Levelling a van - what do YOU use?

[Gilitygirl]

Hi,

I was on a site over the weekend that wasn't very level.

My van (second hand) came with a yellow plastic ribbed levelling thingy but a more experienced friend said it wasn't a very good one and the wheel could slip off.

He lent me a wooden one which could have been home-made and that did the trick well.

Just wondering what you all use. I've been on the Towsure website and the yellow ones look common - but there are also jacks and an expensive aluminium doodah that raises the wheel.

What's best?

 

[cooky1]

I use home made wooden levelling blocks that split into 3 levels. I then chock the van wheels front and back.

Graeme.

 

[Rubix]

A spirit level . . . . .

We have those "yellow plastic thingies" and never had any "slippages". we bought 4 as you can stack them for very steep slopes. I also cut up a pallet (removing all nails first of course) and put three on top of each other and then I can drive up the yellow ramp and onto the wood. I could even put a second yellow ramp on top of the wood, this would be a less steep option of putting two ramps on top of each other. The only issue with this is it takes a few feet of pulling or pushing the 'van onto it rather than the usual 1 feet

 

[ThePlotter]

The only problem with some leveling blocks is that you can only get roughly level.I have had for over 30 years a dixon bate leveller you just pull the van onto it and the wind it up,simple and accurate.They no longer make them but others of the same principle are readily available.

 

[Ian341]

We use a home made wooden leveller,

A long piece of wood with smaller pieces drilled to it in shorter levels, like a half pyramind shape. You then reverse up onto each level and if it is still too steep we turn it upside down and it creates a steep surface to revers onto, we then chock the wheels.

 

[JTQ]

I use a home made [works made really] wooden one 3 foot long 4" climb. It does the job but could be better as van wants to roll down it.

The better home made ones I have seen are made of decreasing lengths of 3/4" external ply, creating a multi stepped wedge.

This therefore has a series of flat steps going up 3/4" so cures the tendency to roll back. It would be easier to make than sawing a wedge and much easier to get the wood. B&Q will even cut up the ply into 200mm wide slices for you to make life even easier.

 

[GeorgeB]

side to side I use my trusty old steel Buldog wind up leveler, on the screw/nut I use a socket with a long handle ratchet, so much easier than faffing around with leveling ramps, plus of course I can get it spot on, or induce a little tilt so that the shower tray drains each & every time.

Front to rear, the jockey wheel.

Both ways leveled with the use of an 18 inch spirit level, side to side, on the nearside its placed in the doorway, offside its placed on the work top, front to rear its on the floor in the doorway.

I usually find that no matter what the slope of the pitch is, I can be leveled within a couple of minutes.

 

[RogerP]

I've looked at the Bulldog and Lockloy levelers as Georgeb describes.

However their respective prices are making me bit cautious. The Bulldog is

 

[JTQ]

On the subject of using the "Spirit Level".

I use it on the vertical van side for the "side to side" levelling using its vertical axis vial.

So much easier and trustworthy than finding a true horizontal surface. Not my idea but one I enthusiastically borrowed.

"Fore and aft" I place it on the wet locker hatch top surface using its horizontal vial.

 

[ghostrider]

i tend to use home made kids, they moan for a bit, but then get on with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[swpostie]

Hi Beej,

We use a Milenco levelling ramp, which has a chock that hooks onto it.

It only raises the 'van about 3 or 4 inches but works very well.

Other than that we use the usual assortment of wood!

 

[Rubix]

i tend to use home made kids, they moan for a bit, but then get on with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But are they "wide" enough to lift the van when you drive the 'van onto them !

 

[ThePlotter]

Whichever you use remember it is important to drive on and not to reverse on as by doing so you will disconnect your vans handbrake.

 

[Rubix]

I find it easier as Plotter says to reverse back onto your pitch topo far, put down the ramps, drive forwards up onto them, chock the wheels, job done.

Then when it comes to leaving you pull the 'van up the ramps a bit, take out the chocks, let the van roll back off the ramps, then take them out.

Doing this the other way around is much more difficult, as you may und up with a smelly clutch after reversing the 'van up the ramps, that's without the handbrake problem.

I never use the handbrake, as I always chock the wheels.

 

[GeorgeB]

RogerP

Yes I know what you mean re the relative prices, but when I bought the Bulldog it was the only one of its type. As I intended to keep it for a long time I viewed the purchase as an investment, and I must say its proved its worth over & over again!

As previously stated its robustly made of bright steel, a touch on the heavy side, but it travels in the boot of the car, apart from the occaisional dab of grease on the screw thread its maintainence free & a dodle to use.

I can't remember exactly how much I paid for it as I bought it nearly 10 years ago & its now used on van number three over that period, each one of the getting progresively bigger! but it still copes admirably!

I can't really comment on the merits of the Lockloy, except that it works on exactly the same principle, namely jacking up the wheel on the lower side to level the side to side axis of the van, if its half as robust as the Bulldog, it might be a viable option, but sufice to say that I'm more than satisfied with my Bulldog leveler & wouldn't leave home without it!

 

[RogerL]

For 25 years I've reversed up the leveling ramp and applied the handbrake fully - it's never moved.

I tried driving forwards up the ramp and applying the handbrake but the caravan rolls back until the reverse mechanism takes effect, by which time the caravan is out of level.

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

Thanks for starting this thread and all comments within. It's reminded me I needed to look into getting some form of levelling device for our trip away next week.

After reading the reports here on this thread and doing further research on other reviews on various forums and websites, I decided to go for the Bulldog. The fact that it raises up to 6" and any infinite number in between and no driving on and off appealed to me, plus the price being only

 

[ThePlotter]

Its a bit heavy though Gary you need one made of balsa wood.lol

 

[weejock]

Can anyone tell me where they are buying these bulldog thingys at

 

[cooky1]

For 25 years I've reversed up the leveling ramp and applied the handbrake fully - it's never moved.

I tried driving forwards up the ramp and applying the handbrake but the caravan rolls back until the reverse mechanism takes effect, by which time the caravan is out of level.

Me too Roger, never had any problem reversing onto blocks.

Graeme.

 

[RogerP]

I prusume these are whats being talked about?

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/8004815033576

 

[weejock]

Thanks Rodger

This is the item I have been looking at and on most sites it is around

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

I got one, same place too, GOoutdoors.co.uk. Ordered it yesterday and the website said they had 3 in stock at the time. Have received my email confirmation for delivery too.

Plotter, I know they're not as light as the Lockloy but I plan to keep it in the back of the car anyway. ;-)

 

[SillyBilly]

Seemed to good to be true so I didn't google it I have now bought an unused Bulldog for

 

[SillyBilly]

Oh well, so noone has! I have now tried it myself.

The first use was very stiff and needed a 19mm socket in my ratchet. I then sprayed the screw with Weldtite TF2 Lubricant Spray with Teflon (Wilkinson