Getting into the repairs Major rebuild !!!!

[charlie b-HILO]

Hi folks.
I have been sidelined for a year and have had this 1994 Towlite sitting under a rubber tarp to protect it from further damage.
I have even talked to one member on the phone and was cheered on, but I just needed some kind of thrust to get going.
I had just finished up my morning coffee when my son and his friend showed up (out of the blue) and told me we were going to have at it, so have at it we did. I braced the roof and we removed the right side which had received some water damage from a leaking awning molding. I discovered this was not the only time this unit had been fixed, and I can tell you from my background in construction and auto body repair that the repairs were really done half fast. Here are some pictures of what we found, which was pretty much nothing but dry rotted wood and no structural reinforcement.
The trailer sagged at the door opening and the cables pulled the beam (wet laminations) out of level. It looked good when I bought it so any newbies looking at one beware.
I ran my ideas by an engineer friend and he agrees that I may have a good Idea to fix these so with this unit I will try my ideas and post progress pictures as I go. I expect things to go slow as our time will be limited for this project, and I really need an hour a day in our cheap 16foot pool to get my legs working again.

Stay tuned.....

 

[charlie b-HILO]

As you can see by the pictures the back end had had a more recent repair, but nothing was attached. I braced the top and I forgot the number one thing which was to remove the screws from the tracks, but the sides were so bad we just took the (wood)? loose from the (beam?) which was also not much. then we removed what I really hesitate to call a beam by unscrewing the tracks and sliding the beam up until it cleared. I will remember to do things in reverse for the reinstall. I will try to get good pictures so if the need to rebuild one of these older units arises I might be of some help.
To be honest, I don't think there will be much money involved, just a lot of labor, and with the help It shouldn't be hard.

 

[gus-HILO]

Hi Charlie B
the good thing is the fact that you have all the pieces that you can duplicate, a while back I was watching a video on youtube for an early 60's Shasta restoration, the guy that restores them was using all the rotted pieces as a template to make the new ones with better connection methods to piece them together, I think he was using one of those "Kreg jig tool". with the help that you have it shouldn't be hard.

 

[Treeclimber]

wow!!!

Charlie, don't know if I'm shocked or amazed. Not much between the inside and outside. Here in south west Fl, we'd have to do that inside. With our daily rains come the winds. Best of luck, I'll surely be attentive to this post. Who knows, might be doing this myself some day.
Treeclimber

 

[charlie b-HILO]

As said, I am not in a rush, I just want it right. I probably won't have much new because the next days will be waiting for the glue to dry in the new laminated beam. My big regret is my age and my knees and legs. I retired from a job I loved 5 years ago because I was just not able to get around like I needed to. We were dreaming of traveling and then we got hit with some medical conditions that had to be addressed. I still have some side effects from a drug I am on, but I am doing fine other than the legs. I have read a lot on this forum and I sure hope I can get to camp many times more. so far we had one night at a local campground 2 years ago. so we have got a lot of money in that one night
I am looking forward to meeting many mre folks here in person in the next 10 years.

 

[sam-HILO]

Restoring a HiLo Towlite

Charlie what a project!! Glad you have some help. I'm sure with your background in construction you can pull this off. Seems to me another forum member in Florida did a very similar rebuild. Go slow and steady and you will get the job done.

 

[charlie b-HILO]

Charlie what a project!! Glad you have some help. I'm sure with your background in construction you can pull this off. Seems to me another forum member in Florida did a very similar rebuild. Go slow and steady and you will get the job done.

Sam, you guys are my inspiration. I do not like the way this unit is put together at all. I can't tell if this is factory or if it is a repair, but I think I can make a much stronger unit that does not weigh much more. I am going to do some experimenting as I go. Maybe every idea won't work but then again maybe it will. I will pass along everything I try whether it works or not. I will guarantee that my material will be waterproofed before it installed if only with a coat of cheap paint.
I think I will enjoy this project, and hope we can try it out by fall When we may have 2 months in a row without doctor appointments....

 

[sam-HILO]

Rebuilding a HiLo

Two products I have used in rebuilding My Hi Lo are 3M Bondo and Thompsons water seal. Some have used "Blue board" Use liberal amts. of expanding foam and Lexell caulk.

 

[charlie b-HILO]

I won't use expanding foam because it can't be controlled , in fact i don't think I will use any insulation. The stuff that was in it was just filler, and when I get it together the sides will be solid. I don't care if I add 50 pounds, I removed a hundred pound awning so I am still ahead. I am still in the gluing and laminating phase, and all of a sudden my help has disappeared so nothing new to report. It will go fast once this is done.
I do have some good templates for cutting the windows and door but I will make sure they fit tight, no gaps in the corners like some people have discovered.
a preschool kid could do better joints then this. butting 2 boards together and spanning with two staples would not bring a very good grade in wood shop. I know what these sold for and I can't understand why they could not have been built a little better. It is no wonder they develop leaks.
I still think they are the cats meow though.
Cheers

 

[sam-HILO]

Rebuilding your HiLo

If you were to use expanding foam to fill up any cracks you just shave off any excess. I thought you were going to say you see why some of the shoddy workmanship at HiLo put them out of business. All RV manufactures have some quality control issues. Even the expensive ones.

 

[charlie b-HILO]

If you were to use expanding foam to fill up any cracks you just shave off any excess. I thought you were going to say you see why some of the shoddy workmanship at HiLo put them out of business. All RV manufactures have some quality control issues. Even the expensive ones.

Sam I won't blame the men that assembled these, they didn't design them. I have a 1979 Coachmen that developed a leak in the front so I rebuilt it. I can't fault their work at all. It was built pretty well.
My daughter is restoring a 1972 (I think it's a Scottie) (guess who has helped) and it was well built, but at that time they were using particle board. I had her replace that with plywood and we think we saved over 80 pounds.
She wanted a small Hi-lo but couldn't find one she could afford.

 

[slider-HILO]

Correct Sam. What I always remind myself is these are trailers, not homes, and it is what it is.

Staples, when done correctly, are very strong.
In the past 6 months I have helped my son rebuild a 38' PlayMore 5th wheel where it was gutted down to the frame and done so as to be more like an apartment instead of a rv and last week I resealed and repaired the overhang on a 31' Tioga mini.
It would be so simple to build a rv that won't leak but the price would put a company out of business due to costs. It is sad but true.

Rick - the rubber roof hater.

 

[charlie b-HILO]

We just closed out the month with over 7 inches of rain so progress has been
very minimal. I could really use a place inside to work but I don't have that luxury. I am hoping the weather becomes a little more cooperative .
I have been cutting my grass in sections, and cutting it wet just to keep it from getting over my head. I mow an acre and usually once a week is enough, but it needs it eery 4 or 5 days now and there are areas so wet I leave tire tracks.

 

[sam-HILO]

Weather relief is on the way.

Hopefully you will get some dry weather. Here in Niagara Falls,NY it is going to be dry until next Thur. We mow two days a week and have to bag it. Today DH cut out all the rotted flooring in our vinyl shed. So nice to have a dry day. We have this animal that has burrowed under our shed. We filled at least a 20 gallon contractor with all the plastic bags...police caution tape..chip bags that animals have used for nesting. It would be unbelieveable how much more we would pull out ifwe had to rip up the entire wood floor. DH things it is a ground hog. We bought some powder that you are directed to dig the soil and it keeps the critters from digging. Now the critter has become anoyed with DH power tools and has moved on to a spot under our neighbors deck. We will put some kind of fencing around the base of the shed.to prevent animals from getting in.

 

[Treeclimber]

Good to get rid of THAT critter. Sorry it went next door. But glad it didn't go to the HI LO!
Tree

 

[sam-HILO]

Getting rid of the critter

Our HiLo is parked several streets away from our house.

 

[GoAgain]

Hi Charlie b. I am glad to see you tackling this issue since I have the same condition with my HiLo. I look forward in seeing more pictures as you progress through the repairs.
My camper has gotten wall damage from the pinholes in the roof that I thought I had stopped using a sealer I had bought from a camper store, but either it wore off or I missed some of the areas. Now my walls are bulging out.

 

[Herb-in-FL]

Regarding insulation, and strength and making things lighter in weight,
I am a great believer in the Reddy Insulation foam product made
specifically to use around door and window frames. It expands, but
without pressure that might cause warping.
It does need some open spots, where excess can ooze out.
Once it hardens, cleanup is not that bad,
if you don't overdue how much you put in.

It adds considerable strength, eliminates drafts, and is an excellent noise reducer.
But I have to be convinced first, that I won't have to be going in to do
any additional work of taking things apart again, since it is also superbly adhesive.
I do prefer using it around materials that insects don't like to eat or burrow in,
such as aluminum and steel framing and also plastic panelng, moreso than around wood.

As you might guess, I really love that particular product.

GoCamp

 

[jimmy1]

charlie b, I have to say I agree as my 85 25' Classic have some questionable engineering and construction. I thought great I have steel framing, but then find out that they sure didn't put near as much framing in as the brochure pictures would have you believe. The roof front and back sections have four foot sections with the roof rafters four! feet apart. Spanning that four feet is one inch of white(not so strong) styrofoam faced with thin interior and exterior sheets. No steel framing around any of the windows. No steel vertical ribs at the cable lift points, In fact the two front cables are right under windows. There are other areas, but will have to live with it and really try to watch for weak spots. Do really like the hilo feature and the openness of the layout. Good luck with the rebuild of your framing.
jimmy1

 

[charlie b-HILO]

missing in action here, update....

Well, the 94 turned out to be way worse than anticipated, there were 2 options, scrap it, or repair it. I decided to repair it, and to that end it is now a NO-Lo. I made a complete new camper from the bottom half up and bolted side frames to the bottom and made a complete new top with 1.5 inch walls completely lined with 1.5 inch insulation. I reused the windows but had to screw them in from the outside. I used #10 stainless screws spaced 4 inches apart and set the windows in butyl tape. The walls are 1/4 in plywood with a layer inside and one out side. I also removed the roof AC and used a portable that I adapted to a two hose unit that sits in the bathroom cupboard. Everything in the bottom half was in great shape, and my wife told me she did not want any cupboards so that saves some work. I mounted a small flat screen tv to the front and have a cd player to install come spring.
I borrowed an idea from the teardrop folks and glued canvas to the outside using titebound II glue. That was painted with 3 coats of enamel before the windows were installed. overall I think we are about 300 pounds lighter.
I am not encouraging anyone to do this, but it is an option for one that has gone beyond hope. I have about $1400 in the lob with no labor charges.
Pictures are here from start to finish. You can view them without a FB account.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.611551969025543&type=1&l=0526680ebd
I am sorry about taking so long to post but it has just not been a good year, but now we are in a new one.