1976 hi lo
 

New to the forum, my brother gave me a hi lo that used to be in the woods at his hunt club.
I thought I might be able to fix it but it is very rough on the inside.

Anyone have any interest? It is a 1976 21' from the hitch to the bumper.
I don't know if I want to sell it as is or junk everything and make a utility trailer out of it!

All together now.....

"Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!"

Of course, that's easy to say from this end; I'm good at spending other people's time and money.

I think the frame for yours will be all steel like mine. It is probably worth the time to fix the interior. Compared to other trailers on the road today, these are very well made and sturdy.

I have some minor rust in the front underside of mine that I am patching. Unless yours is in terrible shape, fix it or sell it to someone who can use it. A HiLo is a terrible thing to waste!

ArkTinkerer

You are not too far away from J&R Repair (Home - JR REPAIR) It might be worth taking it to them and get a professional opinion and see if it is worth salvaging. You may want to tackle the project yourself. The only thing unique to a Hi-lo is the lift system. You should have zero to none issues finding parts and pieces. Good luck.

A deeper look
 

I need to take a better look at the damage, do these have a metal frame or is it wood?
Is there an easy way to replace the ceiling. At first look the roof is leaking around the vent/fan. I haven't tested any of the appliances yet to see if they work. This will be a huge project for me and I am not sure I am up to it - but I can't afford to have someone else do it.

Still on the fence!

Kevin

I think we need interior pics in order to form an opinion, but based on the exterior it looks solid. If you do decide to part with it, someone would be willing to pay more than it is worth as a utility trailer on Craigslist.

I agree with Antares; even Hi Lo's needing tons of work will bring a solid price. They're getting harder and harder to find every day!

documentation
 

Ark,
Do you have any manuals or anything you could scan? I don't see anything in the library from the 70's. I don't know how to work any of the appliances or even what the shower is supposed to look like.
I am off tomorrow so I will try to post some inside pictures - it's not pretty....

OMG....save it... you won't be sorry

Really,really look at the walls and roof. My roof had leaked, left wall was delaminated and J & R say my Hi-Lo and quoted me $6,500.00 to repair. I don't care how nice they are built, but to put that kind of money into a 1996 like I had, no thanks.

I'm trying to get my docs from paper to digital. Hard to find time but my wife tells me she thinks she scanned all of them and then printed them so we'd have backup copies. I have the sales flier that shows the metal frame and docs on all the appliances in my '77. If I can just find the files on this computer!!!!.....

ArkTinkerer

Use the Force!
Sorry couldn't resist...

I used some force! Push any harder on the keys and I'll break the keyboard!:p

interior pics
 

Wow! I did a little poking and prodding and the back half of the camper is in bad shape.
The walls in the bathroom and around the kitchen sink are rotted. The ceiling in the back half is all rotten, the back corner (where all the water ran I assume) is rotted.
There is just too much here for me to try and tackle. I am going to put the camper on craigslist and try and sell it as is. Here are some pics of the damage.

Looks pretty bad, to have that professionally repaired, it would cost more than a 2010 trailer. If you are a DIY person and have a lot of time, it could be repaired but the complete top half would have to be rebuilt. Also the floor may be rotted in places. You could probably buy one in pretty good shape for less than fixing it your self.
Just my opinion.

It could be done but, as was already mentioned, you could buy a trailer in much nicer condition for less money. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just walls but all of the appliances and fixtures are damaged. It's a shame.

To fix or not to fix
 

I agree it is in pretty rough shape. If you can't sell it you could strip it of any usable parts. This would also make a pretty nice utility trailer.

Utility Trailer
 

I have it on craigslist for $1000.00 - I know that's a little high but everyone always wants to haggle on price. If I could get $500 for it I would be happy. If I don't have it sold in a couple of weeks I am going to strip it and make a utility trailer out of the frame and try and sell some of the parts.

I was really hoping to be able to restore this old gem but I think it is too far gone.

KMW Where in VA are you located. I would be willing to look at if not too far.

not too far
 

Hi Jim,
I sent you a message, I am south of Manassas.
Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks,

Kevin

have to see the inside cause outside looks good,mine was similar on outside & i used house siding stuff you attach to a garden hose,got it at a garage sale that and a scrub brush and small bucket with some mixed in it.cleaned right up nice.As far as inside mine has some water damage i'm working on. First find leak/leaks fix with good clear chalk.Then yours is like mine steel cage frame.So unscrew the ceiling-paneling and replace it. This could be tuff cause your choices of materials to use is basically up to your taste.some choice to take it all out and put it back the way they want it.Ive seen them redone with knotty pine - painted red-black green blue-mirrored . pretty much your limited only by your imagination .hi-lo's in good shape can bring a pretty penny and someone else get to enjoy camping in the hi-lo.From the pix it looks like when its raised it sits even so cable are working correctly. You need to get under it & hand grease all the cables,if lowered then raise & grease spots missed& look for what looks like a shock absorber .grease tube when its fully extended.One more the guide rails on the outside of trailer,lightly grease them too. Now you should be safe lowering & raising it .keep them well greased.Lastly you came to the right place for help if you want it,this forums great, the thing about this forum.We all love are Hi-Lo's so please no more talk about scrapping a head turner like Hi-Lo,good luck...

wow i have the same curtains same color too,must have come with the 70's campers when it was new.as far as the damage,it does have steel tube framing ,yes? so take off the old paneling & ceiling & replace it with what you want. i have pix of hi-lo's redone with pine board - tile you name it they redid the hi-lo to me there needs & some that did it to resell it are asking $1500 TO OVER $2000 now. Google mash RV.its either a 77 or 79 their not sure,its from desmoines they want $2500.00.i talked to the guy.he took all the damaged stuff out built his own cabinets (his first time doing so) to buy new cabinets/counters was to costly & rebuilt the insides nicely. i think the add is still running,you should check it out,if you want more ideas,you can email me,mark2447@earthlink.net & i will send you the pix of the hi-lo's that people have redone.i hope you do cause i've got all sorts of pix from different peoples hi-lo's so you'd be able to get some ideas before you give up.i'm fixing mine (see my album) cause i want to keep it and enjoy it,but later on down the line if i'm in a pinch & have to sell it. it will hold its value.it might not be original in the end but being a hi-lo there it will always be marketable.