Leveling

Hello again

I must say that I am impressed by the quality of support in this group. I hope i'm not pushing my luck if I post one more question....

What is the best way to level a van. I assume that people mostly use solid levelling ramps, but which type are best - simple wedges or those large stepped ones. Does anyone have any brand recommendations or are they mostly of a similar quality. Are there any alternatives to ramps - we used to have a screw based system on our caravan. I guess it's obvious, but are there any handy tricks for getting a van level.

We're already struggling with space in our van, so any advice on best place to stow ramps would be welcome. I notice there is quite a large void under the van adjacent to the spare wheel, has anyone used or considered using that to store stuff like ramps?

Best Regards
Des

Our ramps are stored in the back box.
Opinions vary, the Fiamma yellow ones are the most compact but have limited lift.  The Black Milenco ones lift higher but are bulkier and having used both think these the more practical 
I have also used home made wooden ones which you can tailor to your needs, always used these in our tugging days.
In short it really is down to what suits you best Sorry.

Des, in relation to your storage question you might find this interesting

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

As others have said, find what suits you best. We use the smallest Milenco ramps which are stored in the driver and passenger door bins. We try and stick to using level pitches and so far the little ramps have been enough for us.

We have the yellow wedges and they travel under a bunk. We have rarely needed to use them but any slope will be less noticeable in our 6m van than a longer one.

The Sevel based motorhomes tend to sit slightly nose down so we try to pitch with the front end on a higher bit of ground if the pitch slopes.

I suspect the best advice is to experiment - starting with the cheapest option. Which is to do nothing: on most pitches it's possible to park sufficiently level so as not to bother with any ramps. I usually let the van roll to a stop.

If that's not possible, and it won't stay still without the brake, or if you feel that the slope really is too much to bear, then the next cheapest option is - as Roli said above - to use home-made wooden blocks. I made my pair; they're about 18" long; wider than the tyre; about 3" high; and have a sloping wedge at one end. I have to say that we've never found the need for anything else. We carry a child's marble - put that on the work surface and it'll roll to the wheel(s) which requires lifting.

Next up are the commercial ones. I can't advise. Personally, I don't like the idea of relying on the handbrake to stop me from rolling off (although some have a cupped shelf to prevent the wheel from depending on the handbrake. (In our case, I need to release the handbrake to swivel the driver's seat.)

One final tip: having parked satisfactorily, I put a small tent peg - joined by a cord to another such peg - into the ground at the centre of the driver's tyre, and at the centre of the the rear tyre on that side. The pegs are totally in the earth; the cord is on the ground and visible. Easy then to achieve precisely the same spot when returning to that pitch: just lean out of the window until the tyre is in the correct place.
Cymro

If your lucky enough to have rear air assist fitted ? You can use these to increase height or lower it from side to side .or drop the back down to lower the level.
(I carry a wee compressor to re- inflate the air assist)
Boaby

Cymro wrote:I suspect the best advice is to experiment - starting with the cheapest option. Which is to do nothing: on most pitches it's possible to park sufficiently level so as not to bother with any ramps. I usually let the van roll to a stop.

If that's not possible, and it won't stay still without the brake, or if you feel that the slope really is too much to bear, then the next cheapest option is - as Roli said above - to use home-made wooden blocks. I made my pair; they're about 18" long; wider than the tyre; about 3" high; and have a sloping wedge at one end. I have to say that we've never found the need for anything else. We carry a child's marble - put that on the work surface and it'll roll to the wheel(s) which requires lifting.

Next up are the commercial ones. I can't advise. Personally, I don't like the idea of relying on the handbrake to stop me from rolling off (although some have a cupped shelf to prevent the wheel from depending on the handbrake. (In our case, I need to release the handbrake to swivel the driver's seat.)

One final tip: having parked satisfactorily, I put a small tent peg - joined by a cord to another such peg - into the ground at the centre of the driver's tyre, and at the centre of the the rear tyre on that side. The pegs are totally in the earth; the cord is on the ground and visible. Easy then to achieve precisely the same spot when returning to that pitch: just lean out of the window until the tyre is in the correct place.
Cymro

Sorry Cy.rl - you don't have to release handbrake to turn Driver seat.
First slide driver seat FULLY FORWARD. Then rotate seat - it will JUST pass handbrake lever. Then slide seat to desired position. reverse process to rotate seat back.
Yes, it's a fact - but it works for me.

We started off with the Fiamma yellow ramps but found it increasingly difficult to get level.  Not too bad on hard standings but we do a lot of CLs and some even required stacking the yellow ones together!

Then got the Milenco Quatros, massive great things, but worked a treat.  

We also had air assist fitted on the rear of the old van too, with a compressor built in, which when coupled with the Milencos really helped get us dead level.

On the new van though, I went with hydraulic jacks 

I made my pair; they're about 18" long; wider than the tyre; about 2x1.0 in."high; and have sloping edges at each 1.0in. lift, and a stop bar at the other.

Stepped wooden ones like Cymro's with 'blocking' sized wooden blocks, and 1/2 thickness, 'tyre footprint sized'  pieces of planking to support the stepped 'ramp' or on their own. Easy to store as the ramps 'sandwich' and the whole lot stack nicely under the settee. For the ramps I was lucky enough to have had at hand a couple of very old oak 1.0in. drawer fronts!  
frederic

inspiredron wrote:

Cymro wrote:.......   (In our case, I need to release the handbrake to swivel the driver's seat.)
Cymro

Sorry Cy.rl - you don't have to release handbrake to turn Driver seat.
First slide driver seat FULLY FORWARD. Then rotate seat - it will JUST pass handbrake lever. Then slide seat to desired position. reverse process to rotate seat back.
Yes, it's a fact - but it works for me.

You're right, Ron.  I found that - when adopting your technique - the seat swivel pushed the handbrake lever sideways. So, on Gromit's advice, I fitted some washers to the handbrake pivot so as to offset it enough so that the seat didn't foul it. Should have explained that I use a handbrake extender, though that doesn't detract from your point.

Cymro

Well.....I just don’t level at all now lol I don’t stress about it. I don’t mind being a little off kilter, I find after a few wines everything is level.

I learned to do this as my first van, a coachbuilt with over cab bed fell off its levelling blocks in my drive....all by itself of course 
Nothing to do with user error at all.....nope.

It caused large dent in both van and garage wall. Nice!

So I thought....let’s get new foolproof ramps that hug the tyres.  Big mistake! Milenco. Come in own carry bag.....very bloody heavy.

They travel in the isle at the back and get shoved under when parked up. Think I’ve used them twice. Find  the tyres too big to sit snuggly in each depression. Only use them if the wine bottle is really sliding down a slope.

It’s one of these things though......if I don’t take them, I will be in a position on the rare occasion I really need them.

Cymro wrote:One final tip: having parked satisfactorily, I put a small tent peg - joined by a cord to another such peg - into the ground at the centre of the driver's tyre, and at the centre of the the rear tyre on that side. The pegs are totally in the earth; the cord is on the ground and visible. Easy then to achieve precisely the same spot when returning to that pitch: just lean out of the window until the tyre is in the correct place.

I saw someone peg down flowerpots (sans flowers!) for the same purpose. Very visible.

Tetenterre wrote:

Cymro wrote:One final tip: having parked satisfactorily, I put a small tent peg - joined by a cord to another such peg - into the ground at the centre of the driver's tyre, and at the centre of the the rear tyre on that side. The pegs are totally in the earth; the cord is on the ground and visible. Easy then to achieve precisely the same spot when returning to that pitch: just lean out of the window until the tyre is in the correct place.

I saw someone peg down flowerpots (sans flowers!) for the same purpose. Very visible.

But with a cord, it doesn't matter if you run over them whilst manouvering. Not that it matters - it's just handy to have a reference point on those rare occasions when you've spent a bit of time getting the placement of the vehicle just right.

Cymro

We always use Milenco 4 step which are big but come out the van as soon as we arrive. Really sturdy and give good height on bad pitches. Husband has OCD with levelling so almost always needed. If not we pinch them down with the tyres anyway.