HOME IMPROVEMENT : Knowing What to Buy Will Make Your Mobile Home Go Further

If the thought of stepping inside a mobile home makes you duck your head out of fear of hitting it on the ceiling, you’d probably be surprised at how comfortable and charming some of them are.

“Mobile” only during their trip from the factory to the park, these homes have become a popular alternative to high-priced conventional housing. Large, newer mobile homes can cost up to $150,000. Monthly space fees can be $1,000 per month in some of the choice, ocean-view parks, while the average fees run $400 to $600.

But, they’re not havens of trouble-free living. They have problems typical of conventional housing and problems that are unique to themselves.

One of the most common problems in mobile homes is the roof. Until recently, standards for mobile home roofs were uneven at best. Building codes were often unclear, and to save money some manufacturers built roofs with shoddy materials, or without enough slope to allow the rain to drain off.

Some older homes have galvanized metal roofs. Panels of sheet metal were soldered and attached to the top of the coach in what would appear to be a leakproof manner. However, in the course of exposure to the elements, the seams in metal roofs often crack. It only takes a small crack and a roof that allows the water to pool to soak the interior of the home.

“These are really the most vulnerable part of the older mobile home,” says Jack Belcher of the Mobile Remodelers in Huntington Beach. “I’d be very wary of buying a (mobile) home with a metal roof. No matter how many times it’s sealed, there always seems to be leak.”

Metal roofs can also be a major annoyance. During the Santa Ana winds, metal roofs that aren’t adequately fastened can “rumble,” creating a nuisance not only for the owner but the neighbors as well.

Asphalt shingle roofs have been the standard on mobile homes for the last 10 years and provide reliable roof protection. “With an asphalt roof, as long as it’s installed properly, you should get 15 to 20 years out of it,” says Jim White of Awning Masters in Garden Grove. “However, unlike a regular house, when a new asphalt roof has to be put on a mobile home, the old shingles must be removed because the added weight can cause problems.”

A procedure known as “leveling” is part of mobile home maintenance not found with regular houses. Mobile homes are supported by concrete piers underneath, which, over time, can minutely sink in the ground. A mobile home that’s not leveled correctly can creak and shudder when someone’s walking inside, and the doors won’t stay open or closed.

“It’s often after an earthquake that people need leveling,” says Ron Thomas of Ron Thomas Mobile Home Service in Huntington Beach. “They’ll walk through their home and it just feels ‘loose.’ ”

Says Belcher: “Having your home leveled depends on where it sits. I know of some parks that have been built over landfills. The ground isn’t compacted, so you have to level the homes about every six months. In some parks, it only has to be done every five years.”

Leveling is done with a 4- to 6-foot carpenter’s level and heavy-duty (at least 5-ton) hydraulic jacks. From underneath the home, the leveling is measured from several angles and corrected using the jacks and adjustments on the supporting piers.

Most mobile homes are built with aluminum or wood siding, which require a little more care than the traditional stucco and wood house. “They really should be washed, like a car, about twice a year,” says White. “The baked-on enamel that’s used to paint it usually lasts about five years before repainting.”

While a mobile home may have an aluminum exterior, underneath its skin is a wood frame, which means that like a conventional house, it’s vulnerable to termites. “People often see the aluminum and think that by owning a mobile home they’d be free of termites, but that’s not the case,” says White. “Mobile homes have to be tented and treated periodically just like any other house.”

Years ago, mobile homes were known for their poor insulation, but newer homes are expected to meet regular housing codes for energy savings. “Later-model mobile homes have R-22 insulation in the roof and R-11 in the walls,” says White. “They also have R-11 insulation in the floor, which regular homes don’t have since their foundations are concrete.”

Plumbing is also a weak spot in some mobile homes, primarily because of incorrect installations at the factory. “In some cases you’ll find that clogs or low water pressure is due to substandard plumbing,” says White. “But usually, it’s just that after 15 or 20 years, problems develop from normal use, just like in a regular house.”

Many homes have plastic plumbing, which may not be as reliable as copper. White claims that a mobile home can be converted to copper plumbing for about one-third the cost of converting a conventional house. “Much of the plumbing is exposed, which makes it easier. The entire re-plumbing job can be done in as quickly as a day and a half.”

When looking to live in a mobile home, especially a used one, Belcher suggests you take your time in looking it over. “The best way to approach it is to think like you’re buying a used car,” says Belcher. “Everything should be looked at--the roof, electrical, plumbing, siding, and underneath.”