# The Definitive Motorhome Levelling Guide.....



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Inspired by majvs in a previous post...

A guide to getting level onsite without making an [email protected] of yourself....

As long as the incline isn't too extreme, getting level shouldn't be too big a deal.

First thing is to buy an easily viewable levelling device, ie, a 2 way spirit level, cost, about a quid from b&q.

Then, mount it perfectly level in a permanent position in the cab, easily visible by the driver, like this.......










Drive to your preferred position, you know the one - right next to the beach with a mountain backdrop, where its beautifully quiet and you get perfect exposure to the sun throughout the day, then reverse up to another slot at the other end of the site in the noisy bit right next to the bar and in the shade because all the best slots have been taken...

Have a gander at the spirit level...

Easy bit.....

If the bubble is predominantly to the right of the vehicle then place both chocks in front of the front and rear left hand wheels and drive up until the bubble reaches the centre (or until wife screams STOP!! Or whichever comes first**), reverse procedure if bubble is to the left.

If the bubble is predominantly to the front of the vehicle, then place both chocks in front of both rear wheels and similarly drive up until the bubble reaches the centre (or until wife screams STOP!! Or whichever comes first **). Reverse procedure if bubble is at rear.

** On no account ignore wifes articulate instructions as this can result in extreme campsite embarrasment and an 'overshoot', the last thing you want is for all the onlooking experienced campingcaristes to think you don't know what you're doing :roll:

Tricky bit...

You're facing slightly downhill and a little bit down to the left as well, as indicated by the bubble being both on the right and to the rear of your device.
No problems, seriously impress onlookers by only placing one chock in front of the left hand front wheel and driving up until a shreik is heard.
Adjust procedure slightly if you're facing downhill and a little bit to the right by placing the chock under the right hand front wheel, no probs.

If you're facing uphil and to the left, then just put the chock under the rear right hand wheel and drive up it and similarly if you're facing uphill and to the right, just put the chock under the rear left hand wheel and drive up it.

There are of course, more complicated situations, like where once you're half way up the left hand chock and the front is nearly level but the side to side adjustment isn't quite right and half the campsite is watching you, in this situation, just pretend that you're level and your street cred should remain intact.

Another quicker option is to just drive up, sod the spirit level and open a bottle or two of red and share with partner until you couldn't give a monkeys whether you're level or not, thats always a great leveller :wink

Unless you know of a better way or course....

Pete.


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Peter,

You know you sometimes cannot see the simplest of things!

Well your idea of fixing the spirit level by the driver seems so obvious but I never thought of it before. Thanks!

I will be working out where to put it in the RV for my next trip out.

Chris


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## 97051 (Dec 27, 2005)

Nice idea , getting it fixed level sounds like the hardest job :roll:


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## shortcircuit (Mar 19, 2006)

A slight variation to the method proposed.

To save wear on the clutch, drive to the top of the chock and then come back on the brake to the level you require.

I have "triangle type" chocks and am going to change them to "stepped type" chocks. I find with the triangle type, I always drop back a bit once I let the brake off.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Yup, that's the way I do it, see 5) in:
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-156379.html#156379

It's better if you do it on the handbrake, 'cos then you don't drop any further down the ramps.

I am grateful to peejay for expanding on my 2), 'cos I didn't have the willpower or patience to go there! But even he ducked out of the "staggered ramps" bit 

Dave


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

I have my two way spirit level mounted on the front of my door armrest. I do the leveling DABs way too but with just a slight variation: The AS Executive is naturally low at the front so often needs lifting at the front, so I always now reverse up the ramps ...this is especially good when it is wet or when the site may become wet and soggy.......when you come to leave you can use the roll off the ramps to give you a start and get you underway across a wet site, I sometimes have put the slip mats down in front of the ramps and ran across those too on the way up and on the way down......when driving away do not stop...leave the ramps in place and walk back for them when you reach harder ground.

mike

P.S. edit: I supose instead of saying "I reverse up the ramps" I should have said I go up the ramps in the opposite direction to which I will have to leave the pitch.


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## shortcircuit (Mar 19, 2006)

Thanks for the tip.

Will use hand brake


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi again

Just a further thought for anyone thinking of fitting a level somewhere handy....when you come to actually attaching the level your first thought may be to first level up the van exactly so that you can fit the level "level". This is not necessary...just take a reading and make a note of where the bubbles are positioned with the level on a say worksurface then replicate these bubble positions* when you affix the level to its permanant position :idea: .


mike

* the bubbles must be within the working range of the level


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## 2point (Jun 10, 2005)

I just pull up, get out and have a look, place ramps where the most benefit will be and up we go. Get out and have another visual check. Sorted in 2 minutes.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

2point said:


> I just pull up, get out and have a look, place ramps where the most benefit will be and up we go. Get out and have another visual check. Sorted in 2 minutes.


Why does it take you so long :lol:


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## 97721 (Feb 15, 2006)

Having never seen the "need" for levellers, our first trip out resulted in a bathroom awash with water from the shower as the slight slope of the 'van was away from the two shower outlets.

We had some strange views from our camping compatriots the next morning when I turned the van around to at least drain the water into the shower plug holes! I did go & explain to them that it was nothing that they had done !!

Since then I have purloined a set of blocks from one past contributor to this site ("rventhusiast") but I have yet to try them out ( I feel that they will be first tested in the privacy of our driveway).

We were at Bayness Farm campsite at Robins Hood Bay a couple of weeks ago on a steeply sloping pitch and there was no way any set of blocks was going to get us level, so I left well alone. However, it was impossible to put my rum & ginger on the table without it attempting to slide off onto the floor! (and not easy to stop falling out of bed!)

All part of the learning process for us first timers!!

PilgrimPhil


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## Detourer (May 9, 2005)

Fine tune level by deflating/inflating tires............... :lol:


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I have this setup in my 'van. Trouble is that i get so intent on watching the bubbles that I go overtop the ramps which usually makes the Missus faint, and then I have to start all over again!


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

we use the air ride, let it out or pump it up, and a spirit level, but i usually know if we are not ok, cos i could fall outta bed! and the shower gets full wrong side to plug, like already mentioned! what fun!!!


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Spykal, you are supposed to attach a string to each chock, this saves you walking back across the mud.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I posted this first on the other thread about levelling a hymer which seems to have died....

What we do is look at the lie of the land, park where we think the various dips and bumps will give us a level result and go for it. When stationary I ask my codriver if she thinks we are level enough, if the answer is yes, thats it. The only thing that brings out the ramps is a very flat but tilted site. We do have a spirit level but we are both getting better at judging by eye.

Regards Frank


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi...

this is nearly off topic...but a tip:

When we are a little askew and the water in the shower tray ends up on the other side to the plug hole, I use a small plastic Lidl dustpan to sweep the water into the plug hole...the pan has a rubber lip which sweeps the water down the hole and dries the tray without any scratching.

It is good for sweeping up the van floor too so is the ideal motorhome accessory...it is dual purpose :roll: :lol: 

mike


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

HELLO WE ARE NECOMERS TO MOTORHOMES BUT HAVE BEEN CARAVANING FOR 20 YEARS AND MUST HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE IN NOT HAVING TO USE LEVELLERS AT ALL. MY WIFE CAN`T SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT.
JUST MEASURE THE DISTANCE FROM MH TO FLOOR AT EACH CORNER WHEN LEVEL AT HOME AND THEN DO SAME ON SITE AND MH WILL BE LEVEL ON SITE !!!!! SHE`S JUST GONE TO HAIRDRESSERS FOR A LIGHTER SHADE OF BLONDE RINSE

CHEERS

DAVE.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Maybe I need a blond rinse because you've lost me


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Well I've got a set of Fiamma ramps and the available incline is pitifully small. When I "horseboxed" with the wife I bought a big chunk of timber from the local timber yard, about a metre long or a bit more, just an offcut, and had them chop it diagonally. It gave me some serious leveling capability, maybe 30 or 35cms.

On the more or less flat field of the Western Motorhome MHF site I couldn't get enough incline to get me level. God knows what Scotland will be like next week. Very unlevel - Scotland!


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## xgx (Oct 14, 2005)

Thanks Pete... for pushing me into action :wink: 

finally managed to set up me two way level (no s****** about levelling the m/h... thanks Mike(spykal)

it sits on the small 'shelf' infront of the radio, mounted on a slab of blue tack... I'll check it now and again in case it gets knocked :lol: 

Next job is to cut two scrap timber blocks to go under the fiamma levellers...
tried using the scrap bread tray (get u out of the mud things) for extra height on a very sloping site last week... 
just nicely up to the top and... bread trays shot out like bullets :lol: :lol: 
...tried pegging them down and bent the pegs... oh! what fun :lol:


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

cabby said:


> Spykal, you are supposed to attach a string to each chock, this saves you walking back across the mud.


I got into serious rouble this summer when i over-ran the leveling block.

My wife was behind the front wheel checking where the wheel was on the ramp. When the van fell off the front of the block it (the block) shot backwards and gave my wife a painful clout on the shins.

It took me a long time to live that down.


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

It not the leveling that i struggle with
its getting a decision from the missus which pitch to park on and in which direction
how i love the hours of driving round then maneuvering in every position you can think of while the rest of the camping world looks on in amazment


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

Peejay - Ive just seen this. Thank you for the non-technical very explanatory account of 'which way to go when looking at the bubbles!'

It's gotta be a girl thing. Lots of this directional stuff loses me - got a back to front brain. It all gets too complicated for my flowery neurones.

Thank goodness him indoors is skilled at nothing - no hobbies! (plenty of scope to expand his horizons in other directions) :lol: :lol: :lol:

Only drawback is: - I'm the electrician/plumber/roofer/decorator/joiner/gardener/draincleaner/spiderputterouter and domestic technician. Welcome to the sinking ship!


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

sng said:


> Next job is to cut two scrap timber blocks to go under the fiamma levellers...


You might find you snap the Fiamma blocks doing this, I did. They're fine if you keep the base level but chock them up and they snap.

I use two separate levels. One is mounted on the back of the sun visor and the other just above the drivers door. With the visor pulled down they are both at head height and easy to view. Back in my caravaning days I remember there was an article in one of the mags where someone had made a device which sat on a level surface in the caravan and told you where to put the leveler and how high it had to be!

peedee


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Detourer said:


> Fine tune level by deflating/inflating tires............... :lol:


or using the airides!

peedee


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

Just found this old thread with Peejays 'top tip'.
Got to say I think it's a great idea, and the photo really helps.

A picture paints a thousand words (well a few hundrew anyway).
Off to B&Q to buy one of these 2 way levelling thingies.

Have to say though, in 20 odd years of caravaning I never once found the need for leveling ramps. Are motorhomes so different?


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Never thought of mounting it where I could see it!!!!! Now that's a helpful tip - we all need them, thanks!!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

This is an excellent example of a How to.. article and thanks hugely peejay for doing it. You've clearly filled a need.

There is a subforum which will, hopefully by the end of the day, have separate sections for all the articles written. They will be open for -say -2 weeks for comments such as have been made here and for the original writer- only- to make any changes or additions they might feel necessary.

At the end of that period the finished article will go into the Motorhome Resources section and is there for all users.

G


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## dipsticks (Aug 2, 2007)

Our Transit has a card slot in the dashboard, it's useful for a level mount too. See pic


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

The strange thing is - when we had our Autosleepers Pollensa, I'd always get our level out (we had a small circular one), and adjust things a bit, set the ramps up just so, and spend a little while getting it level.

Our Chausson has a 'nose-down' attitude anyway, which we've sort of got used to. When we arrive on site, I park up, see how it 'feels', maybe have a quick look outside, and then use ramps if necessary. I don't know where the spirit level is these days - if we still have it.

There again, a lot of the pitches we use are hard standing, and are pretty flat and level to start with.

Gerald


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> so I always now reverse up the ramps .


You can tell this thread started 12 months BJ (before Juddergate") :lol: :lol:


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

A friend if mine brought me these from the U.S. they are absolutely brilliant, when you pull up they indicate the number of inches of lift required under each wheel to get level, if the MH is diagonally out of level, you add the figure of the diagonal opposite wheels to get the height required to the lowest one. All that is then required is to place the required amount of levelling in front (or behind) the wheels that require levelling and just drive up, job done, no 'up a bit', down a bit, 'fe*k*t driven over the top again'. 
Over to you Outdoor Bits


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## WSandME (May 16, 2007)

Nice thread! Here's my contribution:

In order to set up the levels correctly, make sure the outfit is in the correct orientation to allow drains to work - this is not necessarily "straight and level"!!! THEN fix the levels.

I used to place my level on the table, but when the table was level, the shower struggled to drain efficiently.


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## 115015 (Jul 31, 2008)

*Beer*

I usually park as level as I can then pour a pint of bitter if I cant fit the whole can of beer in the glass I use, I know the van isn't level so I have to sip a bit  After a few attempts it doesn't really matter :?


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## Rockerboots (Jun 15, 2008)

What`s with all this levelling business?

If you turn up at a site which describes its pitches as flat & level only to find this is not exactly true, why not just negotiate with the site owners a few free drinks at the bar.

Lets face it after a few good jars who cares how level you are. :lol: :lol:


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