Not sure what to do

[Paula]

My husband and I want to put a manufactured home on our vacation property in central Wisconsin and looked into it quite a bit last summer, but we knew a pay cut was coming (he works for the airline industry) and decided to put off the purchase until we knew how much the cut would be. We've figured out how much we can spend and have decided to go with a smaller home than we looked at last year since it's only a vacation home and we'll probably only be there for at most, 2 weeks at a time. Since we won't be there all the time, what do you recommend we do to determine if there are defects, particularly water leaks? How can we prevent major damage should a leak occur when we're not in the home and may not be for several weeks? What things should we do each time we're away from the home for extended periods other than the obvious...locking doors/windows *wink*. Should water be shut off at the main valve? Should power be shut down?

My aunt bought a Dutch 16x80 home last year and has encouraged us to look at them because her's wasn't very expensive and she is happy with her home. It's a nice home, but I want to make sure I'm getting a quality home, even though I won't be in it all the time. What corners should NOT be cut when price becomes an issue? We are looking at Skylines out of the Lancaster, WI plant. Is Skyline a better quality? I have heard that the Dutch RV line is a poor quality, but does that carry over to their MH line, too? When you compare models by dealer, it seems that several have the same model on the lot, but different years and different features. How can one compare apples to apples if that is the case?

We have learned from the wonderful folks here that OSB or plywood flooring is the way to go, but which is better? We plan on having central air, would it be recommended to go with a 200 amp electrical panel or would a 100 amp panel be enough?

Paula

[jgn]

I have a old DW as a vacation home and when we leave for the summer I shut off the water, open the faucets, open all the cabinet doors, drain the water heater and turn the heat to 45. In ten years we have not had any problems and I can sleep at night not having to worry about a pipe busting when we are not there.

Plywood or OSB are both good flooring but from what I have heard, OSB resistes moisture better that plywood just be sure to stay away from Novadeck. If you are going with a single wide, there are a lot of used ones on the market and you can probably get a real deal but you may have a hard time financing it.

[don]

If its a newer home it should have a main water supply cutoff valve, I would cut the main breaker off,plywood,or OSB floors are essential, if you will be using a heatpump, I would say you will need a 200 amp connect.....also make sure your underpinning is secure when youre away to keep the critters out.

Many of the same model homes will have differant options/features and construction quality, depending on where the home was built.

Main thing is ask alot of questions of the dealer...construction,setup,features etc...decide on what you want in the home, get a price for that....then you can always downsize from that list of things you want to what your pocketbook says you can afford...good luck, keep us posted.