The Benefits of an Amplo Motorhome Levelling System
Written by Alice Ramsay
An Amplo levelling system gets your motorhome or campervan perfectly level at the press of a button, safely, on ground that ramps can’t handle. That’s the short answer. The longer one comes from experience.
At Bristol Caravans we’ve been fitting Amplo levelling systems since 2021, and we now install around 80 systems a year. By volume of installs, that makes us the number one Amplo installer in the UK. Most go onto Fiat Ducato-based vehicles, but we also fit to Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter, across every body style: A-class, coachbuilt and panel van campervans.
Here’s what we’ve learned about the real benefits, where Amplo beats the alternatives, and what it costs to own one.
Benefit 1: It’s far safer than levelling ramps
Most owners start with plastic levelling ramps. They work, until they don’t. Driving a 3.5-tonne vehicle onto a plastic wedge means a wheel can slip off the edge, or the ramp itself can shoot out from under the tyre. On wet grass or loose gravel, both happen more often than people admit.
An Amplo system is automatic. You park, press the button, and the system levels the vehicle on its own jacks. No guessing, no shunting back and forth, no one standing outside in the rain waving you forward.
Benefit 2: More lift, so you can level on steeper ground
From the installs we’ve completed, Amplo gives the highest front lift of any system we’ve seen on the Fiat Ducato. More lift means the system can get you level on a steeper gradient, where other systems run out of travel.
Amplo will generally lift all four wheels clear of the ground. That widens the range of pitches you can use: sloping lay-bys, uneven aires, rough off-grid spots. If you like wild camping or going off grid, this is the upgrade that changes where you can stop.
Benefit 3: A stable flat bed and living space
A level van isn’t just about the fridge working well or the shower draining. It’s about sleeping flat. And walking on a stable platform. For some owners that’s comfort; for others it’s a health need. One of our case studies below shows exactly why.
How Amplo compares with the alternatives
This is our honest workshop view, based on the vehicles we work on every week.
| Option | What it does | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic levelling ramps | Manual; you drive onto wedges | Cheap, but a wheel can slip off or the ramp can fly out. Limited to gentle slopes. |
| Other hydraulic systems (e.g. E&P, HY4, VIP, M-Level) | Automatic hydraulic levelling | Good systems, but in our experience Amplo gives more lift on the Fiat Ducato, so it levels on steeper ground. |
| Electric jacks (e.g. TESA) | Electric legs at the corners | More of a stabiliser than a levelling system. Won’t usually lift all four wheels clear. Limited applications. |
| Amplo | Automatic hydraulic levelling | Highest lift we’ve seen on the Ducato; lifts all four wheels off the ground; levels where others can’t. |
Case studies from our workshop
A tag-axle Ducato and a flat night’s sleep
One customer came to us with a coach-built motorhome with a Fiat Ducato front axle, combined to an AL-KO rear tag axle. He has sleep apnoea and needed a genuinely flat sleeping position every night. Because of the size of his motorhome, he’d assumed a levelling system simply wouldn’t fit.
The tricky part was the rear axle brackets. A tag axle leaves very little room to position them. We worked through it and completed the install successfully, and he now gets a level bed (goodnight’s sleep) wherever he parks.
Custom brackets for a customer from Kent
A campervan owner from Kent desperately wanted levelling, but Amplo didn’t make brackets for his vehicle. Rather than turn him away, we worked closely with Amplo, who designed and built custom brackets to make the install possible.
After the fit, he told us levelling had changed their leisure life. It’s a good example of why “my vehicle isn’t supported” isn’t always the end of the conversation.
What you need to know before buying
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Installed price | £5,750 to £6,300, depending on your vehicle |
| Install time | >2 days at our workshop |
| Added weight | 50 to 60 kg |
| Aftercare | A yearly service |
Every vehicle is different, so we start with a free assessment. That tells you which brackets you need, what it will cost, and whether your payload has room for the extra weight.
“Isn’t levelling too expensive?”
It’s the comment we hear most. Our honest answer: compare it with what you’ve already spent on the van, and on every trip in it.
If levelling lets you use pitches you’d otherwise drive past, sleep properly, and stop risking a wheel coming off a plastic ramp, it pays back every time you park. Our Kent customer didn’t describe it as a cost afterwards. He described it as something that changed how they travel.
Why choose Bristol Caravans for your Amplo install
We’re the number one UK installer of Amplo levelling systems by volume of installs. That experience across Ducato, Transit and Sprinter bases, and every body style, means we’ve usually already solved the problem your vehicle presents.
We also have a direct line to the Director Team at Amplo in Italy. Amplo is a small business, so if your vehicle presents a challenge or you need help in year two of levelling ownership, we can reach the decision maker fast, often the same day. That’s how our Kent customer got custom brackets that didn’t exist before.
Book your free assessment at bristolcaravans.com or call us on 01454 612893.
