How do you level your van?

Apr 20, 2009
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As the title says how do you level the van?
Where do you actually put the spirit level?
Been putting mine on the A frame for some time and last year felt it wasnt right,
so the last time out I did the usual but before I had finished I put the level on the floor inside the van, and to my surprise it was quite a bit out,so levelled to the floor and hey presto didnt feel like the blood was rushing to my head when in bed.
 
Apr 7, 2008
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Side to side about half way up the side at the wheel centre .... For front to back i sit it on top of the locker door .... level van = perfect satellite signal :p
 
Mar 8, 2009
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Level permanently mounted on front window ledge for side to side, door step for back to front, ps. 2 man job, side to side, she signals as van still attached to vehicle.(For adjustment on ramp) Back to front she shouts - I wind!

Ps In 38 years never been wrong!
Also a built in slope for sink and shower drainage -- ie _ 'she' knows what she wants!
 
Jun 20, 2005
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The Wyoming is totally different from our earlier models.
By trial we established the best place for locating the spirit level is the sideboard.
The carpeted floor is no good.
I wonder why the manufacturers don't include a level in production for us.
The give away has to he the speed of the waste water outlets and how your head is overnight.
Also a lot of fridges don't work well unless level.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Try in two or three places e.g. worktop, front chest and side cabinet to see if they are all the same. If not pick two that are and use one of them. Then level the van to your requirement of slope for sink and shower drains etc. and fix one of the external levels with two vials at rightangles obtainable from any caravanshop to the drawbar and shim it such that it shows exactly level.

Then you will not need to use a level inside the van again.

Another tip for the initial levelling is to use a circular dinner plate or similar with a small central recess. Put a little water into this and stand the plate on various surfaces. from the shape of the 'puddle' you will easily see what need to be done to level the van. Then fix external spirit levels as above.
 
Nov 6, 2006
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The reason people finish up using the centre of the van is that caravans can get a slight bend from end to end, so neither end is accurate. Also caravans as they age can suffer a 'jacking' effect where the weight of equipment and furniture along the sides causes the floor to bend downwards slightly at the sidewalls, exacerbated by poor road surfaces, so work surfaces may not be truly level.
I use a decorators plumb bob hung by the door. The side wall is always vertical, so string parallel to this sets the transverse level. The door frame was cut square in the factory, so string parallel to this sets the longitudinal level. Just quick glance in the door during leveling, and very accurate
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Across axle: Because the van has vertical sides, I simply use the vertical vial of a quality spirit level on a side anywhere. Typically by the wheel that is climbing my multi stepped leveling block, either as the wife inches the van forward or it climbs the block on the mover depending on whether it is a hitched or unhitched pitching.
Forward and aft: on any bit of the awning skirt rail, depending where I am, usually at the front close to the jockey wheel handle.
 
Jul 15, 2008
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I don't level the van :huh:

Always set it up so that our heads are slightly higher than our feet when in bed.
We sleep across the van so this is done by placing the relevant wheel on 100mm blocks if the pitch is fairly level.
We have a side bathroom and we allow the door to swing open when setting up.
When it swings open to a 90 deg angle the caravan is level front to back.
Never carry a spirit level........cuts down the weight :silly: .......and our fridge works just fine!

We often get pitying looks and conversations about this when on a site. :whistle:
 
Mar 8, 2009
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Surely that's still levelling? - You might want to call it something different, but it's still level adjustment, -- 'Innit?' (Or perhaps 'off level' adjustment)
 
Jul 15, 2008
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I will level with you.......when I posted that I don't level my van.......I was actually levelling with everyone that I don't know what level I was trying to communicate at.
The fact is..... I find it very hard to accurately level the van exactly so I don't try to get it exactly level.
I had a rush of blood to the head once .......a levelling experience.....so now I don't level the van......I set it up as explained.
I hope at one level me levelling with you has helped to level things out :huh:
 
Apr 7, 2008
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You might have a dodgy level .... feel free to try mine :lol: :lol:

Spirit-Level-77121_zpskfachpzv.gif
 
Feb 6, 2009
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I'm with glenno on this one....
spirit levels, Goodness gracious me!
As long as at least one of the "mark one eyeballs" is reasonably servicable, that should do the job just fine.
Obviously if there isn't a servicable eye ball handy that can visually check for the correct level, then a spirit level makes sense.

Folks will be getting out their micrometers at this rate to check that the markings are correct on their steel rulers when measuring the string used for checking the awning length!

paws now dons tin hat!
Regards to all and Happy Caravanning
paws
 
Jul 15, 2008
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That's very scientific Prof.........the old gyroscopic principle :blink:

The more she drinks........the more the caravan starts to spin and thus finds its own level ;)
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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We once stayed on a clifftop site in Aberporth, Ceredigion on which our caravan hitch was about 5 feet above ground level and the back end was touching the grass, just like the cartoon above. :unsure:
There was a pile of breeze blocks near to the shower block to raise the front of the caravan which we had to do in stages.
The views were spectacular from Dolgelynin though.
 

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