How does a levelling installation differ between a towed caravan and a motorhome?
A towed caravan has no handbrake or gearbox of its own, so chocks are mandatory and the noseweight can change after levelling. On a motorhome usually only the rear wheels are locked in the park position; chocks are still recommended. Although the 12V DC supply and the 4 jacks are the same on both, the cable routing and mounting points differ.
The hardware is the same, the installation approach differs.
Towed caravan (trailer):
- Since the vehicle has no engine or gearbox of its own, parking safety depends entirely on the handbrake and the wheel chocks.
- Raising the front jacks during levelling changes the noseweight; before departure the jacks must be retracted and the load distribution checked.
- The supply usually comes from the service battery; a 12V line independent of the tow vehicle must be planned.
Motorhome:
- In the park position typically only the rear wheels are locked; that alone is not enough, so use chocks.
- The jack mounting points can clash with the exhaust line, the fuel tank and the driveline; the layout must be measured first.
- Care must be taken to distinguish the engine battery from the service battery, and the system must be connected to the service battery.
The common rule does not change on either type: do not lift all the wheels off the ground. The jacks do not replace the parking brake, and the vehicle can slide off them. The Retract All Jacks function of the KTS200 brings all the jacks into the safe position with a single button before you set off.
Full article: RV automatic levelling guide