Motorhome leveling system: perfectly level
Being on the road with a motorhome – that's the best thing there is. Along with that one perfect spot for an overnight stay, of course. And then you prefer to be perfectly horizontal. That can be done with some fiddling, or… with the push of a button. Especially with the right leveling system for your motorhome.
Your motorhome perfectly level: for many motorhome owners, this provides a comfortable feeling. Your bed is nicely horizontal so you don't wake up with a headache, the shower water drains neatly, and your fried egg is perfectly in the middle of the frying pan. Some motorhome owners shrug their shoulders if they're not perfectly horizontal for a night – you'd have to be really off-kilter to roll out of bed. It's not ideal. A slanted floor simply doesn't 'work' very well with your sense of balance. That's why 'leveling' is a fixed part of the arrival ritual.
Convenience serves man
The cheapest way to level the motorhome is with so-called drive-on ramps: wedge-shaped plastic chocks under the wheels of the motorhome. There is also another way to level the motorhome: with a hydraulic leveling system. Not cheap (from approximately 5,350 euros, including installation), but very easy. One of the A-brands among hydraulic leveling systems is E&P Hydraulics, a company from Nieuw-Vennep in South Holland. E&P is the market leader in automatic leveling systems and develops, produces, and sells such systems worldwide for, among other things, caravans and motorhomes. Such a leveling system not only provides ease of use when leveling.
An additional advantage of hydraulic support legs is that the motorhome is rock-solid and therefore less susceptible to side winds at your overnight spot. In addition, you won't feel any movement when someone gets in or out of the motorhome – pleasant if someone wakes up earlier in the morning and walks through the motorhome.
Push the button
The E&P leveling system consists of an electric pump with a control unit, which is mounted between the chassis beams. From there, hydraulic oil is pumped via hoses to four cylinders – one at each corner of the motorhome. As a result, a support leg extends downwards from each cylinder, which then pushes the motorhome upwards. This happens automatically, first the front and then the rear, to prevent torsion in the chassis as much as possible. The integrated digital spirit level then provides fine-tuning until the motorhome is perfectly level. This all happens with one push of a button and the entire process takes less than two minutes. You control the E&P leveling system with a supplied remote control or the optional wireless unit with touchscreen. This allows you to level the motorhome while you walk around the vehicle outside.
Manual or automatic
You can operate the support legs – which in the basic version can already carry 2000 kilos each – fully automatically, but manual operation is also possible. For example, if you want to sleep with your feet slightly elevated. There is also a 'tilt function' where the system tilts the motorhome slightly so that the tank drains completely. Driving away with the support legs down is impossible: the E&P system only works when the handbrake is applied. A relatively new option is the weighing module, where the E&P leveling system weighs the motorhome. This way you can prevent overloading. In addition to the total weight, the system also measures the weight per support, so it is immediately clear whether the weight is properly distributed over the motorhome.
An E&P leveling system can be mounted under all possible motorhome chassis, including under panel vans. The systems are available for motorhomes from 3.5 to 24 tons and can be combined with air suspension. In such a situation, the air suspension is automatically set to the lowest level as soon as the E&P system is activated. The motorhome then lowers to its lowest point, after which the hydraulic support legs level the vehicle. This provides a low entry and it is also possible to bridge large differences in the ground. E&P can be combined with various brands of air suspension, including the systems from VB Airsuspension, which, like E&P, is part of chassis manufacturer ALKO.
Manufacturers of leveling systems
E&P Hydraulics – www.ep-hydraulics.com
AL-KO – www.alko-tech.com
Goldschmitt – www.goldschmitt.de
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