Top on my 2511 with tilt out isn’t getting quite high enough for tilt out to clear and swing out

[Exbert]

My HiLo 2511 with tilt out for couch/bed is not getting quite high enough for the tilt out to clear the wood frame, and it is rubbing on top frame when it is pushed out. The top needs to go up just another inch or so to clear and swing out without rubbing. What can I do to adjust the height?

My 2511 Hilo is in San Diego and Imperial County—for the next few months we are at the duck club. I have had service done when needed for regular trailer service at El Centro RV, but I’m not aware of any trailer/RV shops in the area that know anything about HiLo lift system and how to service.

 

[Exbert]

My HiLo 2511 with tilt out for couch/bed is not getting quite high enough for the tilt out to clear the wood frame, and it is rubbing on top frame when it is pushed out. The top needs to go up just another inch or so to clear and swing out without rubbing. What can I do to adjust the height?

My 2511 Hilo is in San Diego and Imperial County—for the next few months we are at the duck club. I have had service done when needed for regular trailer service at El Centro RV, but I’m not aware of any trailer/RV shops in the area that know anything about HiLo lift system and how to service.

 

[JackandJanet]

Hello, It sounds to me like your height adjustment is off or, possibly your hydraulic fluid for the lifting mechanism is low. Is the safety bar engaging when you raise the top? If not, that's a sure sign that the top lifting height isn't working out right.

If the top was raising properly in the past, you may just need to add some fluid to the hydraulic reservoir. It should be within 1" of the top of the reservoir WITH THE TOP DOWN. This is kinda hard to check. I use a bent straw as a kind of "dipstick" that I can put in under the lid of the tongue to check it. If you have to add fluid use ONLY Dexron II, III, or IV. DO NOT use Dexron V or VI and don't use any other grade.

If you find it too hard to check the fluid level, you can always just add some with the top up and then see if the motor will lift it further. If you add too much, the excess will simply spill out the top of the reservoir when you lower the top, making a mess, but doing no damage.

Now, if the fluid level is not the problem, you may need to adjust the lifting cable lengths. The adjusting bolts are in front of the street side front wheel and are in the frame. Your owner's manual tells you how to adjust them. Don't shorten the cables too much! You only want to raise the top so that the bulb seal meets the "lip" on the lower half when the top is up.

Get used to doing this kind of service yourself. Repair shops do not understand HiLos and will generally screw things up if they work on them.

- Jack

 

[Exbert]

Hello, It sounds to me like your height adjustment is off or, possibly your hydraulic fluid for the lifting mechanism is low. Is the safety bar engaging when you raise the top? If not, that's a sure sign that the top lifting height isn't working out right.

If the top was raising properly in the past, you may just need to add some fluid to the hydraulic reservoir. It should be within 1" of the top of the reservoir WITH THE TOP DOWN. This is kinda hard to check. I use a bent straw as a kind of "dipstick" that I can put in under the lid of the tongue to check it. If you have to add fluid use ONLY Dexron II, III, or IV. DO NOT use Dexron V or VI and don't use any other grade.

If you find it too hard to check the fluid level, you can always just add some with the top up and then see if the motor will lift it further. If you add too much, the excess will simply spill out the top of the reservoir when you lower the top, making a mess, but doing no damage.

Now, if the fluid level is not the problem, you may need to adjust the lifting cable lengths. The adjusting bolts are in front of the street side front wheel and are in the frame. Your owner's manual tells you how to adjust them. Don't shorten the cables too much! You only want to raise the top so that the bulb seal meets the "lip" on the lower half when the top is up.

Get used to doing this kind of service yourself. Repair shops do not understand HiLos and will generally screw things up if they work on them.

- Jack

Thank you. I will start with checking the fluid level when next at the trailer. Hopefully, that will be it. I’m betting, however, that it is the cable length. The safety bar catch is working.
Will report back with what I learn. Great advice.
Jim

 

[SAM 3]

DH says adjust your cables.. Look for the 1990 Manual in the library. It should give written instructions on adjusting the cables. DH has had to do this on our 1996 26ft. Classic. The cupboard in the BR lacked clearance to fully open up.

 

[Exbert]

Thanks. I will look for the manual.

 

[JackandJanet]

If you shorten the cables, it's a 1:1 ratio, by which I mean: If you need to lift the top 1", you would move the adjusting bolt out 1". Again don't raise it more than what is necessary to make the bulb seal "meet" the lip. You can take the interior trim strip off the top inside of the lower half to make it easier to see the bulb seal. It's just held on with screws. Additionally, taking that strip off makes it easy to inspect the cable where it goes over the top pulley. It tends to fray and rust there, so that is a point that needs yearly lubrication.

There is also another problem that acts like "cable stretch", but it's actually a weakness in the way the cables are attached to the lower edge of the top half. Basically, the cables can "cut in" to the frame there which allows the top to settle lower. You can see this kind of damage in this thread: Front Cable Damage to Top All you have to do is look under the edge of the top half and inspect the attachment points. The cable should not cut in to the beam there. If it does, you should fix it like I did in Post 5 of this thread: Adjusting cables to get even lift and full height Don't leave this damage unrepaired! It will just get worse and will eventually cause MAJOR damage.

- Jack

 

[Lwwilltravel with wife]

is the pat you referring to rubbing in the center at where the wench is?
reason I am asking because ours hit that center peace sometimes and I know others did the same. I just cut out the part of the wood across the top of the tip out. this is what I did to miss the center section. I cannot take the other section as camper is in garage in down position

 

[RCREYES]

My HiLo 2511 with tilt out for couch/bed is not getting quite high enough for the tilt out to clear the wood frame, and it is rubbing on top frame when it is pushed out. The top needs to go up just another inch or so to clear and swing out without rubbing. What can I do to adjust the height?

My 2511 Hilo is in San Diego and Imperial County—for the next few months we are at the duck club. I have had service done when needed for regular trailer service at El Centro RV, but I’m not aware of any trailer/RV shops in the area that know anything about HiLo lift system and how to service.

Search the half creep procedure. The top may be settling a bit.

 

[SAM 3]

Correction the directions for tipping the HiLo to lube the cable are not in the manual.

 

[Exbert]

Hello, It sounds to me like your height adjustment is off or, possibly your hydraulic fluid for the lifting mechanism is low. Is the safety bar engaging when you raise the top? If not, that's a sure sign that the top lifting height isn't working out right.

If the top was raising properly in the past, you may just need to add some fluid to the hydraulic reservoir. It should be within 1" of the top of the reservoir WITH THE TOP DOWN. This is kinda hard to check. I use a bent straw as a kind of "dipstick" that I can put in under the lid of the tongue to check it. If you have to add fluid use ONLY Dexron II, III, or IV. DO NOT use Dexron V or VI and don't use any other grade.

If you find it too hard to check the fluid level, you can always just add some with the top up and then see if the motor will lift it further. If you add too much, the excess will simply spill out the top of the reservoir when you lower the top, making a mess, but doing no damage.

Now, if the fluid level is not the problem, you may need to adjust the lifting cable lengths. The adjusting bolts are in front of the street side front wheel and are in the frame. Your owner's manual tells you how to adjust them. Don't shorten the cables too much! You only want to raise the top so that the bulb seal meets the "lip" on the lower half when the top is up.

Get used to doing this kind of service yourself. Repair shops do not understand HiLos and will generally screw things up if they work on them.

- Jack

I found the problem. The flexible hose that runs from the hydraulic reservoir to the ram (about 15 foot run on my HiLo 2511) is cracked almost in two pieces. What kind of hose do I need and dimensions? It looks like a typical poly hose.

 

[JackandJanet]

Yes, a polypropylene hose would probably work, but I'd probably try PEX tubing. I looked online and found that nitrile tubing was recommended for hydraulic fluids, but I don't know if it is clear or where you might find it. The hose carries NO pressure, it's just a return line so anything that isn't degraded by petroleum should work. As far as dimensions go, just try to match the hose you are replacing.

- Jack

 

[Exbert]

It looks like Home Depot sells the hose. Will take it to the local store to try to match it all up. Hopefully they have fittings, but if not, I should be able to reuse the fitting that connects to the reservoir/pump end.

 

[Exbert]

Of course, i need to make sure I put the washers and metal piece in the correct order. I pulled them off the broken tube and didn’t pay attention to the order they came off. If anyone can telll me what order to reinstall the washers and metal piece, that would be a great help.
Next up will be replenishing the hydraulic fluid, and I assume bleeding all the air out of the new tubing. That should be easy enough with two people—one to run the pump and the other to be on the end of the tube that connects to the ram. At least I used the time under the trailer here at my duck club camp to clean and lube the cables and pulleys, and ram. Fingers crossed I can “easily” get then new tubing in place. Query: how much fluid am I going to need? It’s looking like several quarts….

 

[JackandJanet]

You DO NOT need to "bleed" the tubing! It is a return line and the only time it has fluid in it is when the top is coming down. The rest of the time, it WILL be full of air. This tubing is NOT the pressure tubing that is used to raise the top. And, even if the pressure tubing gets a bit of air in it, that will all go away with your normal raising and lowering.

As far as the quantity, you need whatever it takes to fill the reservoir to within 1" of the top of the filler tube with the top down. You have to fashion a bent dipstick to measure this - I've used a plastic straw, and, a length of wire in the past. Use a flexible tube with a funnel to fill the reservoir with the top down. Use ONLY Dexron II, III, or IV! Don't use higher Dexron numbers and don't use any other kind of fluid!

- Jack

 

[Exbert]

is the pat you referring to rubbing in the center at where the wench is?
reason I am asking because ours hit that center peace sometimes and I know others did the same. I just cut out the part of the wood across the top of the tip out. this is what I did to miss the center section. I cannot take the other section as camper is in garage in down position

Yes. I may do that as well, but first I have to fix (replace) the failed hydraulic supply connector tube from the reservoir/pump to the ram. Just discovered that problem this weekend.

 

[Exbert]

Yes, a polypropylene hose would probably work, but I'd probably try PEX tubing. I looked online and found that nitrile tubing was recommended for hydraulic fluids, but I don't know if it is clear or where you might find it. The hose carries NO pressure, it's just a return line so anything that isn't degraded by petroleum should work. As far as dimensions go, just try to match the hose you are replacing.

- Jack

Okay. I was afraid it was a supply hose not a return line. I will see what I can find locally.

 

[Exbert]

You DO NOT need to "bleed" the tubing! It is a return line and the only time it has fluid in it is when the top is coming down. The rest of the time, it WILL be full of air. This tubing is NOT the pressure tubing that is used to raise the top. And, even if the pressure tubing gets a bit of air in it, that will all go away with your normal raising and lowering.

As far as the quantity, you need whatever it takes to fill the reservoir to within 1" of the top of the filler tube with the top down. You have to fashion a bent dipstick to measure this - I've used a plastic straw, and, a length of wire in the past. Use a flexible tube with a funnel to fill the reservoir with the top down. Use ONLY Dexron II, III, or IV! Don't use higher Dexron numbers and don't use any other kind of fluid!

- Jack

Thanks, Jack. Very helpful.

 

[Exbert]

Thanks, Jack. Very helpful.

Jack, sorry to keep bothering you with my return hose questions. But, if you know, what order do I need to set up the washers and metal ring on the supp[y hose hooking it up again to the reservoir? I am attaching here a photo i took of the washers and metal compression ring. I confess to pulling them off the old broken hose without taking a picture of the order they should be reinstalled. There is a real small washer and a bigger washer that fit inside the cap that screws onto the reservoir fitting. I don’t know if the metal compression ring goes right up against the reservoir fitting, or instead is on the outside of the two rubber washers up against the screw on cap? I couldn’t find a parts diagram in my HiLo owners’ manual.

 

[JackandJanet]

I think you forgot to attach the picture, but I don't really have any ideas concerning the order. I'm sure though, as you reassemble the fitting, that one order will make more sense than any other. I don't think it's critical. The hose just has to not "fall off" and there should be reasonable protection against leakage.

- Jack