# Motorhome Levelling Systems in Australia — Do You Need a $10,000 Hydraulic System? > Automatic levelling systems in Australia run from around $6,000 for an electric setup to $9,995-plus for hydraulic, fitted — and they level your motorhome at the push of a button. A $9.99 app tells you exactly how far each wheel needs to rise on your ramps. Here's an honest look at which one you actually need — including where the auto-leveller genuinely earns its money. *By Ross Bolden (B.E. (Mechanical), Founder) · July 2026 · 7 min read · Written for Australian motorhomers* Canonical: https://ozlevel.com.au/blog/motorhome-levelling-systems-australia.html --- ## The honest version upfront This article is written by OzLevel. We make a $9.99 levelling app, so we have an obvious interest in you not spending thousands on hardware. We're telling you that upfront because the comparison below is still accurate — and we'd rather you trust it than wonder. Here's the part most comparisons skip: an automatic levelling system and a levelling app are not really the same product. An auto-leveller **physically lifts your motorhome level** and replaces ramps entirely. An app **measures the lean and tells you exactly how much to correct** — you still drive onto ramps to do it. One does the work for you; the other tells you precisely what work to do. Whether the several-thousand-dollar gap between them is worth it depends entirely on which of those you actually want. ## What each system does **OzLevel — $9.99 AUD, one-time (Pro upgrade)** - Uses the sensors already in your phone - Millimetre rise per wheel - Exact ramp step count (Pro) - Dual-axis simultaneous reading - Hands-free audio mode - Slideout seal protection - Adds zero weight to your rig - No installation, no maintenance - Nothing to break down remote - iPhone and Android - You still drive onto ramps (2 minimum, 3 ideal) - Australian-made and supported **Auto-leveller — $6,000+ AUD, fitted (electric from ~$6k, hydraulic from ~$9,995)** - One-touch automatic levelling - No ramps — legs do the lifting - Handles heavy rigs with ease - Adds stabilisation, reduces rocking - Zero physical effort on site - $6,000+ purchase and install - Adds significant weight to payload - Professional fitting required - Hydraulics, pump and valves to maintain - A breakdown far from a dealer is costly - Not retrofittable to every chassis - Overkill for lightweight vans Australia has a healthy market for these systems. **Redfoot Levelling** is the best-known local name, supported by a network of more than 60 installer-dealers across Australia and New Zealand, with Bluetooth one-touch operation and an auto "all retract" feature. **Ma-Ve**, **HWH**, **Lippert (LCI)** and **Technosys** systems also appear here, often factory-fitted to top-end vans from makers like New Age, Jayco and Regent. Broadly there are two flavours: electric auto-levellers start from around $6,000 fitted, while hydraulic systems — stronger, better suited to heavy rigs — start from around $9,995. They are good systems. The question isn't whether they work — it's whether you need what they do. ## Why they're not the same purchase A hydraulic system and an app sit at opposite ends of the levelling problem, and it helps to be clear about which end you're solving. The auto-leveller solves the **physical effort** of levelling. Four legs, a pump and a control box take a heavy vehicle and lift it dead level while you sit in the driver's seat. You never touch a ramp. For a big, heavy motorhome — or an owner who physically can't be climbing out to check and re-check — that's a genuine quality-of-life upgrade. The app solves the **information** problem. How far off level am I, on both axes, and exactly how many ramp steps under which wheels will fix it? A phone answers that to within a fraction of a degree, and you do the driving-on yourself. If you're already happy to use ramps — as most Australian motorhomers are — the app removes the guesswork that made ramps annoying in the first place. > **The distinction in one line:** an auto-leveller does the levelling *for* you; an app tells you *precisely* how to level. If your objection to ramps is the effort, hardware solves it. If your objection to ramps is the guesswork, $9.99 solves it. ## The real cost of an automatic system An electric auto-leveller starts from around $6,000 fitted; a hydraulic system from around $9,995, climbing with the weight and size of the vehicle. But the sticker price isn't the whole story for a piece of hardware bolted to your chassis. | Cost item | OzLevel Pro + ramps | Auto-leveller | |---|---|---| | Purchase & fitting | $9.99 app + ~$80 ramps (3) | $6,000–$10,000+ fitted | | Added weight (payload) | None — ramps & phone already aboard | Tens of kilograms off your GVM | | Installation | None — open and use | Professional fit, vehicle off-road | | Ongoing maintenance | None | Hydraulic fluid, seals, pump, valves | | Failure point remote | None — no moving parts | A stuck leg can strand the trip | | Resale / transfer | On any phone you own | Tied to the vehicle | | **Effective cost** | **About $90** | **$6,000+ plus upkeep & weight** | On the app side the numbers are almost boring. Two ramps are the practical minimum and three are ideal for bigger corrections — and a two-pack of ramps is about $40 at Supercheap Auto, so two packs cover you with a spare. Add the $9.99 app and the whole levelling kit is about $90 all up. Two costs on the hardware side matter more than owners expect. The first is **weight**. The app-and-ramps option adds none — the ramps and the phone are already aboard — but Australian motorhomes often run close to their GVM already, and an auto-leveller's legs, pump and framing eat into the payload you'd otherwise spend on water, gear or passengers. The second is the **failure mode**: an app has nothing to go wrong, but a levelling leg that won't retract in a remote spot is a real and expensive way to end a trip. Neither is a reason to avoid a system — but both belong in the maths. > **Try the $9.99 option before you spend $6,000+.** Open OzLevel free at https://app.ozlevel.com.au on your next trip and level with ramps using exact step counts. If it does everything you need — and for most motorhomers it will — you've kept thousands in your pocket. ## Where a hydraulic system genuinely wins It's a fair comparison, so here's where the expensive hardware is worth every dollar — because for some people it absolutely is. **Heavy rigs.** On a large, heavy A-class or a hefty coach-built motorhome, driving onto ramps to get level can be awkward, and the corrections are bigger. Hydraulic legs lift that weight effortlessly and hold it. The heavier your rig, the stronger the case for a system. **Mobility and physical effort.** If climbing in and out to place ramps, check, adjust and re-check is difficult — through age, injury or disability — one-touch levelling from the driver's seat is a genuine quality-of-life purchase, not a luxury. This is the use case where we'd tell you the money is well spent. **Daily movers and stabilisation.** If you change sites most days, the seconds and effort saved add up, and a proper system also stabilises the vehicle and cuts the rocking you get from ramps and jacks alone. For full-timers on the move, that convenience is real. > **The honest summary of where a hydraulic system wins:** heavy vehicles, owners who can't or don't want to handle ramps, and people who move constantly and value stabilisation. Notice what's *not* on that list — accuracy. A phone already levels to well within your fridge's tolerance. You're paying for effortless lifting, not a better result. ## On accuracy — you're already covered It's worth clearing up one thing, because it's often used to justify the spend. A hydraulic system is not *more accurate* than a phone in any way that matters on a campsite. Both get you level; one just does the lifting. Levelling a parked motorhome is a static reading. The phone reads gravity on a stationary vehicle and achieves better than 0.5° — and your appliances don't need anywhere near that. Dometic and Thetford specify a maximum of around 3° side-to-side and 6° front-to-back for their absorption fridges. Whether a $6,000-plus system or a $9.99 app gets you there, "level enough for the fridge and a good night's sleep" is the same finish line. We're not levelling a pool table. ## Feature comparison | Feature | OzLevel Pro + ramps | Auto-leveller | |---|---|---| | Typical cost (AU) | About $90 all up | $6,000–$10,000+ fitted | | Levels the vehicle for you | ✗ You use ramps | ✓ Automatic | | Tells you exact ramp steps | ✓ | ✗ N/A | | Dual-axis levelling | ✓ | ✓ | | Accuracy (static vehicle) | <0.5° | Comparable — not better | | Physical effort on site | Place ramps, drive on | One button | | Adds weight to payload | No | Yes — tens of kg | | Professional installation | None | Required | | Ongoing maintenance | None | Hydraulics & seals | | Stabilises / reduces rocking | ✗ | ✓ | | Hands-free audio guidance | ✓ | In-app on some | | Slideout seal protection | ✓ | ✗ | | Works if it fails remote | Nothing to fail | Costly to recover | | Best for heavy A-class rigs | Fine, bigger corrections | ✓ Ideal | | Australian-made | ✓ App | Redfoot AU; others imported | ## Who should choose what **Choose the app (and ramps) if…** - You're happy to use ramps and just want the guesswork gone - Your motorhome is light-to-mid weight and payload matters to you - You don't want hardware to install, maintain or worry about failing remote - You want dual-axis accuracy and the exact ramp step count done for you - You have a slideout and want seal protection built in - You'd rather keep the thousands for diesel, sites and the actual trip **Choose a hydraulic system if…** - You run a heavy A-class or coach-built rig where ramps are a genuine chore - Mobility limitations make climbing out to place ramps difficult - You move sites most days and value one-touch levelling and stabilisation - Payload headroom and the purchase price aren't primary concerns - You want the vehicle to level itself with zero physical effort > **Try before you decide.** Open OzLevel free at https://app.ozlevel.com.au and level with ramps on your next trip. If it does everything you need — and for most people it will — you've saved yourself the best part of $6,000 to $10,000. If, after trying it, you still want the vehicle to level itself, you'll at least know exactly what that convenience is worth to you. ## The verdict For the vast majority of Australian motorhomers, a $9.99 app plus a set of ramps does everything a $6,000-to-$10,000 auto-levelling system does at the only metric that matters on a campsite: it gets you level, on both axes, well within your fridge's tolerance. The app adds the exact ramp step count, hands-free audio and slideout seal protection, and it adds zero weight to a rig that's probably already close to its GVM. Hydraulic systems like Redfoot, HWH and Lippert are good products with a real use case — heavy rigs, owners who can't handle ramps, and constant movers who want one-touch levelling and stabilisation. If that's you, the money is well spent. But if you're deciding based on getting level, and you're happy to use ramps, the app wins on price, wins on weight, and wins on the one thing that never lets you down in a remote campsite: there's nothing to break. **Get OzLevel Pro — $9.99 AUD once:** https://ozlevel.com.au/get-pro.html **Try free first:** https://app.ozlevel.com.au --- ## Frequently asked questions **How much does a motorhome levelling system cost in Australia?** An automatic levelling system fitted to a motorhome in Australia starts from around $6,000 for an electric setup and around $9,995 for a hydraulic one, rising with the size and weight of the vehicle. That price includes the legs, pump, control system and professional installation. At the other end of the scale, a phone-based levelling app like OzLevel costs $9.99 AUD once and uses the sensors already in your phone — no hardware, no installation. Add a set of ramps (about $40 for a two-pack at Supercheap Auto, two packs for a three-ramp setup with a spare) and the whole levelling kit comes in around $90. **Do I need an automatic levelling system for my motorhome?** Most Australian motorhomers do not need a $6,000-to-$10,000 auto-levelling system. If you level with ramps, an app that tells you exactly how far each wheel needs to rise gets you level within your fridge's tolerance for $9.99. An auto-leveller earns its cost on heavy rigs, for owners with mobility limitations, or for people who move sites daily and value one-touch levelling — not for accuracy, which a phone already delivers. **Can an app replace an automatic levelling system?** An app and a hydraulic system do different jobs. A hydraulic system physically lifts the vehicle level at the push of a button and replaces ramps entirely. An app like OzLevel does not move the vehicle — it measures the lean on both axes and tells you the exact ramp step count to drive onto. For the many motorhomers who are happy to use ramps, the app replaces the need for a hydraulic system. For those who want the vehicle to level itself with no physical effort, it does not. **What is the cheapest way to level a motorhome in Australia?** The cheapest reliable method is a set of ramps plus an app that calculates the exact number of ramp steps needed. Two ramps are the minimum and three are ideal; a two-pack is about $40 at Supercheap Auto, so a three-ramp setup is roughly $80, and OzLevel Pro is $9.99 AUD once. That combination levels most motorhomes to within the operating tolerance of an RV fridge, for around $90 all up — against $6,000 or more for an automatic levelling system.