1984 Funlite - Welcoming myself aboard - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-27-2014, 03:26 PM

Hello folks.

My name is Mike, I joined last night. Hopefully I am not breaking any rules already, but I wanted to say I am here with a first post.

I am new to Hi-Lo, but not new to camping. I really enjoyed all the fun and adventure I had when I was young, camping with my family. Now at 40 years old, I thought it would be fun for my girlfriend to experience some of the fun that I had.

About a year ago, I acquired a 1985 Coleman Royale pop up trailer for free. Stored for over 20 years and in very nice condition overall. After about $500,tires/wheels/awning/battery & registration we were ready to go camping.

After 4 camping trips I quickly realized it was time to move up the ladder to a hard sided trailer. Because of storage issues, we needed a trailer that would fit under a 8 foot carport. All the trailers we looked at were 9 feet and above. That's when we discovered Hi-Lo and we are very happy we did!

After a month of looking at ads for Hi-Lo's and checking out a couple in person, we were extremely lucky and found a very original and well taken care of 84 funlite. It too had been stored for many years. The seller had acquired it in a trade from the original owner as partial payment for a landscaping job. A stack of records and receipts found inside a cabinet drawer told most of the story and showed a new dometic awning and coleman air conditioning unit. Both installed by a local RV dealer/repair shop in 2004 at the price of a little over $1100. After some negotiating with the seller, we settled on a price of $2500. Left a deposit and rushed home to post the coleman up for sale. Put the coleman up for sale on craigs' and it sold for $1500 quickly. Very exited, I then wrapped up the deal on the funlite and now the Hi-Lo is here in our driveway.

First thing on my to do list was to get rid of the brown 80's shag carpet that someone added a very long time ago. After about an hour we were both pleased to find the original, possibly armstrong? floor in great condition underneath! Although I really like the dark paneling and rust colored cushions, the lighter color floor really brightened up the inside. Future plans before camping are:

inspect roof and windows for leaks
light the furnace & check for leaks
2 new tires & paint rims white
inspect brakes & re pack wheel bearings
new curtains
find the 1 missing original cabinet handle

After a week of getting to know the trailer better, and having fun reading many posts by other members, my to do list has grown a bit. I have been searching the forums here and google images for early 80's Hi-Lo interior and outside pictures to use for reference. This will be more of a preservation than a restoration. We would love to find a picture of the original curtain material to copy. Also would like to find the original spare tire cover and dual propane tank cover with the original Hi-Lo logos on them. Thanks for reading my post and we are looking forward to hearing any advise, input or ideas from other members. Everyone loves pics, so here are some of our new to us 1984 funlite.

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-27-2014, 03:29 PM

inside pics

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-27-2014, 03:31 PM

more inside pics

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-27-2014, 03:35 PM

few more..

charlie b · 11-27-2014, 07:51 PM

Hello Mike, and welcome aboard. My name is Charlie and we are about as far south on the eastern Ohio border as you can get.
It looks like you found a real gem. Only thing I can say is make sure it is winterized and look at the seams for cracks in the caulking. You are lucky enough to have a cover to protect it from water so you have the good fortune to be able to await nice weather to make her ship shape.
If there is a nice fit between the halves all the way around,(it looks like it in the pictures) there probably isn't any previous water damage. Windows should be removed and recaulked every 5 years if you do a lot of traveling. Putting these things on the road is like subjecting a house to a continuous 4.5 earthquake so seals tend to get cracked.
I have 2 HI-LOs, one a 1994 and the other a 2005 and both are in various stages of rebuilding (currently stored under wraps for the winter.) both have water damage but are very repairable. One of them will be sold when they are rebuilt. Currently think it will be the newer one because it has way more than we need and the 94 is just a little shorter and easier for me to haul.
You will find these folks very helpful. What you can't find just ask.

sam · 11-27-2014, 09:28 PM

Welcome to the forum. What a gem of a find. Looks about brand new. A couple of small suggestions. Put some wax or a product called shine on your floor. Shine can be bought at HD. Then get a cheap bound rug for the aisle floor. This way if you drag in dirt or stones you won,t damage your floor. I was able to take my mearsurement and fine a $20.00 Rug at Bed bath and beyond. This feel plush as you make your way to the BR in the middle of the night. Charlie's advice was spot on about taking our all the windows and resealing them. You Tube has a video on how to do this. This will hopefully prevent wall water damage that many of us have had. Hind sight is a great thing. It is also avey good idea to wash and wax the exterior. Check with JR or Midget to see if any old drawer hardware is stil available.

JackandJanet · 11-27-2014, 10:13 PM

Glad to have you with us, Mike. Your trailer looks like a gem to me. Since you can store it under cover, you can probably do a lot of the work you have planned for it now, and have it ready to go next camping season.

Check out your water system too - make sure the pump works. Of course you'll want to check the refrigerator and AC unit too.

Pay attention to the guide rod under the trailer that is part of the lifting mechanism. Clean and grease it. Check all the lifting cables and spray them with lubricant to retard rust. You may have to remove trim inside the trailer to get to the pulleys there and the last section of the cables just prior to where they connect to the top of the trailer. This seems to be an area where rust develops.

Forgive me if it sounds like I'm giving you the idiot treatment. I don't mean to be a "mother hen", but there are unique features of these trailers you may not be aware of.

- Jack

Garry · 11-28-2014, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi Lo Time machine

Hello folks.

My name is Mike, I joined last night. Hopefully I am not breaking any rules already, but I wanted to say I am here with a first post.

I am new to Hi-Lo, but not new to camping. I really enjoyed all the fun and adventure I had when I was young, camping with my family. Now at 40 years old, I thought it would be fun for my girlfriend to experience some of the fun that I had.

About a year ago, I acquired a 1985 Coleman Royale pop up trailer for free. Stored for over 20 years and in very nice condition overall. After about $500,tires/wheels/awning/battery & registration we were ready to go camping.

After 4 camping trips I quickly realized it was time to move up the ladder to a hard sided trailer. Because of storage issues, we needed a trailer that would fit under a 8 foot carport. All the trailers we looked at were 9 feet and above. That's when we discovered Hi-Lo and we are very happy we did!

After a month of looking at ads for Hi-Lo's and checking out a couple in person, we were extremely lucky and found a very original and well taken care of 84 funlite. It too had been stored for many years. The seller had acquired it in a trade from the original owner as partial payment for a landscaping job. A stack of records and receipts found inside a cabinet drawer told most of the story and showed a new dometic awning and coleman air conditioning unit. Both installed by a local RV dealer/repair shop in 2004 at the price of a little over $1100. After some negotiating with the seller, we settled on a price of $2500. Left a deposit and rushed home to post the coleman up for sale. Put the coleman up for sale on craigs' and it sold for $1500 quickly. Very exited, I then wrapped up the deal on the funlite and now the Hi-Lo is here in our driveway.

First thing on my to do list was to get rid of the brown 80's shag carpet that someone added a very long time ago. After about an hour we were both pleased to find the original, possibly armstrong? floor in great condition underneath! Although I really like the dark paneling and rust colored cushions, the lighter color floor really brightened up the inside. Future plans before camping are:

inspect roof and windows for leaks
light the furnace & check for leaks
2 new tires & paint rims white
inspect brakes & re pack wheel bearings
new curtains
find the 1 missing original cabinet handle

After a week of getting to know the trailer better, and having fun reading many posts by other members, my to do list has grown a bit. I have been searching the forums here and google images for early 80's Hi-Lo interior and outside pictures to use for reference. This will be more of a preservation than a restoration. We would love to find a picture of the original curtain material to copy. Also would like to find the original spare tire cover and dual propane tank cover with the original Hi-Lo logos on them. Thanks for reading my post and we are looking forward to hearing any advise, input or ideas from other members. Everyone loves pics, so here are some of our new to us 1984 funlite.

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your recent purchase, which looks like it has been well taken care of.

hilltool · 11-29-2014, 06:02 PM

Welcome, Mike. You can spend a hundred hours reviewing old and current posts, here. There is A treasure of information. Your trailer looks great! I love those old interiors. Good traveling!

Rick

Luckydog671 · 11-29-2014, 10:10 PM

Glad to see another new California member as there aren't many of us! Looks like a classic and clean unit. Welcome to the forum!

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-30-2014, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie b

Hello Mike, and welcome aboard. My name is Charlie and we are about as far south on the eastern Ohio border as you can get.
It looks like you found a real gem. Only thing I can say is make sure it is winterized and look at the seams for cracks in the caulking. You are lucky enough to have a cover to protect it from water so you have the good fortune to be able to await nice weather to make her ship shape.
If there is a nice fit between the halves all the way around,(it looks like it in the pictures) there probably isn't any previous water damage. Windows should be removed and recaulked every 5 years if you do a lot of traveling. Putting these things on the road is like subjecting a house to a continuous 4.5 earthquake so seals tend to get cracked.
I have 2 HI-LOs, one a 1994 and the other a 2005 and both are in various stages of rebuilding (currently stored under wraps for the winter.) both have water damage but are very repairable. One of them will be sold when they are rebuilt. Currently think it will be the newer one because it has way more than we need and the 94 is just a little shorter and easier for me to haul.
You will find these folks very helpful. What you can't find just ask.

Hi Charlie
Thank you for the nice compliment and great advise on the trailer. Since my last post, I now have had a little time to take a closer look at and into the hi lo. So far, most of what I have seen looks pretty good. However, I have found a few things including some small cracks in the sealant around some of the windows. After reading several posts this seems very common with the older units and should be a fairly straightforward fix. Luckily I feel this is a job I can tackle, that will also be good for a inside look at the walls when the windows and frames are out. The halves do seem to line up good, well so far so good at least. I hope a good cleaning and lubing the cables should keep everything in that department in line. Sounds like you have some great trailers yourself. I can really appreciate the quality workmanship that goes into these trailers and can see the worth, fun and reward that goes along with a restoration. If I had, or can find more storage space I may consider picking up another as a future project for myself. Time will tell.
Keep in touch- Mike

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-30-2014, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam

Welcome to the forum. What a gem of a find. Looks about brand new. A couple of small suggestions. Put some wax or a product called shine on your floor. Shine can be bought at HD. Then get a cheap bound rug for the aisle floor. This way if you drag in dirt or stones you won,t damage your floor. I was able to take my mearsurement and fine a $20.00 Rug at Bed bath and beyond. This feel plush as you make your way to the BR in the middle of the night. Charlie's advice was spot on about taking our all the windows and resealing them. You Tube has a video on how to do this. This will hopefully prevent wall water damage that many of us have had. Hind sight is a great thing. It is also avey good idea to wash and wax the exterior. Check with JR or Midget to see if any old drawer hardware is stil available.

Hello Sam, Thanks for the tip on the floor shine! I am always looking for any reason to go to home depot

I will be picking some up, as my floors look dry and dull. I have a feeling they will shine up with a good product and some old fashioned elbow grease. Home depot website shows an Armstrong product with great reviews, so I will be looking into that later today. The rug idea sounds like a great one and I've already found a few to pick from at home depot as well. I will be sure to watch the u tube video you mentioned and follow charlie's advise on resealing windows in the next couple weeks. I really wanted to shine and buff the exterior but after some washing I have noticed areas of thin paint, including some of the upper curbside half. There is an automotive paint supply nearby so I will eventually get some paint matched up for a little paint blending here and there. Also still looking for that elusive cabinet handle..online search has turned up nothing yet. Looks like I will call JR and Midget to see if they can help.
Keep in touch-Mike

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-30-2014, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

Glad to have you with us, Mike. Your trailer looks like a gem to me. Since you can store it under cover, you can probably do a lot of the work you have planned for it now, and have it ready to go next camping season.

Check out your water system too - make sure the pump works. Of course you'll want to check the refrigerator and AC unit too.

Pay attention to the guide rod under the trailer that is part of the lifting mechanism. Clean and grease it. Check all the lifting cables and spray them with lubricant to retard rust. You may have to remove trim inside the trailer to get to the pulleys there and the last section of the cables just prior to where they connect to the top of the trailer. This seems to be an area where rust develops.

Forgive me if it sounds like I'm giving you the idiot treatment. I don't mean to be a "mother hen", but there are unique features of these trailers you may not be aware of.

- Jack

Hey Jack, thank you for the valuable information. After reading your post, I went outside to take a better look at some of the areas you mentioned. At this point, the ac is blowing nice and cold, the water pump surprisingly makes good pressure and the original 3 way fridge currently is a 2 way. Gas option and 110 option work great. Fridge feels nice and cold on those 2 settings.The 12 volt option is not working due to a melted in line fuse connected to a cracked and possibly slightly burned connection where the in line fuse is connected. This is the far left side of wire block. I may try fix this problem in the future but reading other members posts I am guessing that this was caused from towing with the fridge set on 12 volt for long periods of time. As far as the guide rod. It looked alright at a glance but to be safe I went ahead and cleaned it and put fresh grease on it. All cables that I can find thus far have now been sprayed with lubricant. I have also cleaned and greased the lower pulleys at the bottom 4 corners of the lower half. With all the unique features on these trailers I am sure I have missed many things and am always looking for more ideas. Thanks again for all your advise.
Keep in touch-Mike

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-30-2014, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garry

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your recent purchase, which looks like it has been well taken care of.

Hi Garry, thank you for the warm welcome and compliment on my new to me 84 Hi Lo. I have had a great time reading every ones posts, admiring their hi lo's and camping pictures. I plan on posting more pictures soon. Always good to hear from another member in So Cal!
Ill definitely be watching out for your posts. Keep in touch-Mike

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-30-2014, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltool

Welcome, Mike. You can spend a hundred hours reviewing old and current posts, here. There is A treasure of information. Your trailer looks great! I love those old interiors. Good traveling!

Rick

Hi Rick, Thanks for the welcome, I have to admit I have been glued to the computer reading as many members posts as possible since I got the hi lo home. I agree, there is a treasure of information in these forums and I am extremely grateful to all that that have posted info, pictures and stories. As you can guess, I am no doubt a huge fan of the old 80's style interiors. The dark paneling for one, takes me back to the good ol days and that is where I came up with the time machine name for my old 84. Truly having a great time and I am not even camping yet lol.
Keep in touch-Mike

Hi Lo Time machine · 11-30-2014, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luckydog671

Glad to see another new California member as there aren't many of us! Looks like a classic and clean unit. Welcome to the forum!

Hey Greg, thanks for the kind words and warm welcome. Another CA member to look forward to hearing from! I want to say to all members in all places, that everybody has been so nice and all the info really means a lot to a new member.

After reading some of your recent posts and viewing the incredible camping pictures I now have more great places on the wishlist to visit. Especially Sequoia and Kings Canyon..to name a few. But for now, its off to Home Depot.
I will be sure to continue to look for your posts and pics.
Keep in touch-Mike

misfit429 · 01-14-2015, 12:28 PM

Haven't been on in a while and just found your pics. Very nice trailer! I love that floorplan. I have an '88 and it just seems small compared to your floorplan. Great find! Just to let you know, I have the fiberglass propane bottles cover with the logos on it. Logos are intact but faded. I didn't re use it on mine and would be willing to sell it fairly cheap if you're interested. I am in Texas and the shipping on it may be the problem as it is a fairly large piece. I have an Ebay account and I could put it on there and let you know so they could take care of calculating shipping costs and PayPal could handle finances. Feel free to Email me at misfit429@gmail.com if you want to discuss it.

Moonstruck · 01-14-2015, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misfit429

Haven't been on in a while and just found your pics. Very nice trailer! I love that floorplan. I have an '88 and it just seems small compared to your floorplan. Great find! Just to let you know, I have the fiberglass propane bottles cover with the logos on it. Logos are intact but faded. I didn't re use it on mine and would be willing to sell it fairly cheap if you're interested. I am in Texas and the shipping on it may be the problem as it is a fairly large piece. I have an Ebay account and I could put it on there and let you know so they could take care of calculating shipping costs and PayPal could handle finances. Feel free to Email me at misfit429@gmail.com if you want to discuss it.

Thanks, Misfit. The art work on our front window awning is faded. I may find someone good at air brush painting to touch it up. If you still have the bottle cover when we head west in 2016, we may stop to look.

Wrascal · 01-14-2015, 10:38 PM

Somehow I too missed this posting, guess it was from all the Thanksgiving Holiday hoopla.

It's a beauty, enjoy it.

Hi Lo Time machine · 01-15-2015, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misfit429

Haven't been on in a while and just found your pics. Very nice trailer! I love that floorplan. I have an '88 and it just seems small compared to your floorplan. Great find! Just to let you know, I have the fiberglass propane bottles cover with the logos on it. Logos are intact but faded. I didn't re use it on mine and would be willing to sell it fairly cheap if you're interested. I am in Texas and the shipping on it may be the problem as it is a fairly large piece. I have an Ebay account and I could put it on there and let you know so they could take care of calculating shipping costs and PayPal could handle finances. Feel free to Email me at misfit429@gmail.com if you want to discuss it.

Misfit, We are very happy with our first hi lo and it hasnt even left the driveway yet.. Amy and I have been collecting a few things, went with some new upolstry and there will be some camping in the near future. Thank you for responding to my request for the propane cover. Sounds like it would be a great addition to the time machine! Very interested. Email sent. We have been working on it and will be posting some new pics soon.
Keep in touch-Mike