Hi-Lo Trailer Co. Closes Shop - Page 3 - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

PaulS · 02-16-2011, 11:47 AM

It would be nice if they would restart the MFG of HI-Lo's and come out with a handicapt line of wheel chair accessable units with lifts and all the goodies.

JMDoering · 02-16-2011, 09:44 PM

Hi Paul,

Because the Hi-Lo Company auctioned away all its tooling, material, and buildings, unfortunately I don't think we'll ever see any new ones.

However, your suggestion of making a wheel chair accessible Hi-Lo is terrific!

Sting32, another member of the HTF, owns a 5th wheel Hi-Lo that was significantly modified to have a toy garage in the rear. The work is so good it looks (in the photos) as though it was originally built that way! If I remember correctly, the modification was done several years ago by J & R Enterprises. It would be very neat to see what they (now J & R Repair) could do to change a standard Hi-Lo to be wheel chair accessible!

Great food for thought!
Jim

PaulS · 02-17-2011, 11:21 AM

Jim thanks for the info, I did some research and i have not found any RV Manufacturers that makes a Handicapt camping unit. There might be some out there but not that I found, I seen the pics of the remanufactured toy hauler its nice, they did a good job looks like a professional did it.

sting32 · 02-17-2011, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulS

Jim thanks for the info, I did some research and i have not found any RV Manufacturers that makes a Handicapt camping unit. There might be some out there but not that I found, I seen the pics of the remanufactured toy hauler its nice, they did a good job looks like a professional did it.

earlier in 2010, I had plans by now to get my toybox out and do something about the inoperable fridge, which would also be some good pic taking time.

But I am gettin married this week, lol so honeymoon displaced the fridge funds, so to speak.

but my plan is this spring, I will "ATTEMPT" to take some good shots of the rig. too bad my normally great cellphone camera has a scratched lens, would been more pics up already, lol

I used to work for a company called "Eldorado" or EMC (some 20 years ago) & they made campers then motorhomes, plus started a buss company that they sold off and it still exists. Anyway, we had options to to install wheel chair doors, like they use in buses (if you have seen avis or hertz airport shuttles, 50/50 chance you rode in a buss I might built back in the late 80's early 90's) Plus we made everything.

But, FYI wheel chair accessable changes the "galley" or isle, and profoundly changes the storage areas, etc. Of course this kind of depended a little on how accessable it had to be, if driver/owner/main-user was wheelchair, bigger changes to floorplans than just needing to get in and out and sleep, say for secondary person (wife/husband/child) of owner operator... which was easier in motorhomes than the Hilo, if you'd ask me to guess, just because I was dealing with static openings, walls, and ceiling & dimensions and such.

I would assume for most wheelchair accesable Campers, a toy hauler would be "half way" built for wheelchair access, only needind probably lifts and helping mechanisms for things like folding dinettes, and doors and such, plus modified shelving and counters if need be.

vannooch · 02-17-2011, 01:29 PM

I'm sure that if you had an accessible entry door you could make the inside work, and I bet J&R could do the door.

Congratulations on your marriage Sting, may you and yours have a blessed new life together.

retiredcamper47 · 02-17-2011, 06:22 PM

Congrats Sting! Hey Paul, in the March issue of Trailer Life magazine, check out page 41. It shows a company in Elkhart, Indiana that is making travel trailers for people with disabilities. Bridgeview Manf. is the company and Harbor View is the trailer model. If I remember correctly, HiLo made a custom trailer for a couple from Florida that had a family member with disabilities. The trailer was a 31' and had an extra wide door to accomodate a wheel chair. I can't remember what the inside looked like.

Bob

JMDoering · 02-17-2011, 08:20 PM

Sting,

Congrats on your wedding!!

If you use the Hi-Lo for your honeymoon, then you could consider a new refrigerator to be a wedding present.

On a serious note, if you're looking for a lower cost alternative to an expensive gas/electric RV reefer, consider a regular under bar fridge from Home Depot or equivalent. Years ago, when the original reefer in our 1969 finally failed, I was strapped for bucks and did as I suggested above. It only worked as a fridge when I had 110 AC available, of course. When dry camping it served as a vertical ice chest. I found one close to the size of the original, and with minor cabinet work, adapted the bar fridge to fit. Worked great for a number of years until I could afford a pricey RV model. Incidentally, the old bar fridge is still hard at work... in my garage shop!

Jim

PaulS · 02-18-2011, 12:09 PM

Congrats on your wedding Sting.

JMDoering · 02-27-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredcamper47

Hey Paul, in the March issue of Trailer Life magazine, check out page 41. It shows a company in Elkhart, Indiana that is making travel trailers for people with disabilities. Bob

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your find in Trailer Life. For members who don't subscribe to Trailer Life, here is a link to Harbor View trailers: Welcome - Harbor View Mobility Travel Trailers

Jim

sting32 · 02-28-2011, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMDoering

Sting,

Congrats on your wedding!!

If you use the Hi-Lo for your honeymoon, then you could consider a new refrigerator to be a wedding present.

On a serious note, if you're looking for a lower cost alternative to an expensive gas/electric RV reefer, consider a regular under bar fridge from Home Depot or equivalent. Years ago, when the original reefer in our 1969 finally failed, I was strapped for bucks and did as I suggested above. It only worked as a fridge when I had 110 AC available, of course. When dry camping it served as a vertical ice chest. I found one close to the size of the original, and with minor cabinet work, adapted the bar fridge to fit. Worked great for a number of years until I could afford a pricey RV model. Incidentally, the old bar fridge is still hard at work... in my garage shop!

Jim

(hope you can appreciate my StarTrek humor here...)

"Dammit Jim! I'm a doctor, not an Amonia Refrigerant Specialist"
(Bones or Doctor McCoy if you need to google the reference)....

But seriously, I needed you around closer, I hadn't thought of that one! Great idea! but I didnt have the time to travel, so we flew.

BTW, That Bar fridge, although I hadn't searched with that term, is exactly the top one of the plans, plan B was to get the part and hoped it fixed the fridge, only $460 from a place in Arkansas I think it was, via Ebay, get 80 back when I send in the core, of course most of that is used up in shipping, lol.

jwswans · 03-21-2011, 06:52 PM

Daer Group,

I am open to sugestions on Baileys Hydraulic Cylinders as replacement for a 1972 18 foot HILO or a reapir kit or new Dukes hyd cylinder ?

Any used ones with 16 inch stroke with same threaded end might work?

Any old manuals on Dukes Cylinder used in 1972 would be appreciated or subsequent replacements of this Hyd. Cylinder?
Thank,
Old Man Swanson AZ

Found new hydraulic cylinder on Ebay only 72.00 High Grade ,with guarantee.

2" Bore, 16" Stroke, Heavy Duty Tie Rod Hydraulic Cylinder (Brand New)
Features & Specifications

Built tough for agricultural & industrial applications
Operating pressure: 3000psi
Double acting
Rod Clevis: Ductile iron
Rod Seal: Reliable double lip u-cup
Rod: High tensile strength, polished and hard chrome plated
Piston Seal: TFE Teflon Glass - Filled with O-Ring
Ports: Double ports for flexibility of mounting
End Clevis: Ductile iron
Piston: Ductile iron, precision machined
Tie-Rods: High tensile steel
Tube: Honed steel, precision finished
Tube Seal: Nitrile rubber " O-ring" for long life
Gland: Ductile iron, drilled oil passages
Please check our eBay Store for more different sizes.

Please contact us for quantity pricing.

Part# KC2016T

Bore
Stroke
Closed Pin Center Distance
Shaft Diameter
Port Size
Clevis Pin Diameter
Max. Rated PSI & Column Load on Full Extension
Weight (lbs)

Retracted
Extended
PSI
lbs.

2"
16"
26.25"
42.25"
1.125"
3/8" NPTF
1"
Full PSI
7854
23

Haldex 12 Volt DC Power Unit, Solenoid Op Single-Acting is a fine replacement fot HILO Hydraulic PUMP & Motor

Haldex 12 Volt DC Power Unit, Solenoid Op Single-Acting
Northern Tool Item# 1072

Item Weight: 31 lb(s)

Product Information: New

The Haldex 12V DC power unit is used in applications where control valves are mounted externally away from power units. Flow and pressure to manifolds allow usage in many applications. Return port for returning oil back to tank. Check and relief valve. 9/16in.-18 SAE ports. Items 1076 and 1077 are for double acting cylinders; others are for single acting cylinders. U.S.A.
Operation: Solenoid w/Remote Cord Set

Haldex 12 Volt DC Power Unit, Solenoid Op Single-Acting
Northern Tool Item# 1072

Item Weight: 31 lb(s)

Product Information: New

The Haldex 12V DC power unit is used in applications where control valves are mounted externally away from power units. Flow and pressure to manifolds allow usage in many applications. Return port for returning oil back to tank. Check and relief valve. 9/16in.-18 SAE ports. Items 1076 and 1077 are for double acting cylinders; others are for single acting cylinders. U.S.A.
Operation: Solenoid w/Remote Cord Set

jwswans · 03-22-2011, 11:32 PM

Dukes Hydraulic Cylinder found online still.for Hilo!

Part Number: for 2 1/2 stroke cylinder RBG2516112 --ATTENTION NOTE: Check for 2 inch model fits better

Please call

Please call

Qty:

Product Description
Please call us at 1-877-219-9001 for current pricing and lead time. We will need to confirm the Cylinder Dimensions that we show on file.

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Chat (Offline)SpecificationsOEM Mfg. Dukes
Equip Model # -
Equip. Type -
Industry Agricultural
Cyl. Type TRA
Bore 2.500
Rod 1.120
Stroke 016.0000
Closed 26.2500
Open -
Rod Pin Diam. 1.00
Rod Width 2.62
Base Pin Diam. 1.00
Tel. Largest Stage O.D. -
Tel. # of Stages -
Cylinder Func. -
Standard -
Stock Status Call

jwswans · 03-23-2011, 08:30 PM

Units for Handicap have fold down ramp with hand bars ,low profile or elec ramp hoist off battery ,wide double doors that are 3 foot wide for wheel chairs access ,half of camper would be a aisle 3 feet wide and others side dedicated to ,usable living space ,speial stove refrig,sink ,toilet with hand Bars and light switches at low levels ,and cumfy bed.to name a few ..

Can be done easily just get the folks to revamp one,or make assesable?

TJM · 04-01-2011, 03:14 PM

Just finished a road trip to J&R Trailer, despite the snow. Great and honest people.

RichR · 04-01-2011, 05:54 PM

My dealer friend has always spoken highly of those guys. Greg, one of the former owners that died unexpectedly, was a super good guy. It is nice to see that their good reputation lives on. I went there several years ago to pick up a bunk and some other parts. The guys went out of their way to help us get the bunk loaded into the Suburban.

prairierose · 05-03-2011, 09:33 AM

We just want to say thankyou, that you have this going for Hi-lo owners. We enjoy our Hi-lo too.

MrWizard · 05-30-2011, 02:59 PM

New to forum but glad it is here. Parents are the proud owners of a 98 Towlite 24'. I help maintain and use it and agree with those here that say they are worth hanging onto. The loss of HiLo really bugs me as a small business owner and begs me to ask a question that is relevant to the forum. What happened to the intellectual property of the company like the logo and patents etc...? I ask as the forum may want to use them to keep them alive in a dormant state. I would really like to see these trailers be reborn again as I see this type of small manufacturing as one way America can become vibrant again.

MrWizard · 05-30-2011, 03:57 PM

Don't want to step on anyones toes as all seem to be decent people all around, but wanted to add some information that might be relavent to my last questions and others and if anything for posterity and historical records:
Last known address Hi-Lo trailer Co. Inc.:500 S. Main Street, Bellville, OH.
Last known officers of corporation: Chairman: Wade Thompson, President: Larry Mills, Vice President: Jim Beveridge, Secretary: John Russell, Treasurer: James Snyder.
This was learned from:
Business Search Results
And strangly enough:
http://mobile.www.secstate.wa.gov/co...?ubi=601486210
It would seem that J&R Repair has purchased or inherited the bulk of what was once Hi-Lo as per their web page: Home - JR REPAIR

sam · 05-30-2011, 09:05 PM

Just my two cents worth. I didn't see the quality being put into the new designed HiLo. The price was to high. Example;on the new trailers owners are having to replace cheap memory foam/matresses because the are uncomfortable. No shield on the front window for rocks. Also without the shield traffic in the other lane produces a glare that bounces back to the HI Lo driver. The tan interiors on the HiLo reminds me of the inside of a coffin. Older HiLos had pretty interiors. Most of the RVS I see at shows don't have wow interiors. Some one said it would take real deep pockets to revive HiLo. All RV manufactures need to listen to consumer feed back.

outlaw88 · 07-20-2011, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sayhonkmon

That's why I couldn't get any help from the parts dept..
OK, we need to all help one another with parts sources, service info and general help. Maybe we could start a special "maintenance, parts and problem" topic area for us dummies that are new to everything about a Hi-Lo.

You experts out there should start writing some tech columns about the Hi-Lo
or if anyone knows an EX-Hilo service guy; get him to join the forum..
thanks.

Anyone know where there are parts available, We snapped two rear cables while in vacation in wisconsin causing back end to frop and we replaced cables ourselves ( couldnt find any premade) and have some curtain damage. Need to find new curtains?