I am looking at a 2003 2403 tow-low - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

Mike M · 09-09-2015, 06:05 PM

What is the tow-low package? I am considering this as it has a 3700 lbs. Towing weight. If I can get a response by tomorrow morning I would appreciate it. The dealer is in Mankota, MN and I am honestly thinking of trading my 17T for this unit. I need all the information I can get. Does it tow smoothly? Do I need to lower the ball on my WDH? Is it worth the effort to purchase? It has a fantastic floor plan. Any Information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

2003 Tow-Low Hi-Low 2403, Mankato MN - - RVtrader.com

is the link. Thank you all!!!

Dee Tillotson · 09-10-2015, 03:58 AM

Mike, what the dealer meant to say was a 2003 Tow Lite Hi-Lo, not a tow-low. The Tow Lite Hi-Los weigh less than the Classic Hi-Los when comparing similar lengths of each Hi-Lo. Also, the Tow Lites are not as wide as the Classics.

Dee
Summerville, SC

Dee Tillotson · 09-10-2015, 04:04 AM

Mike, also your 17T is a Tow Lite with the same "package" as the Tow Lite you are considering purchasing with a heck of a lot more space.

Dee

Dee Tillotson · 09-10-2015, 04:32 AM

Mike, in addition, the Tow Lite you are considering purchasing has a double axle which, I think, will assist in giving you a smoother ride. However, Tow Lites did not come standard with a manual roof lift system as backup; it would only be available as an option to be purchased when the camper was new. You need to check for that option. If Murphy's Law kicks in while you are camping and have an electrical problem for some reason, thus not being able to raise the roof with the push of a button, you would use the manual lift backup. Don't ask me how I know!!! Ha!

Dee

Mike M · 09-10-2015, 05:08 AM

Thanks Dee,

I have been in the situation where the manual lift had to be used. Not Fun.

Mike

Jeff H · 09-10-2015, 08:19 AM

Hi Mike!
I wanted to make you aware that in looking at a 2003 brochure, the 2403T Hi-Lo has an unloaded vehicle weight of about 4200 lbs. with a GVWR of 6000 lbs. Not sure if your tow vehicle can handle this, but it's something to consider.
We had a 2207T and really liked the way it towed. It also had a tandem axle, which is a big plus for ease of towing.
I'm not sure if the ball on your WDH would need to be moved, but the dealer should be able to get you all set-up for towing this camper.
Hope this helps-good luck with your search!

Jeff

Wrascal · 09-10-2015, 11:14 AM

I once owned a 2401 Tow Lite (24 = length in feet, the 01 is year) - so a very similar camper to what you're looking at. My tow vehicle was a Honda RidgeLine, so a similar class.

I eventually replaced both, first the TV (as I wanted more engine power), then the camper (I wanted more foot space).

EDIT: only now looking at the link and pics I see that this one has the fold out couch, mine didn't. This means your camper weighs more than mine did. My empty weight was 4200 and total allowable weight was 5000.

Mike M · 09-10-2015, 01:14 PM

Thanks for all of the advice. We are going to pass on this one. 1.) Trailer weight pushes my tow weight to the limits. 2.) We are going to look for a newer model.

sam · 09-10-2015, 01:30 PM

I have been looking for a friend. I saw lots of HiLOS listed on RV Trader.

JackandJanet · 09-10-2015, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike M

Thanks for all of the advice. We are going to pass on this one. 1.) Trailer weight pushes my tow weight to the limits. 2.) We are going to look for a newer model.

Mike, in my opinion, you're not going to find much that's lighter than the one you have unless it's a 15T. I think you really need a more capable tow vehicle. I made that decision myself after our first trip with our 17T and a 6 cyl Nissan Frontier 4x4 with the tow package. I decided it was just barely up to the task, and I wanted a better margin.

- Jack

Mike M · 09-10-2015, 02:27 PM

I have checked the forum and there are other Tacoma's pulling the 22. I have the heavy duty towing package and WDH. I have a 6000 lb. towing capacity. So I really think I can pull a 22T without any issues. The 17 is just too small for everything my wife packs when we go camping.

Dee Tillotson · 09-10-2015, 03:59 PM

Mike, if you have the time and want a little entertainment, go to a dealer who has a Hi-Lo for sale (probably took it on trade-in) and ask him loads of questions about the camper as if you were interested in purchasing it, but don't tell him you already own a Hi-Lo. Watch him try to muddle through with any crazy answer he can come up with to make the sale. You might have to take a break somewhere to laugh your head off. It's not good when you know a lot more about the Hi-Lo than he does, and it makes me wonder what happens to the Hi-Lo on the lot before he sells it, like moving it around the lot with the top up. If he has never been a Hi-Lo dealer and he tells me he doesn't know a damn thing about these campers, then I trust that dealer for his honesty.

Dee

Mike M · 09-10-2015, 04:22 PM

Yes he did tell me that he did not know much about them. But he did answer questions for me about it being advertised with no stabilizer hacks. I asked questions like how large were the black, grey, and fresh water tanks were. He told me the unit had the stab hacks and the water tanks were standard size. He also quoted me a price of 6950 and put 6995 on the draft sales quote. When I asked about that he still hasn't answered that question. When I get ready to shop again I am not going to mention my unit until we decide if we are going to buy it or not
We are going to take a break in it for now and give our unit some time to sell. But great info Dee thank you.

Wrascal · 09-10-2015, 07:12 PM

"I really think I can pull a 22T without any issues."

I too think your Taco can pull it, but ... expect to pull it with high revs on the engine. That was my complaint, I got tired of the noise and frequent shifting. Trading over to a V10 Ford got me to generally running under 2K RPMs, with similar towing MPG. Then later on to a diesel, similar low revs but with even better MPG and greater load capabilities.

Get the largest truck you can imagine ever needing before you shop for another camper. HEH! It's only money.

Mike M · 09-10-2015, 08:16 PM

I take my time anyway.��

Luckydog671 · 09-13-2015, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee Tillotson

Mike, if you have the time and want a little entertainment, go to a dealer who has a Hi-Lo for sale (probably took it on trade-in) and ask him loads of questions about the camper as if you were interested in purchasing it, but don't tell him you already own a Hi-Lo. Watch him try to muddle through with any crazy answer he can come up with to make the sale. You might have to take a break somewhere to laugh your head off. It's not good when you know a lot more about the Hi-Lo than he does, and it makes me wonder what happens to the Hi-Lo on the lot before he sells it, like moving it around the lot with the top up. If he has never been a Hi-Lo dealer and he tells me he doesn't know a damn thing about these campers, then I trust that dealer for his honesty.

Dee

Come on, Dee . . . they only lie when their lips are moving!

JackandJanet · 09-13-2015, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike M

I take my time anyway.��

Mike, it's not that you will be wanting to get anywhere quickly, it's that your tow vehicle will be working very hard all the time. Depending on the outside temperature, or the slopes you are climbing, you will be heating components much more than normal and, you will be putting a lot of strain on your transmission. Neither of these conditions is good for long service life.

Additionally, and I sound like a one-trick pony here, your increased tongue weight will probably come very close to or exceed your tow vehicle axle load limits. This is something you can check by weighing everything on a CAT scale with the trailer hooked up properly. A Weight Distributing Hitch WILL transfer the weight to both axles, but you'll be surprised at how much the load on each increases with a trailer attached. You should measure this with your 17T, to get an estimate of the increase a larger trailer will produce. This is a safety issue, so think of your family.

I'm in Wrascal's camp here. Think seriously about a more capable tow vehicle BEFORE you buy a heavier trailer.

- Jack

RichR · 09-13-2015, 04:26 PM

We towed our 2310H with a Taco with no problems, from PA to Maine, and through the mountain roads of the southern PA. It worked on some of the steepest roads but did fine on the flats. The 2310H is a heavy vehicle with the dry weight over 4000#. I do have to say that the F150 Ecoboost does a much better job.

Dee Tillotson · 09-13-2015, 05:57 PM

Rich, I have to say, the Ford Ecoboost has now turned trucks into miracles. My son purchased one as a daily driver and is getting ready to purchase an Airstream to tow with it. When we purchased our Ford F-250 diesel new in 2010, the F-150 Ecoboost was just coming out. I would have purchased one, but I have never been "the first pig to the trough." As all new vehicles' first year out, the bugs and defects have to be worked out, and we didn't want to be the one to do that. However, if the timing for a later purchase was possible, we would have purchased one after we read the consumer reviews. As you can tell, we think they are great!!

Dee

Wrascal · 09-13-2015, 10:37 PM

Generally the problem is not "can a vehicle pull something" but rather can that same vehicle carry/ control /stop the additional payload? THAT information (PAYLOAD) is often obscured and really leads to a different conclusion of what can be safely towed.