EP hydraulic levelling system

[LottePilote]

Hi all
Looking to have a hydraulic or air suspension levelling system installed on our Pilote Motorhome. Looking for information on what height descrepancies the systems will level up?
Thanks

 

[irnbru]

 

[Jean-luc]

Hi all
Looking to have a hydraulic or air suspension levelling system installed on our Pilote Motorhome. Looking for information on what height descrepancies the systems will level up?
Thanks

Talking a while back to our local VB agent he recommended, if the budget permits only one option, to go for full air system in preference to a levelling system.
With full air there is a good amount of levelling possible when parked up plus all the benefits of air suspension when on the road.
Having driven vehicles with full air suspension all I can say is the smoothness and quietness of the ride has to be experienced to be believed. Ask someone who fits or has full air systems to provide a test drive in a vehicle so equipped.

 

[Neilfg]

We went to NEC spoke to VB/E&P wanting air as it offered leveling and ride but are now booking hydraulics much more effective at leveling and looking at upgrading front springs.

Also consider alternatives Gliderite and AS Suspension as well as E&P.

 

[Theonlysue]

Have a chat with mick at SAP Doncaster.
His fitting is a work of art.
It's worth travelling.
They fitted levelling and rear air ride on my van and service had been second to none.
Also, levelling has 2 year warranty.
Whilst touring Ireland this year, I had a problem with it, and within 3 hours, Mick had found someone 7 miles away who dealt with it promptly!

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[Theonlysue]

 

[The Dudess]

Another vote for Mick at S.A.P. He fitted ours to our Pilote - great service, nice man and good bit of kit.

 

[Speve]

We've had EP and rear VB semi air fitted to our Exsis the levellers are brilliant but you can use it manually if slope to big for auto.had the air to enable to level van when loaded and towing car trailer to keep rear end up.a

 

[funflair]

Hydraulic levelling will take out much more slope than just suspension travel could ever accommodate, with hydraulic you can have the wheels up in the air if required.

Martin

 

[jemhorn]

E&P jacks with VB 2c rear air. The clever rear air lowers the rear before the Jacks engage. This effectively gives the Jacks greater travel to level the van. Changing the van next year (sometime!!??) so will be having Jacks removed and transferred to new. As well as levelling the van it is so much more stable when walking around. Wouldn't be without it now. Mine was installed by Graham at Courtside Conversions, Tiverton, Devon.

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[Clarky]

This picture was on what at first appeared to be a fairly level pitch on a campsite.

On some aires we have had both front wheels well off the ground.
Having thought long and hard about spending a large chunk of dosh on the jacks we now love them.
Just pull up on site, pick up the remote control, press a couple of buttons and 'hey presto', you're level.

Also, no rocking when you walk round the van or when the wind really blows hard.

Richard.

 

[Geo]

Hi all
Looking to have a hydraulic or air suspension levelling system installed on our Pilote Motorhome. Looking for information on what height descrepancies the systems will level up?
Thanks

To me it seems a strange question because normally in a motor home you would NOT choose a spot that would test the leveling system to such a degree
But to answer your question fully, how many blocks of 6x6x4 can you carry ??
Most I suspect could lift the wheels clear off the ground but that is not a recommended or usual occurrence/Practice, it still beggars the question Why??

 

[funflair]

When we are pitched up I like to be 0.5 deg down at the front so the water goes off the roof and down the gutters, if it goes off the back it goes down my neck when it go in the garage and leaves black streaks down the side of the van oh and the shower drains.

I don't search out uneven pitches but there are certainly plenty around.

Martin

 

[LottePilote]

Thanks all so far. The reason for the request is two fold
1. We house our Motorhome at home and the drive is a 2 degree slope, does not sound a lot, but it seriously affects the reliability of the fridge/freezer in the MH. Therefore looking to be able to lift the front end up by about 100 mm. Never had it before with our previous Bailey MH only in the Pilote we have now and
2 we have a couple of favourite sites where they also slope side to side and would love to drive up, push a button and let the hydraulic system do all the work.

 

[Speve]

My drive slopes about 18" in 7m and with EPs and a couple of blocks I can get the van level enough for the fridge to run.

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[LottePilote]

Thanks for that. What system did you have installed?

 

[Speve]

Thanks for that. What system did you have installed?

As mentioned in earlier post We have EP automatic levellers and VB rear semi air works a treat.

 

[Techno]

Realise that when you see my wheels off the floor they are hanging off the fully extended suspension so the real lift is far more than meets the eye

 

[two]

Air suspension addresses the ride but can also provide a degree of levelling. However, when ‘levelled’ you are still sitting on the suspension and the vehicle will rock when anyone moves about. Hydraulic jacks are different: they can correct a much greater degree of slope and keep the vehicle ‘rock solid’.

Air suspension is very good, but an expensive way to provide levelling. If levelling is what you want, go for hydraulic rams. Still not cheap, but cheaper and better for that purpose than Air Suspension. E&P is the most popular, for good reason. There are others, but I’d steer well clear of Gliderite.

 

[Clarky]

Thanks all so far. The reason for the request is two fold
1. We house our Motorhome at home and the drive is a 2 degree slope, does not sound a lot, but it seriously affects the reliability of the fridge/freezer in the MH. Therefore looking to be able to lift the front end up by about 100 mm. Never had it before with our previous Bailey MH only in the Pilote we have now and
2 we have a couple of favourite sites where they also slope side to side and would love to drive up, push a button and let the hydraulic system do all the work.

That has happened to us as well.
Two previous vans have been parked on the same drive and the fridge/freezer has always worked ok.
With this van the fridge will cool OK on gas but if I put it on mains while parked on the drive it defrosts. The rear and off side of the van is sloping down a little. If I put the jacks down and level the van it all works fine.

Richard.

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[LottePilote]

Thanks again for all your replies. Looks like I need to investigate hydraulics more. We have an E&P installer locally in the Norwich area so will see what they can offer.

 

[Imbiber]

Just one other thing to consider is that if your van sits 'nose-down' then look to up-rate the front springs which will help with the automatic levelling. We were advised to consider the VB front coil springs which would lift the front end by a couple of inches.

 

[LottePilote]

Thanks willbear that in mind.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

we had our E&p jacks fitted by the dealer in Belgium ,all i can say is that i would not be without them ,they more than paid for themselves last month,when i was up in the outer hebrides i "detoured" slightly whilst on a very narrow single track road and the result was that i got stuck in the soft peat ,i used the jacks to pump the MH up whilst i and some ghilies put large rocks beneath the wheels and eventually enabling me to drive off the peat ,i could not have done it with out the jacks and i hate to think of how much a crane would have cost to get me out of the mire

 

[Richard Birkett]

I endorse what's been said by most previous posters. I have both air suspension and EP levellers, the 1st is great when driving but the 2nd can't be beaten for levelling.

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[kevinktwo]

E&P Safety in the handbook - Really

2. Safety warnings Not observing the following warnings may lead to damages to the vehicle and/or serious physical injuries.
• The vehicle should be parked on a solid, level and non-slippery surface.

 

[funflair]

E&P Safety in the handbook - Really

2. Safety warnings Not observing the following warnings may lead to damages to the vehicle and/or serious physical injuries.
• The vehicle should be parked on a solid, level and non-slippery surface.

Yes I doesn't read right does it, I guess they mean no more than 12 inches of daylight under the front wheels.

Martin

 

[tonyidle]

Yes I doesn't read right does it, I guess they mean no more than 12 inches of daylight under the front wheels.

Martin

I guess they mean that on some surfaces with the rear wheels light or clear you're sitting in a vehicle on smooth steel skis with no handbrake!!

 

[ceejayt]

Have a chat with mick at SAP Doncaster.
His fitting is a work of art.
It's worth travelling.
They fitted levelling and rear air ride on my van and service had been second to none.
Also, levelling has 2 year warranty.
Whilst touring Ireland this year, I had a problem with it, and within 3 hours, Mick had found someone 7 miles away who dealt with it promptly!

Absolutely second that - Mick at SAP is excellent - dealer of the year for air and hydraulics for umpteen years and just loves what he does.

I would recommend hydraulics fir levelling rather than air - just gives greater stability. We settled for just rear air on our 9m vehicle which is great for the odd difficult incline like having to reverse onto a ferry without catching the back end. The hydraulics are excellent.

 

[PeteH]

Out of curiosity. What is the Fitted weight of Jacks?. I had them on my R-V`s, however I had no issue with payload, which is not the case with many current "Euro" Models?. (I`m thinking possibly 15kilo per leg? plus the fittings?) <70kg potentially is a lot of payload to lose?. (Wife?)

When you think of it, it brings back the issue of (driving) Licence weight capacities. ie: older drivers are more likely to benefit from not having to mess and struggle with blocks and ramps, (Blooming Arthritis) but are more restricted due to the cut off limitations of 3.5t over age 70 without expensive Medicals!.

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