Checking the hydraulic fluid

[Neal and Bev]

On our 2001 2201TL there is a label on the reservoir tank for the hydraulic fluid that says, "Fluid level should be 1/2" from top when trailer is completely lowered.

I don't know about all Hi-Lo models but on our's you cannot see the reservoir when the trailer is completely lowered and you sure as heck can't get to it to add any.

I ended up making a dip stick out of a plastic straw. I put it in the tank and lowered the trailer, then I raised the trailer and looked at the "dip stick" to see what the level of the fluid was when the trailer was down. After adding the necessary fluid and re-testing I discarded the home made dip stick.

Neal

 

[Sam Shields]

hdraulic lift system

Do not over fill the lift system. It is not nessary to add fluid unless there is a leak If you have a leak it will lose large amounts of flued quickley. If you over fill the system the excess will be pushed out. (big mess)

 

[thermonieum]

hydraulic lift fluid check

i checked my fluid level today. i found that with the trailer in the down possition from the street side (nondoor side) i could fit my hand in to the fill cap. once the cap was off i used an allen wrench, don't know what size but the small ell end was approx. 1 inch long. i put the small end in there to check it. it was low so i used a piece of clear tubing (from lowes) and a pump oil can. it took less than a half quart of dextron 3 atf. i then lifted it and put the cap back on.

 

[johnpeace]

Big mess is right.

 

[Heath Mo Dee]

dextron 3 atf

Is Dextron 3 ATF the standard fluid for all models? Or, more importantly only to me... for a 1973?

 

[Neal and Bev]

Heath -

So far, everything that I've seen from others here on HTF, and in various Hi-Lo documentation, has called for a Dexron fluid, for use in the hydraulic system of Hi-Lo campers. I don’t know if there are exceptions or not. Has anyone seen anything other than a Dexron fluid called for?

For anyone not familiar with Dexron, it's a trademark name owned by General Motors, and given to its brand of automatic transmission fluid. Due to various license expirations, you will see both “fully licensed” and un-licensed products available. Many people, including myself, sometimes call this “Dextron”, I’m not sure where we get the “T” from.

Our 2201 calls for Dexron II, which is no longer made as a licensed GM product, we couldn’t find any version of Dexron II on the store shelves here, I did find some on the internet. I called the Hi-Lo factory, and I was told to "just make sure it's Dexron".

The GM Dexron specification is currently up to VI, I don’t know which series are and aren’t still licensed through GM. Valvoline’s fully licensed Dexron VI, says it’s fully compatible with Dexron II and Dexron III.

So after my research, I decided to go with, “just make sure it’s Dexron”

Neal

 

[Heath Mo Dee]

Thanks again Neal!

Since it goes down now, I will drop it down and check it, and fill it to 1/2" from the top, with Dexron 3.

You the man!

 

[cptmoney]

On our 2001 2201TL there is a label on the reservoir tank for the hydraulic fluid that says, "Fluid level should be 1/2" from top when trailer is completely lowered.

I don't know about all Hi-Lo models but on our's you cannot see the reservoir when the trailer is completely lowered and you sure as heck can't get to it to add any.

I ended up making a dip stick out of a plastic straw. I put it in the tank and lowered the trailer, then I raised the trailer and looked at the "dip stick" to see what the level of the fluid was when the trailer was down. After adding the necessary fluid and re-testing I discarded the home made dip stick.

Neal

I'll have to try this straw idea; heck - even the allen wrench might work.

I tried to ck my fluid levels this evening, and ran into the same problem. Can't even get the cover off my '94 Funlite when the top half is down.

 

[sam-HILO]

Filling hydrolic lift pump

Our HiLo dealer uses a mechanics mirror to see the fluid level. Hubby asked last year to be shown how to check the fluid level.

 

[cidco71]

Where is the hydraulic fill valve on a 2001 tolite high low m - 220 L

 

[RCREYES]

Where is the hydraulic fill valve on a 2001 tolite high low m - 220 L

Should be in the battery compartment on the tongue. Can't miss it.

 

[JackandJanet]

Look for a white plastic tank with a screw cap. Remove the cap and add fluid there. There's no "valve" for this purpose.

- Jack

 

[cidco71]

Is the top supposed to rasie all the way up flush with the counter or 8s it supposed to be lower then the counter? Mine is lower then the counter and when i look at it from a distance it looks like the front end of the camper is lower then the back of the camper

 

[cidco71]

Thank you all for your help with this. Its my first camper so i probably have a ton of questions.

 

[RichR]

Is the top supposed to rasie all the way up flush with the counter or 8s it supposed to be lower then the counter? Mine is lower then the counter and when i look at it from a distance it looks like the front end of the camper is lower then the back of the camper

That indicates that you need to adjust the cable lengths, they stretch over time.
When you fill the fluid reservoir do it only when the top is lowered and fill to about an inch or half inch to below the bottom of the threads.

 

[RCREYES]

Is the top supposed to rasie all the way up flush with the counter or 8s it supposed to be lower then the counter? Mine is lower then the counter and when i look at it from a distance it looks like the front end of the camper is lower then the back of the camper

Don't use the wood trim for alignment. Use the bulb seal as your guide. As long as they touch each other you should be OK.

 

[cidco71]

Ok ty very much, one more question there is a switch below the cabinet above the table, i turned it on and off and nothing happens. Any idea? I thooght maybe it was an outside light or something but even putting in a new bulb outside by the door nothing came on.

 

[JackandJanet]

Ok ty very much, one more question there is a switch below the cabinet above the table, i turned it on and off and nothing happens. Any idea? I thooght maybe it was an outside light or something but even putting in a new bulb outside by the door nothing came on.

This DOES sound like the outside light switch to me. The light won't come on unless your Master Switch is in the "enable lights" (usually UP) position. And, the fact that you don't seem to have found a way to turn that outside light on tells me you ARE working with its switch.

I don't think that light is separately fused, so if it doesn't work, there's probably a wiring fault. I'd check for a bad ground first if that's the case.

- Jack

 

[cidco71]

Where is the master light switch lol. More issues arrose this morning. Woke up to water on the floor at 5am. Its coming from under the kitchen sink, there is a hose close to the far back wall under the sink with a bunch of caps and what not. The one close to the wall has a disc at the end of it before the shut off valve. It just turns and turns and the shut off valve is where the water ia leaking in from. I cant get that piece off cause when i unscrew it, it just gets closer and closer to the wall to the point i cant turn it anymore. Also black water is saying 1/3 full but i have all the ports outside open so it will drain into the camp septic

 

[JackandJanet]

The sensors in the black water tank get gummed up/corroded/(whatever) and can register the presence of "fluid" when there is none. If you work at it, they can be cleaned off with a pressure sprayer or, as some have done, pour a couple bags of ice into the black tank just before you leave and let the motion of the trailer use them to "scrub" everything.

The Master Switch should be right next to the Raise/Lower switch. It should have three positions. In two of them, the "neutral" and "Enable" position, the Up/Down switch will not work. The "Raise/Lower" position is on one end. The "Enable" position is at the other. The Neutral position is in the center. If your inside lights are working, you're in the "Enable" position.

Sorry, I can't help you with your water leak.

- Jack