Interior Wall - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

Dee Tillotson · 03-28-2014, 10:33 AM

We have been camping in North Carolina for about a week now. A little cold (down to 18 degrees one night) but with some insulation around the outside water hose, everything worked fine. We are now at our son's and daughter-in-law's house taking care of our granddaughter and the two puppies while our son and DIL are down in Florida at a company awards dinner.

Getting to the point, we have a 25-foot Hi-Lo Classic year 2009 which we purchased new from the factory in November 2009. When we were breaking camp at the last campground and bringing the top down on the Hi-Lo, one of the interior walls on the shower side of the bathroom did not go down when bringing down the roof and, therefore, broke in half. Were we ever surprised!! We have been putting this roof up and down periodically for four years now with never a problem like this. We are not quite sure why this happened now; the wall has gone up and down so smoothly in the past. Looks like we will have to order another wall. Has this happened to anyone else?

Dee

retiredcamper47 · 03-28-2014, 05:07 PM

Hi Dee,

Sorry to hear about your wall problem. I have never heard of anyone having a wall jam going down. Is it possible that something fell into the slot causing the wall to bind? Maybe one of Beach's hunting magazines?

I have seen some HiLo's that the owners use a "over the door hanger" and hang them in the wall slot. I hope the fix is easy and inexpensive. Try and have a good one!

Bob

sam · 03-28-2014, 11:45 PM

I am sorry to hear this happened to you. Maybe the wall swelled as a result of showering/steam. Hopefully JR has a matching wall for you. If you end up getting wall paneling your self I can give you a couple of suggestions as to getting paneling. I am familiar with the construction of the wall. You would be able to fix it your self if this is what you choose to do.

Dee Tillotson · 04-02-2014, 11:53 AM

Bob -- (finally made it back home.) No, we never hang anything on the bathroom door or wedge anything in the slot going into the bathroom where the wall slides up and down; certainly no "hunting" magazines in the camper (ha!). However, Beach took a closer look at the cracked wall when he removed it. It seems that the bottom edge of the damaged wall is slightly frayed, and there are some scratches on the surface of the wall in the frayed area. He took a metal carpenter's ruler and gently inserted it into the wall slot to see if he got any resistance, and sure enough, he did. There is a slight protrusion (more so than from the opposite interior bathroom wall) of a wood piece at the very end of the slot nearest to the doorway of the bathroom. He is trying to figure out how he might get into the slot to bevel the edges of the protrusion without tearing apart the stationary wall. Then and if we can order and receive a duplicate wall for the slot, once installed the wall might gently glide over the beveled edges. An alternate idea would be to bevel the edges of the new sliding wall itself so that it would glide over the protrusion. I certainly would like it the way it was before the wall cracked. You know what is said about wives, "If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy." I understand that J & R is currently moving to a new location in Ohio and will not be open again until they complete the move. Has anyone heard if they are now open? If so, do you know their new address, phone number, and the name of the "go to" guy? I will keep my fingers crossed that J & R will be able to order the new wall panel. Thanks in advance for your help.

Dee

Dee Tillotson · 04-02-2014, 12:27 PM

Sam -- There was no swelling of the shower wall upon examination. We have that shower situation down to a science by taking two new quick-dry shower curtains and sewing together one long vertical side, sewing Velcro strips completely along each of the remaining long vertical hems, and install magnets along the bottom edges of the shower curtain. No water passes through that cocoon! In addition, we removed the cheap plastic shower hook (which, by the way, broke) for the shower wand and installed a heavy duty hook. Then we purchased and installed a shower head called an "oxygenizer" (they use these in some of the nice motor homes) which mixes oxygen with water coming into the camper to give you a stronger spray from the shower head without increasing the water pressure severely in the camper plumbing.

If you read my note to Bob, you will note that I really want that wall back the way it was before. If there is no other recourse, Beach said that he could construct two matching walls, but I won't be happy!! Thanks for the suggestion.

Dee

Dee Tillotson · 04-02-2014, 12:36 PM

Sam -- I'm sorry. That shower head is called an "Oxygenator." Beach also installed a water cutoff switch on the shower head before hanging on the hook. We did not like the metal hose (not very flexible) which came with the new shower head and instead reinstalled the old very flexible hose on the new shower head.

Dee

JIM L · 04-02-2014, 08:11 PM

Hi Dee
I have left two messages for J&R over the last week and have not gotten a reply. Looking to get the seal replaced and problems with the bottom rail on the top half. Their phone # is 419-883-3001. Their message indicates they are still in the process of moving. No address tho. Are you and Beach going to Colo to the rally? Tell Beach that if he is still hurting I still have some good mountain remedy. It will take all the pain out.

sam · 04-02-2014, 11:20 PM

Dee, glad to hear you made it home safely. DH is sleeping so I can't get further advice from him. I know that when we did our repairs/restoration our wall behind our ref. isn't perfect. The paneling is only 1/4 inches thick. When the wall goes up and down it scraped some of the pattern off. I found a real nice cloth picture that says welcome friends. It is installed after the trailer goes up. Velcro is on the back of the cloth and the wall. Something changed in the dynamics of the wall. Possibly the wood swelled. If you want the trailer "perfect " then I would seek the advice of JR. Could you shave down the insulation to make the paneling to fit? I also need to see if JR has a part we would like to replace. Keep us posted.

RichR · 04-03-2014, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee Tillotson

We have been camping in North Carolina for about a week now. A little cold (down to 18 degrees one night) but with some insulation around the outside water hose, everything worked fine. We are now at our son's and daughter-in-law's house taking care of our granddaughter and the two puppies while our son and DIL are down in Florida at a company awards dinner.

Getting to the point, we have a 25-foot Hi-Lo Classic year 2009 which we purchased new from the factory in November 2009. When we were breaking camp at the last campground and bringing the top down on the Hi-Lo, one of the interior walls on the shower side of the bathroom did not go down when bringing down the roof and, therefore, broke in half. Were we ever surprised!! We have been putting this roof up and down periodically for four years now with never a problem like this. We are not quite sure why this happened now; the wall has gone up and down so smoothly in the past. Looks like we will have to order another wall. Has this happened to anyone else?

Dee

Are you talking about the dividing wall between the bathroom and the other part of the trailer that is solid and works like a pocket door? I don't think everyone here knows that some HiLo's had that. Most trailers have the fabric divider.

retiredcamper47 · 04-03-2014, 12:04 PM

Here is Rob & Jim's new info:

J and R Repair
13230 Wooster Road
Mount Vernon, OH 43050

Phone 1: 419-883-3001

Phone 2: 740-392-1600

Fax Line: 740-392-1333

Email: jrrepair@centurylink.net

Bob

sam · 04-03-2014, 07:22 PM

Thanks for posting the most current information for HiLo repair and parts.

Dee Tillotson · 04-15-2014, 05:54 AM

Jim -- You probably have heard the old saying "The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing." Well, that is our case here. Beach had located J & R's e-mail address and has been corresponding with Rob on the wall problem while I have been soliciting updated information concerning contact with J & R from ya'll. Rob is sending the wall for Beach to install, and we gave him our credit card information by phone to pay for the wall.

As to Colorado this year, we are not going. It seems that there is a conflict with our son and his family going to Europe and the date of the rally. Looks like we will be dog sitting their two dogs. Beach's shoulder joint/cuff is a lot better after the surgery, but he has switched to his other arm to start the lawn mower now to keep the stress off the injured shoulder. But, you know, we could always find a pain somewhere to have a reason to partake of your good old home made mountain medicine!!

I'm quite interested in your problem with the bottom rail of the top half of your Hi-Lo. Your 2005 Classic is not that much older than our Classic. When you get a chance, give us a call at 843-873-1045 and tell us about it.

Dee

Dee Tillotson · 04-15-2014, 06:14 AM

Sam -- I think Beach has this interior wall problem under control now. However, we have not received the wall yet from J & R, and Beach is anxious to get the project taken care of.

We hope you are doing well after your surgery. It just takes a little longer to get back on your feet as we get older. I know patience is a virtue at my age!! We wish you a great camping year after your recuperation.

Dee

Dee Tillotson · 04-15-2014, 06:30 AM

Rich -- Yes, the newer Hi-Los have sliding interior walls. I've seen the older ones with the fabric which folds as the roof comes down, and from a practical standpoint, I think those fabric walls operate better for this camper design than a sliding wall fitting into a slot. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, so I wonder why Hi-Lo changed that detail of the interior.

Bob -- Thanks for updating J & R's information for me. We hope you have a great time at the Colorado rally. You deserve it after all of the snow you've had to put up with this year.

Dee

RichR · 04-15-2014, 08:01 AM

Our 2010 2310H has the fabric wall. I think they had the solid wall like yours for only a couple model years. I'm assuming that they had problems with them as you did.

Dee Tillotson · 04-15-2014, 04:24 PM

Rich, you are probably right. The 2009 model year Classic (25 feet) we have was purchased from the factory in November of 2009. However, according to the tag on the outside of the camper, it was manufactured in July of 2008. It was probably one of the last Classics manufactured by the Hi-Lo Company. One of the characteristics of the Classic we have is that it is considered a wide bodied camper (8 feet 3 inches). The successor model, of course, was the "H model," which is approximately 7 feet 6 inches wide and incorporates the best characteristics of the Classic and the Towlite, a hybrid of the two, you might say. Getting to the point, we would have ordered your fabric wall replacements to install instead of the sliding wall. But because of the difference between the body widths of the two camper units, we felt an "H" model fabric wall would not fit. The fabric wall would have been great.

Dee

RichR · 04-15-2014, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee Tillotson

Rich, you are probably right. The 2009 model year Classic (25 feet) we have was purchased from the factory in November of 2009. However, according to the tag on the outside of the camper, it was manufactured in July of 2008. It was probably one of the last Classics manufactured by the Hi-Lo Company. One of the characteristics of the Classic we have is that it is considered a wide bodied camper (8 feet 3 inches). The successor model, of course, was the "H model," which is approximately 7 feet 6 inches wide and incorporates the best characteristics of the Classic and the Towlite, a hybrid of the two, you might say. Getting to the point, we would have ordered your fabric wall replacements to install instead of the sliding wall. But because of the difference between the body widths of the two camper units, we felt an "H" model fabric wall would not fit. The fabric wall would have been great.

Dee

You can easily make the curtain/wall using upholstery type material, it is basically just a piece of material that attaches at the ceiling and the back top edge of the partition.

sam · 04-15-2014, 11:24 PM

Dee,glad you got your wall repair all sorted out. I would love to see a picture of the fabric wall. I agree some of the manufacturing processes that HiLo used should have been kept. Like the fiberglass ends vs the plastic end caps. When your lawn mower wears out you can justify buying a easy start push button one.

retiredcamper47 · 04-16-2014, 01:36 PM

My 1995 22' HiLo had the "roman shade" (fabric) bathroom upper walls while my 2001 29' has the solid panel pocket wall.

Bob

RichR · 04-17-2014, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee Tillotson

Rich, you are probably right. The 2009 model year Classic (25 feet) we have was purchased from the factory in November of 2009. However, according to the tag on the outside of the camper, it was manufactured in July of 2008. It was probably one of the last Classics manufactured by the Hi-Lo Company.

Dee

They always started building the next model year trailers in July. 2009 was the last year for the Classic. 2010 models were basically Towlites with some of the optional equipment made standard. The front cap is rounded fiberglass, the Towlite style I liked better. All the exterior lights are LED, those are much better.