Why the choice matters more than it looks
Every caravan levelling app claims to get you level. The question is what happens between opening the app and driving onto your ramps. Does it tell you how many steps to place under which wheel — before you move? Does it guide you through the correct caravan setup sequence? Does it calculate how far to wind the jockey wheel, in millimetres, not degrees?
Most apps answer none of these questions. They show you an angle reading and leave the rest to you. This guide is a framework for evaluating what you're actually buying — so you can tell the difference before you're at a campsite wondering why you're still not level.
The 10 features to evaluate
Feature 01
Sensor type — phone or external hardware?
The most fundamental split in the market. A phone-based app uses the accelerometer already built into your device. An external sensor (SavvyLevel, Oricom RVLS01, AdventurousBD Possum) mounts permanently to the caravan chassis and connects via Bluetooth.
Hardware sensors are always-on once installed — you get a reading the moment you pull up without placing your phone anywhere specific. That's their genuine advantage. The accuracy concern often raised about phone sensors applies to dynamic applications like navigation. On a stationary caravan, your phone measures a static gravity field. Modern smartphones achieve better than 0.5° accuracy in that scenario — well inside the ±3° tolerance that most caravan appliances require.
The practical difference is cost. External sensors run $190–$350+ AUD before installation. A phone-based app is free to try.
Feature 02
Ramp step calculator
Showing you a live degree reading is one thing. Telling you how many ramp steps to place under which wheel — before you move the van — is another. These are different problems that require different software.
A ramp step calculator takes your current lean angle, your track width, and your ramp brand's step height and outputs an exact number of steps per wheel. Without one, you're converting degrees to millimetres to steps in your head and adjusting after the fact if you guessed wrong. Most apps skip this entirely. Check before you commit.
Feature 03
Caravan-specific setup sequence
A caravan is not levelled the same way as a motorhome, and an app designed for one doesn't necessarily understand the other. The correct caravan sequence is: survey while hitched (side lean only, since the jockey wheel controls pitch), drive the tow vehicle forward onto ramps for roll correction, check and adjust, unhitch, then correct pitch with the jockey wheel.
A generic level app or motorhome app doesn't know this order exists. You get an angle reading and you're on your own. An app built for caravans guides you through each phase with the right measurement for that step — which side to ramp, whether to unhitch first, how much jockey wheel travel to apply.
Feature 04
Jockey wheel calculation
Pitch correction on a caravan is performed by raising or lowering the jockey wheel. The question you need answered isn't "how many degrees off level am I?" — it's "how many millimetres do I wind the jockey wheel handle?" Those are different calculations that require knowing your jockey wheel's thread pitch.
Most apps answer the first question and leave the second to you. An app that gives you a millimetre figure directly is the difference between two winds and done versus winding, checking, adjusting, checking again.
Feature 05
Axle type support
A tandem axle caravan requires two ramp pieces per low side to achieve the same correction as one ramp piece on a single axle van. This is because the rear axle sits off the ramp while the front axle rides it — the effective rise is roughly halved. An app that doesn't distinguish between single and tandem axle configurations will systematically under-correct on tandem setups.
This isn't a safety-critical error — you'll just find yourself still leaning after driving onto the ramps and needing to add more. But it's an avoidable frustration. Check whether the app explicitly supports your axle configuration.
Feature 06
Solo levelling capability
If you travel with a partner, the setup division is straightforward — one person drives, one watches the level. If you travel solo, you need to drive the tow vehicle onto ramps and know when you've reached your target height without a spotter inside the van.
Two solutions exist in the market. Audio guidance produces a tone that increases in frequency as you approach level — you hear it through the window while driving, no spotter required. Remote display shares a live reading to a second phone placed inside the van while you walk back to drive. Most apps offer one or the other. Check which the app offers, and whether it's free or locked behind a paid upgrade.
OzLevel Pro includes both — hands-free audio guidance for solo levelling, and Pair Mode, which streams live sensor readings from the phone inside the van to a second phone outside in real time. It works across iPhone and Android combinations with no extra hardware.
Feature 07
Offline capability
A significant proportion of Australian caravanning happens at free camp sites — national parks, state forests, station stays, roadside stops — where mobile coverage is absent or unreliable. An app that requires a data connection at the campsite fails exactly when you need it most.
A Progressive Web App (PWA) loads once and caches everything on device. No signal required after the first use. App Store apps may work offline for basic angle readings but can require connectivity for account features, premium content, or updates. Always check the offline behaviour before heading somewhere remote.
Feature 08
Audio guidance
Whether you're solo or with a partner, audio guidance changes the levelling experience. A rising tone that increases in frequency as you approach level — and stops when you're there — means you can drive onto ramps, hear when you've hit the target, and stop without repeated in-and-out trips. Your partner can relay it from inside the van. You can hear it through a cracked window yourself.
This is typically a paid feature where it exists at all. Check whether it's in the free tier or behind an upgrade.
Feature 09
Platform compatibility and install friction
Verify the app runs on your specific device — iPhone, Android, or both. Some levelling apps are iOS-only or have meaningfully different feature sets between platforms.
Also check whether an App Store download is required. At a campsite with limited signal, downloading a large app to a device that hasn't had it installed before is a genuine problem. A browser-based PWA that loads from a cached copy skips this entirely — you can open it on any device with a browser, with no install required.
Feature 10
Pricing model
The pricing models in this market vary considerably and the upfront cost doesn't tell the full story:
- Hardware + companion app: $190–$350+ AUD hardware cost, plus installation. The app itself is usually free.
- Subscription Pro tier: free basic app, monthly or annual fee for advanced features. Cost accumulates over years of caravanning.
- One-time Pro upgrade: free basic app, single payment for full feature access. No ongoing cost.
- Fully free: rare, and usually limited to a basic angle display.
If you're comparing two apps with similar features and one charges annually while the other charges once, that's a meaningful difference over a decade of caravanning trips. Factor in the total cost of ownership, not just the download price.
Feature comparison at a glance
How the main options in the Australian market compare across these 10 features:
| Feature | OzLevel Caravan | Caravan Leveller | Caravan Level Remote | Hardware Sensor | Generic Level App |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor type | Phone (built-in) | Phone (built-in) | Phone (built-in) | External Bluetooth | Phone (built-in) |
| Ramp step calculator | ✓ Pro | ✗ | ✗ | Varies | ✗ |
| Caravan setup sequence | ✓ Pro | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Jockey wheel calculation | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Tandem axle support | ✓ Pro | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Solo audio guidance | ✓ Pro | ✗ | Partial | ✗ | ✗ |
| Two-person / remote display | ✓ Pro | ✗ | ✓ Subscription | Always-on sensor | ✗ |
| 100% offline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No App Store required | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Australian-made | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Cost | Free · Pro $9.99 once | Free / Paid | Free / Subscription | $190–$350+ AUD | Free |
A note on phone accuracy
The question comes up constantly: is a phone accurate enough? For a stationary caravan on a campsite, the answer is yes — comfortably.
Your phone's accelerometer measures gravity. On a parked van with no motion or vibration, it produces a static reading with no meaningful drift. The sensor concerns raised by hardware vendors apply to dynamic use cases — navigation, motion tracking — not a van that isn't moving.
Most caravan fridges, appliances, and toilet systems operate correctly within ±3° of level. A modern smartphone achieves better than 0.5° on a static reading. That's six times more precise than you actually need. If your phone says you're within 1–2°, your fridge is running correctly and you are done.
Your pre-download checklist
Before committing to any caravan levelling app, run through these questions:
- Does it have a ramp step calculator — or just an angle display?
- Does it guide the caravan setup sequence in the correct order?
- Does it calculate jockey wheel travel in millimetres?
- Does it support my axle type — single, tandem, or both?
- Can I use it solo without a spotter?
- Does it work 100% offline with no mobile signal?
- Does it run on my phone — no App Store download required?
- What does Pro cost, and is it a one-time payment or a subscription?
Any app that can't answer most of these questions clearly is a spirit level dressed up as something more. The campsite is the wrong place to find out.
Frequently asked questions
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Do I need a Bluetooth sensor or will my phone work for caravan levelling?
Your phone works. Modern smartphones measure tilt to better than 0.5° on a stationary vehicle — six times more precise than the ±3° tolerance most caravan appliances require. Hardware sensors ($190–$350+ AUD) are always-on once mounted, which is their main practical advantage. For most caravanners, a phone-based app delivers the same result at zero hardware cost.
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What's the difference between a spirit level app and a caravan levelling app?
A spirit level app shows you a live angle reading. A caravan levelling app uses that reading to calculate what to do about it — how many ramp steps under which wheel, how many millimetres to wind the jockey wheel, and in what order. The first tells you what is wrong. The second tells you how to fix it.
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Can a caravan levelling app work without internet?
It depends on the app. OzLevel Caravan is a Progressive Web App that caches everything on device after the first load — it works 100% offline with no mobile signal. Most App Store levelling apps also work offline for basic angle readings, but may require connectivity for account features or updates. Always verify before heading somewhere remote.
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Does it matter whether a levelling app is designed specifically for caravans?
Yes — significantly. A caravan has a different setup sequence to a motorhome. You level side-lean while still hitched, drive onto ramps, unhitch, then correct pitch with the jockey wheel. A generic level app or motorhome app doesn't know this sequence. An app built for caravans guides you through each phase in the correct order with the right measurement for that step.