My van is parked on a slope. (see picture below). The height of the tow ball is 1000mm raised above the ground to keep the van level. This takes a lot of mucking around to unhitch and also to hitch up. Does anyone have any ideas on how to streamline this process? Are there better ways to do it? Are there any better solutions rather than using the wood blocks and car stands?
Our house/garden/pool live on a decent slope.
Rear drive drops down over 6 ft in not much more distance between road and fenceline. then keeps going down at around 30% of that to house.
I have tandem vans. Offroaders only, to get over and down ramp into garden.
Cars and std vans bottom out every time.
I've trid a few things including building looooong ramps.
Easiest I find, and use,'
are a pr of heavy duty, dual length top section car ramps
With extra bracing angles welded in. 12 yrs, works fine.
Front wheels sit at front "toe" of ramp. Second (rear)wheels, to suit on top of extended top section.
Jockey wheel cranked right down. van "almost" level.......
and with coupla Dynabolts drilled into concrete and locking rear ends of ramps.
They\it. no-go,,, ing. Anywhere..
PS and who don't like my "full stops" then. Hey.......... Grrrrrrr..........
That enuff????............................................................................................Chuckle.
'ere y'are. 'nother couple.......................................................... .
I got a BIGGGGGG bagfull, just for you. Whoever.
Bushpie said
07:07 PM Dec 1, 2016
PS and who don't like my "full stops" then. Hey.......... Grrrrrrr..........
That enuff????............................................................................................Chuckle.
'ere y'are. 'nother couple.......................................................... . I got a BIGGGGGG bagfull, just for you. Whoever.
Off topic............. a man after my own heart"."...............
keep em coming macca.............
Radar said
07:43 PM Dec 1, 2016
Dickandkerry wrote:
Hi,
My van is parked on a slope. (see picture below). The height of the tow ball is 1000mm raised above the ground to keep the van level. This takes a lot of mucking around to unhitch and also to hitch up. Does anyone have any ideas on how to streamline this process? Are there better ways to do it? Are there any better solutions rather than using the wood blocks and car stands?
Appreciate any comments.
Thanks
Hi Dickand Kerry
I have experienced your problem when I free camp at my brother in laws, I finish up at 950mm at the front, needing extra packing under the right handside 50 mm to make the caravan level.
My progam is after reversing in and up the drive, we place a 500 long x 300 wide x 5o high behind the rightside wheel of caravan.
Under the drive of our tow vehicle we place our 300 high heavy duty work ramps, then reverse the vehicle up on to these.
Brother in law has a great big block of wood that I place under the jockey wheel
Where the trailer wheels are sitting is more or less flat taking some of the concern out of the equation when parking the caravan but I still choke it well.
I have now done it 3 times, first time I wished I had not agreed to stay, 2nd time good ramps, 3rd time a breeze.
Now the next time we visit we will need to fine somewhere else camp as he has sold.
Hope this may help, at our home we have the opposite where the front ends up nearly on the ground, I do find it gets easier each time I do it. main thing is to take your time.
Eaglemax said
10:27 PM Dec 1, 2016
I'm trying to think outside the square. If one had airbag suspension could you lower the whole van once in position ?
macka17 said
04:05 AM Dec 2, 2016
Going back a few yrs.
There was a spate of "inventions" for such.
One was a water\pump based unit. utilising 2in sewer pipe with an electric?. water pump to operate.
4 or more legs with individual on\off valves. very simple to use.
I'll see if I still have the DVD they gave out on it
My van uneven.
Now I gave away the hydraulic wheel jack.
Is to use a trolley jack and axle stands. Safe and stable.
Hylife said
06:36 PM Dec 2, 2016
Dickandkerry wrote:
Hi,
My van is parked on a slope. (see picture below). The height of the tow ball is 1000mm raised above the ground to keep the van level. This takes a lot of mucking around to unhitch and also to hitch up. Does anyone have any ideas on how to streamline this process? Are there better ways to do it? Are there any better solutions rather than using the wood blocks and car stands?
Appreciate any comments.
Thanks
I'd hire a jackhammer and rip up that concrete next to the pattern-paved driveway. Then I'd call up some bloke with a mini-dingo and have the dirt excavated to a more level site.
Dickandkerry said
09:32 AM Dec 5, 2016
Thanks for the input. It does get easier every time but I was just hoping there is a much simpler way. All works OK and I am not concerned about the safety so will probably just keep doing what I am doing.
Hi,
My van is parked on a slope. (see picture below). The height of the tow ball is 1000mm raised above the ground to keep the van level. This takes a lot of mucking around to unhitch and also to hitch up. Does anyone have any ideas on how to streamline this process? Are there better ways to do it? Are there any better solutions rather than using the wood blocks and car stands?
Appreciate any comments.
Thanks
Rear drive drops down over 6 ft in not much more distance between road and fenceline. then keeps going down at around 30% of that to house.
I have tandem vans. Offroaders only, to get over and down ramp into garden.
Cars and std vans bottom out every time.
I've trid a few things including building looooong ramps.
Easiest I find, and use,'
are a pr of heavy duty, dual length top section car ramps
With extra bracing angles welded in. 12 yrs, works fine.
Front wheels sit at front "toe" of ramp. Second (rear)wheels, to suit on top of extended top section.
Jockey wheel cranked right down. van "almost" level.......
and with coupla Dynabolts drilled into concrete and locking rear ends of ramps.
They\it. no-go,,, ing. Anywhere..
PS and who don't like my "full stops" then. Hey.......... Grrrrrrr..........
That enuff????............................................................................................Chuckle.
'ere y'are. 'nother couple.......................................................... .
I got a BIGGGGGG bagfull, just for you. Whoever.
Off topic............. a man after my own heart"."...............
keep em coming macca.............
Hi Dickand Kerry
I have experienced your problem when I free camp at my brother in laws, I finish up at 950mm at the front, needing extra packing under the right handside 50 mm to make the caravan level.
My progam is after reversing in and up the drive, we place a 500 long x 300 wide x 5o high behind the rightside wheel of caravan.
Under the drive of our tow vehicle we place our 300 high heavy duty work ramps, then reverse the vehicle up on to these.
Brother in law has a great big block of wood that I place under the jockey wheel
Where the trailer wheels are sitting is more or less flat taking some of the concern out of the equation when parking the caravan but I still choke it well.
I have now done it 3 times, first time I wished I had not agreed to stay, 2nd time good ramps, 3rd time a breeze.
Now the next time we visit we will need to fine somewhere else camp as he has sold.
Hope this may help, at our home we have the opposite where the front ends up nearly on the ground, I do find it gets easier each time I do it. main thing is to take your time.
There was a spate of "inventions" for such.
One was a water\pump based unit. utilising 2in sewer pipe with an electric?. water pump to operate.
4 or more legs with individual on\off valves. very simple to use.
I'll see if I still have the DVD they gave out on it
My van uneven.
Now I gave away the hydraulic wheel jack.
Is to use a trolley jack and axle stands. Safe and stable.
I'd hire a jackhammer and rip up that concrete next to the pattern-paved driveway. Then I'd call up some bloke with a mini-dingo and have the dirt excavated to a more level site.
Thanks for the input. It does get easier every time but I was just hoping there is a much simpler way. All works OK and I am not concerned about the safety so will probably just keep doing what I am doing.
Thanks