Levelling Your Caravan
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Levelling your caravan is a very important task - Once you have parked on your pitch you will need to level out your caravan otherwise you will be forever cleaning water from the shower or draining board, or your children (or yourself) may even fall out of bed!!
You can buy a caravan leveller which you drive your caravan on to, to level it off on sloping ground. When you buy caravan levellers you normally get wheel chocks as well, which are put under your caravan's wheels to stop it rolling away.
You could always make your own levelling blocks out of wood or blocks, but ensure that the wood you use is good quality.
Below we list some tips for levelling your caravan and pitching it on a slope:
- Always have a mini spirit level handy when pitching up and levelling your caravan.
- When pitching on a slope, try to site the caravan with its front facing downhill which will make it much easier when removing the ramp if the grass becomes boggy.
- If you have to pitch sideways on a slope, don't try to raise one side of the caravan more than 15cm as it will not be easy stepping into the caravan. If possible, try to move to another pitch!!
- Put the levelling ramps in front of (or behind) the wheel. Use your towcar to manouvre the caravan wheel up the ramp until the caravan is level. Try to have someone else watching the spirit level and to guide you.
- When you are level, put on your car handbrake, switch off the engine but leave the car in gear. Pull on the caravan handbrake fully.
- Push the wheel chock firmly into the correct position behind the wheel (or in front depending on which way you are sloping).
- Place another wheel chock behind (or in front of) the wheel on the other side.
- Now you are ready to unhitch the caravan and use the jockey wheel to level it off (front to back).
- A very good tip is to have a piece of string or rope attached to each chock. This will ensure you are able to remove it without getting your hands too near the moving wheel.
Here's a good tip sent in by Angus to help level your caravan:
I use a coin on the kitchen worktop to ensure the caravan is level both front/rear and sideways.
That's a really good tip, Angus. Thanks for sending it in.
Here's another great idea to help when you are levelling your caravan, sent in by Dave:
I use my motor mover to drive the caravan up the ramp for levelling while watching the spirit level. I chock it and leave the motor mover engaged as it adds to the brake so moving it is nigh on impossible when configured this way.
Thanks for sending that tip in, Dave.
We have received the following tip from Malcolm regarding levelling your caravan.
All modern Caravans have brakes that disengage when the vehicle is reversed. When using levelling ramps the Caravan must be reversed up the ramp, otherwise the Caravan Brake will not hold it on the ramp before you get your chocks in place. Before unhitching the car, apply the 'van brake, chock the wheels, then move the car forwards about 6 inches, the hitch will extend and the 'van will unhitch easily.
We have received the following advice from Jim for when levelling your caravan:
Just to add to the Leveling procedure, when using ramps always pull the caravan on to it because when reversing the head is compressed therefore the handbrake will be ineffective also it will make it very difficult to unhitch. The last action before unhitching even on level ground should be forwards thus ensuring the head is completely out - this will ensure that the braking mechanism is in the operating position and the hand brake is operating correctly.
Once you are happy with it being level across the axle, unhitch then use the jockey wheel to level front and rear, lower the rear steadies first down to the floor and one turn more then half a turn on the jockey to firm up then do the same at the front then just take the pressure off the jockey.
Finally check the level and have a cup of tea!
If you do not already have some wooden blocks, some can be made. I use 9" square by 1" thick plywood with a coat of leftover varnish - mine are now 12 years old.
