Value of a 2001 hi-lo towlite
 

Today I looked over a 2001 hi-lo towlite. Options include an A/C. The furnace, A/C and refrigerator all function well. The fridge ran for approx. 1 hr. and the A/C & furnace for 10 min. The trailer has fiberglass sides and a metal roof, all in good condition. The hydraulic lift system operates properly. There is some rust on the steel bar. I was underneath as the owner raised the top. Everything appeared to function properly. The pushrod does have some rust on it but it is not bent. Can anyone recommend anything else I should check? The price is $5,000. Is this a good buy or can I do better? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mr C.

photocamper,

Your question as to the value is dependent on several things. If you are happy with the interior, score one for yes! Just be sure to check the roof very carefully. Several of them have had electrolysis erode small holes in them. What do the ceiling panels look like inside? Are there any wrinkles which are indications of leaks? What about discolorations on the walls? If they are present, it probably means that water has entered through the roof into the walls and that can be very expensive to repair. Check the end caps; I believe the unit you are looking at has a fiberglass end cap. There were a few years that the factory used plastic endcaps which are susceptible to 'runs'. Today, I just finished covering the 3rd split which begins at the screws on the top of the end cap and runs down. Heat and cold does take its toll on plastic.

These are issues that can be addressed and there are many posts found within this forum that you can call on to do remedial work.

To me, the price seems well within the value of the unit. If you were to buy it, be sure and check with the owner/seller and determine when the bearings were last packed. That is a bargaining point that most sellers will agree to perform to close the deal. Also ask as to the brakes; when were they last changed? How about the tires? Crawl underneath and check the age. Most tires should be replaced within 5-6 years regardless of the mileage. The sun takes it toll on tires as well.

Is it equipped with a weight dirstibution hitch? Is your tow vehicle capable of handling it? You did not indicate the length so just be sure your Tow Vehicle can handle it. You will find a checklist that has been placed on the forum by RCreyes that would be helpful to a new buyer.

You will be happy to know that regardless of the problems you may be confronted with with a HiLo, you will find the folks on this forum more thatn willing to help.

Bottom line, it sounds like a very fair price if the HiLo is in good condition.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Jerry & Carol Curtis
2406 T
Fredericksburg, TX

Jerry,

Thanks for the info! The current owner only used the Hi-Lo (which is a 19 ft) 2-3 times last summer. They purchased it from a private party that was selling it for an estate. Apparently the original owner (70+ yr. old genleman) lived in it for a while as it sat in his siblings yard. No info on how long he lived in it. The interior is in very good condition, the usual dings on the lower wall. No signs of water damage on the walls or ceiling. Wrinkles - there are two small ones at the two corners of the A/C. There is no sign of water stain or damage in that area. We took the filters off and looked inside the housing with a flashlight. The foam seal looked good all the way around the base. I noticed two square steel(?) crossframe pieces at either end of the A/C unit. I assume this is indicative of a steel or aluminum frame throughout the trailer? I thought the wrinkles may have been caused during the install, when they were attaching the unit to the roof. Let me know your opinion on that. The current owner states he never had any leaking from the roof. He has never repacked the bearings. I can do that as I have with my pop-up camper. I will ask about the brakes. As I mentioned the trailer is 19 ft. 3140 lbs and I'll be towing it with a 2012 Toyota 4Runner. Keep the ideas and suggestions coming folks. I'm eager to learn all I can before I purchase it!

Thank you

Mr. C

Buying a used HiLo.
 

Jerry,has given you some very good pointers. I would guess the slight wrinkling around the AC did occuring during factory install. Mine was like that. Be sure to go back with a ladder and go up and check the roof carefuly. Check the AC ,Vent and any other thing on the roof. I doubt the owner is going to know when the brakes were serviced. Ask for service records. WWW.NADA guides.com This will give you an idea of price. Best of luck in getting this HiLo.

photocamper,

I agree with Sam on the ceiling panel 'wrinkle' under the AC unit. It is sorta like wrapping a Christmas present, hard to get a perfect fold on the 90 degree corners.

If the camper has sat that long and the current owner does not know when the bearings were packed, and, if you are going to have to haul it a very long distance, I would highly recommend you check and pack the bearings before hauling it back home. We bought a 31' classic from a very close friend a few years back. He was unable to do any of the maintenance due to health reasons so he had just installed [4] new tires and they had come to his home to replace them. He told them to grease the bearings while they were at it and thought they had. We made it less than 200 miles and had to make a potty stop [thankfully]. I always check the heat on the tires when we stop and one wheel was completely off the axle and had rubbed some of the exterior rubber on the fender well.

Good fortune was on our side as a machinist was known to the people at the truck stop and he came immediately, pulled the wheel off and the axle was irreparable. He got the measurements of the axle, called Oklahoma City and they had one that was about 2" too long. I drove to OKCY and picked it up, delivered it to his immaculate machine shop and watched as he cut 2' from the axle and insured it was welded back with the correct allignment, hauled it back to the truck stop and installed it. His fee was so little that I gave him an extra $50 and we were on our way again.

My friend reimbursed me for the axle cost and labor.

If you get caught out and an unscrupulous person were to do the work, you would pay out the nose! It is better to take a few precautions before you just hook onto a trailer you know nothing about and head down the road.

We hauled our latest HiLo just 40 miles and the first thing I did when we got it home was to re-pack the bearings and check the brake shoes.

Good luck and happy RV'ing. Take care of the HiLo and it will take care of you.

Jerry Curtis
2406 T

The NADA guide prices are a little high.

2001 Hi Lo Price, 2001 Hi Lo Values & 2001 Hi Lo Specs | NADAguides

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)

I have the same model camper and payed more than that last year for it--- mine has ac, awning. Stabalizerjacks , two batteries, and electric tongue jack. It was garaged and used little and I was happy with what I paid. That said, with tanks empty, mine weighs right around 4000 lb and close to 600 tongue weight. So, depending on what options you have on yours you may want to consider your weight estimates as a bit under.

Rick