AMB Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 We bought a Frankia 740 something last year. Its great ...but.... Its heavy and our wedges are already looking a bit sad and I worry about all that weight perched on some bits of plastic. It rocks about a lot when you move about which is OK except at night, if our son wriggles in the drop down bed we rattle about in the back! So considering hydraulic levelling. Seem to be 2 systems E&P quote from SAP in Doncaster about £5K, and Ma-Ve quote from SMC where we bought van similar sum. So an eyewaterinw investment which I don't want to get wrong! Any feedback on hydraulic levelling and or the 2 brands? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Do you have AL-KO Chassis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Hi, Mick at SAP fitted ours a few weeks ago, expert fitters who did a superb job and we're very pleased. We lashed out and had full air fitted as well and that is brilliant. Just pull up on site, press the level button, the suspension drops and levelers bring the van level in under 2 minutes. You can also stay in his yard overnight, he leaves reception open all night so you can use toilet and sink etc if you want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcobird Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Toilet and sink, for 5k I would want 5 star hotel (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artheytrate Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Mick and his team from SAP fitted ours in January this year, we’re very pleased with the quality of work done on our van. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peedee Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 I had a system fitted by Gliderite 4 years ago, ( http://www.glide-rite.com/ ). Its a manual system in that you still need a spirit level to level up by pressing buttons on the hand controls. I have had no problems with it at all and it was very much cheaper than £5000. peedee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Anna, Please may I suggest you get your new MH weighed to ascertain if you have spare capacity for your proposed hydraulic levellers before committing! They are typically not a lightweight system and may quite easily put you over your Max weight. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Purely from memory I think Mick told me they add about 70kg he also has weigh pads there so can weigh you on site.Or I should say your van!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artheytrate Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Pete-B - 2018-04-24 10:05 AM Purely from memory I think Mick told me they add about 70kg he also has weigh pads there so can weigh you on site.Or I should say your van!!!!! Mine being a PVC conversion the EP system came in at 65 kg. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Our new van is due in July, and we are having E & P fitted after delivery. and luckily we don't have a weight problem. Steadys would provide an answer, and a lighter one if you have a weight problem, but that won't sort the problem of levelling. There are, of course heavier levelling blocks on the market, and a lot cheaper than hydraulic legs. I personally think that the E & P system is the best on the market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 The problem was wriggles your son in the drop down bed. And the comments to it end up in air suspension which is ridiculous. In order of price first you can put axle stands under the rear axle as be done in show rooms. to avoid wriggles. Air suspension on a motorhome is a waste of money and risky to drive and hydro feets reduce ground GC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel the editor Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Hi all, we published a guide to motorhome levelling systems that should be of help to a few of you on this thread. You can find it here: https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/articles/practical-advice/motorhome-levelling-and-air-suspension-systems-explained Hope this helps. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 I have considered, but so far resisted, fitting hydraulic levelers, mainly because they add significant weight (and we are already limited in payload) but also because they can only cope with moderate slopes. We use a lot of Aires as well as occassional campsites and rarely is it necessary to use levelling chocks (maybe only 2 or 3 times per year) so why spend £5,000 for relatively little gain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMB Posted April 26, 2018 Author Share Posted April 26, 2018 Thanks everyone for your thoughts so far. Our van does I think have an AlKo chassis. I'm sure we are OK on payload, the Frankia website says we have 1030kg to play with, we've added an awning and a towbar so even after the excesses of the winter plenty to play with. We often stay at our sailing club where we park on a lakeside slope so need a lot of levelling block. We have rear steadies but they don't seem to make a huge difference and I'm very loath to use them whilst teetering on blocks .... The rattling about is huge and quite annoying compared to our old vans (Ace Roma, VW Mk3 before that) Being able to lift the van off the tyres over winter is attractive And we have wondered how on earth we would change a tyre! So I've mentally committed the cash, we can't take it with us! Everyone praises Mick in Doncaster and the E&P system, no one seems to have the Ma-Ve one and the absence of fulsome praise worries me! It wasn't even mentioned in the MMM article. So anyone with a Ma-Ve system I'd love to hear from you :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 I don't know where you are in the country, but down south, Rosmia who are near Cowfold in Sussex, also fit the E & P and VB air, which will be where we go to have the system fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazdog6007 Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 Another thing to give you agro when they go wrong,plus another £5 grand to add to the depreciation. 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipster Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 We have a similar van to the op. We went for air suspension and levellers fitted by SAP Doncaster. Flipping expensive but very good. If you just want levellers then ma vie would do the job. If you’re considering air suspension as well then E&P as it lowers the suspension automatically before deploying the jacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 AMB In France there are (at least) six companies offering motorhome hydraulic levelling systems, but MA-VE does not seem to be one of them. MA-VE is apparently an Italian company that also markets sat-TV equipment. There’s a long (in Italian) video-clip relating to their levelling product here: Although the MA-VE system may be financially attractive I believe it would be wiser to opt for E&P levelling instead, as whoever has had the E&P system fitted seems happy with it and the installers will be fully familiar with it. As you rightly said in your first post, in view of the high price of a hydraulic levelling system you don’t want to choose the wrong one. The MA-VE product seems to be an unknown quantity in the UK, so opting for the E&P system should present significantly less risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-04-30 10:26 AM AMB In France there are (at least) six companies offering motorhome hydraulic levelling systems, but MA-VE does not seem to be one of them. MA-VE is apparently an Italian company that also markets sat-TV equipment. There’s a long (in Italian) video-clip relating to their levelling product here: Although the MA-VE system may be financially attractive I believe it would be wiser to opt for E&P levelling instead, as whoever has had the E&P system fitted seems happy with it and the installers will be fully familiar with it. As you rightly said in your first post, in view of the high price of a hydraulic levelling system you don’t want to choose the wrong one. The MA-VE product seems to be an unknown quantity in the UK, so opting for the E&P system should present significantly less risk. Fully agree and seconded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmh22 Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 We had Hydraulic levelling fitted 3 years ago to a new van by AS Suspensions, Warrington. Some of the weight of the system can be discounted as we removed the two rear corner steadies (25Kg), left the jack at home (no need - can jack up any wheel using system) and saved the weight and loss of storage by not having to carry levelling ramps. Really pleased with it - just turn up, and if not using electric hook-up, press a button and put the kettle on - no need to get out in the rain. Expensive yes, but worth every penny to us. We do carry two small pads of wood and very occasionally use these if the slope is more than the system can cope with on its own - three short off-cuts of decking screwed together just slightly bigger than foot-pad of system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 looks funny a small motor motorhome on hydraulic jack ups, It is more common to a heavy building crane to stay level whit wooden blocks under and still sinking in the footh pads of the streets padding. If you can not change a tyre whit a jack up youcan not change it whit hydro feets, because it is more complicated to do. it is just imagenation and i do not believe in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2018-05-02 4:55 PM ...If you can not change a tyre whit a jack up youcan not change it whit hydro feets, because it is more complicated to do... It’s plain commonsense that, if a motorhome has a suitable hydraulic levelling system, changing a wheel will generally be simpler and easier than using a jack. You just loosen the wheel-nuts/bolts, use the levelling system to raise the motorhome so that the wheel’s tyre clears the ground, remove the wheel-nuts/bolts, remove the wheel, fit another wheel to the hub and insert/tighten the wheel-nuts/bolts, use the levelling system to lower the motorhome so that the just-fitted wheel’s tyre is on the ground, fully tighten up the wheel-nuts/bolts to the correct torque setting - and that’s it. There’s no need to scrabble under the motorhome to locate a jacking-point and (if the standard scissors-jack is being used) to expend a LOT of effort turning the jack-handle to lift the vehicle, and then turning it again to lower the vehicle after the wheel has been changed. In both cases a person will need to be strong enough to undo and do up the wheel-nuts/bolts, and to remove and replace the wheel itself, but the challenge of positioning and operating the jack won’t be there if a levelling system can be used instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Can you not un level the mhome ? Ie different heights on each jack ? My Rapido needs to come up at the front and lean to the offside, so that the shower can drain. It's. SHMBO thing ! Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Tony It will depend on the levelling system chosen. There’s the potential risk with an unsophisticated system that the motorhome’s chassis/bodywork will be stressed by the levelling jacks producing a twisting force. This is mentioned on this E&P webpage https://www.ep-hydraulicsnews.co.uk/motorhome-more-info The E&P system can be put into manual mode that should allow the motorhome to be ‘leaned’ to one side, but I’m not sure if the system could do what your wife wants, raising the vehicle’s front AND leaning the vehicle over. For rapid draining of the sink and wash-basin, my Rapido needs to be level or nose-high - not really surprisining as the waste-water tank is right at the vehicle’s rear. The more nose-down, the slower the draining of sink and basin. My wife could not care less about the draining ability of the Rapido’s shower, as she gets Shower One and - after I’ve had Shower Two - I do the mopping up of the shower enclosure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 You have still four pedestals hanging under your chassis.In case of fiat or AL-Ko They have a very short GC to be able have the wheel up. Only Iveco looks good. Tell me how much you in inches in the full retract position. Have you encountering any grounding problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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