Description
Looking for a way to level your van at camp sites and tired of bulky, hard-to-use and unreliable leveling blocks? The Flat-Jack is an innovative product designed and manufactured in Germany that solves this problem! Simply place the Flat-Jack on the ground in front of your tire(s) and then roll the tire(s) onto the Flat-Jack. Now you can pump up the Flat-Jack with a hand pump or air compressor to raise the tire to exactly the level you need. It’s that easy! Best of all, they are extremely compact when deflated and take up almost no space in your rig.
Leveling blocks tend to break, are hard to use and even harder to drive up onto. This is a clever solution to leveling that would be easier to use, take up less space and allow you to get the right height much easier.
Flat-Jacks are made of super durable Rhino liner like material. They can “air jack” up to 3,307 pounds per wheel and are wide enough for tires up to 12″. The 2.0 version of the Flat-Jack can raise tires up to 7 inches with either a hand pump for a bicycle or an air compressor. Start leveling with ease and accuracy!
A Vanlife Outfitters Exclusive
We work directly with the manufacturer of this innovative product in Germany to be the only seller of this product in North America!
Also Great For Storing Your Vehicle
As an added bonus, if you ever store your rig on a hard surface such as concrete, you can use your Flat-Jacks under the tires to keep them from deforming during storage!
But, Why Is It So Expensive?
First, we totally acknowledge this is a premium product that isn’t a fit for everyone. At a fundamental level, Flat-Jacks are more expensive to manufacture than standard plastic leveling blocks. They’re made in relatively small batches in Germany and then have to be shipped here. Ultimately, our prices in North America are in line with what they cost in Europe. However, they have been available in Europe for much longer and have that awareness and track record across the pond.
Then there is the question of value relative to leveling blocks that only applies to people who actually care about having a level van. For many people a level van is entirely unimportant. But, for people like me who sleep better when the van is flat (not to mention cooking and showering), the Flat-Jack can be compelling. First it’s really well made and built to last for years. The track record of the product in Europe shows that they are basically indestructible unless you either puncture or over-inflate them. So, if you plan on traveling in your van for a long time, these will hold up whereas you’d probably have to buy many sets of the leveling blocks since they tend to deform or break under the weight of heavy rigs. Murphy’s Law (and my experience) means that those failures tend to happen when you really need to level the van the most! Then, in the context of a van in particular, you can consider the space you save and what that “precious” space is worth to you. What kind of useful stuff could you put in the space the blocks would take up? Finally, there’s the ease of use. Our silly video may be a bit exaggerated but these really do save you a lot of time and frustration.
I like to say if you’re already spent $50,000 to $150,000 for your van, investing another $300 to add easy-to-use and reliable leveling functionality is relatively affordable – especially if you sleep better in a leveled van or have an older-style absorption refrigerator.
Dimensions/Weight: 26.6″ diameter, 2.2 pounds
Maximum angles/correction by vehicle wheelbase:
- 157″ (4 meter) wheelbase, maximum angle 2.86 degrees
- 196″ (4 meter)wheelbase, maximum angle 2.29 degrees
- 236″ (4 meter) wheelbase, maximum angle 1.91 degrees
Two-year manufacturer defects warranty.
1) Do not over inflate – the maximum inflation is 22 PSI in cool temperatures however, we recommend to stop inflating at 15-18 PSI to allow for temperature/pressure fluctuations. As a rule of thumb, stop inflating when you no longer see the Flat-Jack rising. In high temperatures, we recommend deflating the Flat-Jack less than normal to prevent the internal pressure from rising with the temperatures.
2) Protect the Flat-Jack from punctures by making sure the area you are using the jack is free of sharp objects such as rocks, twigs, glass, etc. You might also consider placing a rubber or plastic mat below the Flat-Jack in troublesome areas. The Flat-Jack is very durable but not invincible!
3) Mind the Slope! Do not use Flat-Jacks in a sloped driveway, most driveways have an incline of over 2%. This angle puts too much pressure over the wheels being lifted with the Flat-Jacks.
4) Protect the Flat-Jack from extended UV exposure. If you’re camped in a spot where the Flat-Jack will be in direct sunlight for long periods of time, consider covering it with a towel or other item to protect it from extended UV damage.
5) Be very careful when releasing the air from the Flat-Jack. The cap that goes onto the “out” valve stem is under a lot of pressure so be sure to protect yourself from the cap. We recommend using your palm to catch the cap after the last turn off the valve stem.
6) Do not use the Flat-Jack on top of other leveling devices such as blocks or wood. Anything under the Flat-Jack should be used for protecting the Flat-Jack from punctures and be at least the same size diameter (or larger) than the Flat-Jack.
7) Orientation matters – only use the Flat-Jack with wheel supported on on the long side (follow the “yellow tread marks” printed on the Flat-Jack). Never inflate the Flat-Jack if it’s perpendicular to the wheel.
** Due to their width and weight capacity the Flat-Jack cannot be used with dual rear tires (Dually’s). They can be used on the front tires as long as the weight each wheel is supporting is less than 3,307 lbs.**
** Brand-new, unused Flat-Jacks are completely flat. Upon inflating, the Flat-Jacks have internal baffles that expand with the Flat Jack. These baffles deflate as the Flat Jacks deflate but are still present when deflated and may retain a negligible amount of air. Your Flat Jacks may not deflate to the original thickness of the brand-new product, but will deflate to 99% of their original flatness. This is normal.**
Customer Felix’s Sprinter leveled with Flat-Jacks. He says “The Flat Jacks are a true pleasure to use, easy to adjust to the perfect level, store flat, did I mention EASY, and EVERYONE who sees them is very inquisitive. I could be a product rep for them at this point. Attached is a photo of them in-use. Feel free to use it on your site. If I could figure out how to post a full-on review I would. One of the BEST additions to our vanlife kit ever.”
Note, many of these videos and images are showing the previous version of the Flat-Jack (1.0). The use and benefits are the same or better with the 2.0 version! New images and videos coming soon!
Our friends, @van.there using the Flat-Jack on their DIY Sprinter van camper. You can click on the photos to see a larger version. Link to Instagram post.
Chris and Cherie from Technomadia who have inspired so many people to try out nomadic life trying out the Flat-Jack with their Winnebago Travato! Click on the photos for a larger version. They have decided to ditch their leveling blocks in favor of the Flat-Jacks!
Check out @vansherpa’s report on Instagram below about their experience with the Flat-Jack in Baja.
Check out Talon Sei’s review of the Flat Jack!