Leveling system including storage and transport handle

1. A method for storing and transporting a plurality of leveling blocks, comprising:

providing a plurality of leveling blocks for leveling a vehicle, each leveling block comprising a body having an opening formed therethrough, at least one opening of the plurality of leveling blocks being provided with an internal engagement member;

providing a handle comprising an extendable and retractable portion adjacent a first end thereof and an external engagement member at a longitudinal opposite second end thereof, the extendable and retractable portion movable between a first, extended position relative to the plurality of leveling blocks and a second, retracted position relative to the plurality of leveling blocks, the handle also comprising a generally cylindrical body with a recess formed therein, the extendable and retractable portion defined by a pair of rods sized and shaped for receipt within the recess and connected by a traverse pin, wherein the cylindrical body defines an aperture, and wherein the traverse pin passes through the aperture;

guiding the handle through the openings of the plurality of leveling blocks; and

engaging the external engagement member of the handle with the internal engagement member provided on the at least one opening of the plurality of leveling blocks to secure the leveling blocks together.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each leveling block comprises at least one protrusion that extends upwardly from a top surface of the leveling block and at least one recess formed in a bottom surface of the leveling block, and wherein the method further comprises receiving the protrusion of one of the plurality of leveling blocks within the recess of another of the plurality of leveling blocks so that the plurality of leveling blocks are in a stacked and interlocking arrangement.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the handle is operable for securing the plurality of leveling blocks together for storage, transport, or display without a container.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of collapsing the extendable and retractable portion of the handle, wherein a top surface of the handle is co-planar with a top portion of the at least one protrusion.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body further comprises a stop portion configured to contact a top block of the plurality of leveling blocks when the handle is inserted into the plurality of leveling blocks.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the extendable and retractable portion of the handle further comprises a stop portion to contact a portion of the cylindrical body to limit the travel of the extendable and retractable portion of the handle.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of extending or retracting the extendable and retractable portion of the handle without displacing the engagement between the internal engagement member and the external engagement member.

8. A method for storing and transporting a plurality of leveling blocks, comprising:

providing a plurality of leveling blocks for leveling a vehicle, each leveling block comprising a body having an opening formed therethrough, at least one opening of the plurality of leveling blocks defining an internal thread;

providing a handle defining a pair of longitudinally opposing ends, an external thread defined at one of the opposing longitudinal ends and an extendable and retractable portion adjacent the other of the opposing longitudinal ends, the extendable and retractable portion movable between a first, extended position relative to the plurality of leveling blocks and a second, retracted position relative to the plurality of leveling blocks, the handle also comprising a generally cylindrical body with a recess formed therein, the extendable and retractable portion defined by a pair of rods sized and shaped for receipt within the recess and connected by a traverse pin, wherein the cylindrical body defines an aperture, and wherein the traverse pin passes through the aperture;

guiding the handle through the openings of the plurality of leveling blocks; and

engaging the external thread of the handle with the internal thread of the at least one opening of the plurality of leveling blocks to secure the leveling blocks together.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein each leveling block comprises at least one protrusion that extends upwardly from a top surface of the leveling block and at least one recess formed in a bottom surface of the leveling block, and wherein the method further comprises receiving the protrusion of one of the plurality of leveling blocks within the recess of another of the plurality of leveling blocks so that the plurality of leveling blocks are in a stacked and interlocking arrangement.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the handle is operable for securing the plurality of leveling blocks together for storage, transport, or display without a container.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of collapsing the extendable and retractable portion of the handle, wherein a top surface of the handle is co-planar with a top portion of the at least one protrusion.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the cylindrical body further comprises a stop portion configured to contact a top block of the plurality of leveling blocks when the handle is inserted into the plurality of leveling blocks.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the extendable and retractable portion of the handle further comprises a stop portion to contact a portion of the cylindrical body to limit the travel of the extendable and retractable portion of the handle.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of extending or retracting the extendable and retractable portion of the handle without displacing the engagement between the internal thread and the external thread.