pete42
Jamestown, Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 09/21/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
I have seen the Bal leveler used and it looked ok to me.
I ask and the owner said he would not be without it.
That's one for getting it I guess.
|
PopcornJunkie
Rainy Northwest
Senior Member
Joined: 10/20/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Yes, my husband thinks it is worth the money. Leveling is one of his jobs while setting-up, so I don't know myself.
|
yorkgm
York Beach, Maine
Full Member
Joined: 03/26/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
I also think it is worth the money.
|
He Ruide
Cincinnati Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 08/30/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Mike, Do you have recent data on failures of the BAL leveler? If so could you please share it with us.
Back in 2006 they had some quality control problems when they changed the number of plate welds from 3 to 2. There was another problem with the screw that held the hex head in place. Last note I saw eight levelers out of the 750 that were shipped that year had failed.
Both of those issues were corrected and a lot of folks were very pleased with them as they shipped a new leveler and never even asked for the old one to be returned.
The only other issue with the BAL level that I'm aware of is that you have to keep the screw cleaned and greased... but that is a user maintenance issue and not a design flaw.
Ruide
Fleetwood Evolution E3 - Yellow (DW let me get a Yellow one since she wanted an E3 with a slide out  )
Hummer H2 - Black (DW vetoed the Yellow one, but I got two Yellow Hummer Folding Mountain bikes  )
My Pics and Mods and My Weekly Blog
|
stormspotter
aurora, co
Senior Member
Joined: 06/26/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks for the link to the pux store mike lots of items there look cheaper than anywhere around here.
me
DW
son 
schnauzer dog 
|
|
|
Mike Up
NW Indiana section of Chicagoland
Senior Member
Joined: 05/29/2005
View Profile
|
He Ruide wrote:Mike, Do you have recent data on failures of the BAL leveler? If so could you please share it with us.
Back in 2006 they had some quality control problems when they changed the number of plate welds from 3 to 2. There was another problem with the screw that held the hex head in place. Last note I saw eight levelers out of the 750 that were shipped that year had failed.
Both of those issues were corrected and a lot of folks were very pleased with them as they shipped a new leveler and never even asked for the old one to be returned.
The only other issue with the BAL level that I'm aware of is that you have to keep the screw cleaned and greased... but that is a user maintenance issue and not a design flaw.
Ruide
Nothing recent, just remember a lot of threads, some of which I participated in, that had owners complaining of screws stripping out (sometime more than once) and welds cracking on the tire plate. Even after BAL was fixing these, there were reports of the same failures months after the fact.
I don't remember BAL ever issuing a recall to take these off the shelves, so technically they could still be on the shelf along with any that may have revisions on them.
Have a good one.
2008 Eureka Copper Canyon 1312
13'x12' Tent
2007 Starcraft 2406 Exterior
2007 Starcraft 2406 Interior
2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4.6L V8 4X4
292 Hp, 300 lbs torque, 7000 lbs towing, 730 lbs hitch
Tow-N-See Convex Mirrors
|
The Pop-UpMercman
Lee MA
Full Member
Joined: 01/17/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Keep in mind that a BAL leveler won't work on a tire smaller than 13"' but wood will
Chris
Happy to be the wondering wanderer,
...As long as there sand in my toes.
01 F-150
07 Rockwood Freedom 1980
Official Vehicle of the Camping Collies
|
DenverDan
Colorado
Senior Member
Joined: 02/05/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
I have the Lynx leveling blocks plus the Stop-n-Chocks. This Stop-n-Chock package includes 2 Stop-n-Chock blocks and 12 additional Lynx leveling blocks. All items fit in 2 convenient nylon carrying case.
I read the part about the small tires not workign with the BAL Leveler, and my tires are ST205/65-10.
I like the 2 bags they come in. It keeps them all together neatly when traveling. We bought a couple of cheap rubber chocks for the high side to keep that tire from moving. The leveling blocks can also be placed under the stabs.
Here is a link to the set I bought, plus some other combinations of levelers and chocks:
Lynx ® Stop-n-Chock Deluxe - Plus $57.50
* This post was
edited 03/23/08 09:44pm by DenverDan *
Nights camping in '08-3
Nights camping in '07-43
Nights camping in '06-36
'06 Fleetwood Cobalt
'94 S-10 Blazer 4X4 (over 180K miles)
'57 Obsessive DH
'61 Sweetie DW
Denver Dan's Camping Photos
A bad day camping is better than a good day at work.
|
Beacher
Long Beach, CA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/07/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Mike Up wrote:Just be aware there's been a lot of failures on these. The screw strips and the plate weld can crack and drop the trailer. Nothing I'd want for sure. This acts as a chock but if it fails, it could be a disaster. Once you run a few beads of molten steel to reinforce the weak factory spot welds, that's a non-issue. When my spot welds failed, (after about 10 uses), while camping at a very uneven campsite at Malibu Creek State Park, my PopUp did not drop. The wheel was still cradled in the steel BAL leveler. The plates simply snapped off their cheesy spot welds, but they stayed in place until I lowered my trailer to go home. I fixed them as soon as I returned home.
BTW, the manufacturer also sent me a new replacement BAL leveler by overnight delivery, under their great warranty.
Mike Up wrote:Besides, many times you be on unlevel ground where the tongue will be higher than the axle. I've had to use levelers on both wheels to get the axle high enough to be level because the tongue jack would go down no further. That's really the time when you gotta just pick a better campsite.
I like my BAL leveler so much that I purchased another BAL. Now I have two BALs! I use the BAL Leveler on the low side of my PopUp to level it. And I use the BAL Single Axle Wheel Chock on the high side.
|
He Ruide
Cincinnati Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 08/30/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Mike thanks for the response. I agree there may be BAL levelers out there that have not yet failed and hopefully they had better welds than the ones that failed. I agree with Beacher... if the plate came loose the arms of the BAL leveler would still support the tire.
Ruide.
|
|
|
