Metal straps by I-beams coming off

[scottman]

I have a 2002 Skyline mh. I periodically go under my house to check on things such as leaks. The I-beams became rusty within 1 year after setup. Under the home is dry, and the dryer vent vents to the outside. However the furnace does leak a bit into the belly wrap. Where there was a hole in the belly, I could feel a bit of warm air coming out. I taped the belly wrap and as long as the tape holds it won't leak too bad underneath (I do plan on insulating around the furnace, but I have to rip the belly to get up into it.) From what I understand, some rust is ok and some leak into the belly wrap is OK too.

There are small straps ("bands"?) that parallel the I-beams about 4 inches away, that seem to be secured under the floor and hold up the belly wrap (I guess). They look similar to what plumbers use to hold pipes up with the holes going down the middle of the "band". Many of these have rusted and come down. There is no problem with them being down, I'm just concerned what these are, and the rust. We are on a dry slab and there is brown rust underneath some I beams. We do have vents installed all around under the house.

[mannymanbo2]

that is a new one to me. Sounds weird.
know this, rust on the chassis is a HUD code violation. Skyline was required to protect all exposed metal from rust.
they will say you are out of warranty, but the code is not limited by warranty.
You should file a written complaint with your state or HUD.

PS. the furnace should be "substantially" air tight and should not leak into the bottom board. another code violation.

[rbonnie]

Some manufacturers ship DWV pipe to be utilized for the sewer line during set up in this manner. It is suspended on hanger iron below the home, removed by the set up crew, and utilized to tie together the plumbing drop outs. The remaining straps are of no consequence.

[scottman]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not worried about the straps either because since many of them rusted and came down, there is no other problem. I did hear about some rust being normal depending on where I read. Believe me, trying to corner the manufacturer with HUD violations is like trapping an elephant with chicken wire. I'm not sure how serious anyone would take the rust as a code violation. After all the home is still standing. However, I'm more concerned in the long run. Has a manufactured home collapsed because the frame rusted thru?

Also, the air leak is small thru the opening where the AC guy put in the drain line. It is taped so if the furnace is leaking underneath it is limited to the space between the floor joists and the outer wall and marriage line. As long as the tape holds, about 6 months. At some point I will open it up under the furnace. How easy is it to caulk around the furnace to stop the leak? fyi I did this with my stick built home before because the metal ducts leaked into the crawlspace there too. SO I don't know how unusual this is.

[rbonnie]

Any air leaking around the furnace itself, leaks back inside the envelope and does not need to be caulked. The A/C line running thru the floor can be easily sealed with plumbers putty.

[trmimo]

The duct leakage is probably the cause of most your frame rust. If I remember right, from your previous posts you live in a cold climate. The duct leakage causes condensation under the home in the winter months. The vents that you have will work under normal conditions, but the extra moisture generated by the duct leakage isn't being removed. Once you get the duct leakage stopped you should be ok. Roy is right, the straps aren't really used now. Most Skyline plants build their floors upside down and flip them over to finish the house. The straps you speak of are often used to hold the insulation, plumbing and ducts in place while they are flipping the floor over.

[Nick]

If your home is only a few years old and you are experiencing these problems, your home is not durable as the federal code requires! Get with the manufacturer and advise them of these problems. I would also contact your state agency who handles consumer complaints!