We purchased our Micro Minnie FLX Spring of 2022, and we were looking forward to our first long trip to northern Idaho that summer, which would be our first time vacationing with a travel trailer. In anticipation, we bought the Beech Lane Camper Levelers and the LogicBlue Technology LevelMatePro. Prior to the summer vacation, we went to Steamboat Springs for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Our site in Steamboat was a pull-through on an asphalt pad, which gave us the opportunity to use the new leveling system. It took a couple of attempts to dial in the levelers with LevelMatePro, but for the most part, it was easy.
We pulled out of Grand Lake on Saturday, July 23rd to begin our Idaho Panhandle~Canada Adventure. When we arrived at Beyond Hope Resort in Idaho, we were given two campsite options to choose from, both of which were pull-throughs. The first site was located in an upper section, and the second was in a lower section. We chose the second option. After parking the FLX in the site, we then began the process of leveling the trailer. We placed the Beech Lane Camper Levelers under the passenger side of the FLX and pulled forward onto them. At that point, we began the process of taking the trailer off the hitch to level front to back. Checking the LevelMatePro, we had a long way to go due to the extensive slope of the campsite.
Upon lowering the stabilizing jacks, the unthinkable started to happen. The FLX began sliding off the levelers and rolling forward. Thankfully, I had yet to move the Tahoe from the front of the FLX. The movement of the FLX caused the hitch coupler to slide back into the receiver hitch on the Tahoe, which was the only thing that had prevented the FLX from sliding off the Anderson Trailer block. We frantically worked to hitch the FLX back onto the Tahoe all while fearing the worst. It was a very scary experience because if the Tahoe had not still been positioned in front of the FLX, the trailer would have continued rolling down the hill and potentially crashing into other RV’s and vehicles.
There were two contributing factors to this mishap. Firstly, the site was far too sloped for the size of our FLX. Even though it is only 23 feet long, that degree of slope is only safe for a teardrop-sized RV. The site sloped down from the back to the front of the FLX as well as down from the driver’s side to the passenger side. The second contributing factor, which was a result of our inexperience, was not positioning the Beech Lane Camper Levelers correctly to account for the sloped site.
We had pulled forward onto the levelers to attain the extra 4″ of height that we needed in order to level the trailer from side to side. Thus the chock was placed on the uphill side of the slope, and as we pulled the FLX off the receiver hitch there was nothing preventing gravity from doing its thing. Additionally, we have the X-Chock Wheel Stabilizers; however, they cannot be used until you are finished leveling the FLX. The chock for the Beech Lane Camper Leveler system needs to be on the downslope side of the leveling system.
When we positioned the FLX the second time around, we backed on the Beech Lane Camper Levelers, which is what we should have done the first time. Nervously, we began the process of leveling from front to back, carefully raising the tongue jack while simultaneously lowering the stabilizing jacks. The tongue jack was at the max and we still were not quite level from front to back with the LevelMatePro showing us a 1/2″ down. Placing the X-Chocks between the wheels we were finally settled into our site, albeit in a very shaken state of mind. I really do not believe I slept a wink that night. The next day, we moved the FLX to the other site, which required minimal leveling. And that next day, a T@B trailer took up residence in the sloped site that we had moved from.
While not new to owning a travel trailer, we are somewhat newbies when it comes to traveling with them. Prior to purchasing the FLX, we had towed our previous travel trailer (a 29 foot) a total of seven times to various campgrounds. We used that travel trailer as a permanent cabin in Grand Lake, where it had been for the last seven years and it had not been moved since. My advice for others is to carefully assess campsite sites before pulling into them, to determine if they will be an ideal spot for your particular RV. And, familiarize yourself with understanding the slope and how properly level the trailer using your leveling system. Without question, I would recommend the Beech Lane Camper Levelers, as they are simple and convenient to use, especially when paired with the LevelMatePro.
OMG how scary, so glad you were able to get safely leveled and then to get a different site the next day. I probably would not have slept that night either. Be safe out there and a good experience under your belts.