Hydraulic reservoir seal? Missing?

[RichR]

Do you keep your fluid level an inch down from the top? My manual reads "within an inch" from the top. I added ATF to within about 1/2" of the top.

Just re-reading and noticed that little detail...

Sorry, I was being somewhat relative, I do believe being within an inch of the top is the proper wording. I don't have my manual here at my fingertips, it is in a folder in the the trailer for ready reference.

 

[PopRichie77]

I have never heard of any one else with this problem, I have 2 Hi-Lo s a 95 and a 2009. The 95 probably has went up and down a thousand times or more and it never blew oil out the breather.

 

[cptmoney]

I have never heard of any one else with this problem, I have 2 Hi-Lo s a 95 and a 2009. The 95 probably has went up and down a thousand times or more and it never blew oil out the breather.

That's exactly what I DIDN'T want to hear....

Hopefully it's a clean fix. Feel like I'm plowing into new territory here.

 

[PopRichie77]

Usually when you make a statement like I did--I have never heard of any one else with this problem,--- people come out of the woodwork to say you are wrong, but no one did, further indicating that this is not a common problem. Hi-Lo had at least 2 different Hydraulic units. My 95 has the older one ( larger tank) that only requires the tank to be filled just short of 3 inches down from the top. The 09 is at 1 inch down from the top both work fine.
I saw that you timed it going up, there is no adjustment for the up time, only the time to go down is adjustable.
Call JR Repair they are the original factory repair place for Hi-Lo trailers. If any one would have seen or know about your problem it would be them. They rebuild or repair trailers and sell parts and etc. People that have called them have said they answer questions and are very nice.

 

[sting32]

All good points/questions, Sting32 -

Do you think the fluid level might be too high? I'll have to check this eve after I round up some alternate ways to check the fluid levels.

After I adjusted the cables last night (so that the top would raise evenly), I noticed that it took longer than normal to "lock" the safety bar in place. I had assumed (after seeing the fluid run all over the pump) that it was in fact LOW on fluid - but perhaps it has too much!

My top still needs to come up about 1/4" or so - maybe 1/2" (I'm anal like that) - but I'm wondering if I've maxed out my hydraulic system. That is, I'm over-filled on fluid but still not able to raise it enough to latch the safety catch.

My gut instinct says that I'm low on fluid, as it's pushing it out the pump upon lowering the top, and that's also the reason why it's taking longer to latch the safety. I'll try and fill the reservoir again this evening, and at the same time slow down the descent speed to see if I can't find a happy medium. Something that raises/locks the safety latch relatively quickly, and something that allows the top to lower without purging fluid all over the place.

Does that make sense? Kind of confusing, I realize...

my gut says, I wish we were on the phone, I hate typing, and sometimes leave something out... if you adjust the cables, too TIGHTLY, the top goes up and hits the seal, when it touches, the cylinder HAS TO BE FULLY EXTENDED and able to latch! if the top is up and hitting the seals, and it still needs to expand the cylinder, you will start breaking PULLEYS! You need to check this. I put my cylinder up to latch, let it down onto latch, walked around and check the inside levels ofthe top and bottom. I assumed the top and bottom should match all the way around, so I kept shortening the cables on mine, kerpow! broken pully. Mine's a 5th wheel and the back doesnt come up flush like other hilo's do.

Soo, what I am warning, which could mean you have shortened your cables oo MUCH, the pump is straining to make that last few inches to the latch! OR, if you are right, low on fluids becuase it is spilling out. another post from someone guessed probably somoene in a "hurry or stuck" used whatver was handy for oil to get something to go? in that case might need to drain and refill, if it is FOAMING or something!?!?!?!

 

[cptmoney]

my gut says, I wish we were on the phone, I hate typing, and sometimes leave something out... if you adjust the cables, too TIGHTLY, the top goes up and hits the seal, when it touches, the cylinder HAS TO BE FULLY EXTENDED and able to latch! if the top is up and hitting the seals, and it still needs to expand the cylinder, you will start breaking PULLEYS! You need to check this. I put my cylinder up to latch, let it down onto latch, walked around and check the inside levels ofthe top and bottom. I assumed the top and bottom should match all the way around, so I kept shortening the cables on mine, kerpow! broken pully. Mine's a 5th wheel and the back doesnt come up flush like other hilo's do.

Soo, what I am warning, which could mean you have shortened your cables oo MUCH, the pump is straining to make that last few inches to the latch! OR, if you are right, low on fluids becuase it is spilling out. another post from someone guessed probably somoene in a "hurry or stuck" used whatver was handy for oil to get something to go? in that case might need to drain and refill, if it is FOAMING or something!?!?!?!

I am so new at all of this. Frustrating. Wish one of you experts lived right across the street!

I don't THINK that I've adjusted them too tight - but I may have. Who's to say. I expected the rear to need much more adjustment, as it was the rear that wasn't lifting up to the seal by nearly 2+ inches. The threaded adjusters have confirmed this for me.

They (the two rear adjusting bolts) have come WAY out, though. Further than I figured they would - so much so that I'm afraid that they're going to make contact with the tires if I hit a big bump. I've posted about that (with pics) here:

http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f17/normal-front-raises-just-higher-than-rear-1060/

I'm going to get on the phone with J & R and see what they might suggest over the phone.

From what I can tell of the PO, details might have been overlooked - for example putting in the correct type of fluid in the hyd. pump. Not saying that's what happened, but he mentioned never even have seen the underneath of this Funlite, much less making his own adjustments.

 

[cptmoney]

One more quick detail that I'm just starting to notice:

When the top half comes all the way down, just on the last inch of descent or so, I'm noticing what I believe is the top "shifting" over towards the right and front - just a bit. Maybe a half-inch to an inch. Not 100% certain on this - it may be just my heightened paranoia with all this pump voodoo.

Additionally, there's a good scratch forming at the right end of the couch (the right being the right front corner as you're in the trailer facing the tongue) on the wall - which may or may not be related to this final settling "shift" in the dropping roof.

All that added to the fact that the PO mentioned that he never dropped it all the way, the gushing fluid coming from the pump upon lowering...it's all starting to smell somewhat fishy. I know that's leaning towards the accusatory side of things, and I'm not blaming anyone - because as we all know, ignorance is bliss, right? But there seems to be some sequential details that are stacking up here.

I'm back on the grind this evening. Maybe we'll learn a bit more tonight.

Thanks for all your help to this point. I'm planning on snapping a few pics of the cables and pulleys for you all to peruse; I said I'd do it last night, but ran out of daylight while checking the flooding hyd. pump issue.

We'll get it all figured out...

 

[JackandJanet]

Exactly right, Sting!

And, if you don't break a pulley you might "crush" the bottom edge of the top like I did when I tried to set a corner too high. In my case, I thought I needed to adjust the top so that the trim on the inside of the top was even with the inside trim on the bottom half. (I did not read the directions very carefully, so I shortened one cable too much.)

When I finally realized that the seal was touching with the inside trims not even, I repaired the "crushed" area and then adjusted the top using the "equal length 2x4 method".

Edit: cptmoney, if your rear seal was not meeting, then it's correct to raise that part. Now, I assume it DOES meet and how does it match the front in terms of height? They should be pretty close to the same, if the seal was installed properly. If the rear is higher though, you MAY have raised the rear too much. And, your top may be being raised too high all the way around. My corners are not identical in height, but are within about 1/2" of each other.

If you have to cut the adjusting bolts, do it. Just leave as much there as you are comfortable with. I posted a saga of having my axle moved forward 3 inches and this meant I had to cut the rear adjusting bolts or they would have hit the tire. In the future, if you have to replace cables, replace the bolts too (and just make the cables a bit shorter).

- Jack

 

[RichR]

Have you checked to see if there may be some object that has fallen down into the space between the upper and lower halves? That can happen sometimes and can cause problems if it gets lodged in there. But you should be able to see it when all the way up. What can happen is the object can prevent the top from moving all the way.

 

[cptmoney]

Exactly right, Sting!

And, if you don't break a pulley you might "crush" the bottom edge of the top like I did when I tried to set a corner too high. In my case, I thought I needed to adjust the top so that the trim on the inside of the top was even with the inside trim on the bottom half. (I did not read the directions very carefully, so I shortened one cable too much.)

When I finally realized that the seal was touching with the inside trims not even, I repaired the "crushed" area and then adjusted the top using the "equal length 2x4 method".

- Jack

I ALMOST did this myself! That is so tempting - I even had one corner coming up WAY too high when I purchased it, and that's what made me notice that it too low on all the other corners. While the other corners were too low, my left front corner was WAY too high. I had to let OUT the cable, as opposed to having to take up the cable on the other 3 corners. It's since come down a good bit while the others have come way up. Needless to say, my adjustment nuts look outta whack. One is really short, one is out about 1.5", and the two rear adjusters are out 2.5" - or more. Not the even stretch that one might expect on the cables.

 

[cptmoney]

Have you checked to see if there may be some object that has fallen down into the space between the upper and lower halves? That can happen sometimes and can cause problems if it gets lodged in there. But you should be able to see it when all the way up. What can happen is the object can prevent the top from moving all the way.

I'll check this tonight. What's the easiest way to do this? Pull the top trim off from the inside and look down from there?

Guess I could give the interior pulleys/cables a good look over while I'm at that point, yeah? I've not done that yet...lube 'em, inspect 'em, etc.

 

[JackandJanet]

And cptmoney - my adjusting bolts were not matched at all once I got the top adjusted properly. I bought my trailer new, and the stretch does not seem to be even.

- Jack

 

[RichR]

I'll check this tonight. What's the easiest way to do this? Pull the top trim off from the inside and look down from there?

Guess I could give the interior pulleys/cables a good look over while I'm at that point, yeah? I've not done that yet...lube 'em, inspect 'em, etc.

I think before you pull the trim off lower the top a couple of inches and look down around the gap. Maybe use a mirror and flashlight to look in. Check the guide block areas and the pulley areas to see if everything seems to be where they should be. Do the same from the outside as well. There may be a gremlin in there somewhere.

 

[cptmoney]

Good news/bad news - no gremlins.

Scratch that off the list!

Didn't get in touch with anyone at J & R this afternoon; must have called a bit too late. Left a phone message, so perhaps I'll hear from them tomorrow.

Tonight, here's what I noticed - the battery has been on the charger for 24 hours. Raise time was still right at 40 seconds. This time, however, there was no loud squealing like I've been hearing. That's good.

Lowered it down in short bursts, but didn't check to see if it was gushing fluids or not. Didn't have time and the pump was covered. Will have to address that in tomorrow's session.

And for good measure, here's the scratch at the right end of the couch that I was referring to earlier - does this look familiar to anyone? Obviously, some wood paneling has been chipped away - any ideas as to what might cause this? Not sure if it's related to my hydraulic problem or not.

 

[cptmoney]

And here's one of my current battery - what do you think of these specs?

 

[PopRichie77]

I hate to say this but there is water damage in that corner, it looks like the stress of lifting and lowering is breaking up the bad wood.

 

[cptmoney]

You may be right, PopRichie77 - but here's why I don't think it's water damage: the plywood that makes up the paneling walls isn't puffy, spongy, or coming apart in any way. It looks to me as if a screw head has worked itself out somewhere along the travel path of this section and it's hung up and tore out the top layer of the wood.

Might be water damage, too, though. Has anyone ever seen water damage come from the bottom up? Nothing above this section indicates water damage - at all. No delamination, no separation of the plywood, etc.

The cupping wallpaper is the worst of it all. I have the same curling paper in our trailer's bathroom as well.

 

[RichR]

I hate to say this but there is water damage in that corner, it looks like the stress of lifting and lowering is breaking up the bad wood.

Unfortunately, I agree.

 

[RichR]

"Might be water damage, too, though. Has anyone ever seen water damage come from the bottom up? Nothing above this section indicates water damage - at all. No delamination, no separation of the plywood, etc."

I have a little bit in the 2310H, it was from water getting past the outside bottom edge moulding that wasn't sealed properly.

 

[cptmoney]

I have a little bit in the 2310H, it was from water getting past the outside bottom edge moulding that wasn't sealed properly.

How did you deal with this? A new seal between the halves?

Let's assume it is the result of water. I'll start a new thread in the appropriate section and get to work addressing that piece there, just to keep stuff where it belongs. I have about 5 topics jammed into one thread here!

Back to the hydraulics for a bit: how about the battery? I can't find any specs in my owner's manual describing what I should be using. The PO installed the battery that I mentioned in the post above; it's not a true deep cycle, but is supposed to be a good mix of cold-crankin' amps and slow draw - which he felt was a good fit for the Hi Lo. Power for those bursts when lifting, and yet allows for good use over a few days time. He's an engineer - so I'm an easy sell on that idea, mainly because I'm NOT an engineer! Haha!

I'm just trying to eliminate things that may/may not be part of my lifting issues...

Thoughts on the battery?