I was more than a little amused a few years back on the municipal site at Chartres. A guy drove up, got out his pair of Milenco ramps, put one under each wheel and then reversed the same distance up each. He couldn't seem to fathom out why the van wouldn't go level.
DaveS1
Quote: Originally posted by DaveS1 on 24/7/2022
I was more than a little amused a few years back on the municipal site at Chartres. A guy drove up, got out his pair of Milenco ramps, put one under each wheel and then reversed the same distance up each. He couldn't seem to fathom out why the van wouldn't go level.
DaveS1
Wow Dave! Just. Wow!! I hope he was suitably schooled.
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I use half a pair of Milenco ramps, and a pair of chocks, usually positioning with the motor mover, for more fine adjustment. I also have a clinometer (usually used on sailboats) fixed to the bulkhead, to give a sideways level; then adjust with jockey wheel, guided by a bubble level. Final checks are seeing whether the bathroom door swings or not!
With regard to wood rotting over time, a simple solution would be to vanish the pieces like one would with garden fences and doors etc...
Also, use solid wood, hard wood preferably, instead of ply wood or MDF as they do absorb water more.
I see more vanners using pieces of wood than ramps to jack up their caravans.
DK
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Quote: Originally posted by dk168 on 29/7/2022
With regard to wood rotting over time, a simple solution would be to vanish the pieces like one would with garden fences and doors etc...
Also, use solid wood, hard wood preferably, instead of ply wood or MDF as they do absorb water more.
I see more vanners using pieces of wood than ramps to jack up their caravans.
DK
No sign of rot in my ramps yet and I made them several years ago. I haven't varnished or painted them with anything, but they seem to be fine. They are made out of several pieces held together by dowels so that they don't move when weight goes onto them. Each piece is sloped at one end so that when fitted together they make a smooth ramp, and I can put together as many pieces as I need at the time. However many pieces I use there is always a flat top. I can easily pull the caravan onto them using the car, or use the motor movers, but I had to use the car recently as my motor mover remote wasn't working.
I'd certainly never use anything other than solid wood, and definitely not MDF, chipboard or plywood.
The Lock n' Level inflatable 'bags' are brilliant ... and precise ... you can be millimetre perfect as you inflate/deflate till perfectly level ... and really easy to set up. No more, 'Back a bit, forward a bit ... Oh, that'll do!'
Yes Kelper, wooden ramps are a bit dated, and I'm sure inflatable bags are great, but I doubt they are any quicker to use. Who cares anyway when we are on holiday?
My wooden ramps are easy, just get them out of the locker, see how many I need, put them in front of the wheel and pull the van on. Only takes a minute.
The main thing is that they didn't cost me a penny and they gave me something to make when I was pottering in my shed. I enjoy working with wood anyway, I always have, so there are always off-cuts in the shed.
'Fraid all my offcuts go to starting fires in grates!
The inflatable probably takes longer! Depending on the efficiency of the pump used .... but it does give pin-point accuracy, which no other system can ...
On the other hand, there's no doubt that a self made system will always deliver a satisfaction 'glow', which a purchased system won't!
Quote: Originally posted by Kelper on 08/8/2022
Chocks, blocks, ramps, wood cuts ...
Not for me ... all a bit dated now?
The Lock n' Level inflatable 'bags' are brilliant ... and precise ... you can be millimetre perfect as you inflate/deflate till perfectly level ... and really easy to set up. No more, 'Back a bit, forward a bit ... Oh, that'll do!'
By the way ... I don't bother with the lock, just got the bag section ... use a normal lock on the non-raised wheel. Quicker.
I got fed up with all the faff (all the more hard work as I set up on my own!), well more potential faff than reality as rarely needed to level the van that much so don't generally bother, with ramps and other 'devices', so picked up a 'Lock n Level' 2nd hand for about half price, it'd been used once, and looked pristine. Unlike you I DO fit the Alko lock as insurance company insist it's fitted pretty much as soon as van stops rolling, they up the requirements year on year, now very little latitude on when you can leave it off! Never used the L n L in anger yet, but at least it looks easy to level and still get the cursed Alko lock on.
So long as fridge works (that needs to be within a few degrees of perfectly level to work at it's best), shower drains down the single plug hole, and things don't slide off the worktops I don't get too paranoid about 'level', but got spirit level and app on the phone to ensure not too drunkenly pitched. Often find the van settles into soft ground after a few days anyway, so perfection wouldn't last, or imperfection sometimes self corrects!
Quote: Originally posted by Andy Higham on 23/7/2022
Just buy a 1.8M length of decking board and cut it into 500mm, 600mm and 700mm lengths
It is more versatile than a ramp, especially if you have an Al-Ko wheel lock
Timber maybe more versatile but it rots over time plus it's not weatherproof either whereas plastic is. For a long term investment I would opt for the latter.
I use scaffold boards. Thicker and more durable than decking. And eminently tougher than plastic levelers. And, they last a very, very long time. Different lengths with a chamfered edge, and you cant go wrong. Ive seen plastic levelers in the bin on sites. I also broke the lip off one of my milencos when i had them for the motorhome. The sun dont do them any favours, like all plastics.
Quote: Originally posted by Kelper on 08/8/2022
Chocks, blocks, ramps, wood cuts ...
Not for me ... all a bit dated now?
The Lock n' Level inflatable 'bags' are brilliant ... and precise ... you can be millimetre perfect as you inflate/deflate till perfectly level ... and really easy to set up. No more, 'Back a bit, forward a bit ... Oh, that'll do!'
By the way ... I don't bother with the lock, just got the bag section ... use a normal lock on the non-raised wheel. Quicker.
I got fed up with all the faff (all the more hard work as I set up on my own!), well more potential faff than reality as rarely needed to level the van that much so don't generally bother, with ramps and other 'devices', so picked up a 'Lock n Level' 2nd hand for about half price, it'd been used once, and looked pristine. Unlike you I DO fit the Alko lock as insurance company insist it's fitted pretty much as soon as van stops rolling, they up the requirements year on year, now very little latitude on when you can leave it off! Never used the L n L in anger yet, but at least it looks easy to level and still get the cursed Alko lock on.
So long as fridge works (that needs to be within a few degrees of perfectly level to work at it's best), shower drains down the single plug hole, and things don't slide off the worktops I don't get too paranoid about 'level', but got spirit level and app on the phone to ensure not too drunkenly pitched. Often find the van settles into soft ground after a few days anyway, so perfection wouldn't last, or imperfection sometimes self corrects!
We've very rarely used ours ...
Last week, though, we were on a very sloped pitch in both directions .... so jockey wheel nearly fully extended and L&L about three quarters up ... but the norm is just a quick Jockey wheel level ...
I uses an SAS wheel lock ... my L&L didn't have a lock with it ... maybe I bought it like that, can't remember!
Just find that on the odd occasion I need to level side to side ... it's brilliant.
I don't bother that much with absolutely level either, as long as water goes down the plughole and I don't fall out of bed, it's fine by me. Most of the sites we tend to go on allow you to pitch whichever way round you want anyway, so I can usually get the van level enough without too much bother. I've seen plastic levelers dumped too so I don't think I'd want to use them. Never had any problem with the fridge, although being a mains domestic one, maybe that's why.
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Topic: Levelling ramps???
via mobile 24/7/2022 at 4:10pm
Wow Dave! Just. Wow!! I hope he was suitably schooled.
