Inherited 1970 HiLo!

[crystalnva4]

Hello all! I just inherited my dads 1970 Hi Lo and boy am I excited! The camper is in good condition but has many needs and I have no idea how to do them
Needs: All trailer lights do not work (dry rot I am thinking), AC is not working, black seals along the outside sides is dry rotted, Ceiling around AC is bad and needs replaced, lots of soft spots in upper section walls, need to take windows out and caulk and I am going to Kool Seal the roof once we know whether we have to replace the AC. So at this point I just want to get as much out of her as possible without replacing all the walls. Any and all advice is appreciated as I don't know where to start! Also looking to replace my HI LO stickers once we paint it, any ideas where to get those ?

 

[crystalnva4]

My Camper Photos

 

[Zgpruitt]

Cool rig! In order to prevent further damage, you might keep this thing under something, or fix the roof issues first. Our trailer had many of the same issues. The people on this forum are terrific, and can sure help. And if you're resourceful, you can fix most things pretty cheap.

Your trailer definitely looks like it is worth preserving. Congrats!

 

[sam-HILO]

Welcome to the forum.

Good advice to cover the roof to prevent further damage. Any soft spots in walls means you have water damage and will need to be replaced. Do a search for back posts on your model/rebuild. Many have a HiLo of this vintage and have completely restored them.

 

[underpsi]

Very cool trailer. Congratulations on your piece of history. Happy camping!

 

[My name is Pat]

I'm guessing you already have a childhood filled with memories in the trailer, hopefully you have that many years more. Hilo's were built to last. Congratulations!

 

[RCREYES]

Hello all! I just inherited my dads 1970 Hi Lo and boy am I excited! The camper is in good condition but has many needs and I have no idea how to do them
Needs: All trailer lights do not work (dry rot I am thinking), AC is not working, black seals along the outside sides is dry rotted, Ceiling around AC is bad and needs replaced, lots of soft spots in upper section walls, need to take windows out and caulk and I am going to Kool Seal the roof once we know whether we have to replace the AC. So at this point I just want to get as much out of her as possible without replacing all the walls. Any and all advice is appreciated as I don't know where to start! Also looking to replace my HI LO stickers once we paint it, any ideas where to get those ?

Welcome to the forum.

JR Repair can help you out with parts and decals

Home - JR REPAIR

Midget is also another parts source

http://hilotrailerparts.webs.com/

 

[VPed]

I don't think those were offered with rooftop AC so they may not have been designed for the weight. I have a 68 20 footer like yours that had a rooftop AC added by someone. The roof is visibly depressed in the area of the AC so water would pool there and obviously, leak. If you have the dual overhead cabinets, there is a 120 volt circuit that runs across from one side to the other to feed the outlet on the right side. That wire is similar to modern romex wire except it is cloth covered so it soaks up water that leaks in. Mine apparently got hot enough due to the water to start a small fire within the inner and outer skins. Scary stuff.

I removed the AC which weighed well over 100 lbs. and do not intend to put it back. I have been trying to push the roof back into level position but am afraid to damage too much. I have most of the sag out and may live with a small amount. I intend to install a Fantastic powered fan where the AC was. The owner's manual states the roof can support up to 150 lbs. but that is for a distributed load like canoes or a small boat, not a concentrated load smack-dab in the center of the trailer.

Edit: Oops, just checked the 1970 brochure and see that rooftop AC was offered for that year.