Does this look like an '83 16S?

[cptmoney]

Hey all - we're totally new to the Hi-Lo, and I'm already starting out with questions...


Check out the camper listed here:

HiLo Travel Trailer


Is this thing a model 16S? According to the owner, it is - but every other shorter Hi-Lo seems to be a single axle, no couch, etc. Am I calling this thing the correct name? Is it truly a 16S?

And then next: the obligatory noob question - are these things worth the asking price? This is a 1983 model, and according NADA, it's way overpriced. I'm guessing that the price depends more on the condition than the book value/age/etc.

Any thoughts? I'd really value what you have to say on the matter -

 

[PopRichie77]

The owner probably measured the length of the bottom half. Hi-Lo's were not measured that way, they were measured from the tip of the hitch to the back of the rear bumper. Being 2 axles it is probably a 20, 21 or 22 footer based on the way Hi-Lo measured them.
Someone else can probably verify this.

 

[cptmoney]

I KNEW IT!

Thanks for verifying this; NOW I can go about comparing apples to apples.

I was wondering how the models were measured...thanks for the clarification.

What did you think of the camper? Price? Within acceptable limits (based on the teeny craigslist pics)?

 

[Fireballsocal]

I agree with PopRichie. It appears very close in length to my 22 foot towlite. It looks in nice shape but you really need to go over the seams, look inside the cabinets and storage areas for signs of water damage. Make sure the systems all work, etc. If it was in fantastic condition, I would say his price is fair. I think he is a little high though if the camper is in average condition for the age. The thing is almost 30 years old for goodness sakes.

 

[Pug]

I saw this one outside Salt Lake today on the web if your in CO it might interest you. Classifieds for Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming - ksl.com . Its larger don't know if that matters.

 

[cptmoney]

Hey, thanks Pug -

I'm looking for one just a bit smaller; we're used to towing a small Apache popup, so I am shying away from the longer/larger models initially. Just hoping to ease into the travel trailer scene.

I'm hesitant to get too much; I only have an older half-ton truck, and with my kids being smaller I really don't need much room.

I appreciate you bird-dogging that trailer for me! I have also found one near Denver that I'm hoping to go see this weekend. Hoping that it's in good condition as well. It's still pretty pricey, though. Maybe I'll get a break. Never know. Here's the link to it:

____________________1990 Hi Lo FunLite Travel Trailer. LOOKS LIKE NEW!

It's priced even more than the '83 model. I may have to just tread water for a bit. I'm in no hurry, I suppose. We've done the popup thing for a while now, so another summer won't kill us.

Fireballsocal: we looked it over yesterday; the camper really is pretty nice. It's been re-skinned on the top outer halves (some sort of oxidized holes in the siding), and has a nice interior. Lot of cracking caulk up top, and with the a/c and a tv antennae, I'm worried about what water might have snuck in. I'd much rather have a clean roof, no a/c, and not all that caulk around. Didn't see any real water damage, but did notice a hint of peeling paint in the interior roof - just a HINT though. I think some new caulk would seal it up nicely. Also, the owner has tons of paperwork (manuals, service guides, etc). Raised and lowered nicely, but made a loud howl at the very top when raising. Not sure what that might mean. Otherwise a very nice unit. Raised axles were nice, and the tires looked in good shape. Brand new deep cycle battery.

Wish I could talk him down a bit - I'd have slept in it last night!

 

[JIM L-HILO]

HI
The loud howl when the top is fully extended is normal. Instead of a limit switch that would stop the pump at full extension pressure builds up in the system and a relief valve bypasses fluid within the pump and this is the sound you hear. Good luck on your search.

 

[Pug]

This one is about the same size as what your looking at a 1975 but half the price. Classifieds for Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming - ksl.com lo

 

[JackandJanet]

I kind of like the first one. And, regarding price, I'm in a bit of a quandary. If I could SEE it, I think I'd be able to attach a value to it (regardless of any "NADA" value. Trailers tend to be misused and not maintained, I think. And that drops the normal asking price a lot. Still, as has been said, it's a pretty old vehicle.

I would not reject it on account of a $3500 price tag. New, it would have been $22,000-$25,000?

I'd be asking myself, "What have I got to lose by going with this trailer?" And, as has been mentioned, look CAREFULLY at the seams and use your nose. Do you smell any mildew? (Run if you do.)

- Jack

 

[bluewindsue]

glides and rot

small roof leaks are easy ti fix with eternabond tape and koolseal
but what i would be extremely carefull of is... the glides that
slide on the rails on the outside.....and the material that the glides are connected to....make sure all that is rock solid
or you'll be fixing it soon

 

[Fireballsocal]

The second one, the 1990 model is way overpriced. At first glance, he is missing some marker lights and the fresh water door. Might have some stains on the couch. I wouldn't even bother driving very far to look at that one. Has a newer hot water heater door, a newer awning (Not the stock type) and no provision for a weight distribution hitch though it looks like it may have had em at one point. To give you an idea why I think that, I bought my 2003 towlite 22' for $5300.

 

[sam-HILO]

Should I buy the HiLo?

Kind of hard to tell from the picture as this has been brought up by jack. I would never pay the full asking price for something this old. Maybe 3000.00? I have a 90 Classic HiLo . Find how much it weighs and can you tow it with your half ton pick up. Press on all the walls both inside and outside. Any seperation means delamination. Check carefully in the BR shower wall. On the outside feel under the top half lip for rotted wood and check this area for the seal. Units this old will at somepoint need the refrigerator and air conditioner replaced. How handy are you and your husband? and how muchm time do you have for repairs.? Could you pay a small amt of $ to an Rv shop to check it out for you.? If the owner won't take it to a shop of your choosing to have it checked out then walk away from the deal. Maybe all the excessive calk means someone was too lazy to scrape off the old layer and just apply one layer. Maybe an Rv place would be able to at least check out the roof and caulk situation on site. Don't buy if it has any delaminated walls!!!! HiLLo trailers are plentiful-used ones. 90% of the parts on the HiLo can be found at any place that sells RVparts. The cables,glides blocks are specific to HI Lo and can be ordered from JR Repair in Buttler Ohio. Go back several times to see the HiLo. If the RV dealer can document the amt. needed for repairs then you can show him and offer a lower price. You could do the roof recoating your self and save some $..I hope this helps you. If any one lives near by they could help you check it out. I would be nervous Labout the roof.siding and caulk until I had it checked out by an RV shop. Let us know what you decide. Ask the owner if he ever had any roof leak-point out the roof paint on the inside. See how he wiggles on this explination.

 

[cptmoney]

Man - this forum is AWESOME!

I just posted my original question TODAY - and already a ton of responses! I am very impressed!

OK - to address a few things -

Here's what I did see when I went to see the camper: no mildew smell, at all. It's been well cared for in that regard.

Secondly, the seal between the bottom and top was replaced when the current owner re-skinned the top half, so I know the seal is tight and in good shape. Saw it myself. It looks good.

The gliders/slides all looked to be in good condition, but I did not reach up under the top half and feel the condition/solidity of the internal components. I'm guessing that they're in relatively good condition.

As far as the roof leaking, it was the current owner who pointed out the teeeeny little section of peeling paint to me. I didn't find it when I first walked through the camper - they showed it to me, so I feel like they're being fairly straightforward about it all. That, and we live in a pretty rural area - so deception doesn't last very long.

Sam, I like your idea of having an RV place check it out - but that's another 35 or 40 miles away. I may be able to convince him to let me drag it over to a dealership for an inspection. I'll see what I can work out with him. One thing we didn't do was check out all the systems; there was no water in the tanks, the A/C wasn't plugged in, the heater wasn't fired up, and the refrigerator wasn't on. Any/all of those items could be malfunctioning and cost some serious loot to replace/repair.

Sam, when you say "recoating", are you referring to applying new caulk to the roof? I can probably swing that. Is the caulk anything special? Is it some sort of bomb-proof weather-resistant stuff? Can I find it at most hardware stores?

Is most of the stuff lining the roof/windows a caulk-like material? Or a more durable rubber? From what I could see, whatever it is, it's starting to peel/crack all along the lining of most windows, and the side/top seam was cracking as well (the caulking was cracking beneath the rain gutter). Can I scrape/pull all that stuff off easily and start new? It's painted now, that's why I thought it might be a rubber of some kind. One of the windows was letting in some water (it was raining while we looked it over), but again, it LOOKED to be an exterior caulking issue. I could be wrong - but that was my initial thinking.

Fireballsocal - you purchased an '03 22' for $5300? I'd say you STOLE that thing! Were you wearing a mask and carrying a handgun?! That's a great deal from what I've seen. Of course, we're shopping at EXACTLY the wrong time for deals - I realize that.

At this point, I'm going to get back in touch with him and see if he won't make me a deal. His price may still be a bit strong, but it will save me from driving 1000 miles to pick up an alternative camper in California. My wife and kids LOVED the camper (especially compared to our existing popup!), and will be thrilled with this one. We could likely use this thing for another 2-4 years and get the lion's share of our money back (assuming we can sell it for $2500 +/-).

You guys are outta sight.

I'll be back with more questions very soon - I know it.

 

[sam-HILO]

Should I but the HiLo?

Sounds like the owner replaced the top and bottom half of the seal. Ask.If he had a dealer do it which one? Not all rv dealers can work on HiLo. Highly recomend that you bend over and look at the seal and feel for rotted soggy wood. Absolutely Have him fill the water tank.fresh water tank,plug in the ac have it running cold for you. The Rv must be level to have the Ref. running. Would need a day to have it ice cold for you. Have him show you where to plug in the Ac. Crawl under the trailer to see if the sewer,fresh water tank don't have any cracks,leaks. It would be worth it to go 80 miles round trip to have an Rv dealer check it out for you. That way you can show him what it would cost for repairs thus your lower price. He probably wants to gety his $ back on the replacement seal/reskin job. Still nervous about the condition of the roof could have hidden problems. Our HiLo dealer told us to take out our windows and put them back in with Butyl tape. Screws are taken out on the inside'trim ring. On the outside gently pry the window out with a putty knife. Two person job. This could be where your window leak is coming from. The outside of the window is sealed with silicone caulk. With the window out you will clearly see if you have delamination. I wouldn't even try to offer a lower price until you have a written list of cost and repairs from the rv dealer. Call Camping world and ask for a master catalog. 1.800-626-5944. That way I can tell which page/product to use for repairs. HiLo used three different kind of roofs. For instence I have have a rubber roof and it cost me 2Gallons Of rubber roof coatingft and one gallon of primer/cleaner at a cost of 125.00 if my memory serves me correctly. Do you have any friends that have a Rv with all the systems. ? It is a time consuming pain to remove old caulk and reseal. We have all the manuals in our HTF library. When was the last time the beaRINGS WERE REPACKED? Do you need other break work. Are the propane tanks the newer style? Has the lp hoses and regulator been changed? Is the heater thermostat okay? or $ to replace. The fan in the BR costs $30.00 to replace. I hope I,m not confusing you with to much information. Just want you to be helpful so you don't get burned. Sory /sp/brake. Let6 us know what you decide. The lady in California gave a price of 4500 or obo. Maybe something newer with much less work is the way to go. Maybe she would meet you some where half way to check out the trailer?

 

[cptmoney]

The lady in California gave a price of 4500 or obo. Maybe something newer with much less work is the way to go. Maybe she would meet you some where half way to check out the trailer?

Hey Sam - thanks for all the great info.

When you refer to the California camper, are you talking about the one listed in the "For Sale" section? It does look nice. I'll ask him about meeting half way. I like that idea.

I'm just a wee bit nervous about the older one. I genuinely believe it's in great condition, but I'm just on the edge about its age. Probably be just fine, really. Looks to be well cared for, for sure. He's pretty firm on price, just because there are no comparable models in age/condition. He figures his price is reasonable - which it probably is.

But for another couple of hundred, I could buy a decade or two newer? That seems to be a good deal to me.

I spoke with this gal last night:

2001 21' HiLo Tow Lite Hybrid Trailer

It's a good looking camper - and nearly 20 years newer. Looks to be very well kept, and includes the bunk bed, which is appealing to me.

I guess my point is that there appear to be a few good, clean models out there, even newer ones, that won't leave me so anxious. I'm still poking about, seeing what turns up. The problem with the Cali and AZ campers are that they'll add $500 to the purchase price just to go pick them up.

Hey - that will be our break in trip! Get that camper out and use it!

 

[Pug]

I would deduct travel from the price. I just picked one up out of state told him what I would go in perfect shape adding in the fuel cost. It was 500 miles round trip. See what you can deal the advantage to the western half of the U.S is they are a bit of a hard sell with so many other travel trailers you can get it for what you want if you wait and offer a respectable price. People motivated to sell will do about anything prices fall fast when your the only truly interested party.

 

[sam-HILO]

Purchasing a used HiLo

You are quite welcome. The 2001 Towlite seems like something you might check out. I was refering to the 1993 HiLo for sale in California $4500 obo Jasongrote. Check out the pictures again. It has a bunk bed. Pug also gave you some good advice about gas and pricing. It would much rather se you get something newer and be able to spend more of your time camping than many grueling hrs. with repairs!! HiLo trailers last yeara and years if you maintain them. Sorry about the typos. Food for thought: If you decide to get the trailer in California maybe another HiLo owner could check it out for you. Consider having a rv transport companynbring it to you. Friends of ours had a fifth wheel brought from NY to a seasonal site in Florida. Make sure you match up the trailer wt. to your tow vehicle and tongue wt. I just know you will be a HiLo owner real soon.

 

[cptmoney]

You are quite welcome. The 2001 Towlite seems like something you might check out. I was refering to the 1993 HiLo for sale in California $4500 obo Jasongrote. Check out the pictures again. It has a bunk bed.

Sam - I don't see the bunk. Which pic is it in? You'd know more than I do - you have had WAY more experience with these guys than I have. I just couldn't find it.

I like this one; looks clean. Might be worth looking in to!

 

[campthewestcoast]

I didn't see a bunk bed in the pictures of the 1993 in CA. I believe if there was a bunk, the side cabinets above the lounge would be gone.

The 2001 model in your link does have the bunk.