Hi-Lo trailers are famous among the American population for camping due to their telescopic design. These have two hard-shelled pieces that pop over each other. You can make them smaller and larger by using hydraulic jacks.
Common problems with Hi-Lo trailer include the absence of upper cabinetry, roof sagging, heavy and expensive, broken curtain clips, leakage in the hydraulic system, and cheap tires. Moreover, its backup camera is not installed correctly, and exterior lights do not work.
People are reluctant to buy them because of their jacking system, which is more prone to failure. In addition, these increase wind resistance and decrease fuel mileage because of their specific design.
| Hi-Lo Trailer Problems | Solutions |
| Absence of upper cabinetry | Use cabinet organizers |
| Roof sagging | Add support |
| Heavy and expensive | Reduce accessories |
| Leakage in the hydraulic system | Add hydraulic fluid |
| Cheap tires | Replace wheels |
| Trailers exterior lights not working | Check the wiring and bulbs of LED lights |
| Poor installation of backup camera | Reinstall the backup camera |
| Broken clips of curtains | Change the broken curtain clips |
Absence of upper cabinetry
These small trailers have fewer storage compartments and are unsuitable for large families. In addition, you cannot take more accessories with you during camping.
Moreover, people face issues storing foodstuffs, cloth, shoes, and other things because of the lack of upper cabinetry.
The absence of upper cabinets minimizes the storage area, and you cannot put things outside because it can make the interior messy.
The cabinets are only present on the lower side, and the walls are empty from the upper area. It is also challenging, time-consuming, and costly to install the new cabinets in the space.
You can fix the issue by minimizing your accessories for trips. In addition, you can use the wardrobe organizers to maximize the space.
Purchase the furnished shelves from the market and screws them on the walls using bolts.
Roof sagging
The roof of the Hi-Lo trailer is made of rubber material that becomes saggy after some time. You can see the sagging issue in some of its corners.
Most commonly, sagging occurs from the middle of the rubber roof. You can face this issue because of the constant water exposure in this area.
Moreover, unequal weight distribution on the roof makes this area saggy and begins to lean from the interior side.
The unequal weight distribution occurs when multiple things are on the floor without proper support.
Rubber also becomes loose when you park them in open areas and sunlight exposure. The heat from the sun makes the rubber seals flexible and causes sagging issues.
I mostly prefer to park the RVs in indoor and shady areas to protect their roof from heat and water-related damages.
In addition, you can fix the issue by removing the rubber seals from the affected sides and adding the plywood board for enough support.
Add the supporting plywood sheet on the roof for placement of different accessories and equal weight distribution.
Heavy and expensive
These trailers are heavy due to their manufacturing material and heavy exterior body panels. In addition, the presence of two compartments increases their weight.
The telescopic design makes them luxurious but makes the towing difficult due to increased weight. It also increases the effort of people to haul them.
You need high-quality torsion bars to tow these trailers because of their heavy weight. The weight also stresses the components of the towing vehicle and makes them faulty.
In addition, it consumes more diesel or gas when you haul them with pickup trucks. Therefore, many people think it is not economical due to their increased weight and less fuel economy.
These are comparatively more costly than traditional RVs because of their fancy design and luxurious appearance.
You can resolve the issue by decreasing their weight and minimizing the load of extra accessories. You can also select the used ones from the markets if you cannot afford new telescopic design trailers.
Leakage in the hydraulic system
The telescopic design of the Hi-Lo trailers is controlled by the hydraulic system that uses fluid to raise or lower the upper compartment.
You can make these trailers smaller and larger by using the electric system. However, fluid levels often become low due to leakage in the system, and you cannot raise or lower them smoothly.
The upper compartment gets stuck due to low hydraulic system fluid. The seals of the hydraulic system are sensitive to the type of fluid.
Seals can break when you use incompatible and cheaper fluid for this system. the wires and cables used for their up and down movements become faulty.
In addition, the hydraulic system does not work when buttons become faulty or break. However, you can resolve the problem by adding fluid to the jacking system.
Always use the correct fluid for the hydraulic system to it cannot damage the seals.
Cheap tires
The factory-installed tires in these RVs are of poor quality and blow out when you drive several miles. As a result, many people complain that they have to change the tires 3 to 4 times during one or two trips.
These are smaller in size and have thin surfaces that cannot bear the weight of the amenities.
The company added cheap tires because it can decrease the RVs’ cost, and they benefit from it.
These can also disturb their stability because of poor tread surface and more friction on the road. You can fix the issue by removing these tires and selecting high-quality ones from the market.
Add thick and larger tires with better quality that provide more support and can hold the weight.
Trailer exterior lights not working
Trailers contain exterior lights to avoid accidents and increase their visibility at night. These are mostly LED nights that take power from the batteries.
Moreover, the exterior lights also make them look appealing at night. You can also turn them on when you stay in dark places on the road for enough light.
Sometimes these exterior LED lights stop functioning because of their poor wiring and insufficient power supply from the battery sources.
These lights vary in number according to the length of the trailers. Many times, some of these lights are working while others remain off.
The issue occurs due to a blown-out fuse or bulb of these specific lights. As a result, the heat and UV rays cause damage to these LED light bulbs.
In addition, poor sealing and entrance of water damage the LED outside bulbs and make them faulty.
You can resolve the problem by checking the faulty bulbs and blown-out fuse. It is also better to inspect the batteries to ensure the power supply.
Poor installation of backup camera
Backup cameras are on the rear side of these trailers, so you can see the back view on the screen for easy parking and reducing collisions.
The backup cameras are not installed properly and are near the license plate. As a result, people face issues reversing and parking in crowded places because of the poor backup view.
These are lower to the ground, and mud from the roads comes on their lens. In addition, small dust and rock chips produce scratches on their surface.
The improper and faulty installation of backup cameras is the manufacturing fault, and you can also complain the customer service about this issue.
Moreover, you can also resolve the problem by removing them from the lower side and installing it on the upper side of the RV for a better view and prevention from dust and rock chips.
Broken clips of curtains
The curtains are present in the bathrooms to separate the toilet from the bathing area. These RVs do not have separate shower area and is attached to the toilet.
The curtains separate the bathroom area so you can set them while bathing for privacy. The curtains are attached to the roads using plastic clips so you can move in all directions.
These clips can break down due to their age and cheaper material. In addition, the curtain clips also break when you move the curtains hard.
The steam from the showers and heat from the water makes the plastic clips brittle and increase the risk of breaking.
The broken clips cause sagging of the curtains from that specific area. You can fix it by reinstalling the plastic clips to protect against the sagging issue.
In addition, you can also install steel clips for fastening curtains on rods, which also last longer.
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