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 Topic: How do you level your FC if you are solo.
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29/3/2025 at 10:56am
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Get it on the pitch still attached to vehicle, then get out and look to see if it seems level or if raising or lowering the jockey wheel will get it level front to back.
Side to side when using a spirit level, and if it needs levelling get your triangle bits of plastic, more commonly know as levelling ramps, and pull the FC up it(them)get out and check the spirit level.
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29/3/2025 at 11:05am
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you arrive on your pitch placing it so the tow ball is facing forward like a caravan would be. reverse in. then get the level out to see which side needs lifting the most, then put the levelling ramp forward of the lowest side and then using your car pull the wheel up the ramp until the side is raised enough so the whole side across the axle is now level. place on the handbrake. put the steadies down once you have used the jockey wheel and got the front to rear level it is only then yoou remove the car from the front end.
basically its the same proceedure as when you are doing things with 2 people
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29/3/2025 at 1:05pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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I guess with a folding camper it's slightly more complicated than with a caravan, as you can hardly unfold it and put your spirit level on the floor as you would do with a caravan, then adjust the level by moving it up a ramp. I'm thinking you need an external surface when still fully packed up to use for your spirit level placement, BUT is there one that is in effect parallel with the floor to get good levelling?
I'd guess a Lock n Level airbag would lend itself rather nicely to the levelling task, because after determining roughly that levelling was necessary, you could place the bag under the appropriate wheel, unfold the camper without pegging canvas, access the floor to site your sprit level, then do fore-aft level with jockey wheel, then do side-side with L n L airbag. Once level, on with handbrake, down with steadies, and peg the canvas.
The Lock n Level was aimed squarely at the caravan and MH user, but unless someone more knowledgeable with Folding Camper experience can see reasons against, then would seem well suited to a FC too.
I suppose one of those wedge shaped wheel lifts that you screw up would also work, if it suited the wheel size of a FC. TBH, I used one and hated it on the caravan!
Both of the above can be done with the FC static after unhitching, and by a solo user.
I may question how much need there is to level a FC in many cases. Caravans and MHs it's often needed to get showers to drain properly, and the size of hard floored area is much larger anyway, FCs are relatively small floor area and no shower. Even a caravan/MH doesn't really need levelling on all but the hilliest of pitches, I've not actually used a levelling device for some years on my caravan, I used to use ramps, then a wedge shaped screw wheel lift, then currently a Lock n Level, which TBH was tried but has never yet been used in anger in past 4 years!
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29/3/2025 at 2:10pm
Location: Manchester
Outfit: Pennine Countryman
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One of the reasons we switched from our Combi Camp to a Pennine Countryman last year was levelling. The units are a similar size and weight, but we now have a motor mover to get it up the levelling ramp! Also our long driveway and garden.
You are unlikely to be able to reverse it up the ramp as suggested above, because you will need to position it differently to a caravan on the pitch, so you will have to push it up the ramp manually if you don't have a mover. Movers are wonderful things.
We use a small spirit level on the A frame to judge the level. Then if necessary position a ramp by one wheel and push/drive/mover the unit up it until you are level side to side, chock the wheels, then use the jockey wheel to lift or lower the A frame until you are level from front to back.
It doesn't have to be perfect, but for comfort it should be roughly even, and if you have a gas fridge it does need to be reasonably level to work. I guess how far out you are comfortable with is a matter of trial and error.
We looked at the Lock 'n' Level, and it does look great, apart from the lock bit! It's designed for caravans using a wheel lock, and while it would level without the lock I don't know how stable it would be. I'd greatly appreciate an answer on that, because it looks a lot easier!
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All the best,
Alison
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29/3/2025 at 3:08pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Quote: Originally posted by alisonme on 29/3/2025
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We looked at the Lock 'n' Level, and it does look great, apart from the lock bit! It's designed for caravans using a wheel lock, and while it would level without the lock I don't know how stable it would be. I'd greatly appreciate an answer on that, because it looks a lot easier!
I've only tried mine out as a test to familiarise myself with it before needing to use it properly (which is yet to happen!), it seemed more stable than I was expecting. One wheel (the opposite side) being on the ground stabilises the van quite well, and it's not especially 'bouncy' as the bag is not elastic like a balloon, just flexible to allow inflation, it doesn't seem to have any more 'bounce' than the caravan suspension has anyway. With the corner steadies down, it's the same as any other wheel raising method.
The 'Lock' aspect is slightly misleading in the name, there is no direct locking aspect to the bag itself! All it does is allow you to place the wheel on it with ease, with the approx 1 degree of rotation accuracy necessary to fit the Alko style lock through the aperture in the wheel, which is where the nightmare comes when trying to level with ramps. That's strictly a caravan thing, MHs just use it to raise a wheel, as would a FC.
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29/3/2025 at 7:33pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo
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I used a Milenco yellow levelling ramps kit on the caravan. I put the ramp in front of the wheel and pulled the van up it with the car. I put the handbrake on and unhitched. The hand brake didn't work backwards so the van flew back. The nearside wheel braked first slewing the van round through 90 degrees.
Those ramps went in the bin.
Previously I had levelled the van using planks of wood of varying lengths. I jacked the van up and put them under the wheel. Using different lengths with longest on ground then next longest etc allowed the van to be pulled down off it easily.
The planks provided a flat surface which allowed the car to be hitched or unhitched.
On the dandy, the handbrake works in reverse so simple. I've not needed to level the dandy as it can be swung round to align with the slope of the ground. It only needs levelling side to side as the jockey wheel and extending legs level front to back.
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30/3/2025 at 9:48am
Location: Dartford Kent
Outfit: VW+T6+conversion
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With our TT, I used a boat level on a back ledge to get side to side. On the caravan, I later went to an app called Level remote: with the iPhone on a flat surface, it would transmit to iPad in the car. Now in the campervan, I tend not to worry so much, unless it’s way out.
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31/3/2025 at 1:15pm
Location: Manchester
Outfit: Pennine Countryman
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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 29/3/2025
Quote: Originally posted by alisonme on 29/3/2025
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We looked at the Lock 'n' Level, and it does look great, apart from the lock bit! It's designed for caravans using a wheel lock, and while it would level without the lock I don't know how stable it would be. I'd greatly appreciate an answer on that, because it looks a lot easier!
I've only tried mine out as a test to familiarise myself with it before needing to use it properly (which is yet to happen!), it seemed more stable than I was expecting. One wheel (the opposite side) being on the ground stabilises the van quite well, and it's not especially 'bouncy' as the bag is not elastic like a balloon, just flexible to allow inflation, it doesn't seem to have any more 'bounce' than the caravan suspension has anyway. With the corner steadies down, it's the same as any other wheel raising method.
The 'Lock' aspect is slightly misleading in the name, there is no direct locking aspect to the bag itself! All it does is allow you to place the wheel on it with ease, with the approx 1 degree of rotation accuracy necessary to fit the Alko style lock through the aperture in the wheel, which is where the nightmare comes when trying to level with ramps. That's strictly a caravan thing, MHs just use it to raise a wheel, as would a FC.
Yes but presumably the wheel is locked so it won't turn? And a motorhome would be securely braked. Whilst the folding camper is braked I don't really trust the handbrake, the trailer can be moved with it on. We use a levelling ramp with a chock that slots onto it, so it isn't going anywhere. It might stay put on the lock'n'level, but there is clue in the name so I just don't know!
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All the best,
Alison
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31/3/2025 at 6:03pm
Location: Northern Ireland
Outfit: Sterckeman Alize Concept CP480
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We've used LocknLevel with our caravan fro three years now ... it's a great piece of kit.
Previously had a Pullman ...
I see no reason why the LaL wouldn't work with an FC
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via mobile 29/3/2025 at 9:40am
