Moisture issues inside without leaks?

[davidc-HILO]

Has anyone else noticed moisture issues with their HiLo when stored for an extended period in the down position?

My "new" one seems to have a lot of "rusty" fittings... i.e. the curtain mounts, the screws for the upper cabinets along the outer edge, the top molding rail for the lower wall....

It's not a big issue and given it's from one end to the other, I doubt it's a roof leak, it's just anything that is "outside" the RV when in the down position seems to be rusty.

I suspect my "new" one has sat unused for a period. The seal is in pretty good shape overall and has minimal "sagging" and seals pretty good, but not sure about when in the "down" position... The only real issue is the ends... mostly the rear, and that is just because the gap seems larger in the rear, otherwise it would seal OK - everything else lines up pretty good.

BTW - I will be applying mineral oil to all the wood "stuff" as a protectant... and that should cover the screw heads...

 

[RichR]

I could be from being closed up too tightly. Cracking a window and a roof vent can help get some of the trapped condensation out. In cold weather camping we most always leave a little bit of air to circulate through to keep the condensation to a minimum. I usually keep a window and a vent slightly open when we are not using the trailer.

 

[davidc-HILO]

hmmm - food for thought... but I have no idea how it was stored - never talked to the owners, bought it from a dealer.

 

[sam-HILO]

Rust on the exterior

When we got our 1990 25ft. Classic used all the exterior screws were rusty. We replaced them all with stainless steel ones. The water heater and furnice doors were somewhat rusty. We wired brushed them,cleaned with paint thinner. After they were dry we sprayed them with Rust Oleum. They held up well for many years. Our dealer thought our waterdoor was brand new. Amazing what can be done with a little elbow grease and a rattle can of paint.

 

[Papa-HILO]

Moisture

Can't say that we've ever noticed rust but we did have a problem with mildew. We live on the SC coast and the humidity is very high during the warm months. We now run a dehumidifier in the Hi Lo during warm months and it's solved that problem.
God Bless
Papa

 

[shari253]

Ours is currently stored with the top up and a small heater inside to help with moisture/freezing. We keep it on the lowest setting and the interior stays about 50 degrees. That seems to keep things dry.

I do think there can be a problem with condensation, even with no leaks. When we recently lowered our bunk, which has a plastic mattress cover, there was moisture between the plastic and the ceiling. We feared for a leak. But it has been down several days now in heavy rain, and we see no moisture at all.

 

[sam-HILO]

Having the top up for long periods of time.

Just thought I would mention that it is a good idea to have 2x4s on the exterior corners to take the weight off the cables when you have the RV in the up position for extended periods of time.

 

[shari253]

Thanks Sam! We had heard that and are working on it.

Shari

 

[Castbulletman]

Just thought I would mention that it is a good idea to have 2x4s on the exterior corners to take the weight off the cables when you have the RV in the up position for extended periods of time.

why, would you want to do that?

 

[retiredcamper47]

It takes the stress off the cables if in the up position for an extended period of time. The weight of the top rests on the vertical 2 x 4's. Saves wear and tear on the cables.

Bob

 

[Castbulletman]

It takes the stress off the cables if in the up position for an extended period of time. The weight of the top rests on the vertical 2 x 4's. Saves wear and tear on the cables.

Bob

the top is held up with safety blocks and leaves no load on the cables or hydralics

 

[gmbishop]

Moisture

We live in Florida, on a small island surrounded by fresh water lakes so you could say we have moisture. We store our Hi-Lo Classis from October thru April on our property. I have always used an Adco Cover and the large Damp Rid refillable container. I set it on top of the Roll-Out, about center of the trailer and empty the water out once a month. I usually have to refill the container once during the storage time. We never have a musty smell inside and everything inside seems to hold up well. Hope this helps

 

[davidc-HILO]

the top is held up with safety blocks and leaves no load on the cables or hydralics

What safety blocks are you talking about???... the only safety device is a bar that holds the "block" that the cables are screwed to...

So it is completely held up by the cables... not so much the hydraulics... but the cables very much so...

 

[Castbulletman]

What safety blocks are you talking about???... the only safety device is a bar that holds the "block" that the cables are screwed to...

So it is completely held up by the cables... not so much the hydraulics... but the cables very much so...

I do not know about yours but on mine and the others I have seen, when the top is all the way up the safeties lock the top up, and the top will not go down until you pull the release . The manual says to lower the top to rest on the safeties. Does your top go all the way up? Once the top is up it can not come back down.

 

[davidc-HILO]

I do not know about yours but on mine and the others I have seen, when the top is all the way up the safeties lock the top up, and the top will not go down until you pull the release . The manual says to lower the top to rest on the safeties. Does your top go all the way up? Once the top is up it can not come back down.

They all have that - it's a bar that jams the block that all the cables attach too...

ONE bar not "blocks"... and it's under the RV...

The 2x4's keep the weight off the cables when in the "up" position long term... There is nothing else keeping the weight off the cables.

 

[davidc-HILO]

Watch the video... notice he is "under" the RV, that is where the "lock" mechanism is.

34Hi-Lo- Lubrication - YouTube

 

[raysnuffer]

Moisture problem..

Hello Davidc

I too was victimized by moisture when we bought a 1908 Tow-lite a few years ago from a dealer. The cables snapped the 2nd time we had it out due to rusted cables. One wonders how that much rust could happen after just 2 years of service. It took 800.00 and a lot of arguing with the rv dealer here in Arkansas to get it fixed. The dealer got the original owner to pay half.

Also the lower rail of the upper half was rotted at the door but the cable is still holding at that point. I am sending pictures to JR's in Ohio to get an estimate of the cost to fiix.

I love the Hilo but the quality is lacking as with several other rv's I,ve owned.

So we all need to remain on the watch for problems to catch them early.