I have bad news....

[RichR]

My dealer received a letter from Hi-Lo today stating that they are discontinuing all operations effective immediately. They site the economic downturn as the the reason for their shutdown.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

For those of you that are looking for parts you may have to go Hi-Lo dealer hunting.

 

[Neal and Bev]

That's very sad news indeed. I figure the factory has to be sitting on some parts inventory, I'd love to know what they plan to do there, and, if there is any company out there that is interested in producing future parts.

Hopefully all of this will come to light before long.

Neal

 

[RichR]

I had basically the same questions. They said, I believe, that their assets were to be liquidated and no other information was really given.

 

[JackandJanet]

That's terrible news!

I just found out that my letter to the President (about the weight and balance) arrived there today and was not able to be delivered.

Things look pretty bad.

- Jack

 

[RichR]

Join the crowd, we bought a 2310. Luckily, a number of major items are still under warranty and many other things are generic. The lift system is the tricky part, but with proper maintenance that should not be a major concern.

This makes the Hi-Lo forum even more valuable to all of us. Maybe we can help each other with solving problems. There is allot of experience here in the membership as we have all seen.

 

[Neal and Bev]

RichR,

You have a GREAT attitude I'm hoping that over the next few days we hear some positive news as well, concerning warranty and parts.

If need be, we'll start a database of all the various parts and where members can get suitable replacements.

Neal

 

[barbergang]

1984 wont go up

we cant get our 1984 to go up, it got in a bind when my husband lowered it and he has worked on pully system, and we need all the help we can get. Greatly would appreciate any help or ideas, we have been calling the factory for 2 weeks getting no response now i know why. thank you in advance

 

[RichR]

There is a down side. My dealer and good friend suffered a great blow as a result of the shutdown. When you get left out in the cold it is hard to come up with something to replace what was lost. To take on a new line is an expensive venture for a small dealer and there is no guarantee that you will be able to sell what you have to take on.

 

[Tony-HILO]

keep the faith

This is tragic - you would think that another mfg. might step in and buy
the line or the rights to the product. Being such an unique product has to
have its pluses and not just from a practical standpoint but a marketing
perspective as well. Maybe a larger manufacturer with deeper pockets
and a more streamlined efficient factory (not to say that the Bellville
facility wasn't) could take it on and make it work. There has to be a market
out there for Hi-Lo, the concept that drew me to them before is still there,
and if I were out looking for a new RV, that concept is still attractive.
I have to think that Hi-Lo will continue in some way and/or fashion.
Will this mean that the current existing Hi-Lo's that are out there are now
more valuable??????

 

[RichR]

It would be nice if somebody buys the assets and continues Hi-Lo. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

[JackandJanet]

...<snip>... Will this mean that the current existing Hi-Lo's that are out there are now
more valuable??????

Probably less valuable. I doubt they fall into the category of "collectibles".

Fortunately, much of the hardware aboard them is "off the shelf" stuff. The lifting mechanism and gaskets though might become a problem when they need replacing.

There's another manufacturer that produces a similar product: It's called "Trailmanor". They open to a larger size than the equivalent (towing) length Hi-Lo, but I've heard they have had problems with leaks. The certainly have a more complicated "folding" concept, which has more seams that could leak.

We looked at them before getting the Hi-Lo and rejected them for the potential leak problem and a kind of "complicated" setup inside. They're also more pricey than the equivalent tow length Hi-Lo.

- Jack

 

[wvjeepr]

well people like me and many on here will be there to buy them cheaply and maintain and enjoy them when people who don't know dump them.

Harry

 

[RichR]

Our dealers are still out there, I'm sure that they will continue to service our Hi-Lo's and will still have some parts available for a while. Hi-Lo warranties won't honored, but the appliances would still be covered by the individual companies. Plus they have the expertise to do the proper repairs.

I would say that it would be a good idea to get on the Hi-Lo website while it still exists and go to the dealers pages and get the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the the dealers closest to you.

 

[wvjeepr]

With the exception of the lift system most parts are generic to the industry. Hydraulic pumps and cylinders can be repaired so I'm not real concerned. Hoping someone will buy the rights and everything will be ok

Harry