What do you call the part...?
 

When a HiLo is lowered, the top rests on some sort of padding material attached to the frame. What is that stuff? Over the years mine has suffered some compression and I'm thinking about replacing it. What is the material and is this too trivial to worry about?

--Bdette

Those are hard rubber pads. Mine wore out too and I replaced them with ones I made out of hockey pucks.

You could possibly get OEM replacements from J&R.

- Jack

They are bumper pads for the top half.
I used cut and screwed pieces of PEX pipe. A plumbing plastic pipe that retains its shape and gives excellent cushioning.
My hi-lo used 6 pieces, 2 front, 2 rear, and 2 on the sides.

steve

Steve, I'd forgotten you used PEX. I just replaced a 25 foot section of underground water line with PEX and was very impressed with its qualities. I'm sure PEX works beautifully and will probably outlast the trailer!

What color did you use? *grin*

- Jack

Just a note about those hard rubber pads. I found mine were in the wrong place. The ones on my 27' were placed on the ENDS of the outriggers instead of under the main beam. This mis-placement caused a bulge at the bottom of the siding because the TRIM was being forced up.
Tree

just find an old tire and a sawzall and make the rubber pads out of the sidewall I thing ould work too. I don't take mine all that far down tho to touch them I leave a small gap that's just me tho.

I had one that was badly positioned too, Tree. My replacements corrected that.

I thought about an old tire, Mike, but I didn't have one.

- Jack

trees seem to do bad things sometimes like that lol :) well I am sure from reading yer posts whatever you did worked! :)
I have about 6 ,I need to get rid of lol :) you can come get them if you want lol :)
the scrap yards where ya take cans, old cars, and such usually have millions laying around. :) they well if they know you, let ya cut a few hunks out of an old one for free, usually.

I gotcha Jack. I'm going to make mine a little more presentable as I have two colors and they stand out. I like the hockey puck idea.
Treeclimber

Post some pics of the pex if you can

Oh heck, I have some horse stall mat remnants that should work fine, then. Thanks for the feedback, that jogged my brain enough to come up with a good solution.

--Bdette

that's a very good idea there. :) they will work great!

yeah that pex is good syuff or lots of issues! ;0 I usaually use the purple polka dot colr (grin)

I used PEX too.

I paid $1200.00 each for all four of mine. thought it was pex and I think I got taken? it was pvc.

I saw a video where a guy made leveling "blocks" out of stall mats. not a bad idea.

Rick

That WOULD work, wouldn't it? Not be hurt by water either. Would be heavier than the plastic ones though.

- Jack

Jack I used plain old white.
Left over plumbing item from my business.
Here are some pics so you can get an idea for use and install.

You drill a larger hole on the outside, so head of screw and s/driver fit, and smaller on the side that goes against the trlr.
A regular square head screw worked fine.

You will see from the pics that the tubing doesn't totally compress. I have them at all 6 points on my trlr.

These are mounted to the trlr body, not the frame!

Reno - I'm not understanding what you mean when you say you mounted them on the "trailer body, not the frame". From the first two pictures, it looks to me like you may have used two screws and mounted them to the underside of the top half (inside of the outer edge) - is that correct?

If so, I'm guessing you did the same thing with the fronts.

That looks damned good though. I think those things could outlast the trailer!

- Jacl

Jack you are correct.
The original "PADS" sat on the frame posts and frame rails.
I screwed mine to the upper half with 2 screws each.

Mine have many miles on them, and work better than originals, easy!

Probably outlast me and trlr!

Maestro sorry to hear you got taken. Total cost is <$1.00. But NO purple poke a dot color available