Can't get camper down...

CamperAaron · Dec 25, 2015

I just bought a Hi-lo (1973 I believe) I got it to raise but now I can't get it to lower. The safety release cord will not move when I try to pull it. I tried to see if it would raise a little because of settling but the motor just runs for a few seconds but it doesn't raise. When I try to switch it down to lower the motor doesn't do anything.

hilltool · Dec 26, 2015

Check battery charge to make sure battery has enough juice to raise camper a bit more and get load off of safety bar. Check underneath to make sure nothing is interfering mechanically with safety release. Motor does not run while lowering. A selenoid engages to allow hydraulic fluid to release back into resevoir and allow unit to lower- but you are correct that the safety bar must be released to do so. Its Christmas weekend- stay patient and more members will be showing up next few days to help you trouble shoot. Keep us informed. !

CamperAaron · Dec 26, 2015

Yeah, I think that it might be that the battery isn't charged enough, when I first tried to lift it didn't make any noise, but after charging the battery for a little bit it started making noise. I'll finish charging the battery and try again when I go back today. I've never owned a camper before so I'm trying to figure it all out. Thank you!!!

renoites · Dec 27, 2015

Aaron
After your battery is fully charged. You need to push the switch to the lift position.
The pump will squeal, as it has hit its upper limit(no damage will occur).
While the pump is squealing, immediate, and swiftly move the switch to the lower position, while pulling the safety release. This maneuver lifts the weight of the top from the safety bar and allows it to move.

steve

CamperAaron · Dec 27, 2015

I charged the battery some but it's still doing the same thing, I'm not sure if the battery is fully charged or not because I had a friend charge it for me. Does the battery have to be fully charged? Will it raise with shore power or only 12V? Will the cold affect the hydraulics or the battery's ability to hold a full charge? Thank you!!!

CamperAaron · Dec 27, 2015

Woohoo!!!

I got it to come down!!! I turned the light on to see if it was dimming when I tried to raise it off of the safety bar and it raised so I quickly pulled cord and switched it to lower and it worked. I didn't do anything different other than turning the light on, so I'm not sure how it worked but it did.

walguy39 · Dec 28, 2015

A new battery should fix.

JackandJanet · Dec 29, 2015

CamperAaron said:
I got it to come down!!! I turned the light on to see if it was dimming when I tried to raise it off of the safety bar and it raised so I quickly pulled cord and switched it to lower and it worked. I didn't do anything different other than turning the light on, so I'm not sure how it worked but it did.

Aaron, I'm confused. You say you "turned the light on." What light? If you have the 3-position Master Switch in the "Raise/Lower" position, it should disable ALL lights in the trailer. If you were able to turn a light on, you should have been in a setting that would prevent ALL top movement, both up and down.

So, something doesn't appear to be wired correctly in your trailer.

This video should help you understand how your lift system SHOULD work:

It's part of a series that starts with this one:

They are probably for a different model year than yours, but most of them are still applicable, since HiLo didn't change much through the years.

- Jack

Garry-HILO · Feb 23, 2016

Hydraulic Piston

When doing routine maintenance on the underside of our 27T I noticed two “skid” marks where the hydraulic bar moves when you raise and lower the top. I painted over the skid marks and while I was under the trailer the top was raised and lowered again but there were not any new “skid” marks. On my unit the bolt heads holding the hydraulic piston in place are positioned in the down position, with the end of the bolt protruding up. In the owners manual the ends of the bolt protrude down. Anyone have any idea what caused the skid marks in the first place?

JackandJanet · Feb 24, 2016

Garry, I can't tell from the pictures. Are you saying it appears the protruding bolt ends are digging into the floor? If so, orienting them to point down would probably prevent that damage.

Still, it doesn't appear that the scraping is too severe. I think I'd just monitor it to make sure it doesn't get worse before doing anything. I don't know how big a job removing and replacing those bolts is. If there is tension on the cables, I suspect it could be tricky.

- Jack

Garry-HILO · Feb 24, 2016

JackandJanet said:
Garry, I can't tell from the pictures. Are you saying it appears the protruding bolt ends are digging into the floor? If so, orienting them to point down would probably prevent that damage.

Still, it doesn't appear that the scraping is too severe. I think I'd just monitor it to make sure it doesn't get worse before doing anything. I don't know how big a job removing and replacing those bolts is. If there is tension on the cables, I suspect it could be tricky.

- Jack

Yes Jack, it appears the protruding bolts are making the skid marks as they are in alignment with the bolts. I think it would be easy to remove the bolts but would be a big job replacing them in the proper position as the hydraulic assembly would have to be dropped down to get the bolts in properly and cables would have to be removed.

RichR · Feb 24, 2016

Is there a chance that shorter bolts could be used rather than flipping the bolts over? Then only one bolt could be done at a time without the assembly dropping down. Just a thought.

Garry-HILO · Feb 25, 2016

RichR said:
Is there a chance that shorter bolts could be used rather than flipping the bolts over? Then only one bolt could be done at a time without the assembly dropping down. Just a thought.

Thanks Rich. I had not thought about trying shorter bolts. I will check the underside periodically and if I see the bolts are a problem I will pursue shorter bolts.

Garry-HILO · Feb 27, 2016

Garry said:
Thanks Rich. I had not thought about trying shorter bolts. I will check the underside periodically and if I see the bolts are a problem I will pursue shorter bolts.

Rich, I was under the trailer again today and unfortunately if I removed the bolts to replace them I would have to deal with the pulley assembly and I'm not sure that I want to mess with that. I did measure the clearance between the end of the bolts and the sub floor and it was only .025 inches (.635mm) on one side and even less on the other side.

Treeclimber · Feb 28, 2016

scrapes

Garry, Just looked under my unit and as the pictures show, I too have those scrapes. I don't feel this is a problem, as this Hi Lo has been raised and lowered MANY times. Don't know what caused this. I think in the lowered position, those carrier pulleys would be slack enough to change the bolts. However, I don't feel there is enough room to put the bolts down thru the top. Not without dropping the entire thing. Not worth it and it seems that's how they installed them. Hope these pictures show up.

JackandJanet · Feb 28, 2016

I think you're absolutely right, Tree. There's not enough room to insert the bolts from the top without removing the part they bolt into.

But, looking at the scraping, I don't see that it's going to go through the floor and cause serious damage.

Treeclimber · Feb 28, 2016

Jack, If a couple of more owners checked their units, I think we would find this is not too uncommon. And looking at both sets of pictures, I don't think it's serious. Like you said, they are not going to go thru the floor. Garry is ok.

hilltool · Feb 28, 2016

What's moving enough to make that type of scrape? The pulley system isn't moving, correct?

hilltool · Feb 28, 2016

It almost makes me wonder if those scrapes are the result of installation though how and what I have no idea.

Garry-HILO · Feb 28, 2016

hilltool said:
What's moving enough to make that type of scrape? The pulley system isn't moving, correct?

When the top is in the down position the pulleys are near the center of the trailer. When you raise the top the pulley system moves to the curb side of the trailer. Several members have posted messages about the safety bar breaking and coming up through the floor and I was concerned the pulley system scraping the sub floor might have something to do with the bent safety bars. I painted the area where my skid marks were and I do see evidence that the bolts are still touching the sub floor when the piston moves. At this time I am not going to proceed any further.

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