Digital levels

[Christhecaravanner84]

I thought I'd buy a spirit level to keep in the caravan. I ordered a digital level from Amazon as I thought it would be handy to hear a beep so I can hear when it's level. Not very impressed with it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BSFHWZ77?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

The digital readout often disagrees with the spirit gauge. When you rotate it 180º in exactly the same place, the spirit bubble reads differently! So it's not even a very good traditional bubble level. Probably accurate enough for vanning, I don't think being 0.5º off matters a lot but doesn't really feel like value for money. If you want a decent digital level it seems you're looking at closer to £100. I'm going to send it back as even being a cheapo, I don't think it's worth £27.99. I'll get a classic bubble level and stick to trotting back and forth between the jockey wheel and peering in through the doorway.

Anyone know where I can get spare bubbles?

 

[Mr Plodd]

Level-ish is good enough for me, can't see the point in being that accurate. I have a couple of small spirit levels glued to the A frame that get me close enough.

Each to his own though eh?,

 

[ProfJohnL]

Going digital does not automatically mean things will be more accurate or consistent. Some times old school devices can be a better bet and usually don't need batteries!

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

Maybe simply level with my first bottle/can of cider in a pint glass. Two birds with one stone and all that…

 

[Buckman]

Maybe simply level with my first bottle/can of cider in a pint glass. Two birds with one stone and all that…

Although we have self levelling, we still carry a spirit level with us for the odd occasion. Bought it about 20 years ago for probably less than a quid.

 

[Paullus1959]

Before having E&P self-levelling fitted I used a free app on my iPhone called "Toolbox" by Skypa. This has 15 several useful tools including a spirit level and surface level. I just selected one or the other and placed my phone on the floor of the caravan and adjusted the corner steadies accordingly. I'm sure there will be other similar free apps out there for both IOS and Android too.

 

[otherclive]

Before having E&P self-levelling fitted I used a free app on my iPhone called "Toolbox" by Skypa. This has 15 several useful tools including a spirit level and surface level. I just selected one or the other and placed my phone on the floor of the caravan and adjusted the corner steadies accordingly. I'm sure there will be other similar free apps out there for both IOS and Android too.

I’ve got the Makita toolbox app; comes in handy at times.

 

[Gozza2]

I've got a tool set similar to this one - although not this exact set, and I've had it for ten years so I can't remember where I bought it. The spirit level that came with this set is all I use for levelling my van, it may not be accurate to the last percent but it's enough that we can't feel any off-level-ness.

I've got the Caravan Leveller app on my phone but I don't think I've ever used it for real.

 

[Buckman]

I've got a tool set similar to this one - although not this exact set, and I've had it for ten years so I can't remember where I bought it. The spirit level that came with this set is all I use for levelling my van, it may not be accurate to the last percent but it's enough that we can't feel any off-level-ness.

I've got the Caravan Leveller app on my phone but I don't think I've ever used it for real.

That is a very nice set of tools.

 

[Gozza2]

That is a very nice set of tools

Thanks, like I said my set isn't exactly this one but the makeup is almost the same. I had a tool set stolen from the back of my car and needed to replace them quite urgently. I bought a set that looked like this one from a local towing goods supplier (which has since closed its Southampton branch), and frankly the tools might as well have been made from chewing gum. I binned them and bought a similar-looking set and they've been going strong for ten years or more.

Buy cheap and buy twice (forget to lock your car and buy three times but that's another story), but you can only tell if tools are any good when you start to use them.

 

[Dustydog]

Whatever level you use where do you take the readings? Chests of drawers? top of hob? Bed frame.sink , basin etc?
It has taken me a long time to find where true level is. The fridge as we know only works within certain parameters. Too much tilt one way the shower and basin don’t empty properly same with the kitchen sink. Thanks to the excellent fine tolerances of caravan construction you may rest assured 90% of measuring points are not true🤪🤪🤪🤪

 

[Jcloughie]

A cheap pocket level is fine imho as the floor of all vans varies a lot so no reading will be 100% true, no matter how good the level is.

I have found that getting our last van ‘true’ in both directions by the door. Meant that the shower would not drain. Being a little out in the main area of the van mattered not. But we wanted the shower to drain. My answer was to get the van to just as we wanted it, then to glue two mini bubbles at right angles to each other just inside the door. Packed in such a way that the bubbles centered. Then, every time we pitched after that it would be spot on. We used two separate bubbles but this would also do the job

 

[Dustydog]

A cheap pocket level is fine imho as the floor of all vans varies a lot so no reading will be 100% true, no matter how good the level is.

I have found that getting our last van ‘true’ in both directions by the door. Meant that the shower would not drain. Being a little out in the main area of the van mattered not. But we wanted the shower to drain. My answer was to get the van to just as we wanted it, then to glue two mini bubbles at right angles to each other just inside the door. Packed in such a way that the bubbles centered. Then, every time we pitched after that it would be spot on. We used two separate bubbles but this would also do the job

View attachment 4725

That’s it John .
You have to learn by practice with each caravan. You beat me to ten photo which I omitted, same as yours 😜

 

[otherclive]

I always used the bottom side rail for fore and aft levelling as my theory being it’s along the line of the chassis which should ( might) run true. For side to side a spot on the front panel in the middle and under the window. But like John C I would try and position it so that the shower drained. So level it probably wasn’t in the true sense.

 

[Martin_E]

A pint of beer works too to get the van level, then gives you something to savour once done 😜