Leveling

[Pinto]

If you are using ramps or leveling blocks should you drive onto them or reverse onto them

 

[Hutch]

Personal choice I would think, although going forwards onto then could prove difficult you have motor movers fitted. But in my handbook at states when applying the handbrake push the caravan back slightly to fully engage the handbrake.
So therefore pull forwards up the ramps, hand brake on and let it grip fully.

A good question,

 

[Craigyoung]

I always position my van , then motor move it forward onto the levelling blocks that I have . I bought one of those milenko ramps when we first started 5 years ago . I've never used it yet ! I've always getting away with just using them small offcuts of decking that I made up ! Was on a site a few months ago and a couple pulled up lateish to set up & arguing like mad and shouting at each other as he was trying to drive up one side of the ramp, he was on an angle and never heard his wifes shouts and he nearly went straight off the other Edge !
I was gritting my teeth watching it worried !! hmy:

 

[Grey13]

OH NO ! he exclaimed I will have to arrive at Woosie fest after dark now! :silly:

Mind you after giving it some thought....not leveling always makes me feel better after a bottle or so of wine, like a sailor on a boat! A slope helps!

 

[Thingy]

To be honest, its ramps. not plural. I only carry one with the reason being that you only need to level one side. If you find you need two, the pitch must have an enormous slope on it and you would be simply getting clearance for either jockey wheel or rear steadies. If I was offered a pitch like that I would expect a different pitch.

 

[CustardAvenger]

If you are using ramps or leveling blocks should you drive onto them or reverse onto them

I have on of these: https://www.towsure.com/towsure-chockmaster-levelling-ramp
Purchased speculatively a few years ago... Never used it until I got my new van and it has been used on about 50% of the sites visited, even hardstanding.

Personally I drive it up the ramp with the Motor Mover (clearance not an issue so far), that way I avoid any issues with the over-run brake reverse issue. You have to account for swing to the opposite side to that with the ramp, as the jockey wheel runs downhill, but it is not an issue with the mover.

 

[Craigyoung]

Thingy , or should i say cleverclogs ! I meant ramp ! only the one , the same as what CA has in the previous post ! :blink:

 

[Thingy]

:lol:
In fairness, I never use mine anyway. I usually find a couple of bits of floorboard ample for the sites we go on.
Isnt it heaven to arrive and find no levelling needed.

 

[Woodentop]

If needing to level sideways I put one ramp in front of the wheel concerned, roll it up to a point higher than needed using the mover, then put the second ramp the other way round under the back edge of the wheel and roll the van back. This leaves it sitting across two ramps sort-of bucket style which means there is never any possibility of it rolling away, and it is a good security device as getting the Al-Ko wheel lock in place on that or the other wheel is nigh impossible!!

 

[Craigyoung]

Quote by grey ....OH NO ! he exclaimed I will have to arrive at Woosie fest after dark now! :silly:

Mind you after giving it some thought....not leveling always makes me feel better after a bottle or so of wine, like a sailor on a boat! A slope helps! End quote .

Until you come to do the dishes in the sink or have have a shower and find that the water sits and doesn't drain away !!!

 

[Pinto]

We don't have a mover fitted, but do have an Alko wheel lock so precision is essential for that. We use a Lock n Level for larger differences in ground level (Often on CLs) and otherwise a thin piece of wood or a ramp. My query is that when we hitch up to leave (not with the lock n level) and let the handbrake off, the van screws around and comes off the ramp sideways.

 

[Craigyoung]

So try reversing up to the caravan in car and hitch up if you can ?

 

[Thingy]

The only way I know to prevent that is to hitch up first. With older caravans you could bring it down gently using the handbrake but its a bit more violent with modern caravans.

 

[Craigyoung]

You could always chock the other wheel so that it hasn't got the chance to twist around when handbrake is released but like thingy says , try inching it down on the handbrake as well as putting the chock behind the wheel so that it will stop it spinning around a bit. We were on a site in Kielder on a very steep incline , wheel chocked , spun the whole caravan round !!


That's the old van & no mover so it was light enough to spin !

 

[Niall_McIntosh]

We have an Alko wheel lock and I have never been able to get the wheel positioned for the wheel lock AND in the right position on the ramp to level the caravan. So, I picked up a Milenco leveller on a well known auction site and that has made the job a lot easier.

 

[Hutch]

We have an Alko wheel lock and I have never been able to get the wheel positioned for the wheel lock AND in the right position on the ramp to level the caravan. So, I picked up a Milenco leveller on a well known auction site and that has made the job a lot easier.

Yes done the same. IF the site is a good one with security, then no problem. I have also a Milenco Aluminium wind up one so yo can fit the Alko lock and wind the caravan up to level. . Both things are IMO are good but pain in the water butt.

 

[otherclive]

I favour pulling the van up the ramp as its handbrake tends to bite more quickly, and having a twin synchro gearbox I try to avoid situations where the clutches can wear. As my first gear is a lower ratio than reverse pulling up the ramp helps. Never had such thoughts with a torque converter gearbox. Re pulling up the ramp and mover I just place a section of plywood in front of the wheel which lifts it enough for the leading edge of the mover to miss the initial section of the ramp until the wheel starts to rise up the ramp. Sometimes that piece of wood is sufficient to level the van.

 

[Hutch]

We have been to sites where we have ,had to lift the van by maybe 8 inches on the side and Have upto 12 inches under fully extended stays. Rural sites.

Just taken out small Yellow Ramp from the Caravan , leaving the Huge Millenco Quatro, in the van. But after posting about levelling, realise why we had both. The yellow one has a lower profile for going infront of the Motor mover. .

Heah, its all about getting the water out of the shower or sink.
Wait until winter when your waste pipes freeze up if you don't put salt or anti freeze down your shower drain. All our pipes are lagged so no problems.

 

[Pinto]

Sometimes you have to take the handbrake off when hitching up for it to drop on the ball if a fraction out. No motor mover as we don't really need one - though I do admit they are easier. Hubby can reverse so not a problem.
Thanks for all your replies