Newbie with twin axle levelling issues
Hi
As the title says I'm a newbie and currently on our first trip. Had some challenges getting the van level - not right to left but front to back. Having finally got onto a gravel pitch it turned out that the jockey wheel would not go high enough to level the van. Looking around the answer appears to be shove a load of wood under the jockey wheel. However is there an easy way to do this - could you put the steadies down, lift the jockey wheel, put the wood underneath and then raise the van using the jockey wheel? Slightly nervous as the dealership stressed that the steadies were for steadying not lifting, but wondered if it could support the weight for a couple of minutes?
Also when using the motor mover to get into the space allocation I had left the jockey wheel high - it dug a great channel through the gravel and looks under a bit of strain if I'm honest. I have added a picture - am I just being a sensitive newbie? Presumably the trick is keep the jockey wheel low when moving and then raise? Anyway of telling if I have damaged/weakened it? presumably they are fairly sturdy things?
Finally (and thanks for continuing to read) having now experienced the challenges with levelling I'm thinking about a Lock and Load for the right to left challenges I'll know doubt encounter at some point. Is everyone in agreement - easy to use and effective?
Thanks for considering
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No problem lifting the wheel while the steadies are down.
What type of mover do you have? Ours is a 2 wheel one, fitted to the front wheels, so we always have the jockey wheel low to put more of the weight on the driven wheels, and that also puts less strain on the jockey wheel.
Lock and level gets good reviews but IMO is expensive. We just use some decking boards/offcuts. One long one and 4 short pieces.
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You’ve got the right idea, Oakest. Raise the van in stages using the steadies as described and always lower the nose when using the mover.
We managed for 40 years with home made ramps and blocks of wood and never found the need to buy any expensive levelling gear.
Enjoy your van.
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I am also very new to caravanning and bought a twin axle. I was recommended the lock and level when on a club training course. I purchased the twin and single bags and as yet have not used the single one in the five trips we have made since 1st May.
The van is stored in a secure lock up and the insurance requires both Alco locks be fitted. I have tended to use the jack to fit the second lock rather than use the airbags and leave them in situ.
I was advised on the training course to swop the plastic jockey wheel for an inflatable one as they roll over gravel rather than dig in. You can get gel ones as well. Plastic one can remain in a locker in case you get a flat.
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I have been using Lock 'n Level, on a twin axle van, for the last 5 years and wouldn't be without it. It takes me about 5 minutes to fit both Alko locks - and level the van. I did once try to use the hydraulic trolley jack that came with our new Knaus and it was almost impossible. The AWD motor movers block access to the jacking points and the amount of pressure required to lift the van was unbelievable.
Using boards etc to level is OK - and a cheap solution - but they don't assist in fitting the wheel locks.
L 'n L particularly scores for me when pitched on soft ground where I don't think the use of jacks, of whatever sort, are safe. I would also advise a heavy duty rubber mat to go underneath it on gravel pitches to minimise the risk of a puncture.
Another tip is to make sure, when using the L 'n L, that the jockey wheel is raised to its full extent when inflating the air bag - it assists in giving the front wheel a bit more lift.
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Thanks - I have also got a jack - but I suspect that will need to be on a raised base as well to get the front wheel off the ground (the jacking point is at behind the second axle). I think I'm beginning to realise the importance of wooden blocks!
Thanks for your feedback
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To fit Alko locks on a twin axle without expense, first line up and fit the rear (i.e. non-mover wheel) lock. Then move the caravan forward to line up the front one. The locked wheel will slide the inch or so needed, and one could get a couple of those worktop protector plastic sheets sold in 10s in Aldi/Lidl for a couple of quid to put under the wheel. Remember to put the slippy sides together, or just use a copy of the club magazine.
If blocks are required, set that up first then move the caravan off to get the plastic sheets/magazine into the right place. I have seen one person using blocks reverse the caravan with the ramp block (at the rear) removed so the rear wheel hung on the suspension, and then rotate the wheel so the spokes were in same alignment as the front. Not tried it myself, but have done something similar to change a wheel.
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I would like to see this work - have you actually done it? The strain on the wheel lock already fitted must be tremendous- I can’t see how it would simply slide as you suggest. Sometimes, the wheel lock positions are out by 180 degrees, so I don’t get the ‘only having to move the wheel an inch or two’. Perhaps I am missing something - could you explain?
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Well done Oakest. I am confident you won’t be disappointed. The back up from L ‘n L is excellent. I have always dealt with Derek Ibbotson who is most helpful if you have a query. I recently had to have my original one refurbished because of a leak in one of the airbags - after constant use for four and a half years and it was done for a fraction of the price of a new one.
I, too, have the combo kit but have only had to use both on a couple of occasions - just luck I suppose! Now, levelling to raise the off side needs a bit of thinking about but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it😃
Another tip - invest in a small 12v battery - about 40 mAh - saves having to move the car near to the van to connect your pump. You may find that your pump draws more current than a 12v socket in your van or car allows.
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Purely on the subject of adjusting the height of the jockey wheel within the A frame - I put a block of 6x6 (inches) by say 24"long under the hitch head, drop the van on to it, then adjust height of jockey wheel as required, i.e. higher or lower.
After that re-wind jockey wheel to release the block and then raise - drop as required.
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Sometimes, the wheel lock positions are out by 180 degrees
On my wheels there are eight "spokes", and hence eight spaces. The block of the lock will fit any of these spaces. So there are eight possibilities, each 45 degrees from the next one. However, it could be shorter to turn the wheel in the other direction, which means the biggest movement is 22.5 degrees. Plenty of schoolteachers on here who will convert that radial movement into a linear one for us.
I'm curious about your wheel having only one place to fit the block on to. I woud have thought that would create an instability when rotating.
As to the strength. If the lock cannot cope with these forces it won't be much use when someone tries to tow it away!
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OK, I take your point, but my wheels have only five spokes and one of those is where the valve is, so I was wrong about 180 degrees, but it still requires movement of much more than 'an inch or so'.
My main concern was that whilst I don't doubt that the lock bolt can cope with the strain, when it comes to undoing it, if there has been the slightest bit of movement of the wheel after the lock has been fitted, the thread of the bolt is extremely tight and there must be a danger of stripping the thread on either the bolt or the receiver.
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the lock bolt can cope with the strain, when it comes to undoing it, if there has been the slightest bit of movement of the wheel after the lock has been fitted, the thread of the bolt is extremely tight and there must be a danger of stripping the thread on either the bolt or the receiver.
Indeed. So I remove the lock from the front (mover) wheel first, and then use the mover to relieve any strain on the rear wheel. I rarely use the wheel brace to either fit or remove the locks, finger tight works well. The function of locking is puting the bolt in shear, not in tension. And an occasional wipe with a cloth, a spot of lubrication, and always using the yellow bungs makes it all work well.
Before I used this proceedure, I did notice that the locks could be fitted with the bolts finger tight, yet had become tight when it came to removal. I put it down to settling against the park brake being applied, or the movement of the caravan in use and with the wind.
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And re your last paragraph - the act of using L 'n L tends to exacerbate this problem due to the fact that there is a very slight rotation of the wheel as it rises on the suspension.
I have tried doing as you suggest re using the motor mover to take some of the strain off the remaining (rear) wheel lock when disengaging. However, because of the five spokes, the lozenges are very large ( as compared with our previous Bailey) and consequently, the fit is even more critical. It's therefore difficult to work out which way to move the van to take the pressure off the bolt and on the occasions I have done it, I have invariably ended up going in the wrong direction - with the fear that I might end up sheering the bolt altogether.
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I'm glad to learn that it is not just me who invariably turns it in the wrong direction! If I remember rightly, one needs to rotate to close the gap one can see on one side of the block. Just don't feel for it with one's finger!
It is difficult with the mover to make a very small adjustment. However, there is an old engineers' trick for dealing with this. Make two movements in opposite directions. It is easier to make these differ by a very small amount than to actually make that small movement in one direction.
The lock bolts are substantial and would normally need a huge force to shear one. If it did happen it woud be on the plain shank beyond the threaded section, so easy to remove in two bits but very sore on the wallet to get a replacement.
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Navigateur - I hope the photo shows the problem I have. When I said that the lozenge is huge - I meant it. It's on a Knaus and its much, much bigger than on our previous Barcelona. You will see that because of its shape, the top surface partially covers the spokes (it has a shoulder that fits inside the spoke, if you understand me) - so it's not possible to work out, easily, which side the gap is. Hence my invariably getting it wrong! It's a bit tricky to line the bolt up correctly even when the wheel is free to spin and there really is very little tolerance.
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I think I can help with that. I kept dropping the yellow bungs when getting them out or in, so I got a short bit of plastic pipe that was a tight fit onto them - part of a sink overflow actually - to use as a fitting tool.
When it is pushed onto the bung before unscrewing it makes a great guide for getting the wheel so the gap is centered on the receiver.
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Lining up the wheel bang on for the Alco lock is absolutely vital. My second time out I was not fully lined up and still fitted it and cross threaded the receiver. I had to order a 20mm rap of the correct thread size and tap it clean.
Now I fit the lock without the bolt into the wheel and use the mark one eyeball to check it is absolutely spot on.
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A question.
I have a single axle caravan, alko lock, insurance company fine with that, me too.
So why do they insist that ta's have two fitted?
Why fit two anyway? If it does get stolen, how would they factually know you didn't?
Seems alot of trouble to me to bother with for very little gain.
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There is no point in just fitting just one wheel lock to a TA van because all the low-life will do is deflate the tyre with the wheel lock fitted and tow it away. Whilst that may attract some attention, it wouldn't if it allowed the van to be put on a low-loader.
My CAMC insurance allows for one Alko lock to be fitted - when on site - as long as another approved type of lock is used on a wheel on the other axle.
I suppose, if recovered after being stolen - they would be looking for evidence that two wheel locks had been removed, and if it wasn't there, could refuse to pay out. I agree, to some extent that it might, in some circumstances, be difficult to prove - a bit like qualifying for the discount for ATC. You have to state that it was working at the time of any incident and whilst you could give assurance that it was working when the van was hitched up - whose to know what could happen whilst you were on your journey?
I suppose, as with any contract, there has to be an element of trust and reasonableness on both sides.
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I recall a tool a friend had made during his apprenticeship with Rolls Royce. It was a disc of metal about 4" diameter and 3/8th" thick with a knurled edge, and a hexagonal hole in the centre. We called it a nut spinner, but they dont seem to appear on e-Bay etc under that title.
Just the job for reducing the fiddling turning one of these bolts.
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My friend worked on aero engine overhauls, so the apprentice training made the tools they needed rather than a full set of anything. He had some very simple tools that made technical jobs easier - the simplest was an old three-cornered file ground down smooth on each face to make a gasket scraper. The one he gave me has been well used for decades now.
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but other than that, I agree 
