Being level

[peacetara]

Hey everyone.

I am putting this in the Stealth section even tho it could potentially apply in other forums, because for me, I only really have issues with being level on city streets.

So, here is the issue, it turns out most every street in existence now is humped, taller in the middle of the road and lower on the edges, apparently this is so that water and whatever will run off of the road way, and not cause issues.

My question is, anyone have awesome tricks for keeping the bed level when staying on city streets?

I don't really have the issue when boondocking, if I have to be tilted, I can just arrange it so that I won't be sleeping sideways , and that my head will be UP.

But I'm tall, so I sleep along the side of the van, and hence this hump on the streets always seems to leave me angled to one side or the other, which isn't very comfortable sleeping arrangements .

I know, obviously , one solution is to just boondock all the time (believe me I try) but for instance Reno, NV (where I happen to be at the moment) has a big storm coming thru, and since I need to get to Redding by the weekend to see the kids, I came down out of the mountain early , so that I knew I wouldn't get stuck up there waiting for the snow to melt.

So here I am once again on some street sleeping at an awkward angle.

Welcoming level sleeping brilliance,
Tara

 

[owl]

   T, I'm thinking parking lots rather than streets. Or perhaps roads further out. Have fun with the kids!

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Had the same problem.&nbsp; Everyone here told me to shim it up and so i gave it a shot.&nbsp; In my minivan i have a piece of ply under the mattress.&nbsp; I didnt have any wood to stick under so i used the backs of my flip flops <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" />&nbsp; It helped but was still not right.&nbsp; <br /><br />For a more perm solution, someone suggested putting adjustable 'leveling' feet under the edge closest to curb, like the kind washing machines have.&nbsp; <br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Waxman-16-Inch-Threaded-Leveling-Glides/dp/B001W6Q4U6<br /><br />I plan to put something like that on my permanent bed in the other van.&nbsp; I guess if you have an electric driver, you could just use a few large head screws <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" />

 

[Pikachu711]

I recall watching a video on Youtube by a van dweller who discusses the importance of sleeping level. I almost totally forgot about this issue. It makes sense since if you sleep at an angle that is not level it would affect the blood flow of your body. If you were to sleep with your head lower than your feet it probably wouldn't be the best thing for you.<br /><br />Good subject!

 

[karl]

I sleep across the van, so I can just swap pillows to the high side, but also carry half a dozen 2x8 x12" blocks that I can stack three ( 2 down ,1 on top) to make a 3" h ramp for the low wheels. <br />Probably not a good idea for stealth parking, but I rarely park in town.<br /><br />For side mounted beds that were hinged to the driver side wall a simple wedge or stepped blocks under the legs, maybe?<br /><br />

 

[peacetara]

Last night I saw a truck camper thing, and what they did was drive the wheels on the curb side up onto the curb.<br /><br />I tried this last night, and it worked like a champ! totally level (well level enough that I didn't notice anyways).&nbsp; <br /><br />I have no idea if this is good for the tires, I would guess... maybe not?<br /><br />Seems all together a cheaper/easier solution than those leveling feet.&nbsp; The hinged bed with stuff stuck under seems like a good idea as well.<br /><br />Anyways, anyone with tire/vehicle experience know if the drive onto the curb thing is ok?<br /><br />With Love,<br />Tara

 

[minimotos95]

hmm,&nbsp;that's a good question,&nbsp;driving up onto the curb&nbsp;may be worse for the tie rods than the tires, i don't know... i would be more worried about making sure your tire isn't hanging halfway off the curb.<br />being level&nbsp;is one of the things i haven't got around to when designing my conversion, maybe i should come up with something.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I guess you could do that, but if you are being stealthy that is an excuse for cops or neighbors to notice you and hassle you i think.&nbsp;

 

[wheelsoffreedom1776]

I installed air shocks on the rear of my class B and ran the airlines up into the passenger compartment with seperate fittings per side. I can let air out or add air to level the van side to side from inside the vehicle. Due to the weight and the angle my shocks mount at, I can only vary each side by a few inches, but other designs may yield more range of movement.

 

[mad*sparrow]

You do put a lot of stress on the sidewalls when you drive the wheels on the curb. And I agree with the stress on the tierods/balljoints as well and may cause an alignment problem. Driving onto 3 or four inch wide blocks would be better and maybe painting them black keeps the stealth thing.

Oh, what about those self leveling shocks like luxury cars have? Anyone with experience with those?

 

[offroad]

What about a couple of jack ramps? &nbsp;Maybe they are not strong enough to hold the weight though.&nbsp;

 

[davem]

If you just want your bed level, couldn't you just put shims or something under the end of the bed that is low to raise it to be level instead of trying to level the vehicle?

 

[wrcsixeight]

I certainly have done the unlevel thing a lot, but I always sleep better when I am level, or nearly so.<br /><br />The feeling that one might roll out of bed is not conducive to sleep. &nbsp;Since I sleep side to side, nose up is not bad, but nose down, and I lift up the mattress and place a couple pillows under the low side.<br /><br />I also have suspension airbags with the Schrader valves inside next to a compressor. &nbsp;100 psi in the curbside bag and 0 psi in the &nbsp;street side bag can do wonders for levelling out the van. Depending on the street and the orientation of the front suspension, I can get nearly 6.6 inches of lift leveling, but the minimum is 4.5.<br /><br />I don't know how obvious it is to non van dwellers, but I get a kick out of seeing my van sitting level when all the other cars are canted toward the curb.<br /><br />I have a tendency to forget to return to normal pressures when driving away. &nbsp;Once somebody on the road pulled up next to me and told me I ' broke a leaf spring or something.' &nbsp;Not really good for the bags to be driven at 0 psi, but they don't leak and have been in place for 5+ years now.<br /><br />The benefits of returning ride height to normal on an loaded van with tired leaf springs are a huge plus. &nbsp;Much less leaning in turns and no bottoming out on speed bumps or big road irregularities<br /><br />Also a Van sagging with too much weight in the rear draws too much attention to itself, IMO.<br /><br /><br />

 

[peacetara]

What are these airbag things?&nbsp; Are they expensive?

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

They are suspension pieces that are adjustable.&nbsp; Around 100-300 in parts from what I can google.

 

[wrcsixeight]

PT,<br /><br />Check Firestone RideRite<br />and AirRide for kits for your Van.<br /><br /> &nbsp;These kits are about 280$ uninstalled. &nbsp;I don't want to talk crap about air shocks, but the shock mounts on many vans were simply not designed to both support the weight of the &nbsp;vehicle and dampen the bounce factor. &nbsp;I would never put air shocks on the rear of my Dodge, just because I do not trust the upper rear shock mount to &nbsp;support the weight of the &nbsp;vehicle. &nbsp;Also, I feel that they twist the axle under load and make the universal joints work harder and fail earlier. &nbsp;Opinion, again.<br /><br />Many do so without issue. &nbsp;I'll leave that there.<br /><br />Don't necessarily believe the 'NO DRILL' disclaimer with what every &nbsp;air bag helper spring kit that &nbsp;tickles your fancies says, but also do know they are not perplexing in the intimacy of their installation, unless that it what floats your boat.<br /><br />If you are serious about adding rear helper spring/ airbags, &nbsp;I, and many others here, will help you research the options before you.

 

[peacetara]

For $300, I'm out at this point.&nbsp; Perhaps someday in the future, when I'm feeling super rich. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> But I feel a lot smarter now, and I appreciate the knowledge sharing!&nbsp; I hope this thread will help others.&nbsp; <br /><br />Just as a wrap-up for others:<br /><br />Sleeping not level is kinda the pits (and apparently not very healthy).&nbsp; If you are able, put your head on the uphill side.&nbsp; The worse (for me and others it seems) is when your sides are not level.&nbsp; Possible solutions:<br /><br />1) Don't stay on city roads, get out in Nature, and use blocks of wood if needed.<br /><br />2) Drive onto the curb (tho perhaps not the best for your vehicle, and cops may decide to get upset, probably not something to do in a residential neighborhood for instance.)<br /><br />3) Pillows or something underneath your bed mattress, to help even it out.<br /><br />4) Shims (little sticks of wood/whatever) underneath one side of your bed frame to help even it out.<br /><br />5) Air Shocks: These replace the things underneath your vehicle, and can be adjusted, you can adjust 1 side or the other as needed, up to a few inches. Some feel this may not be good long-term for your vehicle if not designed to be supported 100% by the shocks.<br /><br /><br />With Love,<br />Tara