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-   General Hi-Lo camper discussion (https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f17/)
-   -   We're making the plunge. (https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f17/were-making-the-plunge-1770/)

Atlee 03-17-2012 08:23 AM

We're making the plunge.
 
We've decided to get a Hi-Lo. It's a 2009 22' Towlite. We get it this coming Thursday.

Now that we've decided to get the Hi-Lo, I want it yesterday, not next week.:D

I will tow it with a 2005 F150 Supercab, 4x4, 5.4L, 6.5' box, 3.73 axle, and Tow Pkg.

RichR 03-17-2012 09:46 AM

Good for you! I think you will enjoy it very much. With the F150 up front you will have keep checking to see if the HiLo is still back there. Have fun!! :)

PopRichie77 03-17-2012 10:13 AM

We have the same model 2209T, it has almost all the options that were available and we love it. The only problem that we had, was the inferior foam used in the dinnet cushions and the couch, had to replace that and all is well.

sam 03-17-2012 01:09 PM

New to you towlite
 
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the forum. You will get great gas mileage and will not regret your decision. We have lots of skilled members on the forum and we can answer all your questions.

Atlee 03-23-2012 10:19 PM

She is in our driveway now. Was delivered late yesterday afternoon. It had a lot of dust inside so DW spent a lot of time inside cleaning.

I had planned to spend a lot of "getting to know her" tomorrow, but we're supposed to get a lot of rain pretty much all day.

Of course the first project tomorrow is getting a Virginia title and ordering tags. In Virginia, we have the choice of getting permanent trailer plates. They cost more, but is a one time fee. Keep the trailer over 3 years and the tag is more than paid for.

But if it rains like they said it will, I'll forgo the pleasure of crawling around under the trailer this weekend. I really want to lube the cables/pulleys/guide rod, etc.

The gentleman I bought it from never used a WD hitch with it. Neither did he have a sway control.

He let me have his Curt WD hitch, which he never used.

Being the conservative guy I am, WRT pulling trailers, I'm going to have to get a friction sway bar, at the minimum. I'd like to have an Equal-i-zer 4pt, but may opt for the new fangled Andersen WD hitch.

sam 03-24-2012 06:39 PM

congrats on finaly getting your HiLo home
 
I too am itchy to do a few things on the HiLo after having it at my Mom's for 7 months while we did the restoration. It is finaly home. Our weather In Niagara Falls N.Y. has turned colder and rainy. I,m enjoying my freedom until April 4th when I have the left side of my thyroid removed(possibly more removed if the pathology comes back with a bad report) I'l think positive about the outcome. Anyway enjoy detailing your HiLo and making it your own.

davidc 03-24-2012 08:33 PM

Good luck with your RV and I wouldn't worry a whole lot about buying a new WD hitch, they really only help "stabalize" the trailer with the tow vehicle... If you are buying in an attempt to "fix" any issues you have with your tow vehicle - DON'T!!!

Fix what is wrong with your TV or buy a "bigger"? one...

If you have ever seen a vehicle towing a trailer and the back end of the tow vehicle is sagging like it's got a lot of weight in it... that's what a WDH is for. It should help "raise" the back end of the tow vehicle and the front end of the trailer to a more "level" look.

This will help with "sway" because the front tires of the TV (tow vehicle) are not "off the ground".

Ultimately, if this is a serious problem for the TV, you really need to look at what rating your vehicle has for towing, tounge weight, rear suspension condition (did you opt for the "el cheapo" shocks last time?)... If you did go with the "el cheapo" route, that was fine before you started towing something that weighs in at ~4,000lbs+... But now it's not...

If your TV "sags" more than a couple of inches when you hook up the trailer, NO hitch in the world is going to fix what's really wrong, it will just "mask" the real issues...

And make you a hazard on the road for your friends and family and other peoples friends and famiiles...

Your truck should be fine (9300lb limit) and the WDH he gave you should work great. I wouldn't waste my money on a new one if I was you... Just make sure you have a good set of shocks on your truck and check out your suspension and what not on your truck... no broken sway bar links and such...

Atlee 03-25-2012 05:37 AM

There is nothing wrong with the TV, but I am limited to 5000# tow weight without a WD hitch.

Yes, I did get a Curt WD hitch from the previous owner. It would be cheaper to use that one, but I'd still have to buy a sway control. The previous owner didn't use either his Curt WD nor did he use any sway control, Which is fine for him, but I will not do that.

I don't like the Curt hitch. It's heavy, and has the bars with the chains that latch to the trailer a-frame. Nor do I like the idea of adding a friction sway bar. With the friction sway bar, I'd either have to drill holes in the a-frame to mount the sway bar, or would have to weld it to the a-frame. I don't like the idea of either.

So, I can go the cheap route, but hate it, or buy a new Andersen WD hitch which I would like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidc (Post 11104)
Good luck with your RV and I wouldn't worry a whole lot about buying a new WD hitch, they really only help "stabalize" the trailer with the tow vehicle... If you are buying in an attempt to "fix" any issues you have with your tow vehicle - DON'T!!!

Fix what is wrong with your TV or buy a "bigger"? one...

If you have ever seen a vehicle towing a trailer and the back end of the tow vehicle is sagging like it's got a lot of weight in it... that's what a WDH is for. It should help "raise" the back end of the tow vehicle and the front end of the trailer to a more "level" look.

This will help with "sway" because the front tires of the TV (tow vehicle) are not "off the ground".

Ultimately, if this is a serious problem for the TV, you really need to look at what rating your vehicle has for towing, tounge weight, rear suspension condition (did you opt for the "el cheapo" shocks last time?)... If you did go with the "el cheapo" route, that was fine before you started towing something that weighs in at ~4,000lbs+... But now it's not...

If your TV "sags" more than a couple of inches when you hook up the trailer, NO hitch in the world is going to fix what's really wrong, it will just "mask" the real issues...

And make you a hazard on the road for your friends and family and other peoples friends and famiiles...

Your truck should be fine (9300lb limit) and the WDH he gave you should work great. I wouldn't waste my money on a new one if I was you... Just make sure you have a good set of shocks on your truck and check out your suspension and what not on your truck... no broken sway bar links and such...


JMDoering 03-25-2012 05:00 PM

Hi Atlee,

I agree with you regarding the importance of a good WD hitch system. Without a WD hitch, I wouldn't pull our trailer any further than to the first hitch store I could find that had WD systems for sale!

Pulling our 2704T we've never had any big issues with fishtailing, but because my wife had a scary experience years back with a different trailer, sway prevention is important for her to be comfortable while driving.

So after looking around and researching a number of different WD/anti-sway hitch systems, I decided to spend a bit more and get an Equalizer 4-Point Sway Control WD hitch. Their web site is at: Equal-i-zer Hitch - The “American Original” with 4-Point Sway Control and Weight Distribution
The neat thing about this design is that the torsion bars also serve as anti-sway bars. No need to drill extra holes in the A-frame to mount a ball for the anti-sway friction bar. Nor do you have anything (like a conventional anti-sway bar) to take off when making sharp turns while parking or positioning the trailer.

Last year we put nearly 6,000 miles on the trailer with this hitch system. I like it so much, over the other trunnion and the bent-bar systems I've used in the past, that I'll never go back!

Jim

jcurtis95 03-25-2012 05:32 PM

Wdh
 
When we bought our Hi Lo last summer, it did not come with a WDH. We went to an estate sale in Comfort, TX and lo and behold, there was a weight distributing hitch for sale. I know how much they cost and this one wasn't priced so I asked the owner how much? He shot back $25! I looked casually back at him and asked where the bars were. He didn't have them but I bought the hitch for $12! I found the rods complete with chains at Advance Automotive for less than $125 and delivered to my door. You can find the complete setup on Ebay and they go for around $400+. Anyone needing the steel rods should try Advance Automotive.

Jerry Curtis
2406 T

davidc 03-25-2012 09:51 PM

I see them all the time on CL in the $150 - $250 range...


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