What to watch for in a used HiLo? New shopper
 

I am new to the forum, and my wife and I are shopping to upgrade from our popup camper. We are going to look at a used HiLo this weekend. We don't know the exact model, but it's a 1984 21' model (which I think makes it a FunChaser?).

At any rate, the price seems reasonable ($2800) for its condition (kept inside most of its life, 1 year old air and heat, newish tires)- assuming that the condition is as advertised and it looks as good as the pictures.

So here are the questions:
1. Is that a good price?
2. What are the "trouble spots" to look for in a unit this old?

It also comes with a weight distribution hitch and sway bars...

Thanks in advance!

Russ Tidwell
Kansas

Welcome to the forum!
 

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)

NADA guide is still available for that year. The quote is usually a little bit high.
https://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/1984/Hi-Lo

What to look for in a used unit.
 

Call the owner ahead of your visit and tell him that you want the ref. to be on propane one day ahead of your visit. Tell him ir will be a fairly long time you will need to check the trailer out. Have him fill the water tank and run all faucets and check for leaks. Bring a ladder and actually crawl up on the roof. Rubber roofs can develop tears,soft spots. Aluminum roofs can develop pitted holes. Many have encountered this. Lift up the front rock shield to see if it is in good condition. Roofs and refrigerators cost lots of $. Print out the check list and take it with you as well as the additional items i have listed. If the owner objects to the roof inspection or your gut tells something isn't right then "run" away. On older units like this all the windows need to be taken out and resealed at a cost of about $18.00. This should be done if the unit is ten years old. Butyl tape is a better sealer that wasn't available yrs. ago. This is a do it your self job,just a couple of hrs. per window. Crawl underneath the trailer and check the black and grey tank for evidence of cracks/leaks. Check for excessive amts. of rust. Are the leaf springs cracked. If so it will cost $500.00. From what you describe it sounds like a nice unit. Best of luck. Let us know how it all turns out. Make sure you tow vehicle can handle the wt. of the trailer. Read your tow vehicle manual.

thanks
 

Thanks for the replies, so far. Keep them coming!

We have an appointment to see the camper. We already have plans to check over all the appliances and go through the check list. The dry weight of the camper is well within our towing ability, but we made arrangements to hook on a pull it a little just to be sure.

In terms of the water systems...the camper is already winterized. I'm going to do a good visual check of the tanks, but short of having them take it out of winterized mode, and then having to redo that after (either the current owners, or us, depending)- that seems like a lot to go through.

If I understand winterizing a camper correctly (my parents are long time TT owners), if it's winterized, that means that the system is pressured up with rv antifreeze in the lines. If it's done that way, the opinion I got from Dad, and what makes sense to me, is that there's no need to run water and check all the lines. Does that sound right?

If it wasn't winterized that way, and it just had the lines blown out with air, then I'll definitely run some water and check things carefully.

I don't want to blow this buy- We have enjoyed our popup, but i got to do a lot of work on it after we bought it because I didn't know what to look for. I'm not afraid of work, and I know that with an older unit, there will be some, but I want to avoid massive rebuilding!

Thanks, again, for your answers

rt

Personally, I think that any defects in the plumbing are pretty easy to repair if necessary.

Winterizing doesn't mean the system stays pressurized. It just means all the lines and drains are either blown out or are full of anti-freeze.

I think you could probably see any evidence of a tank leak during your inspection unless the seller is really a sleeze and has cleaned it off without repairing it.

About the only semi-major plumbing item you can't check if it's winterized is the hot water tank. The pump is less than $100 as I recall.

I'd be more concerned with water damage through leaks in the roof or around windows, that would cause you to have to rebuild the top. Or, problems with the lift system that cause it to be inoperative. These problems can be a major job to fix.

- Jack