When ramps become projectiles!

[Penk]

Twice this week, while driving on to our ramps on gravel, one or other of the ramps has shot backwards under the wheel and flown with enormous force towards the rear. Had one of us been in line of fire I hate to imagine the result.

As if that isn’t bad enough the van, even with the handbrake on, rolls back down the ramps at least one level so we have to chock behind the rear wheels while the foot brake is still on. This means pulling up the ramps again to extract the chocks, putting one right in harm’s way . Any wise advice please?

I’m terrified by the whole process, probably made worse as we have those very knobbly ‘go anywhere’ tyres which grip the ramps like limpets! I recall a mention of inflatable ramps. A reminder of their name would be appreciated. Thanks! Pen

 

[funflair]

Can I be the first to mention Hydraulic levellers expensive but brilliant

 

[LostInSpace]

Turn the van round so the rear (undriven) wheels go up the ramps.

 

[funflair]

And to answer your question, https://www.flat-jack.nl/en/

 

[RustyRuss]

When I get to the top of the ramp or the position which is best, I put my foot on the foot brake, de clutch, engage first or reverse, switch off the engine and let the clutch up, apply the handbrake and only then let go of the foot brake. Van stays in the correct place as the slack in the brakes is taken up by the engine and gearbox.

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[LostInSpace]

Can I be the first to mention Hydraulic levellers expensive but brilliant

Too heavy

 

[Minxy]

Rubber mats under the ramps will stop the 'marble' effect of the gravel.

 

[Jo May]

And to answer your question, https://www.flat-jack.nl/en/

I use that sort of thing to hang doors! Like it.
There can't be many people who've run over their plastic levellers sideways. I put them under the van overnight to dry the case off, and well, sort of ran over them the next morning. Bit of a noise it made! Ripped the bag to shreds but levellers were fine.

Another idea for driving on to them is perhaps drive in second gear so there's less torque, so less chance of a skid (which I presume is throwing tour levellers backwards). Like starting on ice. Cars have an 'snow' setting, do vans?

 

[Two on Tour]

Too heavy

After you have dumped the no longer needed not so lightweight plastic ramps and heavy scissor jack, not that much weight added with a levelling system.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

We were in Portugal when a German pulled in on his ramps he had attached some webbing, so he drove onto the webbing before moving onto the ramps so they couldn't fly away as the weight is on the webbing before going up the ramps.

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[Phill D]

Too heavy

I thought convenience was all important!

 

[LithiumConvert]

After you have dumped the no longer needed not so light plastic ramps and heavy scissor jack, not that much weight added with a levelling system

Hmmmm.

Hadn't figured on removing the jack.

 

[Two on Tour]

Hmmmm.

Hadn't figured on removing the jack.

Our jack weighed 6.5kg

 

[Richard n Ann]

The ramps I made have 2 step ups so the van doesn't roll back. Also you can feel it bump up so you know where the wheel is.
When the ramps are likely to move I do a small run up so the wheels bump up with no power from the engine

 

[LithiumConvert]

I thought convenience was all important!

Tous Chez

But, if it looks level, we just drive onto the space. Job done.

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[yorkiebar]

We put grip mats down first with the plastic ramps on top of those. The mats have lego like raised pieces which the ramps sit on.

 

[Minxy]

We were in Portugal when a German pulled in on his ramps he had attached some webbing, so he drove onto the webbing before moving onto the ramps so the couldn't fly away as the weight is on the webbing before going up the ramps.

I've attached some old yoga matting to the front edge of ours for the same reason but putting rubber mats under the ramps themselves also held prevent them squishing into the gravel.

 

[Diabalo]

Have you driven right over the top and come off?

 

[steve69]

A couple of years ago, a friend let me park on their gravel covered space at the rear of their house, while I sorted out my own parking space for it.
When it came to getting the van out again the "gravel" or rather large pebbles turned out to be nearly a foot deep. All that happened was the wheels spun and proceeded to dig the van down into a large wheel-sized hole. The pebbles were almost touching the sump!. It took an hour to dig the damn thing out again.

 

[chaser]

Bought, as you do, a set of ramps when we had the first van. Never felt the need to use them.

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[pandas]

always drive forward onto the the ramp if required at the front and and ditto for the rear - doesn't this overcome the issue?

 

[GrahamnSue]

If you have Fiamma ramps you can buy grip mats that screw to the underneath of the ramps. Same size as the ramps except for an extension at the front. As you go to drive onto the ramps you grip the extension so the ramps cannot move (and they still fit into the Fiamma storage bag).

 

[PaulW2]

Twice this week, while driving on to our ramps on gravel, one or other of the ramps has shot backwards under the wheel and flown with enormous force towards the rear. Had one of us been in line of fire I hate to imagine the result.

As if that isn’t bad enough the van, even with the handbrake on, rolls back down the ramps at least one level so we have to chock behind the rear wheels while the foot brake is still on. This means pulling up the ramps again to extract the chocks, putting one right in harm’s way . Any wise advice please?

I’m terrified by the whole process, probably made worse as we have those very knobbly ‘go anywhere’ tyres which grip the ramps like limpets! I recall a mention of inflatable ramps. A reminder of their name would be appreciated. Thanks! Pen

Since reading about them I've been quite interested in those inflatable cushion things one can buy to level a van. Drive onto it, pump it up and you're done.

In my previous van I had the E&P levellers. From memory they weighed c. 40 kg. And they cost a lot. So not for my PVC. Too heavy, too expensive, and the little 6m van doesn't really do the whole large motorhome wobbly thing anyway.

The plastic ramps also take up a fair bit of packing space and are a bit of a faff.

I don't often need to level at all - I don't even take the plastic ramps with me anymore - but if I were to do anything I think it might be to buy the inflatable units.

 

[Barriesimpson]

Twice this week, while driving on to our ramps on gravel, one or other of the ramps has shot backwards under the wheel and flown with enormous force towards the rear. Had one of us been in line of fire I hate to imagine the result.

As if that isn’t bad enough the van, even with the handbrake on, rolls back down the ramps at least one level so we have to chock behind the rear wheels while the foot brake is still on. This means pulling up the ramps again to extract the chocks, putting one right in harm’s way . Any wise advice please?

I’m terrified by the whole process, probably made worse as we have those very knobbly ‘go anywhere’ tyres which grip the ramps like limpets! I recall a mention of inflatable ramps. A reminder of their name would be appreciated. Thanks! Pen

I would suggest you are driving up the ramps too aggressively, they will only shoot out the back once you have passed over the edge.

 

[GrahamnSue]

We were parked next to a Dutch couple recently who were using airbag levellers. He had bought them on special offer for about €220 each. They did look good quality though.

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[dunnah01]

I would suggest you are driving up the ramps too aggressively, they will only shoot out the back once you have passed over the edge.

You should try it on a Comfortmatic on tarmac where the only technique is to take a run up and try not to touch the throttle but brake at exactly the right ramp step. It normally takes bravery and a few attempts before you get the right step. If you touch the throttle whilst on the ramp the engine torque will flick the ramp out backwards. My PB is over 50 feet .

 

[Sue and Rick]

Fix your handbrake

 

[G-RMPS]

Yes, I've been over the top ***

Yes, Comfortmatic is not easy.

Yes, my handbrake needed adjusting.

*** Which led to slightly dislodging the waste pipe from the grey tank, which led to waste water ingress to the hot-air surround to the grey tank, which led to hot, wet heating air circulating around the rear half of the van, which led to dampness and mould in the garage and elsewhere, which took a long time to diagnose, which led to a reduced trade-in on our van. An expensive mistake!

 

[Landy Andy]

Attach a bit of webbing to the bottom of your ramps with a couple of self tapping screws.

Drive onto webbing and up on ramp. Don’t pizz about bit of gusto with the idea of going to four of four, or three of four on a set of quotros. Don’t ride the clutch and mess about. Straight to the top or over where you want to be. Then sort your level out by naturally rolling back, not burning your clutch out. Stop early. Apply hand brake and settle into ramp recess.

 

[Barriesimpson]

You should try it on a Comfortmatic on tarmac where the only technique is to take a run up and try not to touch the throttle but brake at exactly the right ramp step. It normally takes bravery and a few attempts before you get the right step. If you touch the throttle whilst on the ramp the engine torque will flick the ramp out backwards. My PB is over 50 feet .

Well nail the ramps to the road then.