Levelling Ramps: Yay or Nay

[AdrianC]

or just throw the ramps away an man up, if you can't sleep on an angle you probably shouldn't be camping.

Yeah, fix some D-rings to your sleeping bag and strap it to something solid, like rock climbers and astronauts do!

<paaaarp>

[a1winchester]

Useful imho. My Fiammas are grey so not too garish.
If you have a smartphone there are apps with bubble levels. Mine is called Clinometer.

[tforturton]

Interesting to note that when we were away at Syncropendence last weekend, I didn't see a single bus using levelling chocks. Then, on the Saturday, a T4 parked up in the field across the river, and out come the bright yellow chocks. What for?
Anyway, I have to admit, I use the 'bubble' app on my mobile to check the van is level, but chocks? No.

[AdrianC]

Anyway, I have to admit, I use the 'bubble' app on my mobile to check the van is level, but chocks? No.

So, now that you know the van isn't level, what do you do?

[discipleofsketch]

Then, on the Saturday, a T4 parked up in the field across the river, and out come the bright yellow chocks. What for?

They are used for levelling the van, when parked on a slope - keep up!

[itchyfeet]

Useful imho. My Fiammas are grey so not too garish.
If you have a smartphone there are apps with bubble levels. Mine is called Clinometer.

My smart phone doesnt have straight edges they are rounded, will it work?

[itchyfeet]

Interesting to note that when we were away at Syncropendence last weekend, I didn't see a single bus using levelling chocks. Then, on the Saturday, a T4 parked up in the field across the river, and out come the bright yellow chocks. What for?
Anyway, I have to admit, I use the 'bubble' app on my mobile to check the van is level, but chocks? No.

Lets be honest nobody with a roughty toughty syncro is going to admit to using them, probably sleep on a bed of muddy stones

[a1winchester]

Useful imho. My Fiammas are grey so not too garish.
If you have a smartphone there are apps with bubble levels. Mine is called Clinometer.

My smart phone doesnt have straight edges they are rounded, will it work?

Close enough. You aren't looking for perfect level, just more or less. Then you make up your mind whether to bother with the levelling wedges or not.

I have been on pitches that looked flat but were 3 or 4 degrees out - some sort of optical illusion I guess.

Oh, and you lay the smartphone on it's back to use the bubble level

[The Bishop]

I can't sleep with my head downhill so I find them useful, not essential. In fact we bought them when in one of the flattest counties, Norfolk!

[thebobster]

If I am pitched on a slope, I park the van facing downhill. If I am on level ground, the levelling chocks go under the rear wheels. Because of the layout of my van (twin single beds comprising the front seats linking with single rear seats), I also try to have the offside higher than the nearside so as not to roll into the space between the seats. (I sleep in the nearside bed so as not to entangle my feet in the steering wheel). The levelling chocks are used more often than not consequently I would not be without them.

http://www.holdsworth.vwt25camper.info/ ... ochure.pdf

Definite YES vote from me!

[Jim San]

Interesting to note that when we were away at Syncropendence last weekend, I didn't see a single bus using levelling chocks. Then, on the Saturday, a T4 parked up in the field across the river, and out come the bright yellow chocks. What for?
Anyway, I have to admit, I use the 'bubble' app on my mobile to check the van is level, but chocks? No.

More interesting to note is that was a T5 and i just parked on the yellow wedges to stop the sheep nicking them

I'll carry on using them, although I doubt they'll make much of a difference on the syncro. I do like the table a level as poss and the bed. I dont mind sleeping head above feet a little but not the other way - we've swapped ends before now on really sloped sites.

Slight side issue, but why on caravan and camping sites do the caravans (with their leveling legs etc) get the nice flat areas and the tents get all the undullating and hilly sections?

[AdrianC]

Slight side issue, but why on cara van and camping sites do the caravans (with their leveling legs etc) get the nice flat areas and the tents get all the undullating and hilly sections?

Because all the roadlice would complain if they had to drag their sheds across wobbly grass. Or get stuck and cause chaos.

The one that always makes me chuckle is when you got a sockin' great big fridge-freezer pull into a nice tree-shaded campsite, and try EVERY SINGLE pitch - before settling on the car park outside reception, or right next to the bogblock, or somewhere equally unpalatable. Why? Because they can't get satellite TV reception anywhere else... Park, up periscope, twiddle, twiddle, down periscope, move, up periscope, repeat repeat repeat...

[Troopy]

If you need to sleep level, save on cost by simply buying an airbed and putting less air in the raised end

Also, all the people saying they can't sleep with head below feet, why don't you just sleep the other way round?

[kenkelso]

Waste of time for me, I have a pair but chucked them out of the van long ago, take up to much space and I have never had a problem. As said by someone else just sleep the other way.
Mine actually damaged the side planks on the van (Westy Atlantic) when they tipped in soft ground.

Ken

[ringo]

I have to say this thread has some surprising (to me) answers.

Me, i use mine all the time - the bigger the better. However, i carry two pairs - a small pair that fit under the seat and a large pair that are a pain in the ass as i cant fit them anywhere. However, they let me park level on most campsites so their pretty much essential in my opinion.

I can only think its because I've got an LT (although im sure i used to use them on the Villa 3). If the van isn't level then i have to position the van in an undesirable position to get it so my head isn't below my feet when sleeping. Also, the sink/shower doesn't drain completely if its not level.

I'll also admit that we get the spirit level out and always make sure its bob on. I have noticed we end up on the ramps when other people don't bother.

Maybe its because i camp on mostly uneven campsites? I have absolutely no idea why people don't need them. If i want the sliding door facing in a direction - that's where it goes. I'm not parking in a different direction to accommodate a slope!

Ringo