manually raise hi-lo? - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

wallace · 07-14-2010, 07:32 AM

Hi, I went to look at a hi-lo that is for sale locally. It has been sitting for quite a while. We hooked up house voltage to it and tried to raise it up. The hydraulic pump motor is not turning we have voltage to the motor but it is either seized or the pump is seized. Is there a way to manually raise it? If not any idea on what the cost of a motor or pump would be? Thanks.

JackandJanet · 07-14-2010, 10:35 AM

I don't know what year that Hi-Lo is, since you didn't say, but I suspect it has a backup manual way to raise it - mine does. You just stick a handle into a sleeve at the pump and pump it back and forth. I had to do mine this way once when the battery went completely dead. It raises very easily this way, although it's a bit slow.

- Jack

mdtandem · 07-14-2010, 04:47 PM

If there was no battery in the unit, I believe you may need a 12 volt battery connected to operate the lift motor, I don't think the converter , by itself, will operate the motor.

Mark

Sam Shields · 07-14-2010, 09:19 PM

Some hi-lo's do have a manual pump, very hard to do!!!. you must have a good battery installed to make it work. you can take a screwdriver and cross the post on the lift selonid and by pass the switches. It is located on the top or side of the lift mtr. Also ck the inline braker between the battery and lift switch it may be bad. You may be able to just push the reset buton in the side of the braker.
Sam

campthewestcoast · 07-15-2010, 12:36 AM

On my 97 towlite, I need battery power to raise the trailer. After dry camping for a number of days, I drained the trailer battery, I used jumper cables from my truck battery to the trailer battery to raise the trailer upper section to unlock the safety bar. This would also work to raise the trailer up.

Since then, I upgraded to 2 - 6volt batteries wired in series to get 12 volts. I went from 55 amp hours to 235 amp hours

gynot · 08-01-2010, 01:41 AM

I just inherited a 2002 Hi Low Silver and I can't seem to find a manual for it. Does anyone know where I could obtain one? I am relatively new to the camper ownership, so not real sure where everything is suppose to be located. Also, where would the manual lift be on this. I was shown years ago, but I can't seem to find it. Thanks for any help that can be provided!!

campthewestcoast · 08-02-2010, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gynot

I just inherited a 2002 Hi Low Silver and I can't seem to find a manual for it. Does anyone know where I could obtain one? I am relatively new to the camper ownership, so not real sure where everything is suppose to be located. Also, where would the manual lift be on this. I was shown years ago, but I can't seem to find it. Thanks for any help that can be provided!!

Gynot,

I would post your request for the 2002 HiLo manual under "Library Request".

I attached a picture of the hydrolic pump of our 1997 TowLite. The red arrow indicates the manual lift mechanism. You just need to insert a rod into the lift mechanism and start pumping.

We were told that we never should use the manual lift unless you are absolutely fit, so we have not used it. We prefer to use battery power, or jumper cables off the truck to the battery if it is dead.

JackandJanet · 08-02-2010, 10:19 AM

As I posted earlier, I used mine once. It really was not too bad. I thought the effort was fairly minimal, but it did take a lot of "strokes".

I also had to crank up the hitch by hand and again, that was not very hard at all.

(This was all before I learned that my factory installed TV/Radio/CD/DVD player had a lot of "parasitic" draw and I inserted an on/off switch in the power lead to take it off the circuit.)

- Jack

gynot · 08-04-2010, 01:07 PM

Les, thanks for the help. Looks exactly like what I was looking at on mine. But for some reason I thought my mother had showed me someplace else to do it that was more of a cranking rather than a pump, but it may have been for something else. Like I said, relatively new at this and it's going to take some time to figure out how it all works. Thanks again, it helped out!! Tony

Atlee · 03-22-2012, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by campthewestcoast

...

Since then, I upgraded to 2 - 6volt batteries wired in series to get 12 volts. I went from 55 amp hours to 235 amp hours

Did you have to make the tray where the batteries are stored larger, since the 6V batteries are taller than the 12V's they replaced?

campthewestcoast · 03-22-2012, 09:24 PM

Atlee,
On my 97 towlite I fabircated a new pump box and taller battery box for the 6volt batteries. As you can see in a couple of threads back is a picture of my new pump box and battery box. The plastic encloser box that came on the hi-lo was falling apart and needed repair. I was just able to raise the hiegth of the battery box because the upper half of the hi-lo cleared the battery area.
On my 06 towlite, it came with newer 12volt batteries so when the time comes to replace them I going to install 2-6volt batteries. With my newer 06, there is not enough hiegth in the battery storage area because the upper half lowers and covers the top of the batteries. I will have to remove the batteries and pump motor, cut out the metal support framing. Then I can weld in new metal support framing 2" lower, fabircate a new deeper encloser box so the 6volt batteries will fit. It will be a little bit more work but the payoff is I'll get more amp hours or run time when boondocking.

cahuey · 05-14-2012, 08:01 PM

Took the trailer out recently and discovered the hard way that my convertor went south. Tried to raise it using the pump but it felt like the pump needed priming or something since it just felt like I was pumping air.

I jumpered the battery and got the top up but I'd sure like to be able to perform a manual lift if needed.

Change of subjects: I sustained some snow damage and need to get the driver's side repaired. Does anyone know a a repair facility in Oregon? Preferably around the Portland area?

Thanks so much!

Chris

JMDoering · 05-14-2012, 09:36 PM

Chris,

Don't know if this will help, but the last Hi-Lo dealer in your area was: Camper Outlet, 9620 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road, in Tualatin. Their phone number is: 800-213-6799.

I actually visited this place in 2009. Frankly, they were sour on Hi-Lo trailers, something about of Hi-Lo corporate policies on the quantity of inventory they had to maintain and the fact that Hi-Lo wanted them to outright buy the trailers for resale (apparently different from the majority of trailer manufacturers, who will work out dealer loans). All we heard from the owner were complaints.

Never-the-less, they may still have technical experience, and expertise to handle your repair. Or be able to refer you to whoever was doing their warranty work.

Now, having said all this, Hi-Lo trailers for the most part, are much like every other trailer made. The lift system is the biggest unique component. My suggestion is to ask around and find out where your camping friends take their rigs for repair. Referrals are golden when it comes to honest and good trailer repair work. My bet is you'll soon find an outfit who can handle just about all of your Hi-Lo repair and maitenance needs. Went through the same process here in SW Idaho.

Good luck,
Jim

sam · 05-14-2012, 11:55 PM

Chris, what year and make is your HiLo? Is it a towlite or classic? Could you be more specific on what kind of dammage you have,interior and or exterior. Many of our forum members have done structural repairs.

cahuey · 05-15-2012, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam

Chris, what year and make is your HiLo? Is it a towlite or classic? Could you be more specific on what kind of dammage you have,interior and or exterior. Many of our forum members have done structural repairs.

Sam, I have a 1999 21ft (or 22ft?) Hi-Lo Classic. The largest part of the damage is due to the ribs on the driver's side being bowed out, maybe an inch or two. There was some moisture damage as a result - mostly wood rot by the "kitchen" window.

What kinds of tools and supplies are needed to perform this type of repair?

Thanks, Sam!

sam · 05-15-2012, 07:42 PM

Could you post some pictures of the dammage? If a great deal of the wall is dammaged(water travels very far) then an entire wall repair at a shop could cost $3,500. Our dealer charges $95.00 per hr. If you are handy then I would suggest you do the repair yourself. That price would be only for one side of the trailer. Go to off topic 1990 Classic restoration to see our story of extensive wall repair. I narated step by step what we did. It roughly cost us $1000.00 in materials. You have to decide if you want to put the time and money into the project. I will be here to advise you every step of the way if need be. Leaky windows,leaky escape window,outside AC electrical box and poor caulking were the source of our water dammage.

cahuey · 05-18-2012, 06:05 PM

Well, I went to take pictures but the camera batteries are dead

Seems to be some common electrical theme here. I'll get pics posted shortly.

Jim, I contacted Camper Outlet in Tualatin and they no longer work on those. But the really nice guy there (Don) pointed me to Lafayette RV (Lafayette Auto Body & Auto, Truck & RV Repair | 503-864-2344 | Lafayette, Oregon | Serving all of Yamhill County) and they still do work on HiLos. So I'll hook it up and haul it over for an estimate. My insurance has a $100 deductible so we'll see what the total winds up to be.

Thanks again everyone!

cahuey · 05-19-2012, 02:35 AM

Okay, here are the pics (attached) that I took this morning. Sad, isn't it?

Chris

sam · 05-19-2012, 08:26 PM

Just curious,how long have you owned this trailer? Defenitely extensive water dammage. My guess would be total wall repair? Is the dammage to both sides? I sure hope your ins. co covers this for you!!What is the NADA value of this 13yr.old trailer? Let us know what your estimate is for$.

cahuey · 05-20-2012, 08:15 PM

I've owned this trailer since it was new (1999). It always had an issue with the top gasket so we'd put blankets around the gap to keep out the draft.

The damage is just to the driver's side. I think the pics make the damage look worse than it is. I think the value is somewhere around $10,000 - if it were not damaged.

I'm going to haul the trailer down to the repair place this week so I'll let you know how it all goes down (pun intended).