New Owner

Hello everyone, today I have become a new owner of a Hi-Lo trailer. I bought a new to me 2000 290B classic. I have been cleaning it and making a punch out list all day. There are very few things it needs, just mainly door hardware. I would like to get some advice on lubing everything, also my a/c seems to drain down the side by the door even when level. It seems to come through the gutters, its not getting inside from what I can tell but it is passing through the sealant on the outside. I want to fix it before it does get inside.

Welcome aboard Big Lou!
You will find the members here most helpful and very friendly.
any HiLo parts that you may need you can find here: Home - JR REPAIR
as well as any professional service or repairs.
Crawl underneath and make sure that the guide rod for the hydraulic cyinder is cleaned and greased, this is very important.
HiLo recomended that the cables and pullies be lubricated with a light lubricant such as WD 40, some on here will recomend a chain lube, I use WD in the spring and fall.
If you pull the wood covers off of the top of the interior walls you will see the upper pullies and have access to lube them, the lowers you should be able to get from underneath or through a lower storage compartment.
The gutters probably just need recaulked.
Pull the dust covers off of the axle and repack the bearings. I had to replace a couple of shackles on my 93 suspension as well.
The other members will have great suggestions also, ask away.

David

Welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum!! We all are very friendly and don't mind a zillion questions. Water coming down the side of the trailer also happens on my HiLo from running the AC. 90% of the parts on the HiLo can be bought at Walmart,Rv dealer or from a suplier on the internet. Consider ordering a free Master Catalog from camping world. 1-800.626.5944. A great reference to have. Camping world hase some sales and lower prices if you join the presidents club. Not always the cheapest prices. If you care to say what city/state you are from perhaps someone lives close and can help you. The manuals for HiLo are listed in the library section. We like to use Break Free spray to lube the guides ect. Available in the sporting goods at walmart. This doesn;t attract dirt about $4.00. Lube all you locks,crank to vents.Take the cover off the power jack and use the recomended grease. Check your roof to see if it needs to be resealed and caulked. Caulk is very important around any exterior lts.reflector lts. Very important to back off the screw off at the awning and caulkscrew hole so no water gets in. When washing the rv keep in the down position. Wash the roof with a cleaner that won't harm the roof and provide uv protection. Put in the up position and wash and wax the rest of the rv. I know this seems like a lot to do but it pays off in the end. When hubby gets home I will pick his brains for more to do stuff.

How do I grease the hydraulic rod? Do I apply grease to a fitting with a grease gun or do I put it directly on the rod? Everything underneath seams to be in good shape I just need to grease everything now. Thanks in advance for all your help

Nice work on the purchase, Big Lou. I have a feeling you're going to love that camper...

Big Lou said:

How do I grease the hydraulic rod? Do I apply grease to a fitting with a grease gun or do I put it directly on the rod? Everything underneath seams to be in good shape I just need to grease everything now. Thanks in advance for all your help

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Hi Lou!
You will want to be sure the rod is free of dirt and debris, then put grease directly on the rod-there is no grease fitting on it. While you are at it, you should spray the cables and pulleys with WD40 to ensure the lift system will be lubricated properly. I do this when the top is down.

Jeff

Thanks for all the support guys, it is truly making my life a little easier. I have one more thing, as I was spraying the cables I noticed one was fraying underneath the trailer. What do I do? Do I need to replace it or is there something I can do to stop it. It is not that bad but it will need attention soon. I live in the Houston, TX area, is there a shop around here that could replace it for me? Again thanks in advance.

Big Lou said:

Thanks for all the support guys, it is truly making my life a little easier. I have one more thing, as I was spraying the cables I noticed one was fraying underneath the trailer. What do I do? Do I need to replace it or is there something I can do to stop it. It is not that bad but it will need attention soon. I live in the Houston, TX area, is there a shop around here that could replace it for me? Again thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

If you feel like replacing them yourself....


http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f61/cable-replacement-adjustment-1998-24td-125/

Just for clarification the guide rod is not the hydraulic lift cylinder, it is the metal rod that parallels the lift cylinder.

Unfortunately there probably isn't anything that you can do to repair the existing frayed cable. As it wears and strands break they will break quicker and quicker. The cables will need to be bought specifically for the Hilo and can be purchased at J&R repair ( I posted the link earlier ).

check here for some guide rod tips: http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f22/maintaining-lift-system-guide-rod-69/

I found a shop in New Braunfels, TX that still works on Hi-Lo's. They actually are still selling some of the left over new ones, actually they have some nice new ones. They quoted me $571 to replace all four and it would take about 3.5 hrs. The place is called Stahmann, you can google them. (please let me know if you heard anything negative about them). So I have an appointment on May 9th to have them replaced and some other things looked at. Again, thank you sooo much for all your advice, it is much appreciated because not only is this my first Hi-Lo, it is my first rv.

Stahmann's in New Braunfels, TX

These people really know what they are doing. So glad you found them. Was just there last week and Gene completely re-built the motor for the hydraulic lift system. They also checked out condensation water coming from A/C on roof and said it is supposed to drain from all four corners (or just from one if you're not completely level! LOL!) and that the drains on the corners are very small - and need to be kept sealed to keep from leaking. They also said my cables need adjusting but we didn't have time for it then - will go back later in summer. Really, really nice people. BTW - I stayed in Hill Country Resort & Cottage there in New Braunfels - really nice and very convenient - just north on I-35 from Stahmann's. Hill Country RV Resort & Cabins

Margaret,
Thank you for posting the Resort. We have been looking for a place to stay in the winter months to get away from the cold and snow, freezing temps of Nebraska. This looks like a very nice place and close to alot of things. I will be checking this all out before fall rolls around again.

New Braunfels

Be sure to check out Gruene, TX - some maps may show it to be part of New Braunfels - wonderful little historic piece of Texas. Lots of artists, pottery, great food, oldest dance hall in Texas I think, tubing down the guadalupe river - it's pronounced "green" - see Gruene Texas -- Great part of Texas to spend winter!

Thanks MEBradley for the insight on Stahmanns, I feel a lot more comfortable now knowing that they do good work.