# Knowing when you are level - including the kitchen sink.



## 128992 (Oct 24, 2009)

Not that experienced on being on the level (assume ramps in use) but:

I noticed that the sink didn't drain completely on our Eldis Suntor 140 so I figured, that ultimately, the arbiter of what is and isn't level is the kitchen sink (& maybe shower tray but that has not been used yet).
More acurate than any spirit level (if requiring a two-bod operation).

I suppose they will make a gimbal for the modern raft of mobile phones with a spirit level in but how accurate would that be? And do we have any Javanauts ready to write an ap just for MH's? And the mounting poses a problem.

A plumb line would be very accurate once set-up (to the drainage of the sink).

And have the more modern MH makers figured out that flat bottomed sinks are not functionally perfect? A little more rake towards the central hole would not be unusable. :angryfire:


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

*Re: KNowing when you are level - including the kitchen sink.*



Miss_Yellow said:


> . . . And have the more modern MH makers figured out that flat bottomed sinks are not functionally perfect? A little more rake towards the central hole would not be unusable. :angryfire:


- Which is what a lot of us have been saying for years, those who 'design' don't always have or use, therefore we get things that [might] look good but don't always work properly ! Ho Hum :wink:


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: KNowing when you are level - including the kitchen sink.*



Miss_Yellow said:


> And have the more modern MH makers figured out that flat bottomed sinks are not functionally perfect? A little more rake towards the central hole would not be unusable


How very true. While they are at it a waste water tank with a hopper shapped bottom would be sensible too. We have to be slanting over to the tap side for our tank to empty completely and that is usually not possible.

G


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Lady p says that i have never been on the level  
Dave p


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## EuropeanCampers (Mar 28, 2008)

*Re: KNowing when you are level - including the kitchen sink.*



Grizzly said:


> Miss_Yellow said:
> 
> 
> > And have the more modern MH makers figured out that flat bottomed sinks are not functionally perfect? A little more rake towards the central hole would not be unusable
> ...


Put a ramp under the opposing back wheel if needed, quick and easy.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

It just so 'appens that we have a 'guide to levelling' on MHF that might help :wink: ......

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-65113.html

Pete


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: KNowing when you are level - including the kitchen sink.*



GEH007 said:


> Put a ramp under the opposing back wheel if needed, quick and easy.


We've got no problems getting level when on our pitch but then the grey water tank doesn't drain. It's a bit of a pain to have to get out ramps and tilt the van everytime you want to empty it.

If the drain hole was low the centre of the bottom of the tank we wouldn't need to....

G


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

We just open the bathroom door and if it stays "reasonably" mid position (half open!) without swinging about we leave it at that.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

T shaped spirit level mounted on dash + a marble.

When level with spirit level lady p pops into the shower and puts a marble onto the floor near to the door. If it rolls towards the drain hole then we are ok.
You could use a cup of water i supose. Same for the sink
Dave p


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## Tezmcd (Aug 3, 2009)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> T shaped spirit level mounted on dash + a marble.
> 
> When level with spirit level lady p pops into the shower and puts a marble onto the floor near to the door. If it rolls towards the drain hole then we are ok.
> You could use a cup of water i supose. Same for the sink
> Dave p


Dave

Surely a cup of water would not roll towards the drain hole????


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

As long as the wine doesn't slide off the table, and I don't roll out of bed then its as near level as needed.Not kidding.
Just make sure that fridge works in that position the rest is arbitary unless you are stopping in one place for more than a day.

tony


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## neilbes (Oct 16, 2006)

GEMMY said:


> As long as the wine doesn't slide off the table, and I don't roll out of bed then its as near level as needed.Not kidding.
> Just make sure that fridge works in that position the rest is arbitary unless you are stopping in one place for more than a day.
> 
> tony


i am with you on this


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Like Tellbell I think the most accurate levelling device is the bathroom door, however initially I use one of the T shaped spirit levels which I have mounted onto a larger piece of plastic (actually a shelf out of an old CD rack).

The biggest problem is that there is no one part of the van that is seemingly level but the floor behind the cab is fairly close so that's where the spirit level sits whilst I go up the ramp(s).

Our kitchen sink does actually drop towards the centre where the drain hole is but this 'old fashioned' design will have long been superceded by something 'better'.

As for drainage, if the van sits too far forward then the bathroom and sink drains are slow to clear and no matter what angle we are at the waste tank and pipe will still yeild another pint or so when we get home.

JohnW


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## 96299 (Sep 15, 2005)

I do use a t shape level, but better still is one of those big square bottles of water with the lines going round them. Just look at the relation of the water to the lines both ways. Nothing more accurate than a water level. 

steve


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## ramblingon (Jul 15, 2009)

Good plan Chigman. :happy11:


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Of course, unless you've got corner steadies it's pretty pointless agonising about getting things absolutely level.

I notice Miss_Yellow has a Suntor 140, basically same as ours, which is a rear lounge design. So you get it perfectly levelled (with driver in driver's seat, funnily enough), then all go to sit in lounge to have a cuppa...or convert lounge into bed to sleep there...and hey presto you then have a slope to the back of the vehicle due to (ahem) 150kg extra load beyond the back wheels.

Couldn't understand why when I put a slight slope across our van so that water flowed away from canopy/door, it still came down that side. Then I realised if we were both on that side to get a better view of the TV, all of my hard work was ruined by the give in the suspension.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Rosbotham said:


> ...all of my hard work was ruined by the give in the suspension.


Not something we've noticed in any of our vans and I reckon to be very sensitive to level. I can't cope with being on a slope and don't need gadgets to tell me when we are. We've had rear lounge ones vans up until now but now have a centre lounge.

Admittedly we are both very lightly built !

G


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> Admittedly we are both very lightly built !
> 
> G


We're not... I'm sure Mrs R wouldn't mind me confiding that I'm the lighter of us two, and I tip the scales at approx 18 stone.

However, I think the more material thing is the layout. At least on your current van, the lounge is between the wheels. Not so on ours - the rear wheels are at the front of the lounge. Basic physics, levers etc and it's bound to tip marginally. Only this weekend I was absolutely perfectly level when driving onto ramps, but bubble in the spirit level just breaching the line when we we were sat in the lounge. It does work the right way, though - pushes the back of the van down, which is where the waste tank is - would be a nightmare the other way around.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Telbell said:


> We just open the bathroom door and if it stays "reasonably" mid position (half open!) without swinging about we leave it at that.


Same here, but with the wardrobe door, as it is nearer. Then we know that the shower water will drain to the plug hole, at the rear corner of the shower tray.
The spirit level went with the caravan, as did the aquarolls, and the waste master, and the step, etc, etc :wink:

Jock.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Maybe you guys have got it easy compared with living on a boat! Try levelling that in a Force 1/2 even.

Of course, with all the rocking and rolling/tips to starboard/port, all the water drains eventually !

Unfortunately also does the 'unattended' beer, via the cockpit drains. 

Moral of story- "Beer no drain from inside body!" - well not immediately!

Geoff


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## loughrigg (Nov 10, 2008)

One of the T-shaped levels is OK for getting the MH roughly level, but it is always worth double-checking.

I find that a careful visual inspection of the surface of the wine relative to the rim of the glass works a treat. Of course, this isn't infallible and sometimes requires the glass to be emptied and refilled to ensure that the surface of the wine really was level first time.

Mike


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Mike,after trying that method 5 or 6 times presumably you give up. :lol: 

tony


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## loughrigg (Nov 10, 2008)

GEMMY said:


> Mike,after trying that method 5 or 6 times presumably you give up. :lol:
> 
> tony


Hi Tony

After five or six tries, I don't care.

Mike


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

I gave up levelling, I just park and use the van. If water doesn't all go down plug hole I just push water using either foot in shower or hand in sink :lol: 

Karl


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## 128992 (Oct 24, 2009)

a glass might, 
a marble is fine but I am sure the jerk of moving would score a bulls-eye and stay in the plug hole. 
For drainage purposes the flat bottomed sink is far more sensitive than the spirit level and it is the drainage that is needed, everything else is good by eye, including the fridge. 
I haven't tried a plumb bob but that would be accurate if a little pendulous doing manoeuvres. 

Nuts? As long as the nut behind the wheel isn't too tight!


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## b2tus (Sep 7, 2009)

Next time you want to change your mobile phone, buy an Apple iPhone and download a free "app" which turns your phone into a very accurate spirit level.


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