Lift only working on one end

[nancy21571]

Hi there! My husband and I just bought a '78 HiLo camper (he brought it home yesterday). When he got it home, both sides lifted great. Later in the evening, it started raining pretty hard, so my husband went to lift it again just to make sure there were no leaks we needed to worry about. It almost seems like one side is stuck on something (the end that attaches to the truck). Needless to say, he didn't allow it to lift all the way since one side wasn't working at all. It was getting too dark to look into it too much last night, so he lowered the other side and left it until he gets home this evening.

I can normally figure things out pretty well mechanically, but I am stuck in the bed after having surgery a few days ago. I hate not being any help, but was hoping I could find someone that may have some ideas on what this could be. Thanks so much!

 

[Neal and Bev]

Nancy

Since you haven't got a reply yet from someone who has experienced this exact problem, I thought it might help to take a look at the basics. Frist, here is a link to an owners manual, its not the same year as yours, but the bulk of the info is the same. Look for the diagram on the lift system, its a very simple system. It has an electric pump with single hydraulic ram and a cable and pulley system. Here's the link

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

Now, as I think about this, since it seems to be only lifting on one end, then the first thing I would think, is that the other end is binding, what could make it bind? Well, could be one of the cables on that end has broken, causing the roof to lift at an angle and bind. This is just a guess mind you.

My best advise would be to study the drawings in the manual until you understand the system, its very very simple. And then closely inspect the lift system on the camper. Then you can have someone lift and lower it, don't move it more then you have to, as you dont want to cause any damage, and locate the area and reason that it is binding or not lifting.

If you will report your findings back to us here at HTF, then we can help you figure out how to fix it. Looking forward to hearing from you.. and welcome to the Hi-Lo community Nancy.

Neal and Bev

 

[Sam Shields]

lift only working on one end

You probley have a problem with a broken cable or pully. You need to go under the trailer and take a look. First look at the cables and see if one has excesive slack in it, and also inspect the black pullys. Both can be replaced, There are instructions on this web sight.
Sam

 

[nancy21571]

Thanks so much for the replies! I will check out the link and I will let you know what we figure out. I have enjoyed looking over your site and am making a list of other items we need to maintain correctly (like the guide rod). Unfortunately, I haven't found many sites on the internet with alot of help, so being involved in this one will be a blessing. Have a great day!

 

[johnpeace]

Sounds like a broken cable on one end to me.

On the road side of the trailer between the tires (behind the plastic fender cover) you'll find 4 threaded posts with nuts on them protruding through a steel plate.

Give each of them a tug and see if you pull cable with any of them. If you can pull some cable out, it's definitely a broken cable.

There's a thread here about replacing cables...I'm doing mine this week.

 

[Lloyd-HILO]

Lift Hang-up

I experienced a lift hang-up in an older hi-lo and it was caused by a screw that held the glide strip on the side of the trailer. The screw had loosened and backed out far enough to hang up on the top as it was raised. Lots of anguish and frustration later, with the use of a reciprocal saw the screw was sawed off to allow it to raise. The offending screw was replaced with another and it was glued in. Hope this isn't your problem but it's worth considering if the cables are intact.

 

[nancy21571]

I wanted to update you all on my situation. It did turn out to be broken cables on one end. I am looking at ordering steel cables with fittings and such now to go on and replace all four at one time. With the help of info I've found on this forum, I think my husband (and I) should be able to change them without too much difficulty. The only part I'm a little stumped on at this point is attaching the threaded studs on one end of each. Is this a piece that is swaged straight on to the cable or do I use an eye bolt swaged on to the end. The eye bolt seems like it would be more secure to me, but I could be wrong!

Thanks for the help!
Nancy

 

[drockhead]

Goshen pulley system

I had the exact same problem on my camper.
There are basically three types of lift systems on these trailers. Mine was a goshen. You can tell a goshen very quickly by looking under the trailer. If there are steel tubes running to each corner of the trailer (4 total, one to each corner) connected to a long rectangular housing in the middle, and the lift cable is running through this housing, around a pulley (on the back bumper) and back into the housing, then it is probably a Goshen lift system.

The Goshen uses 4 "springs" (well, they are more like flexible rods than springs), one to lift each corner of the top. The cable that attaches to your crank has a crimped fitting on the end (for lifting the back), and one in the middle (for lifting the front). When you crank on the cable, the back springs are pushed up by the back fitting and the front springs are pushed up the fitting in-between. A pulley exists on the back bumper to "reverse" direction of the pull for the rear spring lift.

My problem may be similar to yours in that when I tried to lift the top for setup, only the back would rise. The problem was that the fitting crimped in the MIDDLE of the cable had not been crimped properly (it wasn't a genuine goshen cable, but one that the previous owner had custom made). The result was that the crimped fitting would "slide" along the cable and not push the front springs up, thus,the front would not lift. I found this out right after I greased the springs (which should be done yearly). The extra grease lubricated the fitting and allowed it to slide.

To fix this, I had to tear apart the spring housing, figure out where the fitting belonged on the cable, and then crimp it with a swedge tool. Alternately (and what I recommend) is to contact goshen with the make/model/vin number of your trailer and order a replacement cable directly. They will even provide you with quick, simple instructions for installing the cable. It will save you TONS of work.

Hope this helps,

 

[RichR]

Drockhead,

Hi-Lo does not use that type of lift system. They make their own and that is the best place to get replacement cables.

Rich