Preferred method of levelling your caravan.

[JB1]

Hi everyone just after some feed back to see which is your preferred method of levelling your carvan side to side . From what I can find the main ways are levelling ramps under the wheels, a jack type system lifting the wheel such as the milenco aluminium levelling system (2776) and similar systems.
blocks of wood as a ramp, level and lock air bags, and self levelling systems. Which system do you use and why. I am looking into getting the Milenco aluminium leveling system is it any good. Many thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[Dustydog]

JB1
25 mm thick wooden planks have served me well for decades. Cheap as chips, lightweight and does the job. By all means go for the more sophisticated stuff but remember the additional weight will eat into your pay load

 

[Buckman]

Many people use the lock and level system for side to side levelling. We found it to be easy and it can be used for single and twin axle caravans. For front to back one would use the jockey wheel to get the caravan level and then lower the steadies as the steadied should never be sued to lift or lower the caravan.

 

[GaryB]

The Lock & Level air bag system is brilliant, I used it all the time when we had a twin axle but now we've gone back to a single axle I find a simple levelling ramp to be sufficient.

 

[otherclive]

I’ve used Milenco ramps, and wooden boards too.. The latter were best as the van was standing level on the board, plus ramps and boards do not sink into soft grass pitches as weight is distributed.. Ramps/ boards are also useful should you have a puncture and need to remove a spare wheel from that awkward Alko spare wheel carrier.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Side to side using ramps or wooden planks, then jockey wheel for front to back, then steadies to hold it all still.

Self leveling eats into payload, so only really suitable for those with bigger caravans.

 

[PTA]

Another vote for Lock n Level. So easy.

 

[Beachball]

Yes we also use Lock n level on our twin axle caravan very easy

 

[Hutch]

I have the Millenco Aluminium jacking unit, it does take a bit of winding up, and if on damp grass you need a bit more of a spreader board, ok on gravel. I mostly use just normal ramps.
If your interested in the Millenco Aluminium jack, drop me a PM and I will give you my address in Woburn Sands, yours for £20.

 

[Gozza2]

I've got a Milenco levelling ramp which is fine - if I lost it and was buying again, I'd go for some short boards which could be used together to raise the wheel to the appropriate height. Any boards not needed for wheel raising can go under corner steadies, jockey wheel and anything else you don't want sinking into the mud, whereas a ramp is a bit of a one-trick pony.

 

[Raywood]

Just have some boards and blocks.

 

[Beehpee]

I always carry one of the yellow ramps that you see everywhere, I don’t know if they come in ones but I’ve only ever carried the one cos you see which side needs lifting using a spirit level and put the single ramp I carry under the side that needs it.
I can’t see any point at all getting more than one.

BP

 

[Sam Vimes]

I've always used the yellow ramps. Sometimes I've needed to put both down but mostly one is enough.

I have found that it's important to run the caravan up the ramp the correct way around otherwise when you stop and put the brake on it will run down a little.

Trouble is I can't always remember from trip to trip what that way is :-( I think its reverse up

 

[RogerL]

I've always used the yellow ramps. Sometimes I've needed to put both down but mostly one is enough.

I have found that it's important to run the caravan up the ramp the correct way around otherwise when you stop and put the brake on it will run down a little.

Trouble is I can't always remember from trip to trip what that way is :-( I think its reverse up

I always reverse up the ramp - that way, it doesn't roll forward when the handbrake is applied.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Yeah! I got it right but will I remember for the next trip.

 

[Bluetonic]

Single axle I always used a milenco ramp or two id the drop was really steep.
Now we have a twin axle and use a lock'n'level.
Wouldn't be without it, by far the best accessory we have ever bought for the caravan

 

[Mel]

Not for levelling ( use yellow ramps) but we use these

caravan levelling blocks, Enigrun Protective blocks (set of 4) | eBay

Can be found on fb, under enigrun pro blocks. Videos available. Can be used forboats, trailers, manual caravan stabilising leg supports ,protection for cars in lifting devices, such as scissor jacks - both indoor and outdoor use.

www.ebay.co.uk

For putting under the steady feet if needed on a sloping pitch. They weigh nothing and tuck neatly into the front locker.
Mel

 

[otherclive]

I had a pair of Bebbington leg extenders. Made from steel by a company in Ottery St Mary they just slid over the front or rear legs. Great if the pitch sloped and helped stabilise the van from rocking. Pair on eBay currently at £50.
I became aware of them in a PC review.

 

[GaryB]

I had a pair of Bebbington leg extenders. Made from steel by a company in Ottery St Mary they just slid over the front or rear legs. Great if the pitch sloped and helped stabilise the van from rocking. Pair on eBay currently at £50.
I became aware of them in a PC review.

I'd forgotten about those, they'd be useful on some sites. The CMHC Cirencester site has a few challenging pitches in the top right corner (pitch numbers in the low 80's), this is us back in 2010, this was the last pitch available and I know why everyone else avoided it! I had to scrape a hollow for the hitch to sit in it was so severe. With the handbrake on and legs down firmly nothing moved, but it wasn't the most relaxing pitch I have ever used.......

 

[otherclive]

I'd forgotten about those, they'd be useful on some sites. The CMHC Cirencester site has a few challenging pitches in the top right corner (pitch numbers in the low 80's), this is us back in 2010, this was the last pitch available and I know why everyone else avoided it! I had to scrape a hollow for the hitch to sit in it was so severe. With the handbrake on and legs down firmly nothing moved, but it wasn't the most relaxing pitch I have ever used.......

View attachment 4427

That’s similar to when we went to one of our first CLs and being newbies wondered what all the blocks were lying around. In that case it was the front of the van high off the ground. But scary to say the least.
At Grange Over Sands CMHC site the pitch opposite to us had a wicked slope and a family were having difficulty so as our Bebbingtons were not being used I lent them to the family. They even gave us a bottle of wine on the night before they departed.

 

[JB1]

Thanks for everyone s replies, I am leaning towards the Milenco aluminium jacking system. I like the idea of being able to level the caravan once it’s sited parked on the pitch, I currently use sections of timber as a ramp to level.

 

[Buckman]

Not for levelling ( use yellow ramps) but we use these

caravan levelling blocks, Enigrun Protective blocks (set of 4) | eBay

Can be found on fb, under enigrun pro blocks. Videos available. Can be used forboats, trailers, manual caravan stabilising leg supports ,protection for cars in lifting devices, such as scissor jacks - both indoor and outdoor use.

www.ebay.co.uk

For putting under the steady feet if needed on a sloping pitch. They weigh nothing and tuck neatly into the front locker.
Mel

Yep we have a set bought a few years ago and they have been very handy at times on uneven or sloping pitches.

 

[Beachball]

I'd forgotten about those, they'd be useful on some sites. The CMHC Cirencester site has a few challenging pitches in the top right corner (pitch numbers in the low 80's), this is us back in 2010, this was the last pitch available and I know why everyone else avoided it! I had to scrape a hollow for the hitch to sit in it was so severe. With the handbrake on and legs down firmly nothing moved, but it wasn't the most relaxing pitch I have ever used.......

View attachment 4427

We went to a site when we had a caravan and experienced a similar setup needing assistance when going home [ by the same people] to remove the blocks as we felt more confident with their assistance.

 

[JB1]

I have the Millenco Aluminium jacking unit, it does take a bit of winding up, and if on damp grass you need a bit more of a spreader board, ok on gravel. I mostly use just normal ramps.
If your interested in the Millenco Aluminium jack, drop me a PM and I will give you my address in Woburn Sands, yours for £20.

Thank for the offer , i think I prefer the jacking unit to ramps, thanks anyway

 

[JTQ]

One's approach will IMO depend on if single or twin axle is being levelled; I will leave it to the fans of twins to answer that part. I am firmly a SA caravanner, so will speak just about levelling them.

I learnt that "ramps" in what I meant as anything with a sloping surface for the wheel to reside on is not good news, wheels roll down slopes, it's the natural order of things. Remember also with our auto reversing system if you reverse onto ramps the brake will not immediately re-engage when the van decides to roll forward, plus it gets worse if you pull onto the ramp, then the park braking system stopping rolling backwards is decidedly less effective. I have witnessed a van just trundling with increasing speed backwards down an incline with the brake not fully set.

Way better is a stack of planks you can configure into "steps"; in reality two or three at the most "decking plank" off-cuts are enough Greater "lifts" then the pitch is not for us, the step into the van could be too much, the awning fit poorly. A poorly set awning would ruin a break for me, it has to be "right". Just as equally I can't "live" with a poorly levelled caravan, again it needs to be done "right" if at all.

These planks then, as said, are there for other roles, including on route van jacking and onsite placing both wheels on load spreading, thus minimising sinking in on less than solid pitches; an often aspect met on 5 van site or rally camping.

The amount of "pre-loved" wind up wheel lifts the OP is attracted to that appear in sales, rather endorses my take on their questionable "charms"!