Barcobird Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Might seem like a daft question but are motor homes level? Reason for asking is I have just laid a purpose built concrete slab for the motorhome which is level. After parking said motorhome on the slab it is now leaning forward so it seems I will have to block it which somewhat seems to defeat the object! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive_Adams Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Think you'll find that it depends on the make, most German vans I would say generally tend to be nose down slightly as this is better for travel. As you say blocks are probably the way to go but defeat the object a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Like Clive I would say most vans are nose down, although the amount will vary by how much they are loaded, but unfortunately it's not unusual to see a long van on a light chassis with a distinct nose up attitude with the rear suspension squashed down and front reared up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogfoldcruiser Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Maybe a daft answer but it depends on how much weight you have in yer garage and over the back wheels *-) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Our Vantage Neo on the Fiat Ducato 6.36m maxi chassis sits slightly nose down so ramps are needed on a level pitch. The weight distribution is around 1800kg front, 1700kg rear with two people sitting in the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Hi Best not to be level anyway, always have ours nose down so the rain can drain away :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcobird Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 Caddies104 - 2020-06-19 9:42 AM Hi Best not to be level anyway, always have ours nose down so the rain can drain away :-) In the Algarve, no rain (lol) (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Caddies104 - 2020-06-19 9:42 AM Hi Best not to be level anyway, always have ours nose down so the rain can drain away :-) I was just about to say the same thing! We fitted HD front springs which brought the nose up a couple of inches and the rainwater started pooling on the roof. Flat roof are never completely flat and if you have pooling of water the green mould starts to develop when your MH is in storage. We now chock ours up at the front to get the rain to run off during storage. We've also found that we rarely need to use our chocks when we're touring - unless we can't find a way to park relatively level. Some people seem to get obsessed about being absolutely level using a spirit level but we settle for what feels roughly level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Our three vans, a Duetto on a MK5 Transit, another on a MK7 and the present Warwick Duo on an X250 Boxer, have all been nose down when stopped. This has suited us very well as it can be used to compensate for a slight slope on pitches without having to use ramps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcobird Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 We are parked up long term so very little weight in the back but it would have been better heavily loaded. We actually had a problem with the backend scraping when loaded, had a scooter rack, spare wheel which were removed and air suspension fitted on the back so I should have realised but never gave it a thought. Yes the air suspension has been dropped to its minimum *-) It's now sitting happily on flat wooden blocks as opposed to the wedges which I think are better for the tyres long term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmac Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Hi my Mercedes based Rapido stands about level , but parking slightly nose high is better as the kitchen sink drains quicker. Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deffheads Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Our A class Dethleffs has uprated front springs and sits perfectly level. I see many many vans with ramps under the front wheels, but I feel a lot of people are paranoid about this leveling subject, I understand if camped for a long time, but if a couple of nights, just get used to the gradient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Most vehicles tend to have a slight nose down attitude by design as it increases stability when being driven. On commercial chassis it is usually more pronounced, since they are designed to carry heavy loads which compress the suspension, and with the majority of the weight of the load borne by the rear axle the design intends to allow for the vehicle to still have a slight nose down attitude even when fully laden. Most cars also have a slight nose down attitude, albeit less pronounced, for similar reasons. A nose in the air attitude was always a good indication of an overloaded vehicle when I was involved in weight enforcement and often the vehicles could also be seen weaving as they went along too. The slight nose down attitude of my van is not enough to cause any problems on pitching and can be an advantage on a slightly sloping pitch as I can often park the van to counteract the slope, without messing about with levelling blocks. But I don't worry about having to be exactly level, unless it obviously feels uncomfortable. We did spend a night very nose down halfway up the side of a Welsh mountain a few years ago, when heavy rain caused me concern about the riverside spot we had earlier chosen to stop at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Barcobird - 2020-06-19 8:56 AM Might seem like a daft question but are motor homes level? Reason for asking is I have just laid a purpose built concrete slab for the motorhome which is level. After parking said motorhome on the slab it is now leaning forward so it seems I will have to block it which somewhat seems to defeat the object! Equally daft question, but why does it matter if the van is parked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcobird Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 Brian Kirby - 2020-06-19 12:03 PM Barcobird - 2020-06-19 8:56 AM Might seem like a daft question but are motor homes level? Reason for asking is I have just laid a purpose built concrete slab for the motorhome which is level. After parking said motorhome on the slab it is now leaning forward so it seems I will have to block it which somewhat seems to defeat the object! Equally daft question, but why does it matter if the van is parked? Hi Brian, because we are living in it *-) ;-) Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 davidmac - 2020-06-19 10:11 AM Hi my Mercedes based Rapido stands about level , but parking slightly nose high is better as the kitchen sink drains quicker. Regards David Added to which, our Rapido needs a little lift at the front, higher one side than the other, to drain water from the shower. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 With successive panel van conversions I eventually worked out that those on the (Fiat) maxi chassis were some 100 MM. higher at the rear wheel than the lighter 6m chassis vans we had. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 david lloyd - 2020-06-19 5:31 PM With successive panel van conversions I eventually worked out the those on the (Fiat) maxi chassis were some 100 MM. higher at the rear wheel than the lighter 6m chassis vans we had. David Possibly due to the weight of the conversions and its greater effect on compression of the light van suspension. Fiat quote the unladen ride height of the heavy chassis as only 10 to 15 mm higher than the light chassis for all equivalent length panel vans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Barcobird - 2020-06-19 12:54 PM Brian Kirby - 2020-06-19 12:03 PM Barcobird - 2020-06-19 8:56 AM Might seem like a daft question but are motor homes level? Reason for asking is I have just laid a purpose built concrete slab for the motorhome which is level. After parking said motorhome on the slab it is now leaning forward so it seems I will have to block it which somewhat seems to defeat the object! Equally daft question, but why does it matter if the van is parked? Hi Brian, because we are living in it *-) ;-) Peter Ah! When you referred to it being parked I assumed it was not in use. My mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 We like to position our AT Tracker with the front just slightly lower than the rear. We normally use a bubble gauge positioned on the kitchen bench to find the sweet spot. As ours is a north south French bed our preferred sleeping position is slightly feet lower than head. Thus position also aids any water run off from the roof. Slightly lower at the front also aids the shower water to drain faster. I guess it is horses for courses. cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 For the technofiles, free ‘spirit level’ smartphone apps are available (iPhone example here) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ihandy-level/id299852753 (I’ve no idea how well they work...) iPhones also have a built-in level feature https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/6006010/iphone-spirit-level-how-where-find-compass-trick-feature/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 And for the non technophiles, use a plumb line - no batteries, nor degrees in computer sciences required. Works by the "KISS" principle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 How does that work then? https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/plumb-bobs-and-levels-an-essential-guide/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevina Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 laimeduck - 2020-06-20 9:07 AM And for the non technophiles, use a plumb line - no batteries, nor degrees in computer sciences required. Works by the "KISS" principle. and if it really matters and you don't have a handy plumb-line put a can on the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcobird Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 laimeduck - 2020-06-20 9:07 AM And for the non technophiles, use a plumb line - no batteries, nor degrees in computer sciences required. Works by the "KISS" principle. And if none of the other suggestions work, fill a wine glass half way up and see if its level. If not you will have to drink it and try again (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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