Consumer Reports points out common weak spots surveyed and recommends that buyers hire a home inspector.
- Price: $15-$70K; 15 million in U.S.;
- "mobile homes" aka "manufactured housing" per the industry - confused with modulars & panelized.
- single mobile home vs. double-wide trailers (specs)
- single wide mobile homes
- typical 1000 sq ft, $24,000.,
- more problems with floors, roofs, windows, doors
- multi-wide mobile homes, double wide trailers, popout trailers and manufactured homes
- typical 1600 sq ft, $43,000.
- more problems with joining of the sections
- 1x lumber and siding "trailer" construction vs. more recent
- land often not-owned; rented 50% of the time
Fire Safety Defects in Mobile Homes
- Electrical - aluminum wiring, owner-modified or otherwise unsafe wiring
- Heating, flues, chimneys
- Safety Exits - doors and push-out windows; unsafe steps and rails at entry doors;
- Smoke detectors critical - short exit time for this construction
STRUCTURAL & SAFETY DEFECTS
- Movement (impacts electrical & flues)
- Storm Damage
- Floor Collapse (particle board, exterior & plumbing leaks)
- Mobile home & manufactured home tie-downs - to secure the structure against wind damage
OTHER COMMON MOBILE HOME & TRAILER DEFECTS
- Roof leaks
- Leaks at windows and doors (photo at left)
- Plumbing leaks
- Heating systems not maintained, possibly unsafe
- Rot and insect damage at points of leakage into walls and floors
- Wet or contaminated crawl areas, especially where enclosed
Mobile Homes and Manufactured Housing Labels & Certifications
- INSTALLATION MANUAL - For new/recent mobile home, every manufacturer is required to provide instructions on site preparation, installation and anchoring.
- Manufacturer's CERTIFYING LABEL - on rear section outside or near the main entry door, HUD Insignia
- DATA PLATE - near the main electrical panel or other visible & accessible location (under sink for many manufactured homes): name of mfg., serial and HUD ID, zone information (see Structure discussion)
- DAMAGE DURING TRANSPORT: if the unit was damaged during transport it no longer conforms to the standards and should not be accepted by the code official;
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