Finding a level camp site for your caravan at the end of your journey is every caravanner’s dream. In our experience, even when the site looks flat, the caravan will require levelling almost every time. If you don’t have your caravan level then the sink and shower wont drain completely, the three-way fridge won’t work properly and aside from things rolling off the bench, you may find yourself experiencing an uncomfortable night’s sleep. Here are our tips for the easy ways to level a caravan.

There are a few key caravan levelling do’s and dont’s: 

• Don’t use the stabiliser legs to lift the weight of the caravan. They are stabilisers – NOT jacks. They are not designed or rated to lift the weight of your van, so don’t wind them up to the point where they are trying to lift the van. They are just top stop the van bouncing around when you are inside.
• Levelling ramps don’t always need to go behind the wheels to be reversed onto. They can be rotated so the pointy end is facing either the front or rear of the van. It is always easier to have the ramps downhill of the wheels, then roll onto them. Sometimes this means reversing further into the site, placing the ramps, then driving forward onto them.
• Do get the right ramps / chocks. Ensure the ramps are short enough to fit between BETWEEN the tyres – and not just on concrete/hard surfaces. Ensure you can fit them in on grassy sites too.

The basic steps to level your caravan on an uneven site are:

• Step 1: Level the caravan from side to side (between the wheels) using ramps. Chock the wheels to avoid the caravan from moving. Apply the handbrake.
• Step 2: Level the caravan from front to back using the jockey wheel.
• Step 3: Wind down the stabilizing legs.

There are a few products available that can make the job easier or completely automatic with automatic caravan levelling systems that do all the hard work for you.

Manual levelling option:

Equipment: Bubble level and levelling ramps. Having a second person / helper for this option makes it a much faster job.

Use a bubble level (like the two-way bubble level pictured) and levelling ramps to level the caravan from left to right. Levelling ramps are fairly simple to position for a single axle caravan but can be difficult (near impossible) to place into position for a tandem axle caravan. Most normal ramps wont fit between the wheels which makes driving up and over the first ramp without displacing it, a difficult task. Our most popular levelling ramps for tandem axle caravans are the Haigh Caravan Levelling Ramps. They are so easy to use as they are designed in two parts so that the red part fits between the wheels. You then drive up onto the red part and you or your helper clicks the black part into place. Once the caravan is roughly level on the ramps, use chocks to prevent the caravan from rolling. Haigh also make clever chocks that click neatly into place.

Next, level the caravan from front to back using the jockey wheel and spirit level. The Trail-a-mate jockey wheel is very popular with our customers as it is an easy to wind hydraulic jockey wheel. Lastly, wind down the stabilizing legs to support the caravan. A power drill can take the work out of winding down the legs.

Assisted levelling option:

Equipment: Ezylevel Wireless Caravan Level Indicator and levelling ramps.

The Ezylevel Wireless Caravan Level Indicator is a device that will assist the driver to get the caravan level and is a great option when you are getting the caravan positioned on site single-handed. It features a transmitter which attaches to the inside of the caravan and a receiver that can be placed inside the vehicle or carried with you as you level the caravan. The Ezylevel provides indications for the sides of the caravan that need to be raised to level the caravan to within one degree. If you are free camping then the Ezylevel can help the driver to select a level site. It can be switched on while driving at low speeds and will beep when the caravan is level.

The Ezylevel indicates whether levelling ramps are needed and on which side and then how much the caravan requires levelling front to back. This feature is handy as you can see while driving onto the ramps when the wheels are level.

Automatic levelling option:

Equipment: RedFoot caravan levelling jacks.

The RedFoot jacks are installed on each corner of the caravan and operated by remote control to automatically level the caravan. This premium option alleviates the need to manually wind down the corner legs and  can also be used to raise one side of the caravan to  change a tyre. The Redfoot caravan levelling jacks are the easiest and most convenient way to level your caravan.

Getting your caravan level is a job made easier with the right gear. At the RV Service Centre we stock a full range of the best products in caravan levelling ramps, the Ezylevel and, if you decide to go for the automatic caravan levelling system, we can install the RedFoot levelling jacks on your caravan.  Call in store for more information or give us a call.