Posted by lando on September 11, 2011 at 07:41:39:
Setting a mobile home
Well last few weeks I got a 1985 14X 60 and moved a 12X60, So I had to set them up. The 14X60 came from 150 miles away so I hired it torn down, and gotten ready to haul.
I don’t like to travel to far to do a teardown, if you forget one thing it makes it no fun.
I only had to make the one trip for the 1985 14 wide, which was the first inspection and purchase agreement. I told the seller if he would get me a prepaid tax receipt, and a paid rent receipt and the title, for an agreed upon price we had a deal. I gave him a deposit and the next week met him half way and gave him the money and he gave me that stuff and the title.
The 12X60 was already ours but was being moved to an empty site that was too small for a 14 wide, and has been empty for years. We put the 14 wide where the 12X60 was.
So I called the set up guys and asked them if they wanted to tear the 14 wide house down, I had measured the axles, 96 inches, so he told me sure 600 bucks plus 800 for the trucking.
He later lowered the trucking to 550 because I had a second tow (the 12 wide).
Anyway the mystery of house set up: all the blocks are being set where they need to be by the helpers while I got out a gallon of rv antifreeze, because it is red, and I got out my 100 foot 3/8 clear vinyl hose with a magnet taped on one end, and siphoned the antifreeze through it, and worked out all the bubbles. This takes longer than setting the blocks!
I then figured out where I want the bottom of the frame, and set the water left in the gallon jug to the right elevation. I already had put one 4" 16X16 block down, and the plastic vapor barrier, and one 8X8X16 blocks to hold down the plastic.
We then need to have available a half block or two , and a 2X6 wood block or two, and a set of wood wedges ready.
I am getting to old to jack those things, so I splurged and bought a couple of air jacks, and so I put them right in front of the front axle.
If the house wasn’t high enough to clear the stacks on the side I would have jacked it up a little.
This time the house is a little higher than I want it, so I just leave it where it is and set the level of every stack with the water level, going down the whole side, using the wooden wedges. At each set I put the magnet end of the hose to the frame near the stacks, and let the level come up to neutral and set the blocking and wedges to the red water. After the blocks are set, I have the tires removed on that side and if there is not much more than 4 inches to lower it, I then lower down which in this case is what I did. The house lowers down onto all the stacks and is the house is perfectly level on that side.
Next I do the same on the other side and lower it down!
Then I point and click at the helpers, telling them to remove the axles, set the strapping tie downs and the outer edge blocking. I like to use a green wood foundation block on the outside edge so I can nail a 1X4 to it so we can install steel skirting. The plastic skirting is trash for rentals, it gets holes from the weed eaters.
It is all done in a day!