Why levelling your caravan actually matters
An unlevel caravan is more than an inconvenience. The three-way fridge in most Australian caravans uses a gas absorption process that requires the unit to be within a few degrees of level to circulate correctly. Run it tilted beyond ±3° for extended periods and you'll shorten its life significantly — or stop it cooling altogether on hot days when you need it most.
Beyond the fridge: doors swing open or closed on their own, water pools incorrectly in the grey water tank, your sleep is disturbed on a slope, and the awning doesn't tension evenly. Getting level right isn't fussiness — it protects your equipment and makes camp a genuinely comfortable place to be.
The good news is that levelling a caravan is straightforward when you know the correct sequence and have accurate measurements. Most of the twenty-minute shuffling ritual at the campsite comes from guessing, not from the process itself.
Before you stop — choose your spot wisely
The best levelling session is the one you mostly solve before you park. As you pull slowly into a site, scan the ground from the cab. Grass and gravel sites usually slope for drainage — often with a gentle crown or a consistent lean in one direction. Look at where puddles form after rain (if you can tell) and park with that in mind.
If the site has a significant cross-fall, orient the caravan so the slope runs front-to-back rather than side-to-side where possible. Roll (side-to-side lean) is corrected with ramps — one pass, precise, repeatable. Pitch (front-to-back lean) is corrected with the jockey wheel — also precise. But severe pitch on a very long van can push the jockey wheel beyond its travel range, so minimising pitch at the parking stage saves hassle.
A thirty-second slow drive-around costs nothing. A badly chosen position costs thirty minutes of ramp shuffling.
The complete sequence — five steps
Every step in this sequence exists for a reason. The order is not arbitrary — side levelling must happen while hitched, and pitch levelling must happen after unhitching. Get the order right once and it becomes automatic.
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1
Survey — measure your lean before you touch anything
Park in your chosen spot. Apply the tow vehicle's park brake. Leave the van hitched. Open OzLevel Caravan and place your phone flat on a level surface inside the van — the kitchen bench or a dinette seat works perfectly. Give it three to four seconds to settle and read the roll and pitch values. OzLevel tells you which side is low, exactly how many ramp blocks you need to raise it, and the exact millimetres of jockey wheel travel required to correct pitch. Write nothing down — OzLevel carries these numbers through the wizard.
⭐ Pro: audio assist mode is available from this step — particularly useful for solo levelling -
2
Side level — drive onto ramps while still hitched
Get out, retrieve your ramps from storage, and place them in front of the low-side axle wheels at the step height OzLevel calculated. For stackable step ramps, set them to the correct step before placing them. For a continuous wedge ramp, position the thin end toward you. Get back in the tow vehicle and drive forward slowly — walking pace — until both low-side wheels are fully on the ramp platform. Apply the park brake. Side level is done. The van is still hitched — this is correct.
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3
Unhitch — now it's safe to disconnect
Lower the jockey wheel until it takes the van's nose weight off the tow ball. Release the hitch coupling and lift clear of the tow ball. Disconnect the 7-pin electrical connector and the breakaway cable. Move the tow vehicle forward out of the way. The van is now stable on its ramps, correctly side-levelled, and ready for pitch adjustment. This is the correct moment to unhitch — not before.
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4
Pitch level — jockey wheel to correct nose height
OzLevel Caravan now shows you the pitch reading and the exact millimetres to wind the jockey wheel. Nose low (nose-down) means you need to wind the jockey wheel up to raise the nose. Nose high (nose-up) means wind down. Wind slowly in small increments, checking the app reading as you go. The target is within 0.5° on the pitch axis. Once there, tighten the jockey wheel clamp.
⭐ Pro: audio assist plays a tone that rises in frequency as you approach level — keep both hands on the jockey wheel crank -
5
Stabilise — corner steadies last
Lower your four corner steadies to firm contact with the ground. These are stabilisers — not levelling devices. They prevent rocking under foot traffic inside the van. Wind them down until they make solid contact, then give them two or three turns more — snug, not load-bearing. Chock the wheels that are not on ramps. You're done.
Common mistakes — and how to avoid them
Unhitching before side levelling
The most common mistake. Once unhitched, you cannot drive the caravan onto ramps — it has no motive power. Correcting roll on a free-standing caravan means physically pushing or lever-lifting it onto ramps, which is difficult and potentially dangerous with a heavy van. Always complete side levelling (step 2) before unhitching (step 3).
Using corner steadies as levelling jacks
Placing ramps on soft ground without boards
On sand, soft grass, or clay, ramps can sink unevenly under the weight of a caravan — especially when the tow vehicle is adding its weight to drive it up. Always put a piece of plywood or a rubber mat under each ramp on soft ground. It spreads the load, keeps the ramp from digging in, and prevents the step height from changing under load.
Skipping the measurement step and guessing
Going straight for the ramps based on how the van looks is the source of most of the multi-pass shuffle. It might look fine from outside — angles are deceptive. OzLevel's sensor reads to better than 0.5° and gives you the exact ramp step before you even get the ramps out of the storage bay. Measure first. Place once. Drive on once.
Not chocking wheels
A park brake holds the vehicle. Until it fails, or someone accidentally releases it, or it's a hot day and the brake shoes have expanded. Chock the wheels not on ramps every time. It takes ten seconds. The alternative is a van rolling off ramps — a rare event, but catastrophic when it happens.
Quick reference checklist
| Step | Action | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Choose site — check cross-fall before committing to a spot | □ |
| 1 | Park, brake on, still hitched — open OzLevel Caravan and measure roll and pitch | □ |
| 2 | Place ramps at the correct step on the low-side axle wheels | □ |
| 2 | Drive onto ramps — slowly — until wheels are fully on platform. Apply brake. | □ |
| 3 | Lower jockey wheel, release coupling, disconnect electrics. Move tow vehicle. | □ |
| 4 | Adjust jockey wheel by the number of mm OzLevel shows — up for nose-down, down for nose-up | □ |
| 4 | Confirm OzLevel reads ≤0.5° pitch. Tighten jockey wheel clamp. | □ |
| 5 | Lower all four corner steadies to firm contact. Not load-bearing — snug only. | □ |
| 5 | Chock wheels not on ramps | □ |
| ✓ | Awning out. Kettle on. Done. | □ |
Frequently asked questions
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What order do you level a caravan?
Survey (measure) → side level with ramps while hitched → unhitch → pitch level with jockey wheel → corner steadies. This sequence matters: side levelling requires the tow vehicle, so it must happen before unhitching.
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How level does a caravan need to be?
Most caravan fridges and appliances are rated to operate within ±3° of level — roughly 97mm of rise across a 1850mm track width. OzLevel Caravan reads to 0.5° accuracy. If the app shows you're within 1–2°, your fridge is happy and you are done.
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Can corner steadies level a caravan?
No. Corner steadies stabilise the van against rocking — they are not rated to lift or support the caravan's static weight. Using them to correct lean risks buckling them and damaging the chassis. Level with ramps and jockey wheel, then lower steadies to light contact only.
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Does OzLevel Caravan work for tandem axle caravans?
Yes. Set your axle type to tandem in settings. OzLevel will flag if you only have one ramp piece per side — tandem axles need two ramp pieces per side so both axles come up together. The levelling calculation itself is identical regardless of axle type.