Beyond Curious, just bought a HI LO - Page 2 - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

guitarman023 · 07-25-2014, 11:50 PM

so I'm guessing with you ordering that many staples, that there are more somewhere? I was able to get the camper gutted tonight, so it's a blank canvas inside, ordered some butyl tape and I'll take the screws to lowes tomorrow to get the size and then order the length I need. I have a spray gun, so I'm thinking of an enamel paint job for the exterior of the camper. I started peeling some of the fake wood grain off the walls, and found some pretty nice wood veneer behind it, at least on the curve of the roof, so that may be worth sanding and staining, we'll see, I'm sure with the age of the trailer I will find rust or rot somewhere. Nothing yet.

guitarman023 · 07-25-2014, 11:52 PM

I also found that I don't think the top is coming up fully. it's locking into place with the cable release, but the seals where the walls meet are off by two inches. the door seal is also off by that much, so some adjustments might be needed? It's supposed to be 6'5'', and I'm 6'3'' and my head rubs with just flip flops on.

sam · 07-26-2014, 12:03 AM

You won't find boxes of 100s of ss screws at HD or Lowes. Try a hardware store. We got ours at Ace Hardware.

guitarman023 · 07-26-2014, 12:08 AM

I'll be getting the screws on ebay, just going to lowes to check the size of the screws. I need to buy a tarp anyways. Anybody know where I can find leveling jacks? Mine didn't come with any. i've currently got it on a couple jack stands and my floor jack is supporting behind the door.

charlie b · 07-26-2014, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitarman023

so I'm guessing with you ordering that many staples, that there are more somewhere? I was able to get the camper gutted tonight, so it's a blank canvas inside, ordered some butyl tape and I'll take the screws to lowes tomorrow to get the size and then order the length I need. I have a spray gun, so I'm thinking of an enamel paint job for the exterior of the camper. I started peeling some of the fake wood grain off the walls, and found some pretty nice wood veneer behind it, at least on the curve of the roof, so that may be worth sanding and staining, we'll see, I'm sure with the age of the trailer I will find rust or rot somewhere. Nothing yet.

I have to remove the siding from the outside to replace the beams and the top support board. There isn't much left of the staples they used.
I think another thing we need to do is make sure there is ventilation while these things are stored so the condensation doesn't build up in the walls and roof.

sam · 07-26-2014, 07:41 PM

Charlie you are correct in staying you must work from the outside releasing the skin and rebuilding the wood /aluminum frame. It is critical that you do bracing on the inside to support the HiLo from collapsing. Do a search for Towlite rebuilds.

RCREYES · 07-28-2014, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitarman023

yes, from what I can tell ALL screws are exterior, they're the square head variety, and they are all rusted, and have leached rust all over the place, which makes everything look horrible. The only thing I've found without screws is the electrical plugin, it has very short staples that held it in. thanks for the link to the black rubber, probably worth replacing if it's not too expensive, seems easy to replace. How would exterior latex paint hold up on the interior? The paneling is in great shape other than where it rubs, but it's very sun faded and is a pretty outdated color. I was just thinking a light tan color would make the camper look larger and cover up the fake wood grain. I'm just glad the ceiling is intact and stain free. I've got a lot more questions, but this is a good start. I bought a tarp to drape over until it until I'm sure it's water tight.

Tarps are bad news to use as covers. They actually trap moisture in. You need a breathable cover to let moisture escape. With a tarp, you get the greenhouse effect.

guitarman023 · 07-28-2014, 01:29 PM

I've got the end windows open think that's enough ventilation?

RCREYES · 07-28-2014, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitarman023

I've got the end windows open think that's enough ventilation?

If you have any pinholes on the roof you stand a chance of condensation breaching through.

DWatkins · 10-04-2014, 11:08 AM

Check out Chicago Canvas. They will make canvas tarps in just about any size you want. I just had one custom sized for my 17 foot towlite and it was only $202. They will do boxes custom fitted but only in vinyl which won't breathe. I got the canvas tarp and a bunch of bungee cords and strapped them under the frame. I'm good to go for winter.

camperD · 10-31-2014, 08:03 PM

Hi GM! I'm also from Marietta. I haven't seen any other HiLos around here, so I'm glad I happened on this thread.
I don't know beans about major renovation like you're tackling. I strictly work on mods to mine. Maybe when we get back from a winter trip we can get together and I can see your project.