Best way to level side to side a caravan

[Cyclewalkbob]

I have the yellow milenco leveling ramps but when I try to reverse up them the clutch slips and I get the dreaded burning smell.

As we have an aal-ko wheel lock it is not easy to side to side level and line up the lock with the chasis hole.

I have an al-ko jack, would you advise setting up the al-ko wheel lock and using the jack to lift the off side wheel and put blocks in that way, or is is better to buy one of these special milenco/bulldog jacks that lifts using wheel and then put the block in?

It is a two wheel van

Any advice would be helpful

cheers

bob

 

[dougie201]

Hi Bob
I dont have the leveling ramps all i use is a plank of wood and i pull the van onto it then chock the wheels. It does the same job!
As for the ramps have you tried pulling the van on to them rather than reverse? Then chock the wheels. And if you have a hitch lock use that instead of the wheel lock .

Dougie....

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Bob, same as Dougie pull the van onto the ramps. I dont use the wheel locks, (check your insurance policy they may insist you use them) wheel clamp and hitch lock for me.

 

[Dustydog]

As the others have said pull the caravan onto your ramps. It's easier and more importantly when you reverse the automatic brake release system has operated. You will then find the handbrake does not fully apply the brakes!!

 

[Gareth111278]

I use the Milenco Quattro leveling ramp , its very high so can cope with very uneven sites!
i always reverse up it, take a small run up if you're worried about clutch slip, But TBH you've go to be a touch agressive with the clutch, sitting there reving the motor & slowly feeding it in will just generate slip.
The problem with your wheel lock is tricky though, as was said above would your insurer accept a hitch lock & corner stedy locks as a subsitute?
How may 'vans do go missing from sites? i'd have though not may, If i wanted to nick a 'van I'd go for one from its storage location.

 

[Joann]

we use a lock and rise wheel clamp which does both jobs.

 

[Cyclewalkbob]

Hi Joann,

is that the type that fits around the wheel and use it like a jack to lift the wheel up to put a ramp or block underneath?

if so do you need something firm to position it on on grass before you use it?

Cheers

bob

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Bob ........ single axle or Twin?

 

[Heethers]

Like the others l used to pull up on to the levelling blocks but mine's an Auto anyway, even better now with the mover.

 

[graham_somersham]

I simply slip a Kojack jack under the lifting point on the low side and lower down onto sawn sections of timber to get the correct hight. If the low side is the side with the ALko Secure locks I put them on before lowering the wheels. If the low side is the off side I put the Alko locks on the wheels first and then level the near side as above. It only takes a few minutes and save messing with ramps plus ramps and twin axles are not an ideal mix. I do however put mini chocks against the wheels on the off side fitting the Alko locks as the brake needs to come off to rotate the wheels and align the receptors on both axles. I would prefer not to use the Alko locks as they are real pain on a T/A but my insurance is invalid without them

 

[Cyclewalkbob]

Sorry if I miss posted but the van is a single axle and the van came with the alko lock included and the insurance wants me to fit it!
I have the alko jack which I will try next time out as suggested with the Kojack.

Thanks for all you help and advice.

cheers

bob

 

[Steve L]

As already said pulling the van forward is the best way. Reverse gear on most cars is simlar to pulling off in 2nd gear forward, and then you also have to overcome the closing hitch operating the brakes.

If you've got a twin axle van stop on the pitch about 4ft from where you wany to end up. Place the first ramp up to the front wheel. Then place the second ramp in front of the 1st ramp and set the distance peak to peak of the ramps to the same as that of the center to center measurement of the wheels. Normally about 40 inches. Now frive up and over the first ramp and now forward up to the level you require. Chock the wheels both left and right and apply the hand brake before uncoupling. To get off at departure time, just drive up and over the ramps having removed the chocks when hitched up, and retrieve the ramps from the pitch. The same methodogy can be used for a single axle van using just 1 ramp.

If your on a particularly soft site you can use palnks of wood as well, but make sure you pull the first wheel onto the plank and then up the ramp(s). On a twin axle van a 5ft long plank is needed to do this. Doing it like this eases the van up steadily and avoids slipping of the plastic wheel ramps.

I also use 10" x 2" timbers about 16" long under the corner steady pads to spred the load on our van, as without them I was re-levelling the van every week due to setteling of the soft ground under out gravel hard standing. After 10 months of full timing on the same pitch the 10" x "2 blocks sink by 2" andneed a shovel under them to pick them up. With the blocks I re-level every 2 months or so.