Single axle levelling — the baseline
A single-axle caravan has one axle with one wheel on each side. Side levelling is straightforward: place one ramp piece in front of the low-side wheel, drive forward onto it, done. The geometry is simple — raise one wheel, the side of the van rises proportionally.
Most ramp levelling guides are written for single-axle caravans, and for good reason — it's the simpler case. Set your ramp to the correct step height, drive on, apply the brake. One wheel per ramp per side.
For pitch correction, the process is identical regardless of axle type: use the jockey wheel after unhitching. Axle count doesn't change pitch levelling at all — only the ramp placement step differs.
What changes with tandem axle
A tandem-axle caravan has two axles positioned close together — typically 900mm to 1200mm apart. This means four wheels on the ground instead of two, with two wheels on each side.
The critical difference: to raise the low side, you need to raise both axle wheels on that side simultaneously, to the same height. If you raise only one axle, the other stays on the ground — and the van rocks between them like a see-saw.
The solution — two ramp pieces per side
For a tandem axle, you need two ramp pieces on the low side — one for each axle — both set to the same step height. This raises both axle wheels simultaneously by the same amount, so the van rises evenly and stays stable.
| Axle type | Ramp pieces per low side | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Single axle | 1 | One wheel to raise per side |
| Tandem axle | 2 | Both axle wheels must rise equally |
In practice, this means you'll need four ramp pieces total for a tandem van — two per side, placed in front of each axle wheel. Both pieces on a given side must be set to the same step height. Drive forward slowly until both sets of wheels are fully on their respective platforms.
OzLevel Caravan's tandem advisory
When you set your axle type to tandem in OzLevel Caravan settings, the app tracks whether you have your ramp pieces count set to 1 or 2. If you're set to tandem axle but only have 1 ramp piece configured, OzLevel displays a tandem advisory warning during the side level phase — a reminder that one piece per side isn't enough for your setup.
The levelling calculation itself is identical for tandem and single axle — OzLevel uses your roll angle and track width to calculate the required ramp height in millimetres, then converts that to the correct step count for your specific ramps. The ramp height target doesn't change with axle count, only the number of ramp pieces you need to place.
Setting up OzLevel for tandem
In OzLevel Caravan settings, set:
- Axle type: Tandem
- Inter-axle distance: The distance between your two axle centres in mm (measure this on your van)
- Ramp pieces: 2 (to clear the advisory warning)
With these set correctly, the wizard will guide you through the tandem levelling process with the appropriate advisory information at each relevant step.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Single axle | Tandem axle |
|---|---|---|
| Ramp pieces per low side | 1 | 2 |
| Total ramp pieces (both sides setup) | 2 | 4 |
| Ramp step height (per piece) | OzLevel calculated | Same OzLevel calculation — both pieces same step |
| Drive-on technique | Drive forward onto 1 ramp per side | Drive forward — front axle mounts first, then rear axle |
| Jockey wheel pitch correction | Identical | Identical |
| OzLevel setting | Axle: Single | Axle: Tandem + inter-axle distance |
Frequently asked questions
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What is the difference between single and tandem axle caravan levelling?
Single axle needs one ramp piece per low side. Tandem axle needs two ramp pieces per low side — one for each axle — both set to the same step height. Using only one piece under a tandem creates an unstable rocking effect. The pitch correction with the jockey wheel is identical for both types.
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How many ramps do I need for a tandem axle caravan?
Two ramp pieces per low side — so four pieces total if you're carrying a full set (two for each side). Both pieces on the low side must be set to the same step height. OzLevel Caravan warns you if your ramp pieces setting is 1 when you're configured as tandem.
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Can OzLevel Caravan handle tandem axle setups?
Yes. Set axle type to tandem in settings and enter your inter-axle distance. OzLevel's levelling calculation works identically for both axle types — it uses your roll angle and track width to calculate required ramp height. The tandem advisory reminds you to use 2 ramp pieces per side when needed.
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Does the jockey wheel work differently on a tandem axle caravan?
No — jockey wheel pitch correction works identically on single and tandem axle caravans. The axle-to-hitch distance used in OzLevel's pitch calculation is measured from the midpoint between the two tandem axles to the hitch coupling, and the correction is applied the same way.