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I would like to know if there is anyone out there who has used Milenco Alumium levellers on their van...
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...I have researched these on Milenco's site and there is a You Tube video available. However, I was just not convinced by any of this. They do not look strong enough to me and it looks like it might be jolly hard work to lift the van up. I also worried if they might damage the pitch surface (if tarmac or grass for example) and whether one should have wooden blocks to sit them on. I emailed Milenco for advice but they haven't replied which is, itself, not very encouraging.
Does anyone out there have them and can they advise me as to their experiences? They are not cheap and having just wasted £50 on one Milenco product I am bit nervious about spending around £180 on another! However, I don't know of any other company who makes these. Sorry this is so long. Please help!
Whilst I don't have any first-hand experience of the Milenco aluminium levellers, I did buy something similar for a caravan we once owned (same principle). Now with a caravan you only need one (assuming single axle - which ours was), rather than a pair for a motorhome. And to be honest, it was a real pain and awkward to use; so I rarely did. Mostly used a home-made wooden ramp instead, which was far more effective and much quicker. To be fair, the Milenco product may be better than the lift I had, although it looks similar.
As it happens, I have a pair of Milenco plastic triple levelers that I drive the motorhome up and find them very good, although occasionally wish I had the quatro version for the bit of extra lift.
I bought a pair of alluminium levellers for my hymer 544,cost £160.I been in tears ever since about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.They sqeeze the tyre,then take up suspension slack,reach the top of the thread and the wheel is still on the floor.OK If you meant to buy a bullworker.
Failed to spot this post when it was current - sorry.
From (mostly) second hand experience I agree with Tys.
My tugger friend had one and it was next to useless. The thread on the winder is so fine that it takes ages to raise the wheel, and the winding handle always fouled the side of his van so he had to use a ratchet and do it half a turn at a time. It was damned hard work too - I know because I helped him a couple of times!!
After only a few months the very fine thread of the winder seized up solid with dirt, even though he always kept it in its bag.
Good idea. Not much good in practice (In my opinion! )
If needing a bit of extra height you can sometimes use two set of Fiamma ramps, one on top of each other - jumbos on the bottom, magnums on top.
Makes quite a difference to the height you can get.
______________________________________________________________ Breathe in, breathe out, move on
In fact since I sent the original question the following happened:
1. I finally got a reply from Millenco themselves. They did not really understand the point about how or why the Quattro leveling blocks were not working for me but, this aside, they told me that they would NOT recommend the aluminimum levellers for my size of motorcaravan. This seemed a bit contrary to their advertising blurb but at least confirmed my suspicions and those further borne out by the two recent postings.
2. I WAS able to buy a SINGLE replacement quattro leveller.
3. I bought some rubber mats, as suggested by Jented (who I am sure used to be called GearJammer) above. I did not buy cheap ones, but rather high quality large thick mats.
4. Pleased to say these work an absolute treat and I have had no trouble whatsoever on all subsequent uses of the quattro blocks. They are secure under the wheels and it is now easy to find my way up them without any slippage.
I am grateful for all replies although a lot of them missed the point. Just to be clear, the problem I had with the Millenco Quattro levelling blocks was that they lack grip between the bottom of the block and the surface of the ground. If the ground is giving - such as grass or soft or small grade gravel, shingle, stone etc. there is no problem. But if the ground is solid - such as tarmac or large grade stone - I found that my front wheel drive tended to push the blocks from underneath the wheels. Because of their large size (causing it to wedge under the van), and the brittle nature of the plastic, one of them shattered.
I need the larger quattro blocks for my van because it has a significant natural lean from back to front. I found the smaller Fiamma blocks just were not big enough. I don't think stacking them sounds like a very good idea.
Anyway, in conclusion the rubber mats have solved all my problems - but I would recommend that quite meaty mats are required.
This is probably a pointless response, but is there anything that can be done with the rear suspension to lower the height at the back?
I'm astonished to see so many motorhomes which ride high, normally at the back, Yet there are many more which ride level on the same basic chassis.
Sorry I can't add anything positive re levelling blocks, except maybe the age-old tuggers' method of different lengths of wooden plank that can be stacked on top of each other to create the appropriate height. A nuisance to store, but they tend not to sink in.
You might be right Mikemoss - about lowering the rear suspension; I am not sure. It sounds a bit of an expensive solution but thanks for the idea.
It is annoying though. In two years use, I have only ever once been able to use the van without the blocks and that was on a very uneven piece of ground at Oxford CCC site where I could use the uneven ground to my advantage.
What makes it particualrly annoying is that the shower has only one drain and, you've guessed it, it is at the back. Without blocks, water is everywhere except down the drain.
Our van has airride suspension (fitted by previous owner) on rear axle. When pumped up it means that we travel very high in the back. However when parked we can let them down and it is near level.
Possibly why you have noticed the same model with high AND low backends Mikemoss.
An added advantage is that as they can be raised and lowered individually they can be used to a certain extent to "level" the van. At a guess I should estimate 4-5" variation on each back wheel. With judicious choice as to which way around we park it can make a big difference.
Dick
______________________________________________________________ Powys, Paradwys Cymru
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Re: Milenco Aluminium levellers
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Thanks to all; problem is solved.
