We Did It!

Hello Everyone,

We're now the proud owners of a 2006 Hi-Lo 2506c Classic camper! We bought it last weekend, and camped Saturday night at Lake Tobesofkee near Macon, Georgia. It was still hot and humid. We didn't get a full hook-up site, but did get electricity and water. The site had a bad slope, but we figured out how to use our leveling blocks.

Four hours may seem excessive to set up for the first time. Considering we were learning new power and water systems, taking inventory, and loading in 10 boxes of camping equipment/supplies, I didn't think it was too bad. I think we've got enough camp dishes now to supply have a campground.

We did have a few gotchas. First was the refrigerator, and it's lack of efficient cooling. The LP circuit would not stay on, even though other LP systems were working. I kept it on 110v, and it didn't cool down until Sunday morning. By the time we checked out at noon we had some thin ice cubes made. Advice on how to get them cooler quicker would be greatly appreciated.

Karen woke to a puddle of air conditioning condensation on the floor. Water was coming out the gutters on the outside, so I don't think anything was blocked. It was working all the time we were down there, and we probably had it set too cold.

The oven pilot light is supposed to light after 5 seconds, but it didn't. I had to light it with a long lighter. I didn't know if the electrode has gone bad, or if there's some other system I need to check.

When lifting the top section up the seals squeak, but it doesn't appear to squeak when coming down. There was a little container of white grease in one of the cargo holds. Not sure if it's purpose is to go on seals and tracks outside, but it sounds like something needs to be lubricated.

I'm a tinkerer and already thinking of some modifications for our setup.

1. Good quality wireless rear camera for the trailer. I can't stand not seeing what's directly behind me.
2. Power systems (solar or generator) for boondocking on private property, and some national parks.
3. Drinking water filter system.

I'm sure we will be asking a lot of questions in the near future, and posting our experiences here. We really appreciate that there's a forum and community for these great campers!

Kind Regards,

Jim and Karen Horton

To get the frig to cool down use plastic drink the litter type, freeze them at home with drinking water and put several in the frig and freezer a day or two before you leave then use them for drinking water . also if your handy build a custom box to fit inside the freezer, then use that to put your items in at home inside the home freezer, remove the items from the box and put in the rv's freezer 'and they will maximize the space

I use the in expensive two way radio for backing up blind, wife would be advising on status also watching the level meters

Do not put grease on the seals, the plastic glide blocks attached to the top half, that travel on the glide rails are what makes the noise, nothing to worry about. You should not put grease on them either, it will collect dirt and wear the glide blocks out. Rubbing paraffin wax on the rails is what is recommended. The grease you found could be for the ball hitch or the guide bar that is on the hydraulic cylinder it needs to be greased regularly.
The fridge takes several hours to cool down and the more you open the door the longer it will take, There should be a fan that is thermostatically controlled that blows over the cooling coils, the switch for it should be on the side of the fridge it should be turned on when the fridge is in use. RV fridges have no moving parts like a house fridge and they do not recover as fast. All food should be cooled before putting in a pre cooled fridge.
If you don't have a manual, check the Reference Library, Each appliance had it's own manual.

Welcome

Congratulations and welcome aboard!

For the fridge, most of us hook up to shore power a day before leaving on a trip and let the fridge cool down overnight. Then the next morning prior to leaving load the fridge up with your booty.

I'm sure you will find a lot of useful information and people here, as I have as well. Enjoy.

Congratulations on getting your HiLo. Sounds like you're taking all your learning experiences in stride. We got our 2307 Classic 3 years ago, and this forum proved to be an invaluable resource. I got lots of helpful advice and ideas for very effective modifications here. So check out all the past postings and make lots of notes and you'll be up-to-speed in no time.
camperD

First campout

Jim and Karen welcome to the forum. Sounds like you are getting all the bugs worked out.You will just fall in love with your HiLo. You can start your ref. On propanr 1 to 2 days prior to your trip. Propane cools faster. Switch to electric at the campground as you are paying for this. Take some time to read back posts. What state,city are you from?

Welcome, lots of good information here if you can find it.

The ref needs to be cooled down before you go, start it at least 24hrs before and you can run it off an extention cord or propane. Don't even try 12V, unless plugged in, your battery will die long before it gets cold.

Don't forget the fridge needs to be reasonably level to use.

Buy a cheap weather station with a outdoor transmitter and stick it in the fridge... opening to check how cold it is will only make it work harder and all the cooling it did acheive just went out the door. Learn to grab all you need from inside the fridge and then put it all back in at the same time when done.

The A/C condension drip if you have a "low profile" A/C unit - good luck making it go away.

I just use those water filters that screw on to the hose, like this - not really willing to take up space for a complex water filter system... I plan on buying one of those stands that are made for the filter like you might put in your house... One of these. Just not right now.

You can search for the manuals online for each aplliance if you don't have them then download the PDF... each one is a different beast and is nothing special just because it's a Hi-Lo, the only system unique to Hi-Lo is the lift system and maybe the A/C power cord, but I've seen the same thing in a pop-up.

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice. Good to know there are active forum members here willing to help. I've worked on British cars for years, and wouldn't have made it as far as I have without the help of forums like this.

I'm planning maintenance to the camper over the next two days. Here's what I hope to accomplish, weather permitting:
1. lubricate lift system rod, cables, stabilizer jacks.
2. replace caulk in lower trim seams
3. replace smoke alarm
4. troubleshoot pilot light system for oven
5. troubleshoot LP system for fridge.


Just how level does the trailer/fridge need to be to operate? The trailer is level front to back, but leans to the left a couple of degrees. Will a can of compressed air be enough to clear fridge burner and flue, or do I need more? What's the preferred lubricant for rod and cables? Grease, WD40, Teflon?

Sam, we're about 40 miles North of Atlanta.

Davidc, we picked up the exact same water filter you linked to. It seamed to work well.

If I have time I'd like to take the covers off the air conditioner and make sure the mounting bolts are secure. I've also seen some folks replacing the hard start capacitor on the a/c to make using with a generator easier. I think I can do it, but my question is how much weight can the roofs hold? I'm hovering around 200 pounds, and don't want to add a new skylight where it doesn't belong.

khhorton said:

Just how level does the trailer/fridge need to be to operate? The trailer is level front to back, but leans to the left a couple of degrees. Will a can of compressed air be enough to clear fridge burner and flue, or do I need more? What's the preferred lubricant for rod and cables? Grease, WD40, Teflon?

Click to expand...

WD-40 is not a good lubricant, doesn't have the staying power... I use spray on lithium grease for the rod and used a "drying" lube for the cable and slides.

khhorton said:

Davidc, we picked up the exact same water filter you linked to. It seamed to work well.

Click to expand...

Yup, works for me and I'm living in mine right now.

khhorton said:

If I have time I'd like to take the covers off the air conditioner and make sure the mounting bolts are secure. I've also seen some folks replacing the hard start capacitor on the a/c to make using with a generator easier. I think I can do it, but my question is how much weight can the roofs hold? I'm hovering around 200 pounds, and don't want to add a new skylight where it doesn't belong.

Click to expand...

A/C is secured from the inside not outside... remove the filters and you should be able to see how the vent/cover is mounted... mine is with 4 screws, yours may be different, remove it and then you can see the long bolts holding it on, mine has 3. Chances are it's fine, but will never hurt to check it.

When you climb on the roof, two things... you can do it with the top in the lowered posistion and second, you may be able to see where the bracing runs, I would stay on these if at all possible. Not sure about changing the hard start, but I would clean the coils and squirrel cage. They collect dust which turns to mud and clogs the air flow.

Servicing HiLo

I always ask where you are located. Another HiLo owner might live near you and be able to come in person to help you out. A good caulk to use is Lexell. It is sold at Ace hardwear stores or on line. Don't use silicone. Yes, this caulk sells for $8.00 a tube. Worth every penny. Breakfree spray is also a good cable lubricant. It is sold at Walmart in the gun dept. Black can with red writting. $4.00 something a can. It is a cleaner and lubricant. Keep us posted with your questions. Their are many back posts on different products for cable lube.

I went last night to investigate the LP part of the fridge. The igniter clicks, I can smell a faint trace of LP from the upper vent, where I guess the flue ends, but it never lights. I cannot see where the flame is supposed to be, even with the protective cover off.

The back of the fridge looks clean. I don't see rust, and only slight traces of dust. I suspect the burner or flue have never been cleaned or serviced. I plan on taking the burner and flue baffle out tomorrow, and soaking them in alcohol. Then test it again. Got a question about the top vent cover with all the screws. What kind of screw is that (square inside head) and is there a gasket behing that top,grill, or do I need to caulk behind/around it?

Today's task will be lift lubrication. It's a somewhat cool morning today, so I shouldn't turn into a puddle in 5 minutes of work.

You can buy that bit and will probably need one anyway as most of the screws in you RV are that type... but you can use a big phillips if you need.

But taking off the top part of the vent will probably not gain you much... you can turn off propane, uplug the ac outlet and disconnect the 12v (cover the ends of the wire so it doesn't short) and remove the screws from the bottom mount rails and the 2 (maybe more) screws kinda behind the door in the frame when you open it, and just pull the fridge out to make it easier to work on.

Before doing all that, just remove the burner cover off and clean the burner... it's on the bottom and can be had from the bottom access door without taken it all apart to clean it for not...

I have to ask - are your tanks full? Does the stove and hot water heater work without issue? New RV "yeah the tanks are full" may mean "they were when I checked them last" but not really.

Mine has been running on propane for 2 months now. I have checked the burner 3 or 4 times now, and it is still clean without soot buildup so far... and just FYI, the burner is not much more than a pilot light in size, so don't look/listen for a "burner" like the hot water heater...

As a side note - Your tanks have a screw near the valve, they open it when filling, you can open it and if your tanks are full or still have some left, it will "spray" some propane out. Misty, milky substance. If empty or close to empty, it will just "hiss" air...

Oven

The oven pilot light is supposed to light after 5 seconds, but it didn't. I had to light it with a long lighter. I didn't know if the electrode has gone bad, or if there's some other system I need to check.

Jim and Karen,
Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have already been given some good advice. I don't recall anyone answering your oven problem. Don't know what kind of oven you have but will tell you how I light my oven's pilot light. Lighting the pilot light is not automatic, I have to use a long lighter. There is a selection on the oven knob for lighting the pilot. I have to hold the knob in that position and push in on it for the five seconds that I'm holding the flame directly under the pilot light. That allows gas to come to the pilot and it will light. But you have to have flame on the thermocouple that allows gas flow and that is where the 5 seconds comes in. Should you let go of the knob as soon as you see pilot light flames it will go out, because you have not heated the thermocouple enough for it to sustain gas flow to the pilot light. Mine is strictly manual light, nothing automatic about it. I don't know if some ovens have automatic lighting or not. You sould have or be able to find online a manual for your oven and it will tell you about lighting the pilot. Hope this helps. Enjoy your Hi Lo and again welcome to the fourm.
God Bless
Papa

I didn't get as much done this morning as I wanted because I ran into a friend at Ace. Picked up the Lexel caulk, $5.99 a tube. I picked too large of a bit to remove the vent screws.

Pulleys, stairs, stabilizer jacks have been lubricated. I took a look at the hydraulic ram and rods. It's been a while since they've been lubricated, but they look to be in good shape. I want to clean the grease off and start fresh as what's on there does look a little dirty.

The LP tanks are full. Both water heater and stove/oven work fine. I double-checked the manual shut-off valve on the fridge burner, and it's in the open position. Could there be another shut-off valve in the LP line leading up to the fridge? I think I'm going to save the fridge work until Saturday so I can take my time.

I'll double-check the oven manual for the model number and see about that electric pilot start. Papa I did the same manual light method you suggested with a long lighter to get it started, and it worked well.

khhorton -- Congratulations on your purchase of the 25-foot Classic Hi-Lo. Husband and I purchased our 2509C Classic from the factory in November 2009. At that time, I got them to weigh the camper out the door just before shipping to us. The weight was 5145 lbs. The reason why I did this was because they had added a 300-lb. awning, two 30-lb. capacity (each) LP tanks, microwave, entertainment center with flat screen tv, and heat strip. Since the 25 ft. Classics maximum gross weight can be no more than 6300 lbs., we were interested in how much weight we had left to load, groceries, dishes, pots and pans, clothes, bbq, outside chairs and table, maintenance tools, fill the tanks with 60 lbs. of LP, carry fresh water, residual gray and black water, etc. As you can see, when you subtract the shipping weight (5145 lbs.) from the maxiumum allowable gross weight (6300 lbs.), only 1155 lbs. is left for loading these things. We do two things to keep the weight down, 1) for maintenance tools, bbq, and such, we carry most of those in the back of the pickup truck because of its large payload capacity, and 2) we do little things like use paper and plastic dishes and cups to reduce weight, and 3) when we load liquids, i.e., full ice chests and cases of bottled water, tea, coke, etc., those are loaded in front of the axles; we do this so that this weight will be evenly distributed between the truck and the camper when applying the weight distribution hitch. It does not take much to use up that extra loading weight. I see that you are from Canton, Georgia, which I believe is near Atlanta, Georgia. Am I right? You have the luxury of camping in those beautiful north Georgia mountains. My husband and I love those mountains. We tow our Hi-Lo with a 2010 F-250 6.4-liter Powerstroke Diesel. It is probably overkill for our Hi-Lo, but when we camp in those north Georgia mountains, that truck is the "alpha dog" on those mountain roads, not the Hi-Lo.

Dee
Summerville, SC

Thanks Dee! That's great info to have about the weight distribution. I don't think ours is quite that heavy. I'd like to take it to a weigh station fully loaded and wet to see what it does weigh. We're pulling with a Ford F150 with the gas 5.4L V8.

We are right at the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains. We plan on camping up there quite a bit. I'm researching campsites up that way, and into Cherokee, NC and around Townsend/Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge.

Amonia smell in Ref.

When our ref. smelled of amonia after several years of ownership we had to replace it. We had bought the unit used from an Rv dealer. We paid $800.00 and got a three yr. warranty with the dealer install. Some have replaced with electric only ref. dorm style. This is why all perspective rv buyers need to have the owner turn the ref. on ond day ahead of time to know that the ref. cools/works properly. We were only able to get a two way replacement ref. brand new. Seems to me I remember a previous place that sold reconditioned rv ref. I am sorry the seller was dishonest with you.

Honestly we did not think to have them test the fridge. Everything else on the camper is in great shape. I don't believe the seller was dishonest. I doubt they ever used the LP portion of the fridge.

Now that I've read the manuals and replies here on the thread I understand how these refrigerators are supposed to work. I think ours is still in good shape. I've not smelled ammonia, and don't see rust or leaks in the cooling pipes. I'm still planning a burner and flue service Saturday. I've got a wireless thermometer to check temps inside the fridge.

Ref. on LP

Sorry, got you mixed up with another post. Not a morning person.