How to find out building specs on different manufac./models?

13 years ago

I have just recently discovered this website and I am finding so much great info on it. Thanks to all the great people that post here!

I want to buy a used mobile home, preferably a doublewide, and I know right off the bat that the quality is not going to be as good as a regular house; however, I would like to try to get the best home that I can for my money. I have read on here that Fuqua and Karsten are good manufacturers but I have found NONE of those for sale in my area.

So, my question is, how do I know what the quality level is of any given home? If I was buying new I could ask what the building specs are but I doubt the average owner is going to know these details (I could be wrong?) Not only that, I don't really even know what specs are desirable.

(I've seen mention of John Grissim's book but it looks to be more of a book for buying new from a dealer.)

I'm wondering is there a book or website that gives the details of building specs of different manufacturers and models? I would prefer hard numbers, instead of opinions on quality because personal experience can vary so much. (I googled complaints for "Manufacturer A" and got back a gazillion results of people saying "A" is the worst manuf. and saying "Manufacturer B" is the best. Then I Googled "Manuf. B" and got the complete opposite, naturally.)

I saw someone mention on here that mobile homes are divided into 6 classes and that the higher the class number, the better quality the trailer is. I called someone about a trailer that was advertised (he is a repo-man/seller) and when I asked about the class he said he'd been in business 46 years and never heard of such a thing.

This whole process can be so frustrating. If anyone could tell me how to find this info I would greatly appreciate it!

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Comments (4)

brnincalif
13 years ago
I didn't see where you are located. Different states have different standards. Your best bet would be to see what
dealers/manufactures are in your area and if you told them
you were thinking of buying they could give you some information, or maybe you can find their websites and see if there is any detailed information there. But I don't think you'll get a whole lot of detail they don't like to give out too much information as they think their competitors will steal their ideas.I have heard of classes for motorhomes and RV's but not manufactured classes.I bought a 1990 used foreclosure and have not had any major issues so just look around,do your homework and take the plunge! Good luck!
peasantgirlie
Original Author
13 years ago
I'm in VA, but I have bought the home since I posted that question. I had a chance to get a decent-sized DW at a fantastic price so I took the plunge. Didn't have much time for homework but hopefully the money I saved (over $25k) will be more than enough to take care of any issues. I'll be practically gutting the place so any issues that crop up will be dealt with, like flooring, plumbing or electrical. It will be a lot of work but I am looking forward to customizing everything. I will post pics as I go. I have a lot of "before" pics, but no "after" pics yet!

That reminds me, when I went to pull off the coverplates today I found that they aren't just coverplates over electrical boxes, but instead it is one whole unit with the cover plate attached. In other words, the coverplate was part of the electrical box. A friend says they will have to be replaced as they are not up to code. Guess I'll go Google Virginia housing code now.
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bus_driver
13 years ago
Your "friend" is unknowing and wrong. That is a "self contained device" and meets UL and HUD code for use in manufactured housing. That said, I do not particularly like them as troubleshooting is more difficult for the electrician. I do not reuse them if removal of the conductors is necessary as the spring tension may be damaged.

Here is a link that might be useful: self contained
Shades_of_idaho
13 years ago
Bus_driver. Thanks for the link. We were just looking around this morning for something like this for our furnace. Got it bookmarked!!

Chris