Levelling ramps drive on or reverse on
Hi all only noticed this yesterday
what is the difference between driving up onto the ramps or reversing onto the ramps with the front wheels
just curious
Comments
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It is something we have been curious about too, our ramps indicate that you should drive forward onto them not reverse. However we have noticed that a lot of Europeans reverse onto their ramps (looks the same as UK ones) we had to reverse onto ours on 1
pitch while abroad due to the slop and the way we had to park, we did not suffer any problems so it wouldn't bother us if we had to do it again.0 -
We've tended to drive onto ours, but I wondered about reversing if only for ease of driving off. I can't imagine there would be any difference, that is the result would be the same whether you drive or reverse up. I'll be interested to watch the replies.
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if you are on a pitch with plenty of room and the surface is good then most will drive up on.
if the pitch is a bit 'dodgy' vis a vis getting off......say damp.....then use the ramps to give you a little extra impetus towards the pitch exit as you roll off...
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It's never crossed my mind to reverse onto my levelling blocks. I can't say I recall ever seeing any other van which has done so but I don't doubt that it happens. I can see the point that if on a tight pitch it might be necessary but I have never been in such a situation. It's very rare for there not to be some space behind the pitch that one can overhang before setting and driving onto one's blocks. So far I've never had an issue and like most of those with Fiat bases the blocks are almost always needed.
It would be a lot of hassle I think to reverse onto them. Much easier to drive forwards on to them and I've never had any issue getting off them.
Once at Sutton on Sea, some years ago, the surface was rather smooth with larger gauge stone than is usual and this caused the blocks to slip underneath my van as I drove up them and one block was broken. Reversing up them might have been a better option in that scenario but I still didn't think to try it. Anyway, after that, I bought some large rubber mats and I always put them underneath my blocks now and I have never had any trouble since then.
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We do both, always have. Just depends which way we want to face, and layout of pitching area.
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We do both, always have. Just depends which way we want to face, and layout of pitching area.
Write your comments here...we too, depends on if we go nose in or rear in, if ground conditions dictate, if the slope requires or what mood I'm in! Sometime I just like to live life on the zany side!
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I find that if I reverse on I can have the door open and watch the tyre going up the ramp. It saves having the argument with someone telling you to stop after you have driven right off the top...
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We always consider reversing on where there are possible issues getting off again e.g. a pitch with a lip at the front, soft ground, mud etc. Asa mentioned the additional forward impetus can be enough to get the front wheels off the pitch on the adjoining
road. These factors of course almost never apply to CC sites which are universally billiard table flat and level as well as being solid hardcore ! 0 -
I was hoping to use the cut down scaffold planks that I used for the caravan - up to three per side. Hopefully they will be stout enough although will not give me the same height.
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I was hoping to use the cut down scaffold planks that I used for the caravan - up to three per side. Hopefully they will be stout enough although will not give me the same height.
I have a set of Milenco quatro ramps available Hitchglitch. £20 to take them of my hands.
peedee
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I was hoping to use the cut down scaffold planks that I used for the caravan - up to three per side. Hopefully they will be stout enough although will not give me the same height.
Never tried planks but can recommend ramps, not overly expensive very light and easy to store. We had some Fiammia ones but they weren't overly robust and one got a crack on the narrow section. Purchased Milenco quatro ones much sturdier. I'd bite Peedee's
hand off at that price if I hadn't already got them
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I tend to use gravity and the slope to assist, e.g. if I nose into a downward sloping pitch I would drive on to them. If the pitch is upward sloping then I would drive on and reverse downhill on to the ramps.
me too, also Fiat chassis lie slightly nose-down so if you park with the front wheel on the high part of the pitch, it will minimise the ramp usage...
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We do both, always have. Just depends which way we want to face, and layout of pitching area.
Write your comments here...Me too, have Millenco
triples, which are usually high enough,and have good solid bases, but have some short timber planks if not. On grass pitches always use cut down bread crates under all 4 wheels, no matter what the weather, it has a habit of changing.
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I was hoping to use the cut down scaffold planks that I used for the caravan - up to three per side. Hopefully they will be stout enough although will not give me the same height.
Exactly what I now use have tried a variety of Fiamma/Milenco plactic ramps and not found them particularly satisfactory. So far I have only used two perside but might need to consider a third if pitches are on a steeper slope. The beauty of planks of wood
is that the wheel is always on the level rather than a slope so there is no wheel creep.David
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As we tour all seasons, and partly as last Summer proved rather wet in places, we bought some proper heavy duty waffle boards, which we carry most trips, unless we know the place we are staying very well. Since we bought them, we have only used them once,
and that was "just in case", but we do like to get out into some wild areas (N Y Moors, Dales, top of Long Mynd!). Help with that bit of oomph required to front wheels when setting off as well!0 -
Much prefer to reverse on to the ramps - when the correct level is reached and the 'bubble' is where I want it, it's brake on and there it stays. If I've driven up the ramp then as soon as the motor-mover/car is detached, the van will slide back down several
inches as the brakes recognise rearward movement and try to allow it, until the handbrake reaches it's full stop. Wasted a lot of time levelling the van until I learned this!0 -
I was hoping to use the cut down scaffold planks that I used for the caravan - up to three per side. Hopefully they will be stout enough although will not give me the same height.
I have a set of Milenco quatro ramps available Hitchglitch. £20 to take them of my hands.
peedee
That's a good offer peedee. How can I contact you offline?
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If you have a motorhome built on an Alko chassis and you are using some of the larger ramps, you may well find that you don't have a choice but to drive forward up the ramps as there simply isn't clearance to get the ramps behind the drive wheels.
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If you have a motorhome built on an Alko chassis and you are using some of the larger ramps, you may well find that you don't have a choice but to drive forward up the ramps as there simply isn't clearance to get the ramps behind the drive wheels.
I had that problem plus I always had to drive up the ramps because there isn't enough clearance behind the front wheels to reverse up them. I now have a hydraulic leveling system and wished I had fitted sooner.
Hitchglitch you can email me from
>this page< just click on "here" on the bottom line. We don't live too far from each other.I 've also got a top box if anyone is interest in that.
peedee
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I now have a hydraulic leveling system and wished I had fitted sooner.Write your comments here...we had the E&P system on our caravan and do miss the ease of levelling the unit - I am on the long journey to convince senior management that it would be a great idea to invest in one for the Motorhome - wish me luck...
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I now have a hydraulic leveling system and wished I had fitted sooner.Write your comments here...we had the E&P system on our caravan and do miss the ease of levelling the unit - I am on the long journey to convince senior management that it would be a great idea to invest in one for the Motorhome - wish me luck...
Would getting her to level the outfit help?
I have the Glide Rite system, not so sophisicated but cheaper than the E&P.
peedee
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When we had the wind up leveller, we drove onto it, then wound it up to the required level. No problem when we had a lighter caravan, but our present van although it is only an Ariva is nearly 3cwt heaver than our Elf, and it was too much for OH to manage to wind it up. We bought the levelling ramps but have to reverse up because they interfere with the motor mover otherwise. We use a v shaped wedge to secure the wheel on the ramp to stop it rolling forwards. No problem either when getting off the ramp. Edge slightly backwards to loosen the wedge, then drive forward off the ramp. Sorry just realised this is a motorhome query, so my comments aren't relevant, very sorry.
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When we had the wind up leveller, we drove onto it, then wound it up to the required level. No problem when we had a lighter caravan, but our present van although it is only an Ariva is nearly 3cwt heaver than our Elf, and it was too much for OH to manage
to wind it up. We bought the levelling ramps but have to reverse up because they interfere with the motor mover otherwise. We use a v shaped wedge to secure the wheel on the ramp to stop it rolling forwards. No problem either when getting off the ramp.
Edge slightly backwards to loosen the wedge, then drive forward off the ramp. Sorry just realised this is a motorhome query, so my comments aren't relevant, very sorry.Write your comments here...you caravanners have it easy for levelling for fore and aft anyway, side to side you are in the same posistion as us. Ramps,wind up leveller (never seen one used on a motorhome ?) or planks of wood. Anything to stop rolling
out of bed !0 -
When we had the wind up leveller, we drove onto it, then wound it up to the required level. No problem when we had a lighter caravan, but our present van although it is only an Ariva is nearly 3cwt heaver than our Elf, and it was too much for OH to manage to wind it up. We bought the levelling ramps but have to reverse up because they interfere with the motor mover otherwise. We use a v shaped wedge to secure the wheel on the ramp to stop it rolling forwards. No problem either when getting off the ramp. Edge slightly backwards to loosen the wedge, then drive forward off the ramp. Sorry just realised this is a motorhome query, so my comments aren't relevant, very sorry.
Write your comments here...you caravanners have it easy for levelling for fore and aft anyway, side to side you are in the same posistion as us. Ramps,wind up leveller (never seen one used on a motorhome ?) or planks of wood. Anything to stop rolling out of bed !
Write your comments here... I always park so there is a slope to the bed.............my wife has to cutch up then so she doesn't roll out of bed and that's after 53 years of marriage.
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