What did you do to your HiLo Today? - Page 10 - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

campthewestcoast · 09-17-2014, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckydog671

Finally made it to the Cat Scale and then went to Camping World. My hitch weight was 720 lbs., quite a bit more than the 520 lbs. listed in the brochure but that's with the camper and Tahoe loaded for camping. So, based on that, I went down to Camping World and bought a whole new EAZ-Lift Elite WDH hitch with 800 lb. spring bars (same brand as the old obsolete one that had unknown bars and components) so now I at least know what I have and can get parts for it!

One issue I had with the new hitch assembly was that they could not install the new saddles (the part that attaches to the frame that the chain is hooked up to) due to the design of the A-frame box. I will need to modify either the box or weld the new saddle to the frame. The advantage of the new saddles is that they have a safety pin you can install after cinching up the chains- the old ones do not. I'll try and post some pics of the issue if anyone is interested.

Almost ready for camping!

My plastic battery box was knotched for the bolt-on WDH saddles would fit on my trailer

JackandJanet · 09-17-2014, 10:35 AM

Greg - is it the box that interferes with the WDH or just the lid to the box? When my hitch was installed, they had to cut the corners of the lid so that the L-bracket mounts would fit. That's not a big deal at all.

- Jack

Garry · 09-17-2014, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMDoering

Prepped it for one last camping trip before putting it in dry lay-up for winter.

Leaving tomorrow and traveling to beautiful McCall, Idaho, and Payette Lake.

Just wish our Hi-Lo was built to tolerate winter camping in Idaho... It always seems like such a long wait until Spring, when we can go camping once again. Like when you're a kid waiting for Christmas morning.

Jim

Wife and I have been out for ten days now, camping the first 4 nights in RV parks and dry camping the next five nights. On the 6th night we were in Mineral Springs, CO and woke up to an inside temp of 35 and frost on the truck. Must have been cold enough to break some Pex tubing as the water heater had a serious leak when we arrived in Mesa Verde, CO. We are now in an RV Park in Pagosa Springs, CO, still without the convenience of hot water in the trailer, but such is life. It feels so good to be out and about with our Tow Lite. Hope you have a great trip! We are.

Luckydog671 · 09-17-2014, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

Greg - is it the box that interferes with the WDH or just the lid to the box? When my hitch was installed, they had to cut the corners of the lid so that the L-bracket mounts would fit. That's not a big deal at all.

- Jack

Jack, I'm not sure yet as I didn't take a real close look at it yesterday. When you are standing in a parking lot at 4:30PM in BAKERSfield, Calif. and it's 100 degrees, you're not very motivated on working out the details. At that point I just wanted to beat the commute and head back up to the mountains where it's much cooler!

I'll take a closer look soon and let ya'll know.

JackandJanet · 09-17-2014, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckydog671

Jack, I'm not sure yet as I didn't take a real close look at it yesterday. When you are standing in a parking lot at 4:30PM in BAKERSfield, Calif. and it's 100 degrees, you're not very motivated on working out the details. At that point I just wanted to beat the commute and head back up to the mountains where it's much cooler!

I'll take a closer look soon and let ya'll know.

Understand! It's pouring rain here now due to hurricane Odile, so I don't feel motivated to run out and take a picture of my hitch mounts. Maybe It'll dry out in a short time and I can show you what had to be done to mine.

- Jack

Luckydog671 · 09-17-2014, 05:02 PM

Almost forgot to mention, the other project I've been working on for the Hi-Lo is a parking area on our property. I leveled out a corner in the front part of the property, then had some 3/4" gravel delivered to create a parking pad and driveway so I now have a level place to store the trailer. It took quite a long time as all this was done by hand (shovels, wheelbarrows, etc.) Wanted to get it done before winter comes so I don't have to walk in the mud or snow to get to the RV. I'm hoping Santa brings me a cover for it next!

Luckydog671 · 09-17-2014, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

Understand! It's pouring rain here now due to hurricane Odile, so I don't feel motivated to run out and take a picture of my hitch mounts. Maybe It'll dry out in a short time and I can show you what had to be done to mine.

- Jack

Stay safe, Jack! I've heard about your recent storms on the news.

If you or Les want to post some photos of your hitch modifications, I'd be pleased to take a gander!

Luckydog671 · 09-17-2014, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garry

Wife and I have been out for ten days now, camping the first 4 nights in RV parks and dry camping the next five nights. On the 6th night we were in Mineral Springs, CO and woke up to an inside temp of 35 and frost on the truck. Must have been cold enough to break some Pex tubing as the water heater had a serious leak when we arrived in Mesa Verde, CO. We are now in an RV Park in Pagosa Springs, CO, still without the convenience of hot water in the trailer, but such is life. It feels so good to be out and about with our Tow Lite. Hope you have a great trip! We are.

Sorry to hear about the hot water situation, Garry, but glad you are having a good time nonetheless! Hope you can get it repaired soon- in the meantime, just heat that water up on the stove.

sam · 09-17-2014, 10:23 PM

We brought in stone and made a driveway a few years ago. I told the dump truck driver to use his judgement as to how far he went down on the soft ground before dumping the rocks. He got the dump truck stuck and was swearing at me that he was going to lose his job. I left and came back later and he was gone. We shoveled as much as we could. Then we hired a bobcat operator. The next year we decided to lengthen the drive way to better accommodate our truck and trailer. We again bought more stone and hired the bobcat operator. He eyeyed it up for level and it isn't perfect. Then we put in two swinging gates and a walk through gate. Our gate layout wasn't right so we hired our fence guy again and now all is well. Thank goodness for guys that do side jobs for cash. We must really love our HiLo to go through all this. No more having to put down boards as DH backs in. Got the boards down too soon one time and it ripped the black tank. $60.00 worth of patching material. Such is life.

JackandJanet · 09-18-2014, 12:41 PM

Greg - the storm basically passed us by. We only got 0.9" of rain yesterday, but the forest appreciates all it can get.

I took pictures of the way my WDH bar hardware is attached to the tongue of my trailer this morning. A chain mount would be similar.

As I hope you can see, the only modification was to cut a bit out of the thin sheet metal lid to the battery box. The plastic edging was then reinstalled around the new shape.

With the lid folded back in the second picture, you can see the space between the tongue frame and the battery box. The mount could actually be moved further back, if needed, but it's at a nearly optimum distance from the coupler right now.

- Jack

RichR · 09-18-2014, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

Greg - the storm basically passed us by. We only got 0.9" of rain yesterday, but the forest appreciates all it can get.

I took pictures of the way my WDH bar hardware is attached to the tongue of my trailer this morning. A chain mount would be similar.

As I hope you can see, the only modification was to cut a bit out of the thin sheet metal lid to the battery box. The plastic edging was then reinstalled around the new shape.

With the lid folded back in the second picture, you can see the space between the tongue frame and the battery box. The mount could actually be moved further back, if needed, but it's at a nearly optimum distance from the coupler right now.

- Jack

I did the same with the Reese snap up brackets.

Luckydog671 · 09-18-2014, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

Greg - the storm basically passed us by. We only got 0.9" of rain yesterday, but the forest appreciates all it can get.

I took pictures of the way my WDH bar hardware is attached to the tongue of my trailer this morning. A chain mount would be similar.

As I hope you can see, the only modification was to cut a bit out of the thin sheet metal lid to the battery box. The plastic edging was then reinstalled around the new shape.

With the lid folded back in the second picture, you can see the space between the tongue frame and the battery box. The mount could actually be moved further back, if needed, but it's at a nearly optimum distance from the coupler right now.

- Jack

Good to hear you were spared Jack!

Thanks for sharing the photos- I like the diamond plate cover over the battery box. Did you install that? Mine is a thin sheetmetal that is painted gray.

I will go check to see if I can notch my cover out like you did. Have you noticed any issues of water intrusion into the battery box by doing that?

Thanks,

Luckydog671 · 09-18-2014, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam

We brought in stone and made a driveway a few years ago. I told the dump truck driver to use his judgement as to how far he went down on the soft ground before dumping the rocks. He got the dump truck stuck and was swearing at me that he was going to lose his job. I left and came back later and he was gone. We shoveled as much as we could. Then we hired a bobcat operator. The next year we decided to lengthen the drive way to better accommodate our truck and trailer. We again bought more stone and hired the bobcat operator. He eyeyed it up for level and it isn't perfect. Then we put in two swinging gates and a walk through gate. Our gate layout wasn't right so we hired our fence guy again and now all is well. Thank goodness for guys that do side jobs for cash. We must really love our HiLo to go through all this. No more having to put down boards as DH backs in. Got the boards down too soon one time and it ripped the black tank. $60.00 worth of patching material. Such is life.

Hi Sam,

I think my dump truck driver was swearing at me as well because my driveway is somewhat steep and makes about a 120 degree turn from the RV pad to traverse up the main driveway (which is also gravel). He spun his tires a bit trying to get around the corner and up the hill. I'm not really looking forward to getting up there myself with the trailer.

I haven't tried going up yet since the gravel was spread on the driveway but I'm pretty sure I will need to make a 3-point turn to make it happen.

JackandJanet · 09-18-2014, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckydog671

Good to hear you were spared Jack!

Thanks for sharing the photos- I like the diamond plate cover over the battery box. Did you install that? Mine is a thin sheetmetal that is painted gray.

I will go check to see if I can notch my cover out like you did. Have you noticed any issues of water intrusion into the battery box by doing that?

Thanks,

No water issues, Greg, but the top is not really a "tight fit". If I drive through a puddle, I'm sure water could splash up between the top and the box. There are also holes in the bottom of the box where water could enter (or drain).

The diamond plate is OEM. I have no idea when HiLo started using it. The front, rear lids and the front skirting are made from it. The side skirting is the gray sheetmetal.

- Jack

campthewestcoast · 09-18-2014, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

No water issues, Greg, but the top is not really a "tight fit". If I drive through a puddle, I'm sure water could splash up between the top and the box. There are also holes in the bottom of the box where water could enter (or drain).

The diamond plate is OEM. I have no idea when HiLo started using it. The front, rear lids and the front skirting are made from it. The side skirting is the gray sheetmetal.

- Jack

Diamond plate was used on 07 and newer models, I added it to my 2206 to do a repair of some damaged skirting

Garry · 09-18-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckydog671

Sorry to hear about the hot water situation, Garry, but glad you are having a good time nonetheless! Hope you can get it repaired soon- in the meantime, just heat that water up on the stove.

Heated water on a stove during 20 years of tent camping and another 12 years in a small trailer without a water heater, so I haven't forgotten how to do that.

Dee Tillotson · 09-18-2014, 05:05 PM

Les, the diamond plate must have been used on the newer Towlites as none was used on my 2009 Hi-Lo Classic, just ivy green plastic for the skirting and green plastic over metal for the bumper and battery box and their accompanying lids.

Dee
2509C Hi-Lo

renoites · 09-18-2014, 06:09 PM

Thank you for posting that picture.
I hadn't realized that the pump, etc, was below the frame top.
I will lower the battery supports 3-4", separate the p/b boxes, ????
battery is much taller/larger than original
No matter what I do, it will be better than what I have.

I love a good brain storm

Luckydog671 · 09-18-2014, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by campthewestcoast

Diamond plate was used on 07 and newer models, I added it to my 2206 to do a repair of some damaged skirting

Hi Les,

As you know, mine is an officially an '07 model but was manufactured in May of 06 so the inside decor is from '06. Perhaps they used the '06 sheetmetal?

Luckydog671 · 09-18-2014, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

No water issues, Greg, but the top is not really a "tight fit". If I drive through a puddle, I'm sure water could splash up between the top and the box. There are also holes in the bottom of the box where water could enter (or drain).

The diamond plate is OEM. I have no idea when HiLo started using it. The front, rear lids and the front skirting are made from it. The side skirting is the gray sheetmetal.

- Jack

Well, I went and took a closer look and think I can notch out the sheetmetal to make it work. I would also need to slightly trim the top corner of the plastic battery/pump box.

What's holding me back now is that the width of the new saddle is 3 1/4" and the trailer frame is only 2" wide. The new saddle is designed straddle the top of the frame so there is a 1 1/4" gap there. A bolt is tightened to hold the saddle in place. The existing saddle is bolted directly to the outside of the frame with 4 bolts.

I did call the manufacturer (EAZ-Lift, now owned by Camco) and asked if they made a saddle with less width but was told no. They said I could just use a block of (pressure treated) wood to make up the 1 1/4" gap but not sure how stable that would be.

The only reason I am considering replacing the existing saddles is because there is no way to lock them with a pin when the chains are cinched up. Any opinions on whether this is safe or not?

Hopefully, I am explaining the issue so it makes sense. If photos would be helpful, let me know.

Thanks,