How to Level Your Caravan (And Finally Get a Good Night’s Sleep)
On the Level Part 1
For part 2, click here
All right, I need to level with you. 😉
Ever tried sleeping when your van’s not level? Everyone rolling to one side? How about water not draining from the shower? Feel like you are always walking uphill?
Levelling out your van can be done in many ways; some are quite simple, and your family will thank you for it.
– For all your Caravan and Camping Gear: CaravanRVCamping.com.au
How Do You Know If Your Van Is Level?
The easiest and most foolproof way is to use a spirit level. They don’t need power, internet or some fancy app. They just work.
If your van doesn’t have one, you can easily fit one to the top surface of your a-frame near the jockey wheel. Place it near the jockey wheel so you can see it while winding up or down.
Before you go and just stick one of these on your A-frame, make sure your van is level by using a good ‘ol builder’s spirit level on the A-frame or the floor of the van.
How to Get Your Van Level
Levelling your van from front to back is quite simple. Just raise or lower your jockey wheel until the van is level. It’s that simple. But how do you get your van level from side to side?
Dig a Hole
The most basic way to get your van level from side to side is to lower the side that is too high by digging a hole for that side wheel (or wheels) to go in. Dig a hole in front of your caravan wheel, move the van until the wheel is in the hole, and voilà, your van is level.
You may not get it right the first time, and you will end up either digging more or filling in the hole you just dug, but you will get there.
➡️Grab some stick on spirit levels here to stop any arguments!
One of the benefits of this is that a wheel in a hole can act like wheel chocks and help stabilise it (even though one wheel is in a hole, still chock your wheels). It can also lower the height of your step, if you are lowering the same side of your van as your step.
One of the downsides to doing this is that by lowering one side of your van, you may not have enough room to lower your stabiliser legs — therefore, you end up digging more holes for the legs, and your campsite ends up looking like you have just parked on a wombat’s camp. (Yes, I’m telling you from experience!)
The other problem with digging a hole is that sometimes the ground is just too hard to dig… or you couldn’t be bothered.
Lift One Caravan Side
The next alternative is to lift the side of your van, which is too low. This can be done by driving one side of your van onto levelling blocks.
Once again, you may need to do this a few times before you get the van level. Some blocks have different height steps on them, which get higher as you drive your caravan wheel further up the block. For others, you will need to add extra blocks to get to the height you need. Some blocks will have integrated chocks for safety.
Make sure you always chock your wheels.
➡️ Grab a set of chocks here if you don’t have any yet.
The downside to lifting one side of your van is that your step may become very high and you will need to add another portable step.
Now, if all this seems like too much hard work, there are easier options.
Air-Bag Suspension
Some vans have air-bag suspension, which can let you raise or lower each side to get your van level. By simply toggling a switch up or down, you can get your van level in no time — all while holding a beer. (Try digging a hole while holding a beer!)
Some systems have auto-levelling, which makes it even easier.
The downside is that air-bag suspension can be quite expensive, and it does add weight to your van. The plus side is that you will have an on-board air compressor which could be used to inflate tyres, run compressed air and more.
Levelling Stabiliser Legs
You may be tempted to use your wind-down stabiliser legs to level your van. Please don’t do this.
Standard stabiliser legs are only designed to stabilise your van, not to lift it. If you place too much force on your stabiliser legs, you could damage or completely break them.
There are, however, levelling stabiliser legs which are designed to lift and level your van. They replace your standard stabiliser legs and will raise each corner of your van independently. The downside is that they can be expensive and add weight to your van — but the convenience could be well worth it. No digging or driving the van onto blocks.
➡️Check out these levelling stabiliser legs here
Tim’s printable maintenance schedule covers this kind of pre-trip check too, so grab yourself a copy here before you head off.
Let’s Get Back to the Spirit Level
Now that you know how to get your van level, it’s time to make it easier every time by adding a convenient spirit level to your A-frame.
Once your van is perfectly level (using the good ‘ol builder’s level), adhere the compact spirit level with silicone. This way, you can make small adjustments to the spirit level before the silicone sets. The last thing you want is a spirit level that is not level!
This will make sure that your van gets as level as possible — and you don’t end up with the kids on your side of the bed.
