Why buy a Hi-Lo camper?

I thought this topic would make an interesting thread for people who were just discovering the Hi-Lo camper and possibly considering getting one.

Why would you recommend that someone consider a Hi-Lo camper?

I know why I bought mine, you know why you bought yours, I'd love for everyone to share their reasons for buying a Hi-Lo. I'm sure we would all like to see each other's opinions. Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you wish.

Neal

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2001 Hi-Lo 22TL
2010 F150

The idea of being down low intrigued me since the first time I saw one years ago. Every one I talked to said they were easier to tow because of lower wind resistance. I really like the concept! We have owned a pop up, 23' TT, (2) class C's and (1) class A so we're not new to RV'ing. I thought that for a change we would give a HiLo a try and see How we like it. I'm sure we will. We have seen Wisconsin, Minnesota,Iowa,Illinois Nebraska,South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Colorado. Now we shall HiLo it down south this year before heading west again. I want to be sure of my towing skills before I tackle the mountains again. Travel Safe! Road Dog

Road Dog, you travel south, If you are going through or too Louisiana, let me know the Gulf Cost Hi-Lo Club would like to invite you on one of our camp outs. We love to meet Hi-lo'ers from other areas of the country.
Sam

DW and I got camper fever a couple of years ago.

The only place we have to park one is in the back yard and to get into the back yard you have to drive though the carport. The clearance is too low for a regular travel trailer so this led us to start looking at folding type campers.

Once we started researching them we discovered all the advantages of a low profile camper. Much better fuel milage, less strain on the tow vehicle, little or no sway when large vehicles pass you, and easier storage. During our research we discovered there were places that offered "camper storage", but now that we had learned the advantages of a low profile camper we didn't want a high profile camper.

We started by renting a pop-up and it was much better then tent camping.
After a couple of days in the pop-up we knew we wanted more then the pop-up had to offer.

Next we looked at the Aliner and the Trailmanor. We had issues with both of them.

Next we looked at the Hi-Lo and it was love at first site. It was sturdy and solid, it had lots of features, it had great reviews, simple design and was easy to work on.

No camper is perfect but the Hi-Lo addressed the short comings that we personally had with the other campers. We knew right away that the Hi-Lo was the one for us.

It took a lot of looking to find ours but it was well worth it and we're very proud of our Hi-Lo which we've named "The Spirit of Adventure".

Neal

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2001 Hi-Lo 22TL
2010 F150

Hi- I love the idea of this thread. I currently drive a Roadtrek 170 versatile (class B). It's only 17 feet, so I'm looking for some extra room when traveling with husband and 2 kids ages 5 and 7. Because of the conversion (I'm on a Chevy Express 1-ton chassis), I believe I can only tow 6400#. I am wondering what your thoughts are on a hi-lo as a "spare room" (and snore-free sleeping alternative) where I could put some extra gear. I wonder if it would be hard to tow behind the van given the high roof and low back window visibility.
One other dumb question: when camping at campground, and you go out in your tow vehicle, what prevents someone else from hooking up your trailer and taking off with it? I've never had a trailer before.
Thank you!

Hi Ranger B!

I haven't seen a Roadtrek 170 versatile before so I googled it, it's a lovely camper. I also did a little research on the tow ratings and I found a big variance in the ratings. The ones I found went from 4600 to 8400. I didn't dig into it enough to know what the differences in the ratings are. It sounds like you've already done your homework in that area, which is a very good place to start in my opinion.

Visibility: Towing any camper is going to all but eliminate rear window visibility. We have a 2010 F150 and it sits up pretty high, I had to add side steps so DW could get in and out easier, and even when we towed a popup we couldn't see anything out the rear window. Proper side mirrors or good extension mirrors such as the McKesh are going to be necessary.

Spare room: I think (and I hope others pipe in on this too) that it would make a great spare room. Do you need the added kitchen and bathroom? I think that’s a big factor. If you do then the idea has more merit, else its a lot of overheard just for the extra beds.

Storage: Here in the Hi-Lo community we all dearly love our Hi-Lo's, so I might be burnt at the stake for saying this but... considering the size of the Hi-Lo that you are probably looking at, storage is only fair.

Towing: The Hi-Lo tows very nicely due to its low profile. You might need a couple of mods on your camper to tow it such as a brake controller and transmission cooler if it doesn't already have one. You'd need those to tow just about anything.

Theft: I suppose that someone could hook up your trailer and take it. But there is a bit more to it then that. Campers are GREAT folks and the people that camp near you notice you and they would notice if a strange truck pulled in and starting packing up your trailer. You can also buy security devices for your trailer. They make wheel boots and tongue boots that can help prevent people from taking it too. Plus the fact that the trailer is hooked up to utilities and has the stabilizer jacks set.. it might be easier to steal one from a dealer lot. Having a trailer stole from a camp site would be a rare thing.

So... just one opinion, but if you need a complete camper, kitchen, bath, dinette etc. Then you should consider the Hi-Lo and I would suggest you spend some time in one at a dealer (without the salesman) just to see how you like it and try to imagine that it's yours. If on the other hand you don't need another bathroom etc, and all you really need is sleeping space, then you might want to look at something more basic such as a popup.

No matter what you decide to do we're glad to have you in our little community! Please ask all the questions you like, there are no dumb ones, I’ve already used them all up!

Neal

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2001 Hi-Lo 22TL
2010 F150

Theft of trailers isn't that common (although it does occur). To prevent, the wheel boots and tongue locks go a long way into protecting this. Make sure you at least have a wheel boot (two is preferable), and a good padlock for the hitch.

From what I've seen is more common are break-ins. A pick resistant deadbolt lock goes far here, because most locks on RVs tend to either use a standard key, or be easily picked.

Why buy a Hi-Lo camper? In a nutshell:

1) Easy to tow. We have the best towing combo yet. We have towed full sized TT and a popup

2) Easy to setup and take down - Beats a canvas popup hands down. Only extra step needed compared to a full size TT is push a button, 12 seconds to raise/lower top. Also when lowering ensure nothing inside or out is in the way of the lowering roof.

3) No hassles with canvas - 'nuf said

4) No hassles of tow a full-size trailer. No more worrying about wind or passing semi's. As the saying goes, tows like a breeze/dream!

5) Easy to store (some smaller models). Some can store inside garage. Our driveway has too much of an incline. But it fits nicely in our driveway.

6) Factory support. Always received fast & friendly help by calling the factory direct.

7) Comfy to camp in cold, hot or perfect weather

8) Plenty of storage but then again we tend not to take a whole lot

9) People ask to see it while camping.

10) People ask you to see it when it is parked out front of your house. Yes these Hi-Lo's seem to attract people's attention!

Any reasons not to? Well not for us - we love our Hi-Lo and would purchase another!

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Nancy
2007 Hi-Lo 22T
2006 Jeep Commander