hydraulic system maintenance
 

what all has to be done to maintain the system?...grease points?...do the cables require lube?...any other places need lube or service?

Clean and grease the guide rod. Lube the cables all the way from the adjusting bolts to where they attach to the top. Lube the pulleys. Check for leaks. Keep the reservoir filled to within 1" of the top with the top DOWN, using Dexron II-V fluid.

- Jack

thanks jack...how do you get access to the adjuster bolts where they attach to the top?

keystone, On the street-side (drivers side), you'll see four bolts with two nuts on each. On some Hi Los the bolts are in front of the tires, others, they are located between the dual axles. Mine has dual axles and are in front of the tires. From that point, I lube the cables, grease the pulleys and continue to where they go up the sides. Then I go to the rear section and start at the bolts again and complete the rear. I then raise the top and do it all again. This allows access to the cable sections that were over the holding tanks, for example. On the outside, with the top raised, locate where the cables enter the top section. inside, remove the trim boards covering those areas and lube both sides of the pulley. In Naval Aviation, we used a light sewing machine oil, which penetrates the cables through capillary effect. I do this two times a year and lube the upper pulleys several times more. Remember, the oil will "absorb" while just sitting there.
The guide rod is just a chunk of steel rod that is VERY important! It must be kept clean, rust free and well greased. Any burr that develops must be removed because this will interrupt the smooth travel required. It's silly, but informative, if you lay under the piston area and have someone raise and lower your unit. You'll understand a lot more than "reading" about it or guessing it's action.
Hope all this helps,
Tree

Hi-Lo Video Manual
 

I suggest you view the the video manual, it will answer at least part of your questions. #34 covers the lift system lubrication.

https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f49/...-youtube-1233/

Thanks for catching me on this, keystone! I was not very clear in my writing, was I? The adjusting bolts DO NOT attach to the top.

I MEANT to say, Lube the entire length of the cables, starting where they attach to the adjusting bolts and continuing along the cables until you reach the point where the cables attach to the edge of the top of the trailer. The reason you lube the cables is to clean them and to prevent corrosion which will eventually cause cable failure.

I've found the best way for me to reach the cables near where they attach to the trailer top is to remove the interior trim strips on the bottom half. This will expose the upper pulleys and will allow you to see how the cables look in that area. I may be wrong, but I THINK most cable failures occur near the ends at the top pulleys.

With the trim strips off, you can also see how well your bulb seal meets the "lip" on the lower half with the top up and you will be able to see if cable adjustment is needed.

Hope this clarifies things, and thanks again.

- Jack

Jet-Lube Wire Rope Lubricant
 

" In Naval Aviation, we used a light sewing machine oil, which penetrates the cables through capillary effect. I do this two times a year and lube the upper pulleys several times more. Remember, the oil will "absorb" while just sitting there."

Treeclimber, that statement about the oil being absorbed by the cables was so vivid when I was lubing my cables recently. I used a product called Jet-Lube Wire Rope Lubricant.

https://www.amazon.com/Jet-Lube-Wire...wire+rope+lube

I was under the trailer gently spraying this lube on a horizontal section of cable. I got a little too much on the cable and saw a drop form on the bottom of the cable. It grew as some of the product gathered at that drop and was just about to fall to the ground when I saw it get sucked back up and disappear into the cable!! It was dang amazing to see the power of capillary action! I'll be sure to keep a can of this stuff around!!!

Glad you guys were OK with Irma!

Good luck!

piperjim, Jet Lube also makes dielectric grease for all our contact points. I keep a tube of this on board for the 7-pin plugs and the shore power plug, battery posts, camera plugs, etc. Great find on amazaon.
Tree

Do you spray the Jet Lube product on the full length of the cables? Or does it’s”travel” on its own and get dispersed that way? Also, what product do you use on the road? I’m placing an order on Amazon for the Jet Lube referred to above (and the 7 pin stuff), and I know I need to lube the guide rod. Thanks guys!

Phy, Yes, spray as much of the cables as you can! Then I change the top, If I had it raised, the I lower it and do them again. You can't get to the area over the grey/black tanks unless you do that. Going top take those pics now
Tree

Phy, here's a couple of cable shots. Now that I see how the pics are shown, here's how they relate. Should you lube the entire cable-- YES! Here's why.
First photo shows the REAR cable with the top UP, Same with the second pic. But when the top is lowered, the first pic paint spots disappear over the tanks and in the third photo the second shot paint spots go aft about 3-1/2 foot around the pulleys. Same thing happens with the front cables except they don't go over the tanks. Bottom line, when lubed in the down position, you can't lube what's in the walls correctly (that's four 3-1/2foot each corner) or what's on top of the tanks! Thus, Treeclimber lubes when raised AND when lowered. Does that help?

Phy:

Remember to pull the interior trim cap so you can spray the lube down the cable. I just press the Jet Lube spray tip gently. I really try to avoid "spraying" the Jet Lube and instead try to let it gently come out of the spray tip and slowly work it's way down the cable, with gravity doing the work! Then, get under the trailer and repeat on the horizontal portions of the cable. That's the slow part as I keep trying to work my way along the length of each cable, again, gently squeezing the spray tip so the Jet Lube just oozes out. As Tree says, treat the cables once with the top up, then do it again with the top down.

I'm guessing your other question is "what product do you use on the rod" not "road"?. I use the spray can of white lithium grease that is available at Walmart and all auto parts stores. Spray it on the rod and rub it along with my finger to get good coverage. I also use this grease on the ball hitch as well as to grease the ends of the bars on the weight distributing hitch. It really doesn't make much difference. I have used wheel bearing grease, too. Just lube it a couple of times a year and you'll be good to go.

Thank you!!

Thanks, piperjim! I did mean rod. Typing on the phone in low light conditions...lol! Phylana

Yes, that helps! Basically, anywhere I see cable I need to spray it. And I do need to remove the top plate (wood panel cover) all along the inside of the trailer. Right?

Yes, you do. Except probably at the ends. I doubt you will find cables or pulleys there. But, DO pull up all the side sections.

- Jack

Thanks! I have taken a few pics and I’m really concerned by what I’m seeing. In the bedroom, on the driver side the lip is almost flush and it appears that it’s bulging out and being sucked up into the bedroom (hopefully the attached pics will help).

The pic from the outside shows how the top is being pulled in and up at the driver cable. You can see how distorted it is from the view from the back shooting towards the front. The inside shots show how high the driver side is and how the passenger side sets. I think the passenger side is set correctly, in the bedroom. Haven’t even talked about the from of the trailer. Thanks much!!

I really think the seal is too high. Take another look at the "door" pic in the other post I sent you. There is only one seal, it is attached to the top and just needs to meet the trim at the top of the lower section. Two of your pics look like your seal is ABOVE that trim, not good.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure the top has been torqued out of alignment. I found the bolts and the two closest to the front are bent all out of whack. The little rubber pulley inside has been partially broken off too. And the slide, which is on that same side is about 2” short of being fully seated in its frame.

Phy:

Not sure if you want to do all your own work, but if not, you're lucky to live in a part of the country with a couple of experienced Hi-Lo repair shops. Sometime in the next year or so, I hope to get back that way and have a couple of items that are above my limits of ability or patience, repaired. If you're in the same boat, you might consider either of these businesses:

Home - JR REPAIR

Midget RV & Trailer Service HiLo Specialist

It's great to know they're there for us!

Yeah, have to admit I’m thinking I may not want to bite this off, especially since it’s just me. Thanks for the links! I just checked out both of their websites. Any recommendations between the two of them? I know the folks at JandR have already done work on the trailer. As I look the trailer over and become more educated about it (thanks to you guys!), I see where more work that needs to be done. Just don’t know if I want to tackle it myself. Heaven knows I have enough work to do getting my place ready to sell. Thanks again for all your help - both of you guys!

Phy, the bolts aren't too much of a problem to straighten out, a pipe over it, preferably, covering the nuts and bend them the correct way. The nut never needs to come ALL the way off, even during an adjustment.
The pulley, on the other hand, looks pretty rough. I'm sure it will work, especially once the cables are adjusted, but for my piece of mind, I'd change the pulley and pulley housing if you could find one.
Once the cables are adjusted properly, I'm most sure the walls will re-adjust themselves and all will be better. Suggest you straighten out the bolts and adjust the cables and see where things are at and go from there.
Tree

Here’s what my manual says about adjusting the cables (see pic 1, way easier than retyping everything).

Questions:
1). It doesn’t say or show how long the 2x4’s should be (pic 2)
2). It doesn’t show what it means (in any diagrams) about locking nut, nor “front adjusting nut”. Maybe tomorrow when I crawl in under the trailer I’ll see something on the backside of the bolts that will make sense.

Do you guys have any pics of what they are referring to re locking nut, etc. in the manual?

Also, I did figure out that what made it appear that the lip was too high in the bedroom. They had stuck in another layer of sticky rubber liner (that’s what was gray in the picture). What I think I’m seeing now is the the trailer isn’t raising all the way up for the majority of it.

Thanks again for all your help!

Thanks Tree! GREATLY appreciate all your help!

Phylana - you will see two nuts on each of the adjusting bolts. They are on the outside of the frame (toward the ends of the bolts). The outer nut is the "locking nut". It keeps the inner nut from unscrewing and will have to be loosened before you can move the inner nut.

The inner nut is the "adjusting nut". You tighten it (screw it into the bolt) to shorten the cable, which raises the top. Or, you loosen it (screw it out, away from the frame) to lengthen the cable which lowers the top.

Once you have the cable at the length you want, you tighten the locking nut down onto the adjusting nut which will prevent it from changing position during trailer use. (Vibration can cause nuts to unscrew, so some means of locking them is needed.)

There is no set length for the 2x4s. Mine are about 48" long as I recall, but they may be shorter. The way I cut them was to raise the top and then measure the distance from the "outriggers" (the small metal supports the top sits on when it's down) to a point about 3-4" below the underside of the top. Once cut, you place the 2x4s on the outriggers (taping them to the sides of the trailer if needed to hold them in place) and then you lower the top on to them.

In general, when the top is adjusted properly, it will be a fairly equal height above the outriggers at each corner and, of course, the rubber bulb seal will just meet the metal lip on the lower half when the top is up.

Hope this clarifies things.

- Jack

Jack,
Beautiful! Yes that helps immensely! One more question. How do I know how much to tighten or loosen the cable? What am I looking for?

Thank you!

Phylana - It's somewhat "trial and error". In your case, it appears you need to loosen some of the cables. When you look at the top in the "up" position, try to judge how much you need to lower it at each cable lift point. So, let's say you think it should come down 1" on a particular cable. You could measure the length of the bolt that holds that cable and turn the adjusting nut out one inch. Do something similar for all the other cables and then raise the top again. Check how things look and make further adjustment as needed.

Don't tighten the locking nuts until you are done with adjustments.

AND, you will need locking pliers to keep the bolts from turning as you try to turn the nuts. Apply a locking plier to the end of the bolt near where it attaches to a cable on the inside of the frame. As you twist the nut, the plier will rotate with the bolt until it hits something on the trailer. Then, it will stop and hold the bolt from turning and you will be able to change the nut position. (This is the one hand technique - you could also use both hands and try to keep the bolt from turning with a wrench on the bolt near the cable - I think there's a "flat" side there.)

- Jack

Jack,
Thanks! That helps! I thought that might be what I need to do, but didn’t want to miss something obvious and really screw it up.

Thanks!!!!

Another senior moment! My 2x4's are only 26" long. (I just measured them.) They are short enough to fit in under the top when it's fully raised. I think they are between 2-4" shorter than that space, but I didn't measure that again.

- Jack

LOL! I hear ya!! I thought 48” sounded like a lot. LOL!

From my old '76, mine are 30", which is about an inch short for the 2000.

Thanks, Bruce!