Level a caravan or camper, with your phone.
Side to side first, then front to back. The table below says how high to raise a wheel for each degree.
Open the bubble level →Step by step
- Find a reference surface inside: a kitchen worktop or the floor in the middle of the van. Check it once with a real level if you have one, or do the half-turn check below.
- Side to side: lay the phone across the van and open the bubble level. Read the left–right angle. Drive the low side onto ramps or levelling blocks.
- Front to back: on a caravan, use the jockey wheel. On a motorhome or camper van, use ramps under the front or rear wheels.
- Last: lower the corner steadies until they just touch. They stop the van rocking; they are not for lifting it.
How much to raise a wheel
Rise = distance between the points × tan(angle). For side to side, the distance is the track width (wheel to wheel, often about 1.8 m on a caravan). For front to back, it is the distance from the axle (or the other wheels) to the point you raise.
| Angle | Over 1.8 m (side to side) | Over 3.5 m (front to back) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5° | 16 mm | 31 mm |
| 1° | 31 mm | 61 mm |
| 2° | 63 mm | 122 mm |
| 3° | 94 mm | 183 mm |
Measure your own van: the numbers scale with the distance. A 1° error on a 1.8 m track is about 3 cm, so one levelling block often fixes it.
Check your phone in 20 seconds
Every phone's tilt sensor has a small error from the factory. You can measure it on any surface, flat or not:
- Lay the phone down and read the angle. Draw round it with a pencil, or press it against a straight edge.
- Turn the phone half a turn (180°) and put it back in exactly the same place. Read the angle again.
- The average of the two readings is the true slope of the surface. Half the difference is your phone's own error.
Example: 1.4° and then 0.2° the other way round. The surface slopes 0.6°, and the phone reads 0.8° wrong. The Level & Compass app does this sum for you (we call it flip calibration) and then removes the error from every reading.
Why level matters
- Fridge: many caravan and RV fridges (absorption type) need the van close to level to cool well. Your fridge manual gives the limit.
- Sleep and doors: a slope you cannot see still rolls you to one side of the bed and swings doors open.
- Water: showers and sinks drain the way the van slopes.
Questions
Can I use my phone to level a caravan?
Yes. Lay it on a flat surface inside, such as the floor or a worktop, read side to side and front to back, then raise the low side. Check the phone once with the half-turn test.
How level does a caravan need to be?
Within about 1° feels level to most people. Some fridges have their own limit; check the manual.
How much should I raise the wheel for 1°?
About 31 mm over a 1.8 m track width. Multiply the track width by tan(angle) for your own van.
Should I level side to side or front to back first?
Side to side first, with ramps or blocks under the wheels. Then front to back with the jockey wheel or the other axle.