Can anyone suggest a good cheap mobile home for use as a temporary shelter for a year or two? My wife and I are looking to put one on some acreage while we build our home. We're looking for something small and re-sellable, and something that can be delivered/set-up fairly quickly (and cheaply). Thanks!

-- Brian (margieametz@yahoo.com), August 04, 2001

Answers

You didn't indicate how much room you would need, but you might want to think about a used RV - a trailer or fifth wheel with a slide out room in it. You would have holding tanks for water, grey water and black water. You can get a macerator (grinder and pump)to empty your holding tanks into a hole until you get a septic in. RV's are a lot easier to move and would have a better resale value. You should be able to get a ten year old RV for less than $10,000. Once an RV is ten years old or so, it doesn't depreciate as fast. It's too bad you are not close to Sierra Vista, Arizona. There is an ad in the paper where someone is giving away several old mobile homes, you pay to have it moved.

-- Dee (www.bdforce@theriver.com), August 04, 2001.

RV,, camper trailer,,,, or how about an army tent,, good size,, not bad for warmth in the winter,, can get them with a wood stove,, I lived many a dayin them,, even in winter,,, with a BUMCH of other guys. Ive seen some in deer camps,, that are better fixed up than my house!! LOL

-- STAN (sopal@net-port.com), August 04, 2001.

Don't know where you live, Brian, so maybe you'd better check zoning laws there. Around here, they won't let anyone put a single-wide on an acreage - they want a foundation under it so it is "attached" to the earth and they can call it "real estate" and get more taxes.

As I wrote in a previous thread, older mobile home parks may be a good source of cheap single-wide homes. A few years ago, one PAID my son $50 per home to remove them. Granted, they weren't the best, but nearly anything is fixable if you're determined.

Some mobile home parks may have mobiles that were used as rentals that are not in the best of shape cosmetically, and might be willing to sell one cheaply. Or ask at a mobile home dealer who takes "trade- ins" - they may have one or two that they would let go for little or nothing. Or put a "Wanted" ad in the paper.

20 years ago I used to sell mobile and modular homes. The brand names vary according to where one lives. In northwestern Illinois, we got our new homes to sell from Wisconsin and Indiana, the closest to us (wouldn't be cost-efficient to get homes from Florida or California!). Back then, I knew which ones were good, but now I've been out of the loop for too long, and manufacturers vary from state to state. Northern-built ones may (or may not) have more insulation in them or be built for a snow load, but I believe they must all be built to government standards for the region they're sold in.

Remember that mobile homes are built with the LIGHTEST of materials for weight going down the road when they're delivered. It might translate to "cheap-looking", but weight on the road is the biggest concern of manufacturers.

I've lived in a 1981 Schult single-wide for the past 20 years, so if I can help you further, please e-mail me.

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), August 04, 2001.

We lived in a bumper pull travel trailer for 3 years with our 3 kids, no electricity for the first year, hauling water to pour into the holding tanks, husband charging the marine batteries for some light power. All the heating, stove and fridge ran off of propane. When our electricty and well came on it was like Christmas! We sold it as is 4 years later for exactly the 6,500 we bought it for. In Texas they are called Deer Camp Specials :) If you are near Houston Texas my sister has just moved out of her single wide on our place, 2 bedroom 1 bath, moving into her own place, it is for sale cheap, definetly a handyman special inside, though the outside is fine, even has axles and tires. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 04, 2001.

You might consider a small cabin that you could use as a guest house, child's play house or office after you build your new house. Easy To Build Cabin Plans http://www.webworkz.com/~noff/index.html

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), August 04, 2001.

Brian,

You didn't say where you're located. Knowing that might help me help you. Absent that, I'm going to make a suggestion made to me earlier on here; Think 'garage.' Contact a local garage builder to put up a simple shell for you. Finish the inside however much you choose. Run electric to it and you have a pretty good start.

Around here contractors who do nothing but build garages abound. I see prices advertised under $5000 for oversized two car sizes. If you had any thoughts of building a separate detached outbuilding at all, this could be it. I'm not sure it couldn't even become your 'attached' garage later with some planning. This way you have something permanent for your money and don't have to worry about selling a trailer later. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), August 04, 2001.

You might want to look at the pre-fab metal structures to.

The back of CS has a few vendors - steelmaster was one that comes to mind.

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), August 04, 2001.

I second the idea of a garage. You can put them up quite cheaply and then use it later on as either a true garage or workshop, or even a barn. You'd have to know how you wanted your buildings situated, first, though, which is a drawback.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), August 04, 2001.

OR one of those pole-barn packages. I can get a good quality pole barn package erected here for $5k or $6k (its about half that for materials only). That's about 23x40 with 10' sidewalls, one door, one window, one 10' roll up door. You can finish off part of the inside to live in while you build. Its what I SHOULD have done, but didnt' - would have saved me the cost of the materials in storage fees if I'd had it put up first thing when we got here.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), August 04, 2001.

I vote for a good single wide.In fact I think it's such a good idea I'm going to do myself,,again,, for the fifth time. If you live in a part of the country which outlawed the cheap tin boxes that they have in some areas of the south you can find mobiles that are very serviceable. We have paid $3k, $5k, $7k, and 10k. The best is yet to come. My wife was just offered one for free today. We haven't seen it yet but we have our fingers crossed. I would caution against one real building flaw which was used years ago. The floor joists ran longitudinally rather than across the trailer. that made for some very weak outer walls. Also watch for evidence of ceiling leaks. that can rot out the undersize trusses(no ventilation)and cause some real problems.Having lived in both older QUALITY mobiles and stick built houses, I dont see much difference in maintenance. When you can put a roof over your head for $5 to $10 a square foot, why not.

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), August 05, 2001.

Here's another garage idea. This is what my hubby wants to do next go around - if he can get me off of this place, which is doubtful. Build one of those Dutch barn buildings making the second story a small apt. for you to live in while you build your home. Then you can rent it out later, (if you like), have a nice guest quarters, or home for a live-in caretaker. My husband would like to travel when we retire and thinks providing a home for a live-in caretaker would be a good solution for our fur and feathered friends.

-- cindy palmer (jandcpalmer@sierratel.com), August 05, 2001.

Garage is often used here - you can get some bigger ones, with shed or workshop space off to the side of the garage area. Alternatively, think about a barn, and putting a camping caravan inside it. That way, you can move in instantly when the barn is up; and be living there even before that. You can often pick up old ones - perhaps no longer really suitable for travel, maybe trade-ins - very cheap. Having other walls and a roof around the walls and a roof you're living in would mean weather wouldn't affect you much - hot or cold or wet or snow or wind just wouldn't reach where you were living. And you'd have all that extra under-cover space to spread out in or dry clothes in out of the rain. If electricity wasn't available yet, then stove and fridge would run off gas, and camping caravans are often fitted with 12 Volt lights. Put a composting toilet in the barn somewhere, then catching water off the barn roof in a water tank would give you all you needed for two people. If you use a lot of bath or shower water, try to save it to do laundry. If you have to, you can do laundry in a cement mixer - if you want real luxury, a motor-powered one. Or run a generator for the laundry, and recharge the batteries for your lights at the same time. For real water- economy, think twin-tub washing machine rather than automatic.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 05, 2001.

Don we have a contract in on a farm with a barn that would be suitable for this. We have been practicing doing laundry by hand (3 tubs thank-you) as their is no electricity at the farm. I am afraid I'll need to distill my water for consuming. Actually the water prospects seem excellent as it is about 100 feet or so from the current well and homesite. While we are on barns...anyone have a sauggestion for an organic based spray to coat barn timber to discourage insects, particularly wasp type. Thanks as always

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), August 12, 2001.