A few questions from a new owner

1. Is there a place I can buy a cover made for the Hi-Lo or is custom made or just a tarp the only option?

2. Should I wax or put some type of protectant on the fiberglass? (never owned a fiberglass camper)

3. I believe it has a rubber roof, any hints on care and maintenance? I was told to wash the fiberglass with a mixture of 1 cup laundry detergent and 1 gallon of water. I didn't know if this was safe for the roof so I didn't wash it yet.

Thanks
Jean

Hello Jean - Glad to have you with us!

Yes, you can get "custom made" covers for your HiLo. I had one made for mine, out of Sunbrella fabric and I've been quite happy with it. It was about $600, which included shipping. Here's a link to the thread where I reported on it: https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f32/my-new-trailer-cover-5677/

Don't use a plastic tarp. You want the cover to "breath" so that it doesn't trap water under there, against the trailer. The cover is there for protection from the sun.

Buy covers for your tires too - they degrade under sunlight if the trailer is stored outside.

You certainly CAN wax the sides of the trailer, although I've never done that. I just wash mine now and then. I think I'd use automotive detergent instead of laundry detergent though. I don't see how this would hurt a rubber roof. A rubber roof should be obvious - mine's aluminum and has a "pebble-grained" feel to it. I think you can tell the difference by touch.

- Jack

Thanks for responding Jack.

I wondered about using a tarp. That is what was covering it this winter and the outside was turning green and smelled when we pulled it off. We have used tarps just to cover the roof on trailers but never the whole trailer like this one was.
Thanks for the link I will read that post.

I did buy covers for the tires from Amazon and a new cover for the back tire. We put new tires and rims on it before we moved it and took it to get inspected. I want to protect those.

Yes the roof feels like rubber it is not the metal roofs I was use to having on past campers. Wasn't sure if there was another type of roof besides metal or rubber.

I will just use automotive detergent once it quits raining so we can level the trailer and raise the top and continue to clean the outside of trailer. Then we can clean the inside and air it out. It has been closed up for several months.

Jean

Care of the HiLo.

We use car wash soap on the body of the trailer. Then we apply 303 protectant with a microfiber cloth. Look in the RV section at walmart. You can purchase a specific awning cleaner and a rubber roof cleaner. The bottles of cleaner should last several seasons.

Usagi5678 thanks for the information. I will look this weekend at the store for those products.

This stuff works pretty good for roofs. Available at Walmart, Camping World, etc.…

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Protect-...=sem&msclkid=d0efea14d67d1a347a1d8a81b324d944

Tip for detailing your HiLo.

Do not set any of your cleaning products on the front tongue area or the back bumper. Lowering the HiLo is guaranteed to crack your bottles of detail products. Best to set them in a lawn chair or a small table. Ask mew how i know!! These tips are back savers also.

Got mine on Amazon

just got through waxing my entire trailer with Mc Quires Car Cleaner wax I use this wax on my vehicles also as you don't have to worry about it drying as it drys to a powdery like material that can easily be removed and buffed out without sticking. as for covers you can find some nice ones on amazon that are inexpensive it may be a little long when the trailer is lowered but you can just roll it up or mark it cut it and have an upholstery shop sew up the bottom half. good luck after waxing you will notice the difference I have a 24 t and it took half a bottle of wax. I also used a $18.00 6" Palm buffer from harbor freight to apply the wax and removed with micro fiber towels

Just FYI, the covers like the one i have for my 2400 series are not made of very thick material and if they snag on something when going on or off it tears easily. Mine came from amazon and was made by ADCO

How to prepare HiLo for winter cover.

DD gets a lot of packages that contain bubble wrap. Recycle the bubble wrap to cover the top of the awning arm. We also cover the roof TV antenna. Also the roof AC cover. I have used blue painters tape or clear packing tape. This prevents the wind from making wind whip holes in the fabric. Easy enough to slit the bubble wrap and discard. Check your HiLo over for any other areas that need protection(bubble wrap). Some have used pool noodles to cover sharp protusions.

Cover

I bought mine from etrailer.com. Still in box, but I provided info on my model 2002 24D Silver Edition.

Adco manufactures covers specifically for "pop-up" trailers of all sizes in a number of different fabrics (they also manufacture custom covers to size & make covers for motorhomes, trucks, vans and "normal" travel trailers) - here's a link to their page for covers appropriate for HiLo's: (https://www.adcoprod.com/Universal-RV-Covers/Pop-Up-Trailer-RV-Covers). We currently use one of their "Aquashed" covers, but it's not designed for UV protection, so we're probably going to upgrade to a "UV Hydro" for both rain and sun protection.

As far as maintenance on the fiberglass skin goes, I've used Marine 31's boat polishing products with good success (gelcoat is gelcoat, whether it's a boat, dune buggy, or trailer).

Our 2307C was pretty oxidized when we got it - white powder would come off on your hand if you rubbed the end cap surfaces. Attempted to clean and polish by hand and got essentially nowhere, so I broke down and ordered a fiberglass oxidation removal kit from Marine 31 (#7424XP - Porter Cable variable speed buffer with pads, oxidation remover, polish & wax - https://www.marine31.com/porter-cable-7424xp-boat.html).

Took some labor, but both the molded end caps and sheet fiberglass side skins polished up to an almost-new finish with a good gloss, and the buffer makes keeping it up relatively easy.

Thank You for all the suggestions

Thank you for all the suggestions. I have printed them out so my husband can read them (he is not a computer person). Sorry it took so long to respond. Been hectic lately.