Levelling a Double Wheel Base

[Merve_5103671]

Hi all, I walked into my local accessories store today and headed for the levelling ramp section but then realised that levelling a double wheel base van was more difficult than I thought. The assistant told me that he had come across this problem quite alot and that I wasn't the only one to approach this problem- I'm sure I'm not! The ramps on the market are to long to go between the wheels! So whats the solution? both wheels have to be levelled! -A long piece (or several pieces of differing thickness) of timber with a ramp at one end? Her indoors has really had enough of slightly annoying sloping floors etc.HELP!

 

[Steve L]

Hi Mereve.

Obviously the guy you spoke to must of been the work experience kid. Levelling a twin axle van is just as easy as doing a single axle, you just need two ramps and a plan. Below is the method I use which works every time and only takes a couple of mins to do.

30 Apr 2006 08:59 AM We have a very rare Link 575 twin axle van, which as the name suggests has the axles linked together simlar to those on six wheel trucks. This means that as the front axle goes up over a speed ramp for instance, the rear axle goes down to compensate. thus no weigth transfer on the car. The down side to this is no matter how high you raise the van, with the jockey wheel, the wheels are firmly on the ground. So levelling the front axle is out of the question.

All I do is back the van about 4 feet past where I want to end up. Then place two plastic ramps, the first at the front of the front wheel of the side to go up, and the second infront of the first but with a gap between the top of the ramps (pitch) equal to the distance between the axles on the van (41 inches in my case. Then I drive the van up and over the first ramp and then both wheels climb up the two ramps to the height required. Chock the wheels and then level front to back as normal.

Sounds a little complicated but this only takes about two mins to do.

It's true to say with a longer van you have less height adjustment front to back, as such I try to pitch my van on a sloping (mountain side, traslation from the brochures)pitch, so that the min adjustment is across the axles, which is the shortest distance between pivot point and elevating end.

It's not always possible and I have ended up with the door so low I didn't need a step to get in which was a bonus. But two milk crates and neumerous planks of wood under the front steadies looked quite precarious. Not to mention time consuming.

Steve Ll

 

[Lol1]

Nail on the head there Merve! All you need, as long as the pitch isn't too bad, is a couple of planks of wood. I have two, with a total thickness of about 3 inches. They are long enough for both wheels to be raised and about the same width of the tyre. They live in the front locker and are multi tasking (used to support my steps on a muddy field) but most importantly, very cheap to acquire. Just use your best judgement when setting up, leave the car attached to the van, place the planks in front of the wheels being raised and tow the van onto the wood.

 

[woodsieboy]

Hi Merve. I agree with both Lol and Steve, I used a length of left over decking for my planks, screwed a block of 3x3 on the end to act as a stop, you can also put a plastic chock on the plank against the block, also drilled holes in the plank and put metal awning peg in it to stop the plank sliding, hours of fun to be had.