The honest version upfront
This article is written by OzLevel. We make a $9.99 motorhome levelling app, so we have an obvious interest in you not spending thousands on hardware. We're saying that upfront because this guide covers every option fairly — including the ones that cost thousands and are worth it for the right owner.
Levelling hardware is a bigger decision than it looks. In our survey of 141 Australian motorhome owners, 28% already had a hydraulic or electric levelling system fitted, while the largest group — 31% — used ramps and a bubble level. Both camps get level. The difference is effort, cost and weight.
First, how a motorhome actually levels
A motorhome levels on its own wheels. There's no jockey wheel and no unhitching — it's one vehicle, and you correct two axes:
- Roll (side to side): lift the low-side wheels — with ramps, jacks, or by raising that side on air suspension.
- Pitch (front to back): lift the low end — ramps under both front or both rear wheels, or jacks at that end.
Most sites have some of both. Every system below handles both axes; they differ in how much slope they can correct, how much they weigh, and who does the lifting.
The four systems at a glance
| System | What it does | Price (AUD) | Weight added | Fitting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic levelling jacks | Lifts the vehicle level automatically | From $7,895 supply only (Redfoot, Ducato) | About 85kg | Approved installer or skilled DIY |
| Electric levelling jacks | Lifts the vehicle level automatically | From $6,295 supply only (Redfoot, Ducato) | About 60kg | Approved installer recommended |
| Air suspension | Raises or lowers each side by a few centimetres; some self-level | Varies; several kits price on enquiry | Varies by kit | Specialist fit |
| Ramps + levelling app | You drive onto the exact ramp step the app calculates | Ramps well under $100; OzLevel Pro $9.99 | Nil beyond the ramps | None |
Prices are manufacturer and retailer list prices checked in September 2026. Jack prices exclude installation and freight, which vary by vehicle and installer — get a written quote.
Hydraulic levelling jacks
A hydraulic system uses a 12V pump and hydraulic cylinders mounted to the chassis. Press a button (or tap your phone) and the system lowers the legs, reads its own level sensor, and lifts the low corners until the vehicle is level. It's the strongest option and the one fitted to heavy motorhomes.
Example: Redfoot EQ Smart Level — Fiat Ducato
- Price: from $7,895, supply only, plus freight ($100–$150)
- Weight: about 85kg
- Rated lift: up to 16 tonnes
- Legs: two telescopic cylinders at the front; one or two at the rear depending on vehicle height
- Chassis: AL-KO and Fiat cab chassis versions
- Control: Bluetooth app on iPhone or Android, auto-level in under 90 seconds, auto-retract, manual override pump
Redfoot is the name you'll see most in Australia, with more than 60 approved installers across Australia and New Zealand and kits for other bases including Iveco Daily. Ma-Ve, a European electro-hydraulic system with a manual hand lever to retract the legs in an emergency, is also sold here.
Electric levelling jacks
Electric systems put a motor in each leg instead of running a central pump and hoses. The result is lighter, at a lower lift rating — which is ample for a Ducato, Sprinter or Master-based motorhome.
Example: Redfoot AutoLift — Fiat Ducato
- Price: from $6,295, supply only
- Weight: about 60kg
- Rated lift: up to 5 tonnes
- Legs: four motorised jacks
- Chassis: AL-KO and Fiat cab chassis, across the 244, X250 and X290 Ducato generations
- Control: RF remote and keypad, auto-level in under 90 seconds, manual override, alarm if you start the engine with the legs down
Redfoot also offers AutoLift for Renault Master and Mercedes Sprinter bases, as GoRV's review notes. If your base vehicle isn't a common European cab, check compatibility before anything else.
Air suspension levelling
Air suspension is primarily a ride and load-carrying upgrade. Some systems add a levelling function, because an airbag can be inflated or deflated to raise or lower one corner or side. The catch is travel: airbags move the vehicle by centimetres, not the full height of a ramp.
- AL-KO Air Premium X4 — full air suspension launched in Australia for Fiat Ducato motorhomes on AL-KO's AMC chassis, with a self-levelling button. According to Without a Hitch, it can raise the front by up to 75mm and the rear by up to 40mm, or lower them by 65mm and 50mm.
- VB-SemiAir — rear airbags that assist the standard springs. The AL-KO AMC Ducato kit includes an onboard compressor and a panel with separate left and right switches and gauges, so levelling is manual. Supply only, price on enquiry.
Ramps and a levelling app
The low-tech option is still the most common one. Plastic step ramps under the low wheels, and some way of knowing how high each wheel needs to go. A bubble level on the bench gives you a direction; a phone app gives you the number.
OzLevel reads roll and pitch from your phone's sensors and converts the lean into millimetres of lift and the exact ramp step for each wheel — so you place the ramps once and drive on once. It works offline, adds no weight, and needs nothing fitted. If you want the method in detail, see how to level a motorhome step by step and how many ramp steps you need.
For what it's worth, that's how I level my own motorhome — an Avida Birdsville on a Fiat Ducato chassis, with no jacks and no air suspension. Ramps and a phone, every site.
The cost nobody quotes: weight
Every kilogram of permanently fitted hardware comes straight out of your payload — the margin between what your motorhome weighs loaded and its gross vehicle mass (GVM). That's the same margin you use for water, gear and passengers.
- An 85kg hydraulic system is roughly one adult passenger's worth of payload, carried permanently.
- A 60kg electric system is less, but still more than a full 50-litre fresh water tank.
- Ramps are already aboard in most motorhomes; an app adds nothing.
Before you fit any system, weigh your motorhome loaded for travel at a public weighbridge and compare against the GVM on your compliance plate. If you're already close, weight may decide this for you.
Stabiliser legs are not levelling jacks
Search for "motorhome levelling jacks" and you'll see a lot of wind-down corner steadies and electric stabiliser legs. They look similar, and they're much cheaper, but they do a different job.
Where a jack system genuinely wins
For some owners the expensive hardware is money well spent. Here's where.
Heavy rigs
On a large coach-built or truck-based motorhome, corrections are bigger and driving onto ramps is harder work. Hydraulic jacks lift that weight easily, and the heavier the vehicle, the stronger the case.
Mobility and physical effort
If getting in and out to place ramps is difficult — through age, injury or disability — one-button levelling from the driver's seat is a genuine quality-of-life purchase. This is the case where we'd tell you to buy the system.
Daily movers who want stability
If you change sites most days, the time saved adds up, and a jack system also firms up the vehicle so it rocks less when people move around inside — something ramps alone don't do.
Which system suits which motorhome
| If you… | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Run a heavy coach-built or truck-based rig | Hydraulic levelling jacks |
| Have a European-cab motorhome and want push-button levelling | Electric levelling jacks |
| Can't easily get out to place ramps | Electric or hydraulic jacks |
| Want a better ride and more stability under load | Air suspension, keep your ramps |
| Are close to your GVM | Ramps and an app |
| Are happy to use ramps but hate the guesswork | Ramps and an app |
| Have a slideout | Any system — but see slideout seal damage before you set dead level |
Common questions
How much does a motorhome levelling system cost in Australia?
For a Fiat Ducato-based motorhome, Redfoot lists its electric AutoLift jack system from $6,295 and its hydraulic EQ Smart Level system from $7,895. Both are supply only, so installation is extra and quoted per vehicle. Levelling ramps cost well under $100 for a set, and OzLevel Pro is $9.99 AUD once.
What's the difference between hydraulic and electric levelling jacks?
Both level the vehicle automatically. Electric jacks put a motor in each leg and are lighter — Redfoot's Ducato AutoLift is about 60kg, rated to 5 tonnes. Hydraulic jacks use a central pump and cylinders — Redfoot's Ducato EQ Smart Level is about 85kg, rated to 16 tonnes. Hydraulic costs more, weighs more and suits heavier vehicles.
Can air suspension level a motorhome?
Partly. Systems such as AL-KO Air Premium X4 include a self-levelling function, but travel is limited to a few centimetres, so it handles mild slopes only. Steeper sites still need ramps.
Are stabiliser legs the same as levelling jacks?
No. Stabilisers only stop a level motorhome rocking. They aren't rated to lift the vehicle, and using them to level can bend the legs or damage their mounts.
What's the cheapest way to level a motorhome?
Ramps under the low wheels and a way to measure the lift each wheel needs. A phone app such as OzLevel calculates the exact ramp step on both axes for $9.99 once, with nothing to fit and no weight added.
The verdict
Every system here gets a motorhome level enough for the fridge and a good night's sleep. What you're choosing between is who does the lifting, and what you'll pay for that in dollars and kilograms.
If you drive a heavy rig, move every day, or find ramps physically hard, a jack system from Redfoot or Ma-Ve is a good product and worth the money — for a Ducato, prices start at about $6,300 for electric and $7,900 for hydraulic, before installation. If you want a better ride, air suspension earns its place, but keep the ramps. And if you're happy to drive onto ramps and just want to get it right first time, ramps and a $9.99 app do the job with nothing to fit, nothing to maintain and nothing to break down a long way from a workshop.