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Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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Posted by jackofalltrades_1956 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 19, 08 at 19:51
| I am near the point of purchasing a manufactured home and have narrowed the choices down to the following brands not necessarily in this order: Silver Crest, Skyline, Karsten, Fleetwood, Clayton, Golden West, Kit Homes. I think Fleetwood is at the bottom of the list as the local plant #17 in Woodland Calif. has been decertified by HUD several times over the last few years (Currently decertified). Any one have experiences with any of these brands? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Yes, I would nix Fleetwood and Clayton as well. My brother has a Clayton and it's very cheaply made. I live in an OakCreek, not Oakwood. It is made extremely well, not flimsy. We love this good built solid home. It's 2000 sq ft and our electric bills average $115; we are total electric too. My brother's Clayton is the same size and his electric bill is a whopping $400! His master bedroom is located at the far end of the house and he cannot heat the bedroom. The rooms closer to the heating unit are much warmer. But again, he didn't do any research when he chose that home, and he's paying for that too. When you walk in the front door of the ones on the lot, you will immediately feel quality or cheap. Go with your gut instincts. If the carpet is thin and cheap, so is the rest of the house! |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I live in a 14 by 60 single wide Clayton and love it! I bought it brand new and we've been living here going on 11 years. The only thing is that I wish we would of gotten a bigger one but at that time we thought we were only going to have one child but we now have two boys that have to share a small room. I think Claytons are built beautiful. We have looked into buying a bigger home but I am just not satisified with plain features.I love the pretty mirrors and fixtures. I haven't had problems with it being built cheaply. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| i have a 28 by 80 clayton and it seems well made. its 5 years old now. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| We bought a Skyline 1780 sq. ft. home a year ago and love it. It's very well built...just like a good stick built home. We built 3 stick built homes for ourselves before purchasing this one, so my husband was very knowlegable about what needs to go into a home and he was very pleased with the construction on this home. We had some upgrades, 4/12 pitch roof, larger tub in the master bath, added an extra pantry, more insulation in the ceiling and made some changes to the plan inside. We had an 8 ft. x 20 ft. covered front porch with pillars and a 2 car garage built onto it. It looks like the whole thing was built right here on the property. The price was very reasonable even with all the upgrades. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I would stay away from a Fleetwood for sure. I wouldn't even buy a Fleetwood doghouse. I used to have a 91 Champion and was very happy with it, but it also had a shingled roof vaulted ceilings with sheetrock and in 91 that was pretty high end on the mobile home specs. The top one I would look into and really take time to walk through before purchasing would be a Fuqua. I live in a stick built home and if I move again I am going with a Fuqua modular on a basement. I think they are hands down the best route to go than a stick built for the money unless you luck out with a top notch builder that is affordable. I walk into a Fuqua compared to other manufactured or modulars and its like BOOM night and day difference. Just something to consider |
Here is a link that might be useful: Fuqua Homes
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| We have just bought a Karsten. While I think it is a very nice home (haven't moved into it yet), it's the dealership, Homes Direct, who has caused all the problems. It's been a nightmare since day 1 and it still continues. I thought I had done a lot of homework and research, but it was not enough. I hope that others have not had the problems we have had. Be sure you keep in mind that the dealership is interested in only the money. They do not care if the order is incorrect when it goes to the factory for build. They do not care about you and they will show you no respect. It's the same as a used car salesman. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| we have lived in a 1300 square foot clayton for 15 years with no problems at all. built real nice. jeeper |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| We live in a 1998 Fleetwood and have had no major problems. It has settled and continues to do so. We are on a gravel "bed." Our front door is really out-of-whack. Even after we got it leveled, the front door is a mess. It does close, and it does lock, but when you look at it from the inside, the top just kind of slopes down. Other than that we haven't had any major problems |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Our 1855 sq ft DW was built by Liberty. We love our home. The manufacture let us make all kinds of changes to the house plan. We moved walls and added/enlarged windows. They had a "garage ready" option that meant one portion is covered in drywall so the garage can be built right on. We added a 24*50 foot garage/workshop. They upgraded our electrical system from 100 amps to 200, added extra insulation in the 6" exterior walls, and wrapped the exterior with OSB under the Hardyboard siding. They had all types of extra options available, providing you were willing to pay extra. |
Good Manufactured and Modular Homes
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| If you decide to go Modular, Penn Lyon in PA is way ahead of the game in their engineering designs. I have not purchased a home, but got to work with them on a project and was impressed with the quality of their engineering & designs. They are very innovative, constantly re-engineering their designs to use greener and stronger engineered woods and products. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Penn Lyon Homes-Built smarter-Built better
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Can any of you give me any information about Norris or New River Homes. We are looking to buy and we have found a really good deal on a new river and were wondering if any of you have any information on these two. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Our home is a patriot ..we bought the top of the line, made in Indiana..it is a double wide..a larger one but not the largest..we have it on a 5 block high crawl space.. we like it but did have cracks in the walls, some roof leaks and some problems with plumbing and elec..i think you are going to find some problems with ALL manufactured homes.. good luck |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| If you are tired of renting an apartment, or spending thousands of dollars on that condominium unit you can't own, then count yourself among the rest of humanity that finds security in owning something. Owning a home, after all, has its advantages: you have a place to call your own, and you don't have to worry about paying the rent, or suddenly not being able to pay it because of an unforeseen event. There are many options to consider when buying a home of your own. If you move around constantly and need to take a lot of things with you, then you may want to consider repossessed modular homes. Modular homes are yesterday's mobile homes, fitted to meet today's demanding work atmosphere. Can repossessed modular homes be for you? To understand the advantages of repossessed modular homes, it would pay to know the history of mobile homes. After the second world in the middle of the twentieth century, anticipation ran high, but budgets were low. Manufactured homes and housing projects burgeoned, allowing families to spend less when buying a house. With the advent of technology and the need to travel to make a living, these manufactured homes were fitted with wheels, making mobile homes a respectable way to own a house. Repossessed modular homes have their own advantages, and if you are interested in owning repossessed modular homes, then examine how it can be good for you. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Check It Out If You Can
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I guess I can put in my 2 cents worth. 7 years ago we purchased a double wide made by Hart. The company is based in Wakarusa Ind. We have been so pleased with the quality of this place. It was a repossessed home but who ever had it took great care of it ( they apparently had the home less than a year). We got it at considerable savings. The quality of the windows and walls, cabinets, countertops has really been a plus for us. We love it. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I've had a Fleetwood for 15 years and love it and have had no problems. All the bathroom equip is original and still working great. We did build a roof over it and added a screen porch. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| We took our time and walked through way to many homes. Finally bought a Fuqua. That was 11 years ago and we still like it very much. One reservation is make sure you really like the floor plan. It is hard to change once you have the home. We also had two friends buy Fuqua homes after us and based on our experience. They are happy also. One of these was a second home for elderly parents which worked very nicely for them. They put it on the same property with their home. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I live in a single wide 'Gatway High Rise'1990 model....and let me tell ya, the thing is built like a house. I'ts called a high rise because of 3 step up living room, the kitchen is next to that so therefore the kitchen has high ceiling. My floors are built like floors in a stick house....and the wall's are made with 2by4's too.I bet GateWay don't buld them like this anymore....one piece of advise...make sure you have plywood floors and not the presswood floors. My washerhose busted one morning while we both where at work. Hubby just happened to come home for something to find most of the house flooded.All the carpeting had to be torn out & believe me, the Insurance was a rip off...there priced what it would take to repair our damage but took away for depreciation...so needless to say we hardly was refunded monies to replace carpet and da da da...I never installed carpet back in here but bought lamenated flooring instead....another piece of advice...replace hoses on washer with the heavy duty kind.But am very happy with my home...have built top over the home and extended the roof for my front porch then screened it in...built a big back deck & screened that one too...year or so later added a step down lower deck and have a gold fish pond at that deck. All in all I love this place....the home has helt up wonderfuly....u know the ole saying....you get what u pay for!I have no dought I'll get my moneys worth and more outta my place. Happy hunting and good luck to you |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| My wife and I are about to become Snowbirds. We're looking at older manufactured homes in Central Florida. The community we want to buy into has a number of doublewides built in the mid 1980's...mostly Fleetwoods, Homes of Merit, and Nobility. Does anyone have opinions they would share regarding these brands (particularly for homes constructed in the mid '80s)? Many thanks for any information you may have. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I bought a used 2002 four seasons sectional and was surprised after doing research to see that it's built with 7/16 OSB throughout, 1/2 inch drywall/sheetrock throughout,and luan plywood behind the drywall to prevent cracking during transport and during settling. The company itself I believe is now bankrupt, but who cares. 2x6 exterior walls too. Got a good price on it and didn't see a single crack anywhere during my examination. Any other issues I can take care of myself. Pleased with what I got for the money. These components are what your typical stick built is constructed out of these days, except for the floor which is only 2x6 compared to stick builts which will be 2x8 or 2x10. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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We have a Ritz-Craft, built in PA, and have not had one problem with it. We did have the ceiling and floor joists beefed up, 30 year shingles, and dry walled. One thing I have noticed in MHs - in many of them of different manufacturers is that you can get ceiling cracks which seem to be affected with the weather. We had a slight one in our bathroom and with a stipple ceiling it is not easy to patch. Many of the newer MHs do not have stipple ceilings and this wold be better if you can get it.
Kaye |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| I have a Silvercrest, and it has been trouble-free. It's a 2002, and I bought it new. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Our first home was a single wide Clayton. We had no problems at all with it. When we went to a larger home (double wide) we bought a Fleetwood and have no more trouble than you would with a stick built house. Just a few odds and ends have had to be fixed. We liked both homes. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| We purchased a Deer Valley double wide for our retirement home. It has over 1200 sq ft and a fireplace, with all walk-in closets and oak kitchen cabinets. It has sheet-rock walls and the ceiling is just like in a site built home. We love it, couldn't ask for anything more. Very good quality and warrenty. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Hi, I thought I'd add my experience, not my OPINION. I own a mobile home park in Colorado. And I do lot's of maintenance for tenants. I have worked on Skyline (Nice Junk) Summit Crest (Fantastic until Champion bought them, then really junk) Bonnivilla, (one best out there, ) After 5 years of hands on research, I drove to Albuquerque NM to tour the Karsten plant. And I ended up buying a Karsten for my own home (as well as 2 others that I use for rentals). The Karsten company uses a factory the right way. To save labor costs not to cut cost on materials. They use quality materials you can purchase at Home Depot like steel door and low E windows, not stupid cheap stuff you have to order from mobile home outlets. Karsten interiors are all 1/2" tape and texture walls, not vinyl covered cardboard (or very thin drywall)like skyline. Here are some tips. 1. Go to the factory - even if it is a 10 hour drive, take a tour and order all the options you want right there.
2. The most important consideration is... the installer. Now, this may be the dealer, or the dealer's contractor, but if you rely solely on the dealers recommendation you are a FOOL. Call every home transportation company in three states and ask drivers who they want to set up THEIR manufactured house? I have a friend who bought a Karsten on my recommendation. He choose a "cheap" installer, his roof leaked, his walls cracked, his floors creaked, HE HATED HIS KARSTEN HOME. |
RE: Good or bad brands Manufactured homes
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| Has anyone had any experience with a company called Irontown Homes? |
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