HI-LO vs Trailmanor? good/bad

[TucsonBob]

Opinions please. My criteria are that it has to fit in a 20 ft deep and 17 ft wide garage door. Will be one person one dog.
I have studied this for about 6 months
1. Parts availability? Trail Manor versus Hi-Lo
2. Rain and bugs coming through cracks? Trail Manor versus Hilo.
3. Ease of campsite setup?
4. Hydraulics versus spring system for setup for setup?
5. Towing ease?
6. Resale value?
7. Reliability?
Any input is appreciated

 

[Usagi5678]

Know two former owners of Trail Manor RVS.

Both people were/are in our camping clubs. One got rid of it because it leaked. The other person talked about the difficult set up. Our HiLo dealer refuses to take a trail Manor for a trade in due to difficulty of set up. Just about all parts on a HiLo are available. Most are common to standard RVS. For example water heater,furnice and airconditioner. No RV is perfect. Many HiLo owners are on second or third units. Where do you live..general area or state. Perhaps someone would be willing to show you their unit. Great towing and three second toggle switch raises it up. See the buyers check list in the forum. Keep the questions coming and welcome to the forum.

 

[campthewestcoast]

To seal the upper and lower sections of a trail manor it uses vinyl fabric strips with Velcro to keep out wind and bugs ( duct tape would work better)
Hi Lo uses a automotive bulb seal gasket for a seal between the upper and lower sections
No black tank on a trail manor it uses a portable camping toilet, HiLo has a fixed rv toilet with a standard black water tank and proper waste plumbing

 

[campthewestcoast]

With the trail manor it uses spring torsion bars manual operation ( if the trailer is not perfectly level the spring bars don’t work very good and bind in operation)
HiLo is electric hydraulic push button set up
The set up time is doubled compare to a HiLo because there is double amount of panels to build up for the bathroom and upper kitchen cabinet to set in place
The kitchen sink is lower than the rest of counter tops which is differcult to go dishes with a bad back on a trail manor
HiLo kitchen sink is the same level as the countertop
Trail manor has a cabinet over the kitchen sink that you hit your head on every time
HiLo has a window that opens for ventilation

 

[campthewestcoast]

On a trail manor you have to climb up to get into the bed ( not the easiest to out of in the middle of the night )
HiLo bed is at floor level
Trail manor counter space for food prep and cabinet space for storage is half of what’s on the Hilo trailer
No skylight in the bathroom on the trail manor ,HiLo has a skylight and vent with a exhaust fan
Trail manor has no stove top exhaust hood, HiLo has one ( makes cooking inside much nicer when the weather is bad)

 

[TucsonBob]

Wow! Great insights. I live in Oro Valley Arizona. Thank you all for your experience! Didn't even think about interior issues. I am young 66 darn trail Manor looks like a pain. I watched a video on YouTube. I'm more of a hit-to-switch kind of guy. My mind is made up. Buying a HI-LO. Now the search begins for a unit that will fit in my garage. Don't know how to "close" my question or I would.

 

[JackandJanet]

It's OK, Bob. We'll leave it open in case anyone else has an opinion. My opinion of the Trail Manor matches camp's. We've seen them too and they appear to be a pain to set up and take down. We also prefer a "real" toilet instead of the porta-potti.

- Jack

 

[Usagi5678]

Camp the West Coast gave you in depth information.

Sounds like he owned one? HiLo has the most storage of any RV. Others that have moved onto another brand of RV comment on this. Our 26ft. model has extra cupboards instead of a bunk bed.

 

[spinwear]

We've had a 20' trailmanor and an older 28' hi lo. Now looking at buying either a 2003 or 2008 22' tow lite that are for sale. What is hitch weight? Our trailmanor was towed with a Honda Ridgeline easily. Probably less hitch weight.
Any significant differences in the two years mentioned?

 

[RCREYES]

We've had a 20' trailmanor and an older 28' hi lo. Now looking at buying either a 2003 or 2008 22' tow lite that are for sale. What is hitch weight? Our trailmanor was towed with a Honda Ridgeline easily. Probably less hitch weight.
Any significant differences in the two years mentioned?

Below links are for the '04, which should be close, and the '08. The weights listed are close but not exact.

https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f49/owners-manual-2004-hi-lo-78/

https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f49/2008-classic-owners-manual-4163/

 

[Lvnv]

One more dimension should be considered regarding putting it in the garage, the height.

I have a 17' 2005 Hi-Lo and I think I could put it in the garage if I let air out of the tires, the clearance is very close due to the A/C on the roof. I haven't had a real incentive to put it in the garage, so haven't taken the next steps of giving it a go. The garage door opening is 7' and the door in the up position takes some of that 7' away. I was thinking when I give putting the trailer inside a go, I would have to prop up the door to obtain the full 7' of space, in addition to de-airing the tires.

 

[JackandJanet]

Lvnv, I agree with you that the height is a consideration. However, I believe the standard "towing" height of the 17 ft HiLos is 72" or 6 feet. Now, the A/C DOES add to that, but I think it is less than a foot, (maybe 8"?). So, you MAY be able to get your trailer into the garage with no special effort. Have someone available to watch up on a ladder beside the trailer to check as you back it in and do so with great care.

- Jack