leveling/releveling

[Lynn Holston]

I bought my trailer in 1993. The people I bought it from installed it on the lot after the ground froze in the fall. After the ground thawed out the following spring and for every year since then, the trailer has continued to sink. I have had the trailer releveled once, but the people who releveled it said the ground was like quick sand underneath and I'd never get the trailer leveled properly. Well, I think, during this last winter, the thin (1 1/2" to 2") boards the relevelers put under the trailer to hold up the blocks, snapped. I see other trailers here with timbers under their trailers, but I have none. Now I can't seem to find anyone to relevel my trailer. I woud like to make it so the trailer wouldn't have to be releveled again. There's also 1 other problem. Not knowing that the trailer was originally not leveled, I had a porch installed onto the trailer. It's attached to the trailer at the roof and skirt level and the decking/floor of the porch (also known as a 4 season room) is in concrete, not on wheels or anything else. I need help!!! What do I do?

[Roy Bonney]

If the home is set properly the first time, there is no need for releveling. That said, it seems you need to go back to the beginning. First I would detach the room from the home, then have the home set with the proper footings to alleviate the settlement problem. The capacity of the soil is the significant factor that determines the sizing of the footings. Have a soil compaction test performed to determine the soil bearing capacity. This can be done by a qualified home installer with a pocket penetrometer, then size the footing appropriately, and bring the floor height of the home, back to the same height of the room, and reconnect.
Good Luck.

[Lynn Holston]

You have specified footings. What type of footings are appropriate for a soft dirt foundation? How do you go about finding a qualified home person to do this work? I live in LaPorte County, Indiana, and the only type of people around here are the people who sells the homes. They set the home up once and never return for anything.

[Roy Bonney]

Footings are the basic foundation for the home. If the home is a single wide, it can be as simple as two solid 4"x8"x16" concrete blocks, placed side by side, forming a 16" x 16" pad. This would then be placed at the frost depth, or dug down in the ground, to the required frost depth for your area. It can also be more involved, as in poured concrete placed at the frost depth. The larger the footing size, the more soil bearing capacity. Qualified installation crews can handle this for you. Check you yellow pages for mobile home transporters. Most transporters also provide installation services.

[bill riat]

i would like to get sites on the internet to start my search for a doublewide or sectional home. Can you recommend a site that has a checklist and the manufacturers ratings.

Roy Bonney wrote:
>
> Footings are the basic foundation for the home. If the
> home is a single wide, it can be as simple as two solid
> 4"x8"x16" concrete blocks, placed side by side, forming a 16"
> x 16" pad. This would then be placed at the frost depth, or
> dug down in the ground, to the required frost depth for your
> area. It can also be more involved, as in poured concrete
> placed at the frost depth. The larger the footing size, the
> more soil bearing capacity. Qualified installation crews can
> handle this for you. Check you yellow pages for mobile home
> transporters. Most transporters also provide installation
> services.

[Tammy Vestal]

I would like a quote on how much it would cost me to relevel my 16x80 trailor I need nothing else that is it just to relevel it

Roy Bonney wrote:
>
> Footings are the basic foundation for the home. If the
> home is a single wide, it can be as simple as two solid
> 4"x8"x16" concrete blocks, placed side by side, forming a 16"
> x 16" pad. This would then be placed at the frost depth, or
> dug down in the ground, to the required frost depth for your
> area. It can also be more involved, as in poured concrete
> placed at the frost depth. The larger the footing size, the
> more soil bearing capacity. Qualified installation crews can
> handle this for you. Check you yellow pages for mobile home
> transporters. Most transporters also provide installation
> services.