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Subject Topic: Levelling my folding camper Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonVivebunny
18/9/2017 at 12:19pm
 Location: Worthing
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Hello everyone,

I'm struggling with levelling my new Countryman folding camper. I've only recently purchased it so it's all a steep (vertical) learning curve. I've put it up once at my yard and just this last weekend when I went camping. Both times the trailer wasn't levelled.

I have a small spirit level which I've now attached to the tow bar part of it.

Some helpful neighbour told me to use chocks for under the wheels. My questions are, I'm mostly camping with my two daughters (13&14), would we be able to push the trailer onto the chocks ourselves, doesn't it naturally just roll back again?? Would the handbrake stop the unit from moving??

Is there any advice you could give me please.

Many thanks in advance.

P.S. LOVED our first weekend in it! :-)


Personblueexpo97
18/9/2017 at 1:00pm
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Levellers here. Would your car handbrake stop your car from moving, yes, same with FC.
This in turn answers your question about roll back, ie apply the handbrake.
Tip, you don't always need to use both levellers. Also it would be far easier to pull the FC onto a leveller when still attached to the vehicle.

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Persontango55
18/9/2017 at 1:32pm
 Location: Lichfield
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You need to do exactly as blueexpo97 (above) has said but make sure you level from side to side first using a ramp and then from front to back using the jockey wheel but you must to use the trailer handbrake to stop it from rolling away.


PersonVivebunny
18/9/2017 at 1:45pm
 Location: Worthing
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Thanks blueexpo97....Ooo! I just followed that link...man, it's a whole new world for me. :-)

those pics put my mind at ease actually cos the wheel does kind of fit into the spaces.

Okay, I'll get some of these items (the corner feet rests looks good too.

Thanks very much! It's kind of overwhelming all the necessary steps you have to go through when you set up. I arrived in the dark and it was raining!! I did so many rookie mistakes; one of them was mixing up the jockey wheel and the trailer fell just on the little wheel. Argh....anyway, the more I use it the better I'll get.

Thanks for your help.


Personblueexpo97
18/9/2017 at 2:19pm
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No bother. Corner steady feet are always good to have fitted, in soft ground they stop you from winding the steady down & down & down, if you see what I mean.

-------------
XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.


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PersonLobelia
18/9/2017 at 2:40pm
 Location: None Entered
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I wasn't very good at getting our Countryman onto blocks, mainly because the door to the trailer always seemed to make that awkward, it being at the back of the trailer when attached to car. So you couldn't reverse back onto the blocks, and if the pitch wasn't big you couldn't drive onto them. Probably just me and also dependent on the size of the pitch of course!

We bought a Milenco Aluminium Leveller, rather a large bag of gear, not cheap to buy new, with this we could raise the trailer up about 4-6 inches. We could detach the trailer from the car and spin it around so that door faced out. We had two small strips of wood that we put under the side sections of the leveller just in case the ground was soft. It was just a matter of winding it up then whilst OH kept an eye on the spirit level. It served us well on every camping trip. Even pitches that look flat usually require the trailer to be raised a couple of inches.

It's just a thought. May be worth a look.


PersonVivebunny
18/9/2017 at 6:41pm
 Location: Worthing
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Lobelia, thanks for your interesting insight, I'll take a look at these things....I can't imagine it at all!!

Reversing and Trailer aren't good bedfellows in my book, and I'll only have a young teenager to help me and instruct my reversing whilst keeping an eye on the level, so ideally i need the process to be as easy as possible.



PersonVivebunny
18/9/2017 at 6:46pm
 Location: Worthing
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{just gets off a you tube clip about Milenco Aluminium Leveller) Lobelia!!!! Man, I NEED that bit of kit. :-)

I can see myself doing this very easily, I can't see me pulling or pushing the blocks in place.

I also kind of like the satisfying ratchet clicks when you wind the wheel up. But that's just me.

Thanks so much, that's exactly what I need. x


PersonVivebunny
18/9/2017 at 6:47pm
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.....and bits of wood in varying sizes is also a must. :-)


PersonKelper
18/9/2017 at 9:30pm
 Location: Northern Ireland
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You can get inflatable wheel 'blocks' ... just tow onto the mat and then inflate to height you require .... very good on soft ground as they don't bed in.
See here


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Personphathamster
18/9/2017 at 11:21pm
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cheap pair of levveling blocks and a short spirit level should see you right.

i got real fussy with mine first few attempts, no i just do it by eye, and level bedlegs with a few wood offcuts.


Persontango55
19/9/2017 at 11:34am
 Location: Lichfield
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Also, if you have a 3 way fridge then the camper needs to be level both ways as some can be a bit temperamental and fail to operate effectively.


Personblueexpo97
19/9/2017 at 11:37am
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Vivebunny, there is a post edit button for use up to two hours after posting, saves multiple posts.

-------------
XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.


Persondad1uk
19/9/2017 at 10:56pm
 Location: Birmingham
 Outfit: Pennine Pullman Folding Camper View dad1uk's Profile View Profile   Reply to dad1uk Reply   Quote dad1uk Quote  
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This what we use, before unhitching the car you pull the trailer onto the large ramp until level, go a little more and put the small block under the wheel and allow the trailer to roll back onto the small block. This is for the side levels, then unhitch and use the Jockey wheel to level front to back.
Only use the wind down legs to steady the trailer, not to adjust the levels!!


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/161757435234?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=4282590279........

-------------
Jan and Simon and Jet and Amber


PersonDarrenElbrow
22/9/2017 at 8:05pm
 Location: Poole Dorset
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I made a levelling ramp from some off cuts of decking planks. Similar to the ramps in the link above. And a few smaller pieces to fit under the bed legs on our Challenger and we're set for not sliding or rolling out of bed.
I also put a block behind and in front of the wheel that isn't on the levelling block just for extra security. Another helpful thing is a block of wood with an in dent in it for the jockey wheel to sit in to stop it moving and sinking into the ground



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