Does this look normal? - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

jakemadril · 01-26-2017, 04:31 PM

My trailer had an issue of not popping up and making this odd sound well it now lifts perfectly fine.

But something to me seems off maybe it's because I'm not fully level or maybe it's because of my under carriage.

When it is fully lifted I'll sit in on the safety bar or keep it off and both ways I have an issue with my back side being a bit higher than the front side.

My bunk sits at an angle and the cables holding it aren't fully extended they have some slack and I know this isnt right.

I had two cables replaced recently I'm wondering if they weren't adjusted right and this could be the issue.

My main worry is the bottom area where the guide rot attaches to the frame looks a bit angled or bent away from the frame of the trailer. I'm worried this happened when my roof seized up and occurred when I tried to force it open.

I can take and upload as many pictures as needed I'm hoping it's a simple cable adjustment.

JackandJanet · 01-26-2017, 10:24 PM

Jake, when the top is up, it doesn't really "sit" on the safety bar. The bar is just there to keep the top from coming down if you lose hydraulic pressure (or if the cables should snap). In fact, if the top "settles" on the bar, it's an indication you have a leak.

Next, I'd certainly have that end bracket on the guide rod repaired. I'm sure it should be perpendicular to the frame. I think the weld has broken. My concern is that the guide rod is no longer secure at the bracket and that it might slip off. If you then tried to move the top, you'd probably have a very expensive repair, and possibly a jammed top in the partway up state.

The low ends or sides of the top are almost definitely simple cable adjustments. You should adjust the cables so that the bulb seal at the lower edge of the top just meets the lip on the bottom half, to keep bugs and air drafts out when the top is up. DO NOT raise the top higher than the meeting point or you risk damaging the top where the cables attach, or, you COULD break a cable or pulley.

You can see how well the bulb seal meets the lip if you unscrew the top molding along the lower half of the trailer from inside. That will allow you to access the pulleys there too and to check the condition of the cables there too. I believe most cable breaks occur near those top pulleys, because that area is not immediately visible, so it gets neglected during periodic maintenance.

I think I'd fix the guide bar bracket first, before you do anything else.

- Jack

renoites · 01-27-2017, 12:51 AM

In the 2nd pic, the pulley bolt has not been attached properly or completely. The rear bolt of the 2 seen/ Shaft is showing in pic.(shiny)
It appears that the pulley has shifted, cock-eyed.
The bolt is not secured/tightened.

I do not understand "My bunk sits at an angle and the cables holding it aren't fully extended they have some slack and I know this isnt right."

"an issue with my back side being a bit higher than the front side." how much is a bit????

check that the wires are run correctly
check that they are all in the pulley grooves

fix item in first paragraph...it is ready to lose the bolt/pulley and top will not raise.

marininn · 12-29-2017, 11:24 AM

Was this resolved?

Was the rod mount bent or weld broken as suggested above?

As for the bunk, it seems most bunks slant towards the front. This cannot be adjusted out with cable tension as the top physically will not go high enough to level it off. Maybe for safety HILO made the bunk slant so sleepers would be less likely to roll off.
The cable hanging from the ceiling is only for changing the bunk from stored to in-use, it is not meant to be used in the lowered position.

For those that don't know to move the bunk:
*Unhook it from ceiling.
*Lower the side until the little cables are supporting it.
*Ease the side towards you so the back side hinges let the bunk lower.
*And, the bunk will easily move into the lowered position using the cables as a fixed point to pivot on.
*reverse for putting it up.

The fix is to cut the leg on top and drill a new hole for the pivot bolt.
What did you find?