I am considering a Hi Lo camper. When speaking to someone today, they told me to stay away from Hi Lo as it was nothing but trouble. I can understand how the hydraulic lift system might be a concern. What are some of the biggest problems you have had with your Hi Lo??I will be traveling with friends who are far from mechanical trouble shooters. You know, dumb blonde turned gray.

I have owned 2 HILO Campers in 40 years.
You have to keep in mind that you will likely be purchasing a used camper. If it has been well maintained by the previous owner then it will serve you well.

Almost all the components such as Water Heater, Furnace , Electrical and air conditioner are likely the same as those used in any other brand of camper.

The only thing that I had to do to the last one that I wouldn't have had to do to any other used camper was add some oil to the lift pump and lubricate the lift mechanism.

Overall we felt the quality of the camper components and the thought given to the floor plan was above average.

We have owned several campers in our 50 years of marriage and the HILO was one of our favorite campers.

We Sold it this spring mainly because of the Corvid pandemic, We used it to go to weekend festivals and craft shows, since almost all of these things were shut down we made the decision to let go of our home away from home.

I have a 2305 For the last three years

My advice is to inspect it carefully before purchase including all of the Cables and pulleys in both the up and down position.

When raising or lowering the top the trailer needs to be leveled by the wheels and tongue.

Also make shore everything is put away, disconnected, before lowering the top.

The bad that I found on my well maintained trailer was

One outrigger had broken free of the frame and had to be rebuilt. Actually all 4 were reinforced.

A section if the propane line was bent from jacking the trailer and was replaced.

A wire nut in the wiring that connects the top and bottom halves

The final thing was the Lift guide rod Had to be cleaned and regressed

Also I have had minor appliance issues.

All in all I think it is minimal for a 15 year old trailer

This was taken from NDgent's post here on the forum. It is a great go-by list. You can do a search of thinking about buying and find his post to read it first hand.

Basically, start with the visual items –
1. Exterior
• Look for water stains and discoloration on inside walls and around ceiling anywhere vents, skylights, windows, etc. exist.
• Push and prod with your hand on the inside walls for soft spots (which could indicate a water leak and a damaged or rotten interior wall).
• Check for bubbles in the wallpaper (a sign of delimitation or water intrusion)
2. Interior cleanliness of the unit-
• Look for water stains and discoloration on inside walls and around ceiling anywhere vents, skylights, windows, etc. exist.
• Push and prod with your hand on the inside walls for soft spots (which could indicate a water leak and a damaged or rotten interior wall).
• Check for bubbles in the wallpaper (a sign of delimitation or water intrusion)
3. Test appliance functions –
• lights
• fans
• refrigerator
• air conditioner
• heater
• water pump
• range hood
• stovetop
• oven (if equipped)
• microwave (if equipped)
• stereo (if equipped)
4. Lift System-
• Does the unit raise and lower properly
• Check the lift system for hydraulic leaks (puddle under the trailer)
• Check the lift cables to see if they are in good shape and not frayed
• Check the seal between the upper and lower body halves for tears or damage
5. fill the tanks to the top and check for leaks
6. Battery
7. Solar Panel (if equipped)

__________________
"Ruben"
2404T, 2003 2500HD 4X4 GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab w/Astro camper shell and 2003 Chevy Tahoe LE 4X2
Far West Texas

Aside from the lift mechanism (which should be trouble free if it's been maintained properly) a HiLo will be subject to more or less the same issues as any other travel trailer of similar vintage and quality.

In 60+ years of buying and driving / towing almost exclusively used cars, trucks and trailers (mostly 10+ years old or more), by far the biggest factor affecting satisfaction with those purchases has been the quality and regularity of care & maintenance by prior owners (Ideally documented by maintenance and repair records) Close behind that is the number of owners the vehicle or trailer has had - best case is one or two owners from new with records and receipts from day one.

Regardless, if you don't have RV / travel trailer experience (and particularly if you don't have a mechanical background) it's going to be important to have someone knowledgeable with you when you look at any trailer you're considering, and it may be worthwhile to find a good RV shop that will do pre-purchase inspections (PPI) before you start your search.

We've had our current 2307C (2007 23' Classic) for about 3 years and have had no problems of any significance - I'm an inveterate tinker and mechanic so I've made some upgrades, but nothing that the trailer wouldn't have worked fine without.

Hydraulic systems in generally are very reliable, so while that may seem like a likely failure point, it's not. I do two things with the hydraulic lift system: lubricate the pulleys under the trailer and lubricate the guide rod that sits next to the hydraulic ram. Both of these are easily accessible on the underside of the trailer without jacking.

Just as the checklist above, mentions looking for stains, I think that the biggest thing to look for in any trailer is water damage.

The HILO specific issues to me all revolve around the use of 1,000 screws to put them together. Screws are better than brads or nails, but they still require occaisional tightening.