WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOUR CARAVAN OR TRAILER BE LEVEL?
There is nothing worst than laying in bed and feeling your feet are too high and blood is running too your head or you could roll right off bed as your van or trailer is not level.
There are 3 reasons why your caravan should be level when you use it.
1. Your 3-way fridge will not operate correctly
When running your fridge on gas, or any energy source really, it is extremely important that the fridge is level and this means your caravan must be level too. When on gas the pilot flame burns vertical and therefore if it is out of level it will not hit the right spot and therefore the fridge will not work. When running on any source the fridge must be level so the fluids circulate properly. Caravan levelling is not hard to do.
2. Your sink and shower
Water is always level. If the drain hole is in the middle of the shower floor or sink not all the water will get away when your van is out of level. The left over water can cause a “not so great” odour in your van if left sitting for too long.
3. Things roll off flat surfaces when your caravan level is out!
Falling out of bed is not a great feeling when you caravan is not level. But other stuff can roll off too. It is safer to have it level then you dont have to worry about a bump on the head when you wake up on the floor.
This is why things go horribly wrong!
GETTING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME – LEVELLING SIDE TO SIDE
Step 1 – Pick your spot
Once the perfect site has been picked, check to see just how much leveling your trailer is going to need. Use one of the methods above to determine, what side needs to go up and by how much.
Your axle must be levelled horizontally first.
Obviously if you have the option to park you van on level ground, setup just becomes a whole lot easier. However this is more often not the case, especially in a caravan park were you are limited on the direction you can face your van
Step 2 – Levelling your van
Now it is time to level the low side of your van by raising it up to be the same as the other side. This can be done very easily by building a platform to suit the height you need.
The OziBlock n Chock blocks system is a light easy to use system to help you do just that.
Clip on a Block Chock to ensure you do not roll off your platform.
Top it off with a cap to protect your tire (cap not shown
Step 3 – Get your van up to level
It is always better to pull the van up onto your OziBlock n Chock block platform as opposed to backing up onto it.
Your handbrake works better when your vehicle is in drive and not reverse. When in reverse your brakes anre not as engaged and therefore the hand brake does not work as well.
Step 4 – Close off the ramp
Unfortunately, with most “ramps” already out in the market, vehicles can still roll off either forward or backwards as the chock size is insufficient to hold the wheel inplace. The surface area that the wheel sits on is insufficient as it does not support the whole bottom tire service. It is also angled and bumpy and can cause tire damage. A caravan can move off a “ramp” when a van is knocked or setup in a windy area and the van receives excessive force. To stop your van moving back or forth, close off your block platform with an additional OziBlock n Chock Block Chock. Does not matter what direction the wind blows your van cannot move as the wheel is locked in.
Step 5 – The other wheel
So you have secured one wheel, what about the other? Does it need to be secured too? The answer is yes.
It is always a good idea to ensure all wheels are secure. You would hate for it to move and damage your van.
Add a good set of quality OziBlock n Chock Chocks to the other side, infront and behind the wheel. This will ensure no rolling or twisting can take place.
Step 6 – Double check
If all went according to plan you should now be level side to side or horizontally. If not something might need an adjustment.
Double check your leveller and make sure you are good to start working on the next phase…..level from front to back and vica versa
LEVELLING FRONT TO BACK
Step 1 – Disconnect
Pull on the handbrake
Only disconnect the power to the van and pull the pin on the tow connection.
Always leave the chains connected to the vehicle.
Step 2 – Winding up
Place the OziBlock n Chock Jockey dock under the location the jockey wheel will rest
Start winding until the van disconnects from the vehicle.
The Jockey Dock will ensure your jockey wheel does not roll, and when combined with the chock and block system your van is sure to stay put!
Step 3 – Moving away
Now it is time to disconnect the chains from your vehicle.
You should always be using the chains crossed over under your A-frame to catch the ball just incase it bounces off during transport. Dont forget that we also have rules regarding the D shackle that you can use so ensure you are using the correct Yellow D-shackle to suit your caravan or trailer.
Move the vehicle forward to be clear of the trailer.
Step 4 – Levelling Up
Wind your jockey wheel up or down until your level is correct.
Step 5 – Stabiliser Legs
As the name states, the legs on your caravan are generally for the use of stabilising your van. They are not used to lift it up but to apply a small amount of pressure to reduce movement in the van.
However when camping in areas where the ground is soft these legs can sometimes sink, causing the van to become unlevel and can also damage the legs.
Add a Leg Pad under the foot to keep it from sinking into soft ground.
Full with Ant Sand OR even baby powder to stop ants moving in
Step 6 -Relax
You now have your caravan level sitting in a way where your fridge will work well, your water will run down your drains, you will not roll out of bed and overall you can sleep well tonight knowing your caravan is level.
What sort of level should I be using?
2-way Level
Also known as a bubble level. Great because they level in two directions, left to right, front to back. Screw or stick it with silicone onto the A-frame of your trailer.
Bubble Level on your Smartphone
Great new age invention. I put my phone on the floor of my van, just infont of the fridge over the axle, and can see what needs to go up or down in any direction.
Caravan Levelling App
This is what I have graduated too. So easy to determine the amount to raise a wheel on the low sides. Makes it easy to work out the number of blocks I need to stack to get level.
Builders Level
A big no no. A builders level is way too accurate so they will only cause frustration when trying to level your van. You are supposed to be on holidays and not stressing out. They are harder to store also and therefore not a good idea.