Owners Manual: 1969 Bon Voyage

[PaulS-HILO]

Mark , my 1966 Voyager 16' has 15 inch tires and 5 hole / lug nuts,

 

[Mark-HILO]

Thanks for all of the great information.....will keep you all posted.

 

[JMDoering]

Mark,

Please do. I'm really interested on how this goes for you!

Good luck,
Jim

 

[Mark-HILO]

Made it up to the hunting land....Overall condition of the trailor is good,however the trailor is called a trailo,it is a 600 deluxe...has anyone ever heard of this? It was manufactured by a company out of Junaeu,Wisc called Ratcliffe Industries.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[retiredcamper47]

Mark,

I "googled" Ratcliffe Industries and found out the following - their original telescoping trailer plans were patented in May 1938. Their lift system consists of cables and springs. To raise or lower it you would have to insert a metal wheel on a shaft and turn the wheel. Turn the wheel one way to raise and the opposite way to lower. Hope this helps.

Bob

 

[JMDoering]

Hi Mark,

So its definitely not a Hi-Lo! That sure explains some the inconsistencies, like both halves of the door opening outward, the black roof-line trim, etc.

Like Bob, I did a web-search and found pictures of a Ratcliffe Industries "TowLow" trailer. It looks dead-on like yours... and it also looks very much like a Hi-Lo, inside and out. Makes me wonder how much Hi-Lo "borrowed" from Ratcliffe in the early days to design and improve their trailers over the years. Maybe it was the other way around in that once Hi-Lo started upgrading models, Ratcliff followed.

One thing I really liked about the Ratcliffe design, in the photos it showed folding external corner struts that apparently locked into place to guard against the top falling, or drifting down. Such a design would absolutely prevent the top from falling if a cable broke.


It looks like you may be on your own as far as garnering repair information from the HTF. Until your post, I'd never heard of this brand.

The photos I saw are copyright protected, so here is a link to the site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37551610@N02/3778938166/in/photostream/

Its unbelievable... how much the interior looks like that of our old 1967 Bon Voyage! The fold-down vanity in the back corner looks very similar, and HAH, except for the color, even the stove and reefer are the same brand!

Thanks for the update!
Jim

 

[Mark-HILO]

Wow.......sounds like there is a little history behind the Low Tow,thanks for the pictures Jim.

The inside of the camper looks exactly like that and the avocodo appliances are the exact same....right down to the same linoleum on the floor.

I will post some before and after pictures once we start the renovation.

Thanks again,
Mark

 

[retiredcamper47]

I have 3 photos of a TowLow trailer but can't figure out how to include them in the message.

Bob

 

[retiredcamper47]

Oops, guess I did find out. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Bob

 

[NDgent]

If you are curious about Low-Tow check this out 13' Tow Low Ratcliff Popup Camper T143980 - eBay (item 370465356376 end time Mar-01-11 18:13:01 PST) and for those who have a compelling desire to build one of their own check this out Low-Tow Trailers

 

[JMDoering]

John,

Great views there! Wonder if that big wheel on the front, behind the gas bottles, is the raising/lowering hand wheel?

Jim

 

[Mark-HILO]

I don't know if the seal would be the same for Tow-Low as the Hi-Lo...if anyone has ever replaced the seal around the middle......that is going to be one of the first thing on the list to do.....so locating or fabricating might be a big challenge,any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark


1967 Tow-Low Deluxe 600

 

[JMDoering]

Mark,

Your Tow-Low has a lot of similarity to Hi-Lo's, so it wouldn't surprise me if the main seal gasket was the same, with a similar installation. Go to the following link for basic Hi-Lo gasket replacement instructions.

http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/attachments/f61/41d1267379526-cable-roof-gasket-repair-cable-pulley-roof-gasket-repair.txt

In fact, you should probably check the HTF library for other potentially applicable procedures. There is a lot of good stuff there!

BTW, if the seal gasket turns out to be same material, its available from either J&R Repair, or Official Hi-Lo Parts.

I'll be real interested to know just how many things you find on your Tow-Low that are essentially the same as on a Hi-Lo. On the outside both brands are so much alike that I think we (Hi-Lo owners) should adopt you as an honorary Hi-Lo owner!

Jim

 

[PaulS-HILO]

Mark it looks alot like my 1966 unit really alot.. the seal in the middle s a grey like plastic round seal.

 

[JMDoering]

Mark,

Here is the stuff Paul was referring to: Bulb Seal - The Official HiLo Trailer Parts & Service

Also, In case your not familiar with it, there exists a terrific catalog sales company called McMaster-Carr, among thousands of other odd and hard to find hardware items, I found the afore mentioned gasket material. Check it out at: http://www.mcmaster.com/#door-weatherstripping/=b93e5f (Click on Foam Flange-mount Seals on page 3442, then scroll to the bottom)

I'm mentioning this outfit because it may be the ONLY place that you'll find some of the fittings and other stuff you might need as you are restoring your Low-Tow,

Jim

 

[Mark-HILO]

Thanks again for all the great information.......This is going to make the restoration allot less trial and error

Mark

 

[howiethegrt8]

sure looks like the 1968 voager i just bought

 

[anachronism]

I'm another guy chiming in here to really talk about a Ratcliff Tow Low.

I have a 1971 12' Tow Low. Its been serving us great for a few years now- we primarily use it in the winter. We've been very impressed with how well the furnace does in keeping it warm!

Yes, the large wheel in front raises and lowers through a pulley/cable system, and then *I think* it is designed to have supports that are put into place to hold the upper half of the unit up while taking the strain off the cables. At least, I've seen that in other pictures online. Ours has PVC pipes that accomplish the same end (raise it, stick a PVC pipe on all 4 corners on the metal skirt that goes around the lower end, lower the top an inch or so to put weight on the pipes).

Ours is pretty basic, even for the time. No 12V system, no freshwater system, just an icebox, a handpump sink/drain, a 120V system that consists of 2 plugs and 2 ceiling lights, a 3 burner stove and a furnace that can be run with or without power (it radiates heat when not powered, has a little fan that will move air when powered).

Seating and sleeping arrangements consist of a dinette/full bed in front, a couch/twin bed in back, and a twin bunk above the couch.

My primary reason for posting in this thread is to ask about how the roof is sealed. Ours has seen better days- whatever is up there is cracked, weathered and in many/most places worn down to the aluminum. I thought it was still weathertight, but we had a very wet storm this weekend and it started to seep in places. I know I need to address it ASAP. Does anybody know what the roof was sealed with and what to use to reseal? Looking for minimal applications of cost and work to get it weathertight again.

 

[JMDoering]

anachronism,

Thanks for the insider scoop on your Ratcliff Low Tow!

Its been a while since your post, so you may not be checking the board anymore... But, several years ago I had some minor roof leakage/seepage on our 1969. That model has an aluminum roof. Not able to identify a specific leak source, after super cleaning with TSP, I used high quality exterior silicone caulk and sealed all the roof seams and edges. No more leak.

Another BIG source of potential roof leaks are the pipe and window vents on a roof. That old tape putty will eventually harden and fail. Older trailers need to have that stuff replaced periodically or it will start to leak. Just make sure you clean all the old putty off the roof and the component vent flange before laying on the new (sorry, you probably knew that already).

Let us know about your solution.

Jim

Jim

 

[69hilo2]

Thanks

Just downloaded the manual. Thanks for posting it. RichR Thanks for sharing it also.

Later Tim owner 18ft 1969 hilo