Our '05 hilo has the worst fit and finish of any vehicle - car or trailer - i've ever seen! From the up/down not working half the time, to the slider on the door falling off all the time; I could go on and on with about 100 things wrong with this piece of junk. I joined this site to see if others have ideas/ways of fixing this disaster of a rig. and people wonder why they went out of business. I can't beleive anyone in their right mind would buy a 2nd hilo, or recommend one to a friend.
hilo fit and finish
- Thread starter gregglip
- Start date
-
- Tags
- crappy workmanship finish fit hilo
retiredcamper47
Senior Member
gregglip,
Sorry you feel that way about your HiLo. With proper maintenance everything should work properly on any vehicle, be it car, truck, or rv trailer. With the proper level of hydraulic fluid in the lift reservoir (1" from the top), fully charged battery, cables and wires tightened properly & no corrosion on them, the lift system should work flawlessly. Check the guide bar underneath the trailer by the lift cylinder to see if it is bent. If it is, it can cause the unit to not lift properly or not at all. I presume you are talking about the plastic slide piece that goes back and forth to reach the door handles. Take it out of the track & make sure the track is clean. Spray some dry lithium grease in the track and put the plastic piece back in. It should slide easier now and not bind. You cannot "slam" it back and forth and expect it to stay in. Some of my club members have gotten a thicker piece of plexiglass and replaced the factory piece. They say it works better that way for them. I still have the original piece on my 2001 HiLo and it works fine. If you have a problem, we are here to listen and help. Hope this gives you some insight on some of your problems.
Bob
Sorry you feel that way about your HiLo. With proper maintenance everything should work properly on any vehicle, be it car, truck, or rv trailer. With the proper level of hydraulic fluid in the lift reservoir (1" from the top), fully charged battery, cables and wires tightened properly & no corrosion on them, the lift system should work flawlessly. Check the guide bar underneath the trailer by the lift cylinder to see if it is bent. If it is, it can cause the unit to not lift properly or not at all. I presume you are talking about the plastic slide piece that goes back and forth to reach the door handles. Take it out of the track & make sure the track is clean. Spray some dry lithium grease in the track and put the plastic piece back in. It should slide easier now and not bind. You cannot "slam" it back and forth and expect it to stay in. Some of my club members have gotten a thicker piece of plexiglass and replaced the factory piece. They say it works better that way for them. I still have the original piece on my 2001 HiLo and it works fine. If you have a problem, we are here to listen and help. Hope this gives you some insight on some of your problems.
Bob
"worst fit and finish of any vehicle - car or trailer - i've ever seen!"
Well- apparently you never owned a Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Corvair, or AMC Gremlin.....as I have
I, too, am sorry you are having issues. You will find most people here do not have the same distaste you are experiencing---though we have all had issues. I am assuming you did not buy it new if you are just joining the forum, now, and thus you own an eight year old trailer that may not have been as well cared for as many here do. That said, HI-Lo seemed to have more quality issues towards the end of their run than they did in the beginning.....still, if you are truly interested in figuring out how to resolve the issues you will likely find folks here who know how to help.
Good Luck
Rick
Well- apparently you never owned a Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Corvair, or AMC Gremlin.....as I have
I, too, am sorry you are having issues. You will find most people here do not have the same distaste you are experiencing---though we have all had issues. I am assuming you did not buy it new if you are just joining the forum, now, and thus you own an eight year old trailer that may not have been as well cared for as many here do. That said, HI-Lo seemed to have more quality issues towards the end of their run than they did in the beginning.....still, if you are truly interested in figuring out how to resolve the issues you will likely find folks here who know how to help.
Good Luck
Rick
jcurtis95
Senior Member
Greg,
We had a lot of issues with our used 2006 HiLo when we first got it. It does depend on how well it was cared for by the original owner. This is the 3rd one we have owned and I have found I can fix most of everything that has gone wrong without any problems. Work on the various issues one at a time and don't 'shot-gun' them or you will become discouraged. The basic design and stability of a high low is very good and when you resolve your individual issues, you will have an V that will provide you years of service.
Good Luck.
Jerry Curtis
2406 T
davidc-HILO
Senior Member
Several people here in the park have brand new higher end trailers/5th wheels and every single one one them has had to tow them back to the dealer to have things repaired and issues resolved discovered after leaving the lot...
Not sure why you're surprised and 8yo trailer has issues...
All the parts (except hydraulic system) is the exact same stuff used in $100, 000 +++ rv's, from the vents, appliances, siding and flooring. Nothing is "special" in any of them... except higher end ones with tile, marble etc.
How much maintenance have you done to yours? Or do you just use it? Even higher end units have to be maintained... NOTHING is maintenance free... people want it to be, but nothing is.
You join the forum and your FIRST and only post is what a piece of junk it is?
Sell it, buy something else. Good luck.
Not sure why you're surprised and 8yo trailer has issues...
All the parts (except hydraulic system) is the exact same stuff used in $100, 000 +++ rv's, from the vents, appliances, siding and flooring. Nothing is "special" in any of them... except higher end ones with tile, marble etc.
How much maintenance have you done to yours? Or do you just use it? Even higher end units have to be maintained... NOTHING is maintenance free... people want it to be, but nothing is.
You join the forum and your FIRST and only post is what a piece of junk it is?
Sell it, buy something else. Good luck.
PatnJan
New Member
Hi Lo Issues
We are new to HI-lo. We have a 2009 Mojo one of the last few trailers built by them. We had design issues with our rig but found solutions. The door is sensitive to the level at which our rig sits and we found that when we are in a single place for several nights it needs to be re-leveled. The hinge for the up and down had to be re-sealed to stop it from leaking and we had to rig up a way to close the air gap at the back of the trailer along the rear window edge so that road debris wasn't blowing into the rear end and making everything filthy. We put thick insulating foam tape across the upper and lower edge so a seal forms when the top is down.
We have had a lot of cars and trailers and they all seem to have something that needs an adjustment to meet our needs. Creative solutions are all around us and people we have met camping have given us some wonderful solutions for unique problems. The bottom cupboard in our trailer is round so we put a 1x1x1/2 inch board across the bottom...we can now store small bins in the curved area that was useless before.
We are new to HI-lo. We have a 2009 Mojo one of the last few trailers built by them. We had design issues with our rig but found solutions. The door is sensitive to the level at which our rig sits and we found that when we are in a single place for several nights it needs to be re-leveled. The hinge for the up and down had to be re-sealed to stop it from leaking and we had to rig up a way to close the air gap at the back of the trailer along the rear window edge so that road debris wasn't blowing into the rear end and making everything filthy. We put thick insulating foam tape across the upper and lower edge so a seal forms when the top is down.
We have had a lot of cars and trailers and they all seem to have something that needs an adjustment to meet our needs. Creative solutions are all around us and people we have met camping have given us some wonderful solutions for unique problems. The bottom cupboard in our trailer is round so we put a 1x1x1/2 inch board across the bottom...we can now store small bins in the curved area that was useless before.
Fixing Up a Used Hi Lo is Half The Fun of Owning One
I was recently fortunate enough to find a 2002 Hi Lo 24TD TowLite in great condition, but like anything old and used it needs TLC. I've had it for about two months now and have managed to snap the front service door to the fresh water holding tank fill port off, but am not going to run it off a cliff - it was my fault for not checking to make sure it was closed before lowering the top. My demand pump won't hold pressure and forces air through the lines and will not shut-off unless I turn it off manually, but I still love my Hi Lo. Bottom line "gregglip" is give it some time and effort and you'll come to love your Hi Lo just as the rest of us do ours!
I was recently fortunate enough to find a 2002 Hi Lo 24TD TowLite in great condition, but like anything old and used it needs TLC. I've had it for about two months now and have managed to snap the front service door to the fresh water holding tank fill port off, but am not going to run it off a cliff - it was my fault for not checking to make sure it was closed before lowering the top. My demand pump won't hold pressure and forces air through the lines and will not shut-off unless I turn it off manually, but I still love my Hi Lo. Bottom line "gregglip" is give it some time and effort and you'll come to love your Hi Lo just as the rest of us do ours!
MansizeIN
With your sucking air issue check the connections in the water hose from the tank, spinner back-flow device, to pump line for leakage.
Mine did not leak fluid but would suck air when the pump was activated, and it wouldn't hold pressure for the pump to turn off.
hth
steve
With your sucking air issue check the connections in the water hose from the tank, spinner back-flow device, to pump line for leakage.
Mine did not leak fluid but would suck air when the pump was activated, and it wouldn't hold pressure for the pump to turn off.
hth
steve
I agree with mansizeIN. Fixing or upgrading problem issues is half the fun. You end up with more than a functioning unit; its a statement of your personal tastes and no one has one like yours. Gregglip don't get discouraged bring the old girl back one issue at a time
Looking at what he said in his first, and only post, I suspect gregglip is simply a troll. He certainly doesn't fit in with the attitude of the rest of us.
- Jack
- Jack
Hey - contact me privately I have a mojo
Please contact me privately. I have a mojo and have the same leak, was wondering what you used to seal it. As a stop gap measure I just filled in with silicone seal but that is not a permanent solution. Haven't found the crud in the rear end but sounds like good insurance to do what you do. Is this permanent tape or do you put new each time?
Thanks
Carolyn
We are new to HI-lo. We have a 2009 Mojo one of the last few trailers built by them. We had design issues with our rig but found solutions. The door is sensitive to the level at which our rig sits and we found that when we are in a single place for several nights it needs to be re-leveled. The hinge for the up and down had to be re-sealed to stop it from leaking and we had to rig up a way to close the air gap at the back of the trailer along the rear window edge so that road debris wasn't blowing into the rear end and making everything filthy. We put thick insulating foam tape across the upper and lower edge so a seal forms when the top is down.
We have had a lot of cars and trailers and they all seem to have something that needs an adjustment to meet our needs. Creative solutions are all around us and people we have met camping have given us some wonderful solutions for unique problems. The bottom cupboard in our trailer is round so we put a 1x1x1/2 inch board across the bottom...we can now store small bins in the curved area that was useless before.
Please contact me privately. I have a mojo and have the same leak, was wondering what you used to seal it. As a stop gap measure I just filled in with silicone seal but that is not a permanent solution. Haven't found the crud in the rear end but sounds like good insurance to do what you do. Is this permanent tape or do you put new each time?
Thanks
Carolyn
hinge area leak
I have not had a leak issue but it looked vulnerable in design. I taped off the entire rubber strip of the hinge area behind the anchor strips and sprayed with white flex-seal. Color was off white and laid down a flexable seal that filled every crevace...liked the results so much I did the same around the base of the ceiling vent. Time will tell?
I have not had a leak issue but it looked vulnerable in design. I taped off the entire rubber strip of the hinge area behind the anchor strips and sprayed with white flex-seal. Color was off white and laid down a flexable seal that filled every crevace...liked the results so much I did the same around the base of the ceiling vent. Time will tell?
Similar threads
- kngcorona
- New Member Intros
- Replies: 1
- Views: 415
- NTL1991
- HVAC, Appliances and Propane Systems
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1K
- Jukka
- New Member Intros
- Replies: 3
- Views: 358
Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days
- Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
- Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
- Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
- and much more...
