1970 HiLo purchase thoughts
 

Hello to everyone:

I am Michael, near Tucson AZ and want to introduce myself.

I know of a 1970 Hi-Lo for sale and the owner says it won't come down.
He's afraid to try much of anything to lower it in fear that it will be damaged or worse yet, stuck in a halfway condition.

I try to get him to do something since he lives over 1000 miles from me but he is really adamant in his fear of doing something that might damage this coach.

He has offered it for around $3000 and I just wonder if it is a good price or am I just being naïve.

It is all polished outside - remodeled inside and shows in pictures really well.

First of all can y'all tell me if the price is high for a 12' unit? Last; are they pretty expensive to fix / maintain?

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Run
 

One word; Run!

If the upper will not lower, he is asking way too much for a unit you have to work on just to bring home and I would not tow it that way.

Look here for another and prices or check Craigslist and other on line sites.-Jerry

Welcome to the forum. Here's a couple of other sites you can check. Good luck!

Hi Lo RVs & Motorhomes for Sale | Used Motorhomes & RVs on Oodle Marketplace


https://www.rvtrader.com/Hi--Lo-RVs-a...18&vrsn=hybrid

Prebuy checklist
 

These are the major things to check 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)

70 HiLo
 

I agree with the previous poster that you should run. You should never ever tow with a HiLo in the up position. Be patient another unit will come along for you.

Hi Michael, and welcome to the forum! I agree with the others to pass on this unit. I think if you are patient you can find one closer to you that you can tow home safely. When I was looking, units would pop up around the Phoenix area on a regular basis. I also saw them in the SoCal area.

Why don't you post an ad in our "Wanted" section letting people know what you are looking for, how much money you are willing to spend, how far you are willing to travel, etc. That way, the great folks on this forum can assist in your search. I also recommend searching Craigslist. Decide how many hours you are willing to drive to look at units and search the areas within that radius.

Good luck!

Did a quick search on Craigslist and found this unit in Gilbert, AZ. Don't know if it meets your needs or not:

Funlite 195 Hi-Lo

that seems pretty steep for such an old trailer. Mine was 800 dollars and in incredible shape, just needed cosmetic stuff. It's a 1969. For 3000 bucks that should be a fully functioning unit at minimum. If the top is stuck in the up position and the owner hasn't fixed it, you can bet it's not something simple.

but it could also be operator error. Still, for that age and money I'd pass.

70 HiLo
 

You should start to see more HiLOS for sale in the spring time when the weather is better.

To All of you folks
 

Thanks to everyone for posting to such an obvious questions answer. I will pass and keep looking.

1970 HI-LO CAMPER This link will show you just why I was so taken by this trailer. Just the polish job on this is enough to make one "consider" such an RV. (at I was)

God bless all

She is certainly a cutie pie in a retro way. Hard to put a value on that.

70 HiLo for sale
 

I'm glad you shared the link and pictures with us. It is a shame the owner didn't fix the cable or cylinder problem to make the HiLo collapse down.

But, gosh! A black trailer would be unbearably hot in the summer!

- Jack

If the aluminum is anything like the alloy used on my 1969, you would be polishing it once a month to keep it that shiny, mine is pretty low grade aluminum, and oxidizes pretty fast. I wanted to do that to mine as well, but I decided against it. That camper is in incredible shape, I say go for it, if it's the one you want, it's been restored nicely. My apologies for telling you otherwise, if you don't mind fixing the hydraulic system, I think it would be worth it for such a great looking camper