Staying on the Level
Below is an account of my first motorhome and caravan sales experience at the N.E.C Motorhome and caravan show, promoting the MA-VE motorhome levelling system.
The Nitty-Gritty
Coming from a sales background, however never working a show previously in the motorhome and leisure industry, i was intrigued when one of the products that i was showcasing at a recent motorhome event (N.E.C Caravan and motorhome show) was a hydraulic system that levelled a motorhome on uneven ground.
The MA-VE Hydraulic system Is manufactured in San Marino, Italy and is essentially 4 telescopic hydraulic legs on brackets comprising of a 12v motor, pump, pipework and an ECU which controls the system.
Why the need to Level anyway?
My first instinct having never spent any time on the road in the luxury of a motorhome, was why would you really need to level out the home in the first place? Would it not be simple and more cost effective to park on level ground in the first place?
I guess that my inexperience was evident after speaking to the motorhome faithful, who after many years on the road staying at various uneven sites, had the dilemma of choosing whether to sleep slanting downwards (like a child on a sledge in the snow) or upwards with feet raised in the air (like a bungee jump without the harness!).
The customers perspective ‘Don’t come knocking if the motorhomes a Rocking’
It seems that i had not taken into consideration the more adventurous campers out there who like to get the motorhome ‘a Rocking and a rolling’ at night. On the first day of the N.E.C motorhome and caravan show I was ‘taken aback’ when a lovely middle-aged couple came bouncing onto the stand to proclaim they had recently purchased the MA-VE system.
Mr mentioned that previously they were conscious of other campers noticing the van moving excessively at night, but now they have the steadiness of the levelling system, their love life was rejuvenated, their motorhome mojo was restored and Mrs was now swinging from the skylight again!
So after the awkward pause… the second thing that became apparent to me was that the MA-VE Levelling system stability would ensure discreteness for all of the ‘over energetic’ motorhome ‘movers and shakers’.
More benefits of levelling
The other great advantage to the system was the fact that it can be controlled in manual mode, so the legs on one side can be deployed, this is a great help when changing a tyre or emptying the waste. (They do say s**t rolls downwards, and now it can!!). This mode is also useful if you require a beer from the side board, which can now just slide into your hand, rather than getting up onto your feet to fetch a bottle when defuddled. However if you really want to have fun with the system you can tilt one side of the vehicle, unburdening any rainwater from the roof onto the site manager when they arrive at the motorhome door to collect site fees.
A great bonus to the system seemed to be the Bluetooth/android app that can be downloaded free onto a mobile phone, rather than paying extra for a remote control. It must be a pleasure watching people struggle with ramps and spirit levels whilst you sit 30m away in the nearest beer garden controlling your vehicle level with a different spirit in hand.
Security matters!
On a more serious note the MA-VE security features are an added benefit to the system, as with the stainless steel legs deployed it makes the vehicle much harder to remove or tow away and would certainly make anyone with an unwanted attraction to your ‘little pride and joy’ think twice about running away with it.
What I liked with this system is the fact that if the pipework underneath the vehicle was tampered with, the legs would not retract and would stay deployed. So ‘peace of mind campers’, whilst you may be away from your vehicle getting legless, your vehicle has legs and is the most secure on the campsite.
Another plus to the MA-VE system is the manual override. In the event of power failure, the system can be controlled with a manual paddle lever, so you are never going to be stuck onsite. The legs also power up automatically as well as down and with stainless steel drilled feet to prevent a vacuum, the feet will not get stuck into the ground. Also, if you try to turn the ignition on the motorhome and drive away, an alarm will sound and the legs will automatically retract.
Staying on the straight and narrow.
So… if you want stability, security, convenience or discreteness in your motorhome life, then MA-VE is the product you need to be installing. We have fully trained qualified agents throughout the UK, so if your motorhome is a Rocking, find your nearest UK agent now on our website and give them a knock, or a call.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at the show and meeting the motorhome fraternity. I’m also an outdoor ‘kinda’ person who enjoys the fresh air and countryside and do hope to be able to engage in the fun and frolics with a motorhome of my own in the future. I won’t be getting as carried away as some of my customers though and with or without a MA-VE, will try my upmost to ‘stay on the level’…!!
Landen Burton
