilla" 2011 Silverado 1500 4X4 |
Posted By: craigwood
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 10:38am
| TT - I am very interested in your modification to the tongue crank to remove the handle and replace with a 3/4" nut. Any pictures? How to suggestions? This mod would free up space to open the rear gate of the PU I use as tow vehicle. Thanks! |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 12:28pm
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I'll post back later with a pic. It's really pretty simple though.
TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:11pm
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I have used my trusty Dewalt drill for several years now, never had a problem ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:16pm
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Have to agree with Happy and lostagain. I use the crank away method, it is good exercise and helps to keep the "pipes" mean and lean. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:37pm
------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 8:40pm
 This is what my tongue jack looks like now. I ground off the rivet holding the handle on and pushed it out. Then I took a 3/4" nut and drilled out the threads so that the nut would fit snug on the top of the jack screw. Before slipping the bolt on, I very carefully drilled a hole right through the center of a flat face of the nut and through the center of the opposite face. The hole was sized to take an appropriately sized roll pin. (I don't remember what size, but I don't recall spending a lot of time thinking about it. It must have been the same diameter as the rivet that held on the crank.) That done, I slid the bolt on the jack screw, tapped in the roll pin, and finally ground off the ends of the roll pin flush with the faces of the nut. Voila. I still carry the crank around with me in case this thing fails. And of course I have the socket and a ratchet in case my drill or it's battery ever quit on me. That hasn't happened in the 4 or 5 years since I made this mod. I used to use an 18v DeWalt but now I have a 20v DeWalt drill, both of which work(ed) fine. This is a job for a drill with some torque, especially raising the trailer and the back of my TV enough to attached the Fastway friction bars. A store-bought 12v tongue jack looks fancy, but I really can't imagine that it works any better than this, plus I have a drill that gets a lot of other use. A side benefit is that not having a ready go crank on the tongue jack at least arguably makes the Pod a little harder to steal. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 10:17pm
https://postimg.cc/image/cz0j6c1zb/">
------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 10:26pm
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------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150 
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 23 May 2018 at 10:35pm
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https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XWHvjlnRisYOS6hzctlvGm6I3EH6OY1D - https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XWHvjlnRisYOS6hzctlvGm6I3EH6OY1D
Copied marwayne a couple years ago works great ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |