Caravan Leveller: The Ideal Way to Keep Your RV Level While Parked

Going on an RV trip always stirs up subdued, yet tangible excitement. It’s the uncertainty of the events that lay ahead causing all this – and it never gets old. You can never know whether your trip will start with an uneventful ride accompanied by some light breeze, or you will experience a flat tire within the first hour. All you can do is prepare your caravan, focus on the road and embark on the journey.

Getting your caravan into a good parking spot is another unpredictable variable of the whole road trip. Of course, you can scout locations online, you can check reviews and look for tips from campers who just left the site. You can even book a spot at certain establishments. These are all elements of good planning. However, if you’ve been on an RV trip, you’ll know that it’s nearly impossible to cover all items on the itinerary. The real trouble starts when you get at the camping site only to find out that the perfect spot is taken. Or that you don’t want it even if though it is vacant because campers with bad etiquette are parked nearby.

What If You Can Park Your Caravan Anywhere?

If your ideal caravan spot is taken, or no longer desirable, you need an alternative option. And you can easily make your caravan suitable for parking on uneven terrain. Motorhome levellers have been around for some time and they can certainly be very useful for getting a better spot.

Getting a caravan levelling ramp is essential for the proper operation of systems in your RV. It’s not just a convenient contraption that makes getting out of bed easier. If your vehicle does not rest on all tires, you will experience issues. To begin with, your drainage systems (sink and shower) will start causing problems. The fridge might work incorrectly and, depending on the model, it might even break down. And any activity inside the camper-van will be less convenient if you need to balance your footing. And as if your space is not cramped already, your stuff will definitely roll in the opposite direction of the incline.

All these headaches are unnecessary and preventable. The design and quality of heavy-duty caravan leveller sets have significantly increased over the years. While you are free to use any wood wedge as a trailer leveller, this might not be the best idea. Logs can be quite sturdy and hold loads, however, being organic, they also rot. Having your RV resting on a rotting tree trunk has its downsides. Using metal is also inappropriate because water can render it useless.

Fortunately, purpose-built campervan levelling wedges can save the day. They are built from lightweight UV resistant polyethene that is rustproof. It’s durable, easy to store and carry around.

How Do You Use a Caravan Leveler

Setting up your RV leveller is quite straightforward, however, you do need to keep in mind a couple of things. It’s always better to pull onto your caravan wheel leveller then back up to get on top of it. After you pull up the levelling ramp, your hand brake will be in a more natural position. If your last gear was in reverse, then the brakes are not fully engaged, so you will expose the braking system to residual pressure in the springs.

The best position for your wheels is level ground. So, if you want to place the caravan on a slope, make sure you get as much even ground as possible. And then, when you do use the caravan leveller you need to apply some common wisdom.

If this is your first time and you are wondering ‘how does one level their caravan?’ don’t worry, everyone has been there at some point. You will need a two-way level installed to make sure you’ve done a good job. Beware though, builder levels are not fit for this purpose. One of the levels must line up with your axle. The other is to be lined up with the wheels. When both levels are in the sweet spot you can go on and enjoy your trip.

Since you probably want to enjoy the freedom of movement in the caravan it’s prudent to also place a wheel chock into the ramp. This contraption will serve to prevent rollback under stress. Obviously, they need to be compatible with your overall motorhome levelling system for optimal efficiency.

How Many RV Ramps Are Too Many?

It depends. There are many types of caravans, to begin with. Some use the caravan levellers on trailers, and this can make things more complicated. In essence, carrying two camper levelling blocks should cover most of your needs. You can safely park your camper-van on a slope without worrying about it.

In the end, don’t let the uncertainty of the specifics in your road trip cause anxiety. The best you can do is to be prepared and always carry your levellers with you. Most probably you won’t know if you need them until you actually reach the destination and assess the spot first hand. Having them will give you more options. This an aspect of RVing you actually have control over compared to the loud neighbours or lack of bunking spots.