I wonder if anyone can advise me. I am relativley new to caravaning. I recently purchased a Swift Challenger caravan and have just returned from staying at a lovely caravan site in Dorset, Our stay was rather spoiled by the fact that our pitch was sloping front to back and to the right. My question is How do you Level a caravan on sloping ground manually? I had some wedges and blocks with me, but due to the weight of the van and the gradient, 2 of us could not manage to push the van up onto the wedge or blocks. I cant work out how you could do this, unless you had a caravan mover or perhaps if you jacked one side of the caravan up, and then lowered the wheel onto blocks. Several ground workers from the site stood around watching us as if they thought we were mad and didnt offer to help or advise us. Am I missing something, or is there a simpler way?
erm you cant do it manually unless your related to geoff capes!!! you use your car first to pull the van on to the blocks to level side to side, once thats done you pull the brake on and use chocks to make sure it stays put, then take it off the car and level it front to back using the jockey wheel
You can get a device to put under your wheel & wind it up like a jack, cant remember what its called but somebody should tell you in a bit,
take plenty of short bits of plank to put under your corner steadies for uneven ground but dont be tempted to level with corner steadies as it stresses the 'van.
Its actually a good job your 'audience' didnt help you, its not a good idea to push & pull on the corners of a caravan too hard, its easy to cause damage.
------------- Sell my camper? I'd rather eat school semolina!
Well actually Tentmad, funny you should mention that. I didn’t want to admit to this, but yes, I did go for the full 9 yards. The finale was putting up the awning for the first time, with no instructions, singlehanded, in the pouring rain. I had six pieces left over at the end, that I assumed were spares. - WRONG!!! They were essential additional supports and the whole thing collapsed under the weight of rain in the early hours of the morning and nearly took the caravan with it!!! - I'm sure I could hear uncontrolled hysterical laughing from the ground workers the following morning. I'm not sure if I'm cut out for this caravaning lark!
Thank you MartyM Thats very helpful. I hope someone does tell me about the device you mention, as it sounds very useful. I've got the short bits of plank to put under the corner steadies for uneven ground but as you say you cant use the steadies to compensate for the van leaning, as it stresses the van.
Hello Mike, I always get sl*gged off for carry my trolley jack with me to level the van. I carry several lengths of wood of various thickness but about a foot long. The thickest is 3x2.
I use a spirit level on the trim lines of the van, jack up the lowest side & slip a piece of wood under the tyre to achieve the best level. Then I use the spirit level to level front to back & operate the jockey wheel accordingly.
Having the trolley jack with me at all times has come in handy three times for me on the road, I've had three punctures in the van over 14 seasons. If you have a puncture in the caravan, you'll need to draw the flat tyre up onto the piece of 3x2 in order to get the trolley jack under the axle. They all have their uses.
If you choose to get a trolley jack, get yourself one with a good long handle on it. I bought mine from Halfords years ago & it jacks my van up a treat. I've since bought a package deal, it offered a trolley jack with free axle stands. I bought it to renew my old rusty jack only to find it near on ruptured me trying to jack the van up. Needless to say it went back & my old faithful came back into service.
Not mant folk do it this way but it's done me for years.
Hi Mike 147. I reckon your learning curve was pretty steep. The best advice you had was from tentmad. Took us a while too to use our brain instead of the muscle. Trolly jack is a bit of luxury, but very lumpy to add to your weight. I carried one for ages, but never really used it (touch wood).
hello mike as long as you had a good time what matter does it make we have all been their and are all still making errors you will make a lot more have fun on this web site if unsure read every thing it will only take you 20 years superb site i love it
IF IN DOUBT HAVE A GO SOME ONE WATCHING ON SITE WILL HELP YOU
There is a hydraulic jack on the market designed for caravans called the Kojack. It is not the cheapest item to purchase but very easy to operate and can be used for levelling and in the case of a flat tyre.
As said before level across the axle by driving onto your ramps. Usually my other half watches the spirit level, placed in the door way, and signals when ok. However if I am setting up alone, and the family are arriving later, the Kojack has been very useful.
Once levelled side to side then level front to back by adjusting the Jockey wheel. If using the Kojack to level side to side then apply the caravans handbrake before jacking. If levelling using the car then apply the caravans handbrake when level.
One final thing: when lowering your steadies. drop the back legs before the front and never get into the van if the legs are still up. If you walk to the rear of the van with the legs up you may tip your van up.
The corner steadies are not for levelling, do not over wind them or you will damage your van. On the CC's caravan course thier advice on how far to wind down the steadies was ' turn them down to the floor and then once more'
never thought of using the trolley jack to level the van
dont think it is a non-essential item to carry, mine is about 10kg and it lives in the nsr footwell of the car, well inboard of the back axle. never needed to use it yet (touch wood)
If I was there watching you, I would have had a bit of a grin on my face... firstly because it would be mildly amusing watching you, but also because I would remember having done very much the same (and worse) myself over time! Even as recently as this spring I was on a site, screaming down my mobile at my dealer, wanting immediate action by a 'flying fitter' to sort out my water for the Easter break which when the taps were operated, poured out from under the van. An understanding passer-by who overheard my conversation, popped his head into our van, flicked a tap over and.... water out of the taps.
Just goes to show that you are never too long in the tooth to make an amusing talking point for the neighbours!
never thought of using the trolley jack to level the van
dont think it is a non-essential item to carry, mine is about 10kg and it lives in the nsr footwell of the car, well inboard of the back axle. never needed to use it yet (touch wood)
I'd rather carry the jack & not need it Alan than leave it at home & wish I hadn't. A number of people have commented on my jack on site, one of them said he'd rather carry his few cans of lager. I told him I'd like to watch him level his van or change a flat using a couple of his cans.
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Topic: Leveling a caravan on sloping ground
