Knowing how to level a motorhome can make a huge difference to your touring experience. While pitches at many of the best motorhome sites these days are perfectly level, it is still possible to come across ones that aren’t, especially if you turn up late and the park is nearly full.
This is why it makes sense to take along a pair of the best motorhome levelling ramps with you, especially if you choose on the spur of the moment to go wild camping instead. In my experience, you are far less likely to find a level spot if you camp off-grid.
Having a van that is perfectly level isn’t just a good idea if you are someone who cannot get to sleep on a slope. The water in the shower tray will take much longer to drain or may not drain fully at all if you are on any kind of a slope, unless you are lucky enough to have a shower tray with two holes. Most fridges work better when they are perfectly level, and in any case life is better when you don’t have to worry about things rolling off tables all the time.
Before you start levelling a motorhome, you’ll need to know which sort to get – they generally come with a surface that is either straight up or rises in steps. The former lets you get much more accurate with your levelling, but the stepped ones are a perfectly good alternative – and give you more reassurance that the wheels aren’t going to slide down again.
Whichever sort you opt for, it should be fairly straightforward to get them into position, although easier with someone standing outside to guide you.
Because most sites have rules about reversing onto your pitch, you will usually find yourself reversing onto the blocks. Just place each block immediately behind the wheel (preferably the drive axle) and gently reverse onto them. If you have the stepped blocks you will feel yourself going up. Stop as soon as you feel you are level (a spirit level is useful, but not essential – the dashboard can be a good place to attach this). Even if you have the stepped blocks, it might be an idea to put yourself back into reverse once the engine is off. If the pitch is uneven both back to front and sideways, you might find yourself just using one block, or putting blocks behind the two wheels on one side.
In the morning, all you have to do is start the engine, engage the gears, and gently move off.
Levelling ramps, especially the straight kind, can also come in handy if your van has become bogged down on a grassy pitch and you need more traction to get away. If you are on grassy pitch, stop once you are on a level Tarmac road and make sure you haven’t disrupted the grass too much.
Before you can think about levelling a motorhome, you’ll need to safely arrive at your chosen campsite – follow our expert’s motorhome driving tips to help you stay safe on the road.
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Motorhome, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. Double check any warranty is not affected before proceeding.
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