Looking to buy!
 

Hi All from 90+100!~ Florida

Getting ready to look at a couple of 20004-05 27T's. No problem with TV (Detroit V-blocks) and experienced. Want to downsize a bit and like the Hi Lo's and possibly the Trailmanors. (Do wish both were still in current production). I see the specs & weights in NADA & this forum; very helpful.

Please give me personal feedback on the lite series and your plusses & minuses. And, if so inspired, some "short" opinions between the 2 brands if you have had experienced both.

Now.... let me get my umbrella and get ready for another Florida 90 degree, 100% humidity day!! :)

( Great forum Here Guys!! ) Thanks for having me!!!

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)

Negatives on hi lo include their weight. They are heavier than they look and take a larger tv than most people suspect. Tongue weight is high. However, combined with low profile I find the weight to be a PLUS when faced with big fast tracks coming by or high winds. Hi los go up and down faster than trail manors. Trail manors you must move walls around inside etc. I also don't like the recirculating toilets in trail manors. Trail manors have more room once they are up and assembled. I have not owned or used a trail manor but have been in them and have witnessed the " demonstrations". I find the build quality impressive on hi los.

Rick

Nice! Is the hitch ball 2" or 2 5/16" ?? I'll be looking at a 27T tomorrow and want to be prepared!

Thanks, Mark

People have reported both. My 22 ft is 2" but I think some go larger depending on size and year.

The ball size is 2 5/16 make sure you also use a WDH and brake controller

Mspaff, Welcome to the forum. I have a 2003 27' with the tip out. Ball size IS 2 5/16" and I agree with the WDH. Plenty of knowledge here. If you do pick up a Hi Lo, suggest you watch the videos on this forum, lots of info, which may lead to more questions.
Tree

Owning only hilo trailers I might be a little bias
Hilo trailers tow nicer because of the dual axle
All trailmanors have single axles
Hilos have better cabinet space and windows in front of the kitchen sinks
Hilos have a true bubble seal between the two halfs
All trailmanors use cloth material and Velcro strips to seal the two halfs
Hilos have larger holding tanks than trailmanors
You will need a full size truck to tow a 27 hilo
Good luck on getting the hilo
A couple of items that I have added towing ours:
Larger transmission cooler
Larger charging line to the trailer so you run the refrigerator on 12 volts and charge the batteries
Because of the length of the trailer I would a sway control on the WDH if it doesn't have one built into it

Welcome to the forum.
 

Two people in our HiLo camping club have owned Trail Manors. They got rid of them because they leaked. The Trail Manor was so bad to set up that our HiLo dealer refuses to take Trail Manor in on a trade. Trail Manor has a forum that you might want to take a look at. Hope the HiLo you are going to lookat works out for you. Many of the parts on a HiLo are readily available from RV places or on the internet. Even the parts of the lift system are available from J%R or Midget in OHIO. Keep us posted.

Well I looked at the 2 Hi Lo's today... Not good. Insides showed evidence of leaks. Ledge moldings were soft or covered up with chinchy and on moldings. New interior ceiling panel added to the bed room area (2005 27T) which covered up rusty hinges. Delimitation of exterior, doors that do not close or line up properly. Sure they were cheap @ $8,000, but I wouldn't have given him that for both of them!

Thanks for the tips & I'll keep looking. I'll also check the Trailmanor forum for leaks. Spent some time there and didn't read about that. Will specifically look this time!

Don't let the water damage of two hilos rid you of the brand
The good used ones are out there

Check out the Hi-Lo's for sale in the trading post at the bottom of the forum. Got a few in there

Keep looking
 

Keep looking. One will come available in camp ready condition.

Mspaff, I can't say that I have "experienced" both the Hi-Lo Classic AND the Hi-Lo Towlite. But we looked very closely at the specifications for both. We bought our 2009 25-foot Hi-Lo Classic new directly from the factory in Ohio in November 2009. It was one of the last three Classics the Hi-Lo Company made before they decided to shut their doors in July 2010.

Here are some of the differences in the specs between the two models: Classic beam width 8'3" Towlite beam width 7'9"; Classic inside headroom is greater than the Towlite (check our forum library with brochures to determine exactly the difference); Classic's outside end caps are made of heavy duty fiberglass and Towlite's outside end caps are made of a plastic-type of material; Classic's original furniture upholstery is made of heavy duty material and Towlite's original upholstery is of a lesser grade; as a standard feature, Classic came with a manual override to lift the top half of the camper in case, for some reason, the battery went south (we have used this feature at least once and glad we had it) and in the Towlite this was an option you had to purchase separately; Classic is heavier than the Towlite.

If you check the specifications set up as a table in each Towlite and Classic brochure in this forum's library, there will be other differences. The point I need to make is that if you find a Towlite that you like, then you need to check to make sure the camper when purchased new has been added and outfitted with all "options" you require (don't assume those options were standard when the camper was originally purchased new).

Dee
Summerville, SC
Classic 2509 Hi-Lo

One other point, when the model year and the condition of the two Hi-Los are the same, the Hi-Lo Classic as a general rule will be more expensive than the Hi-Lo Towlite.

Dee

Hi; Welcome to the forum. HiLo IS back in production, starting out with only a 16'. Same lift system. Try HiLotrailer.com for more info. Trailmanor is still in production. I looked at them but would not have one.