The Manufactured Housing Forums

i have a lincoln park 1979 model with tip out. i was wondering exactly do these things slide in and what all is involved? thank you

In the 1970's the forerunners of the doublewide was the Expando-Room - tip outs and slide outs.   These were room extension built at factory, shipped inside home, and tipped or slid into place once home was sited.  Tip outs generally are hinged at the floor. Slide outs are like a draw.  They slide along the floor out of the home onto the pre-set piers. For a slide out you can use pipe sections place under it to roll it. The tip out is lifted and rotated into place Pre-set piers  on the ground to support the expando. When the homes were new they came with instructions on exactly where to set the piers. Finding a set of old set up instruction will be imposable. Soooo... Take care to figure out where you need to place the piers in the best position to support the weight of the expando. Be sure you do not let the floor of the tip out or slide extend past level with the floor of the rest of the home, or you may very will find your addition in pieces on the ground. Set the piers and then (slowly and gently) move the addition out onto them.  Watch where you put your fingers.   Depending on the size it may take three or four men to move the expando into place.   Take care on not to rack the expando.  Move it evenly and smoothly.  Do not try to walk or rock it into place. There is no interior wall, and usually the roof slopes away from home and will  have a lower roof line than the main part of the home.  Once in place you need to flash and seal the roof and exterior wall. See the free article  Sealing an Addition for some tips.If you have never done this before you would be wise to bring in an experienced, licensed MH installer to guide you thru the process.

Wow David thanks so much. More info there than ive found anywhere for a month. I didn't know that there was a difference in slide out tip out. Just thought that people called them two different things. Ok well I am pretty sure I have the tip out so what can I look for as far as hinges or tracks. Or any other things that might help me out with. It just doesn't seem possible to slide it in without ripping out carpet or teaing off siding.
Once again thank you so much

With a Lincoln Park I would guess you have an expando rather than a tip out, and it is best left to an experienced installer as you can easily damage the home and parts that are no longer available.

My brother was building a park in the 70s and initiated me into MH installation. In order to service their homes he spent a week at the Skyline factory in Vermont. One of the classes was on expando set up. I was the helper when he brought a home into the park.

There was only one other park in that county and my brother was friendly with the owner. We went over there one week-end to help him rescue an expando set up that went very wrong. Splintered wood mashed siding and broken glass was the least of the problems as we were able to make a trip to the factory to get replacements. Once repaired it required expert jacking and blocking to lift the addition into place and get it married to the main section of the home.

trmimo is absolutely right. If you have never done this before... Dont tempt the laws of gravity... bring in an experienced installer to guide you thru the process.

David Oxhandler
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well i promise i already hired a company to do it. i just was curious on how it was done also. beleive me i aint gonna attempt it. so does a tip out slide in or just come off? i really want to thank everyone for the responses. it is very hard to find out anything about these extended rooms.

If it is a tip out it has a steep pitched roof and only projects about 4' from the home. In that case when all the trim and flashing is removed the tip out is lifted at the outside edge and tips so that actually lies down inside the house. This is really pretty simple for an experinced installer.
An expando is significantly more involved. An expando typically projects 7' from the house and has a relatively flat roof. You are right that often the carpet has to be rolled up, especially if it has been replaced. Once all the flashing and trim are removed, the expando walls are unbolted from the floor and the walls and roof slide into the house and sit inside. The floor of the expando is connected to the house by a piano hinge. When the outside edge of the floor is raised, it tips up and essentially becomes a sidewall for the house during transportation.
In theory expandos were a great idea. In practice they were significantly more involved than most installers of the day were prepared before. Don't be surprised if the company you hired tells you they need to replace some flooring or wall lumber or floor joists. Most expandos were improperly setup and it is very, very common to find water damage when you move one.
I can't remember Lincoln Park ever building a slide out, but it is possible. A slide out is basically an expando that stays attached to the floor and the whole addition moves in an out in one piece. These often shipped from the factory with some questionable hardware to facilitate sliding. And this hardware usually rusted away after about 2 years laying under the home.

I am having the same problem with my 1965 Marlette. From reading all of the posts I'm guessing it is a tip out. The people who had it before me built a nice shingled roof that hangs out farther than the original so I'm wondering if this is going to be in the way of how it tips in?

It all depends on how they built the shingle roof. It is possible that the new roof has made the tip out unable to retract into the home. In that case you may have to disassemble the roof and rebuild it after moving the home.

You will need a state licensed installer to reset the home at the new location. To find one that has the experience to take on the job but meet with three or four and listen to what they suggest and how much they will charge. You do not want to hire the lowest bidder but the one who seems to have the most logical and safest way to get the home ready for transport.

I am planning to buy a 1988 35' Mallard park model with tip out.
I have read the previous post. Are all tip outs the same?