Mobile Homes...

[kenmac]

Since 1976 I've lived in a 1973 14x65, Flamingo mobile home. They must have named it a Flamingo, because it was best suited for life in the tropics. The walls are 2x4 on 16" centers. I replaced the aluminum siding with building wrap, and Duratemp, T111, 4x8 sheets. The roof has been redone with a rubberized system, all windows converted to double pane. I paid $2400.00 for the mobile, and have spent about $12,000 in upgrades.

The home is comfy cozy, and receives loads of compliments. Best part of the whole thing, annual property tax is less than $30.00, a huge savings compared to homes in the area assessed at a minimum of over $2500.00 per year. With the money I save, I continue to make modes upgrades at my leisure, and the taxes always go down because it is a lowly house trailer. I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

While I don't live in 1, I have no problem with them , and may consider 1 for my next home. Being a plumber /Hvac owner, I'm in and around stick built homes and businesses all the time.. Believe me. Short cuts are taken all the time. Living in a MH you always have the option to up grade at any time. Just move out the old and move a new 1 in. You'll have no permit fees for hvac, plumbing, electrical, final etc,etc, which can run in the thousands. They may not be worth what you paid for it but, since the fall of the housing market, my home isn't worth what it cost to build

 

[mjarrels]

Use to be a funny web sight on why they are called mobile homes.

mark

 

[Bird]

The roof has been redone with a rubberized system

We've had RVs with the rubber roof, and a lot of years ago, my parents had an older mobile home on the Texas coast and one of my brothers and I put a rubber roof on it.

It seemed to me that the vast majority of the "problems" with mobile homes were the result of a lack of a foundation; re-leveling is common.

When we bought our place out in the country, we wanted that place for a number of reasons; cheap price, 40 x 60 shop, 30 x 40 barn, a dozen pecan trees, 2 big plum trees, etc., but it also had an old ragged 14 x 70 mobile home and a terrible septic system. I had a lot of work to do to make the place livable for a couple of years until we could have an aerobic septic system installed and have that old mobile home moved out and a new doublewide moved in.

Now maybe a site built house would have escalated in value; I don't know. But when we sold that 10 acre place, with a 5 year old double wide, I sold it for almost exactly the amount I had put into it.

Having now owed and lived in one doublewide and 3 single wides, I wouldn't hesitate to own or live in one, but only if a full concrete slab was poured for a foundation.

 

[TnAndy]

None of these would be much more money, probably less than $500 per home

Yeah, BUT.....figure 1,000 units/yr times $500, and then you see why they do it.

All manufacturers save every nickle they can, but the mobile home industry has cheap down to an art form.

 

[dave1949]

We've had RVs with the rubber roof, and a lot of years ago, my parents had an older mobile home on the Texas coast and one of my brothers and I put a rubber roof on it.

Our old MH had a "rubberized roof." It was about 10 old tires spread out on the roof to keep it from galloping in the wind. :laughing:

That trailer was beat when we bought it though, and it did provide a home while we saved-up to build on the 2 acre lot. I thought it was a huge improvement over raising a two-year-old in an upstairs apartment in town.

 

[kenmac]

I wouldn't say that MH's are less expensive than stick built because of cutting corners. I would say they cost less because, in a stick built home you have to pay the builder his fees, all the subs cost more HVAC, Plumbing, electrical, concrete , brick/ block mason, permit fees for all of these subs, etc,. With the exception of the concrete and brick/block. the HVAC , Plumbing and electrical are done to code all at the MH factory. The HVAC, Plumber, electrical, etc, people at the MH factory ,most likely don't make what the Hvac, Plumber, electrical, cabinet maker, etc, would make in the private sector.

 

[Bird]

Our old MH had a "rubberized roof." It was about 10 old tires spread out on the roof to keep it from galloping in the wind.

I don't think I've seen that in several years now, but it used to be very common.

 

[kenmac]

I don't think I've seen that in several years now, but it used to be very common.

Most MH's these days are either shingle or metal roofs

 

[Bird]

Most MH's these days are either shingle or metal roofs

Those that used the old tires were metal roofs, and they could make lots of popping noises in the wind. But yes, our last single wide had a composition shingle roof.

 

[dave1949]

Those that used the old tires were metal roofs, and they could make lots of popping noises in the wind. But yes, our last single wide had a composition shingle roof.

I don't remember exactly what model year that MH was, probably mid to late 60's. We bought it 1976 from a family that had out-grown it.

Most of the older mobile homes around here have had gable roofs added-on over them. Some are pretty extensive add-ons with covered decks, carports and such.