No Options Apply Leveling

SteveM

New Member
Feb 19, 2018
7
7
3
Aldinga Beach South Australia
Hi we have a 2012 dual axle expanda & are new to the caravan world. Wondering on some advise for the best spot to put the level as it reads different in all areas. When on the draw bar it reads totally different to in the center of the axles inside the van.
Thanks
 

mikerezny

Well-Known Member
Sep 11, 2016
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Mount Waverley, VIC
Hi we have a 2012 dual axle expanda & are new to the caravan world. Wondering on some advise for the best spot to put the level as it reads different in all areas. When on the draw bar it reads totally different to in the center of the axles inside the van.
Thanks
Hi @SteveM,
if you have a 3-way fridge, then probably the most important consideration, if you want to have the fridge operating correctly when stationary, is to have the fridge level. I would suggest putting the level on the shelf, cupboard, or benchtop above the fridge.

Another consideration is water runoff from the roof. So it is not uncommon to "almost" level the van to have the water runoff in the most favourable direction. If I have a choice, I would prefer to have the water runoff the back driver's side of the roof: away from the awning and since we can usually keep the tug connected, away from the area between the tug and van.

cheers
Mike.
 
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SteveM

New Member
Feb 19, 2018
7
7
3
Aldinga Beach South Australia
Hi @SteveM,
if you have a 3-way fridge, then probably the most important consideration, if you want to have the fridge operating correctly when stationary, is to have the fridge level. I would suggest putting level on the shelf, cupboard, or benchtop above the fridge.

Another consideration is water runoff from the roof. So it is not uncommon to "almost" level the van to have the water runoff in the most favourable direction. If I have a choice, I would prefer to have the water runoff the back driver's side of the roof: away from the awning and since we can usually keep the tug connected, away from the area between the tug and van.

cheers
Mike.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your help with this. That sounds like a great idea with getting the fridge level so will give that a go next time we are out.
Regards,
Steve
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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QLD
Put a dish of water in your fridge, when the level is nice and even all the way around grab your small 2way van level and stick it on the draw bar, pack it up with double sided tape or silastic to get the bubbles right. Then you can see the level when your winding the handle, no fights with wife or running back and forth, levelled in seconds......for water run off just note the best spot to place the bubble, if the bubble is inside the lines the fridge will be okay.
 
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Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
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Mentone, VIC
Welcome to the forum @SteveM, and more importantly welcome to caravanning in general. Whats the @SteveM story, are you also new to camping or have you graduated from a tent?

@mikerezny and @Drover's advise is spot on, but dont stress too much a little bit out in any direction is "A ok", so long as most of the bubble is within the lines. Sometimes it comes down to other not so common personal motivators ... OCD tendencies probably being the biggest. If you feel ok with it and its somewhere within the bubble, then its perfect. Because of the set moulded step heights in most ramps, its impossible to be perfect anyway, level is always somewhere between those steps. OCD people will be the ones with Anderson levels.

My personal motivators are I hate my head being lower than my feet, I prefer water to run off the back of the van and before I swapped out the east west glass sliding shower door for a curtain, I preferred (oddly) the shower door to stay closed when I shower. So I intentionally setup my van front and road side up. Perfectly level only has one (frustratingly impossible) position, the bonus of the intentional out of level position is its dynamic and always right regardless.

As @Drover suggested setup your van on level ground and stick the 3 way to the drawer bar, using a good thick lump of silicone to use as to level the level on the drawer bar. Mine behind the gas bottle, protected from weather and being stood on The draw bar is the most convenient spot because for us, The Princess can watch it for east west level whilst I drive the van up the ramps, and I can see the bubble from the jockey wheel for north south.
 

SteveM

New Member
Feb 19, 2018
7
7
3
Aldinga Beach South Australia
Hi, Thanks for the advise from all will give it all a go. The SteveM is just my name & last initial haha. Yes have done a lot of camping over the years & as the years go by we thought we would go for a van now. We got the expanda as we cant go far without the grandkids by our sides haha so there is plenty of sleeping room. I think its going to be the best move made. Thanks again for the recommendations.
Cheers Steve
 
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Macca_75

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Aug 3, 2016
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SE Suburbs, Vic.
With the 3 ways, theory is level is best. I found we need to lower the back of the fridge slightly so the water running off the fins internally hits the drain - otherwise food ends up wet.

Issue with this is the shwoerscreen slides open - so I bought some cheap strip magnet off ebay to hold the shower door shut.

Having it slightly tilted also helps water run off the roof during rains
 

Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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We always have a bit of front high and that way, water runs off roof at rear, blood runs to feet, add a slight bit of a list to starboard (right) and heavy rain doesn't come from roof over awning, shower drains better, bubbles just on the line and fridge is happy...............Mrs D uses a can of baked beans on the floor when she doubts my set up.
 

Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
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Mentone, VIC
With the 3 ways, theory is level is best. I found we need to lower the back of the fridge slightly so the water running off the fins internally hits the drain - otherwise food ends up wet.

Issue with this is the shwoerscreen slides open - so I bought some cheap strip magnet off ebay to hold the shower door shut.

Having it slightly tilted also helps water run off the roof during rains
Jayco thought it a great idea to install our shower door upper rail on an angle running downhill to the all open side; so unless we cranked up the road side of the van up high enough for the awning was almost touching the ground, there was little hope the glass sliding shower door ever staying closed
 
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Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
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Mentone, VIC
Pfft ramps.... What are we cavemen... Kojack level and the skinnybuddah patentented low side wheel well levelling mod lol.

put van in exact spot I want wind handle like a Muppet wait for light in wheel well to go out
You cant fix everything with electronics ..... can you?
 

Smergen

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2014
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Bacchus Marsh
Our level check for our big trip was simply a golf ball. Sat it on the floor in the middle of the van. If it rolled anywhere, van wasn't flat. If it sat there, all good.

Might not be as simple as a bubble, but after a big day of bush walking, a damn side better at giving a foot massage as well.

If we weren't staying longer than 2 nights, we didn't really care.