Older (01) vs Newer (07-09) vs C

[Dia-HILO]

Hi, all!

I'm narrowing down my purchase decisions, and my shortlist is below. I'm looking for info on the difference in these models not so much in terms of floorplans, but in terms of construction.

All models are 22 to 24 ft. I already know the floorplans, and I've looked at the brochures for the respective years. What I'm looking for are things like - have there been any major changes in construction and/or axles in the years I'm listing? Is there a point where there's zero wood in the walls/roof/floor? The axles have rubber in them, right? And don't they get stiff and have to be replaced at a certain point? When is that?

Will an '07 in good condition be enough of a better buy to make it worth the extra $3-5 grand? What would you get and why?

'01 - 24ft Towlite (no slide), just under $5000.

'05-'07 - 22ft Towlite, $8-10k (there's one for $7k, but it has a salvage title. Run?)

'07 - 23C, $15,000 CDN

So, is the move from the '01 to an '05/'07 worth it? What about the 23C? It seems overpriced by a fair amount, but I'm not sure if the C gets me just nicer accessories and finishes, or if there's better / different construction too.

Many thanks!

Dia

P.S. I've also heard people say that the older ones were better made than the newer ones. How old are we talking?

 

[hilltool]

I think it depends on model year and model. For instance my 01 22ft has 13 in tires but the same year 17 ft had 15 inch tires. I have no complaints about the construction of my 01. There have bee issues with roof materials. Some with metal roofs had a corrosion issue with certain years though I don't seem to have it. Do a search on roof repair.

 

[sam-HILO]

Classic HiLo

Classic trailers weigh more and come with many upgrades. Porcelin toilet,better grade of cabinents and some other features... www.NADA GUIDES.COM use this as a guide for pricing.

 

[Wrascal]

If money is no object

then go with the one that makes you feel the best. If money is an object then go with the one that makes you feel best.

 

[C317414]

Look very carefully at the roof of the later model Hi-Lo trailers. Some suffer from localized galvanic corrosion. If you spot signs of incipient corrosion (see posts under maintenance and repair, exterior) the price should allow for a roof repair in the future. If there's pitting already visible, the repairs should be done right away.

 

[garyk52]

'05-'07 - 22ft Towlite, $8-10k (there's one for $7k, but it has a salvage title. Run?)

My opinion is RUN. Why is it a salvage title? Hail, Flood, accident. I for one would not buy a salvage title anything unless I was going to keep it for life and could really check it out and know what I was looking for. You will lose your shirt if you ever try to sell it. RUN, RUN, RUN let someone else have the headache with dealing with a salvage titled camper, car, whatever.

 

[Dia-HILO]

Thanks, everyone.

Wow, I read through the roof threads and it set me back on my heels. Is this a common problem, or more like delamination, where it's possible and mostly you just try to avoid it?

 

[RCREYES]

Hi, all!

I'm narrowing down my purchase decisions, and my shortlist is below. I'm looking for info on the difference in these models not so much in terms of floorplans, but in terms of construction.

All models are 22 to 24 ft. I already know the floorplans, and I've looked at the brochures for the respective years. What I'm looking for are things like - have there been any major changes in construction and/or axles in the years I'm listing? Is there a point where there's zero wood in the walls/roof/floor? The axles have rubber in them, right? And don't they get stiff and have to be replaced at a certain point? When is that?

Will an '07 in good condition be enough of a better buy to make it worth the extra $3-5 grand? What would you get and why?

'01 - 24ft Towlite (no slide), just under $5000.

'05-'07 - 22ft Towlite, $8-10k (there's one for $7k, but it has a salvage title. Run?)

'07 - 23C, $15,000 CDN

So, is the move from the '01 to an '05/'07 worth it? What about the 23C? It seems overpriced by a fair amount, but I'm not sure if the C gets me just nicer accessories and finishes, or if there's better / different construction too.

Many thanks!

Dia

P.S. I've also heard people say that the older ones were better made than the newer ones. How old are we talking?

Things to look for:

This was taken from NDgent's post here on the forum. It is a great go-by list. You can do a search of thinking about buying and find his post to read it first hand.

Basically, start with the visual items –
1. Exterior
• Look for water stains and discoloration on inside walls and around ceiling anywhere vents, skylights, windows, etc. exist.
• Push and prod with your hand on the inside walls for soft spots (which could indicate a water leak and a damaged or rotten interior wall).
• Check for bubbles in the wallpaper (a sign of delimitation or water intrusion)
2. Interior cleanliness of the unit-
• Look for water stains and discoloration on inside walls and around ceiling anywhere vents, skylights, windows, etc. exist.
• Push and prod with your hand on the inside walls for soft spots (which could indicate a water leak and a damaged or rotten interior wall).
• Check for bubbles in the wallpaper (a sign of delimitation or water intrusion)
3. Test appliance functions –
• lights
• fans
• refrigerator
• air conditioner
• heater
• water pump
• range hood
• stovetop
• oven (if equipped)
• microwave (if equipped)
• stereo (if equipped)
4. Lift System-
• Does the unit raise and lower properly
• Check the lift system for hydraulic leaks (puddle under the trailer)
• Check the lift cables to see if they are in good shape and not frayed
• Check the seal between the upper and lower body halves for tears or damage
5. fill the tanks to the top and check for leaks
6. Battery
7. Solar Panel (if equipped)

 

[C317414]

Thanks, everyone.

Wow, I read through the roof threads and it set me back on my heels. Is this a common problem, or more like delamination, where it's possible and mostly you just try to avoid it?

In general, the roof of a Hi-Lo does not have any more problems than the roof of any other RV. You have to inspect RV roofs often, and reseal them periodically. Even a seamless rubber roof may leak at the penetrations, such as vents, air conditioner, etc. In other words, you try to avoid the problem by inspecting and doing preventative maintenance.

While Hi-Los in general are not more susceptible to roof leaks, the effect of a leak may affect the raising and lowering of the top,. This is something that does not affect other RVs. The reason is that moisture from roof leaks often travels to the walls. If this causes excessive bowing or delamination in the walls it may be difficult to raise or lower the top.

There is an issue that seems to be unique to some late model Hi-Lo trailers and that's the galvanic corrosion issue. This appears to be caused by a defect/poor quality.

 

[PopRichie77]

My 2209 has this problem on the roof, have cleaned out and fixed several spots, also coated roof with Kool Seal. My opinion is that it is corrosion not galvanic action. If the same plywood was used on the roof that causes the small bubbles on the interior walls and probably was, it is the cause. If you cut one of these bubbles open, there is a black gooey stuff inside. It just causes a bubble under the interior vinyl but on the roof under the aluminum it probably causes corrosion. It is either alkaline or acidic corrosion.
For galvanic corrosion to take place you need 2 different metals, you don't have this in the newer Hi-Lo s as the frame is aluminum and so is the roof covering.

 

[RichR]

My 2209 has this problem on the roof, have cleaned out and fixed several spots, also coated roof with Kool Seal. My opinion is that it is corrosion not galvanic action. If the same plywood was used on the roof that causes the small bubbles on the interior walls and probably was, it is the cause. If you cut one of these bubbles open, there is a black gooey stuff inside. It just causes a bubble under the interior vinyl but on the roof under the aluminum it probably causes corrosion. It is either alkaline or acidic corrosion.
For galvanic corrosion to take place you need 2 different metals, you don't have this in the newer Hi-Lo s as the frame is aluminum and so is the roof covering.

Wouldn't steel screws and the aluminum have galvanic action?

 

[PopRichie77]

Yes but there are no steel screws in the roof where the corrosion takes place, just the edges where it is held down. The plywood used was from China and had a manufacturing defect, Hi-Lo replaced many of the interior walls that had these bubbles before they went out of business. Unfortunately I bought the 2209 just when they went out of business and it developed some of the bubbles on some of the interior walls after I bought it.

 

[RichR]

I hope the 2310H isn't built with that. But with my normal luck it probably is.

 

[C317414]

My 2209 has this problem on the roof, have cleaned out and fixed several spots, also coated roof with Kool Seal. My opinion is that it is corrosion not galvanic action. If the same plywood was used on the roof that causes the small bubbles on the interior walls and probably was, it is the cause. If you cut one of these bubbles open, there is a black gooey stuff inside. It just causes a bubble under the interior vinyl but on the roof under the aluminum it probably causes corrosion. It is either alkaline or acidic corrosion.
For galvanic corrosion to take place you need 2 different metals, you don't have this in the newer Hi-Lo s as the frame is aluminum and so is the roof covering.

I was going on what previous posts in this forum had stated: steel nails in the roof plywood that are either too long or were driven too deeply and are coming in contact with the bottom of the aluminum roof. If that's the case, then it is galvanic corrosion. If not, then I agree with you that it is probably some form of pitting corrosion.

The interesting thing is that the pits seem to form in a straight line. They are close together, and almost equidistant to each other.

 

[Dia-HILO]

If I wanted to avoid this particular problem, what years should I cross off my list? I realize that earlier models might have different, equally worrisome problems, so I may end up getting a late model anyway.

Is there a set of years commonly recognized as the glory years? These are the best - meaning sturdiest - ones?

Thanks!

Dia

 

[PopRichie77]

The corrosion on mine was not in a straight line, but random, and I found no nails under neath the aluminum roof when I opened to clean out the corrosion. Also they were not always over a frame tube. Some were quarter size, others were dime size.

 

[jcurtis95]

The corrosion on mine was not in a straight line, but random, and I found no nails under neath the aluminum roof when I opened to clean out the corrosion. Also they were not always over a frame tube. Some were quarter size, others were dime size.

Two years ago I did an extensive roof repair on our 2406T and my repairs are photographed and documented on another post. I cannot honestly say that underneath each and every of the 40+ corrosion spots was the tip of a nail or screw. I can say on the ones that covered a larger area that I did remove the 'rotted' metal areas did have a sharp point and I did file off the point that extended out about 1/16 of an inch through the underlayment before applying the tape and paint. The affected area was not in a straight line per se but was in a general line extending from just outside the cap on the driver's side all the way back to the AC unit and varied from 3 to 8 inches from the sidewall. I would liken the point extension to that of an air nailer with either to much air pressure or the nail/screw was a tad too long for the thickness of the wood underlayment.

Since the affected corrosion was restricted to that defined area , I would think there may have been more than one person nailing since the remainder of the roof was unaffected.

Just my opinion.

jcurtis95
Fredericksburg, TX