Good companies

[Katherine]

I have been doing a lot of homework as my husband and I plan to buy a house. I have been looking at Patriot, Palm Harbor, and Champion. I know I can get the upgrades I want to make my home safe and sturdy. My question is concerning the warrenties how do these companies hold up? I know Palm Harbor has a good reputation depending on the plant. We would be dealing with a Texas plant. Also for Champion we are dealing with the Tennessee department. I haven't gotten very good information yet on Patriot, other than walking through a model. The salesman was not very helpful. We were asking about the joists and slope and other important things and he couldn't answer anything without looking it up and he still wasn't sure. I would like to know which of these has the best customer service. I have heard the horror stories of things going wrong and the company not getting in touch with you. I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thank You

[Scott]

To answer your question on which warranties hold up I will tell you that PH has a 1/5 year warranty, however there is a 50 dollar per occurance/per trip charge. Patriot also has a 1/5 year warranty and I do not know if there is a "deductible" on theirs. Karsten has a 1/10 year factory warranty with no charges. The quality of the Karsten and Patriot homes far surpasses the PH homes regardless of the plant they build them out of. I just looked at a brand new PH triple wide today as it was being set up built out of the Austin 05 plant and I was not very impressed mostly due to the very thin interior wall studs (2x3) and the 7.5 foot sidewall. To me this just reminds me too much of a "mobile home" The insides are pretty and flashy and all that, but to me, the structure and longevity are the most important things.

[jgn]

I haven't seen many complaints about any of the three you mentioned and Scott is right in that you should look at Karsten as well but I disagree that Patriot far surpasses PH, I do like Karsten but get little help from the local dealer so I am inclined to stay away, sounds like your Patriot experience. A warrantee is as good as the company backing it and the dealer servicing it. One of the big advantages with PH is there are a lot of company owned locations so if something goes wrong, which it will, the dealer cannot blame the manufacturer and visa versa.
7.5 foot sidewalls are common as are 2x3 non weight bearing interior studs and there is nothing wrong with it. I would prefer 2x6 exterior, 2x4 interior and 8' sidewalls but that comes at a price and it depends on what you want to spend. PH plant 5/7 in Austin uses plywood as a standard for the subfloor Karsten uses particle board which can present a problem in the future.
You are on the right track and just keep asking questions, get as much information as you can and take your time.

[Katherine]

Thanks for the advice. I live in South East Arkansas and there is not a Kartsten dealer around my area. Are they worth driving 4 hours, which is about what I would have to do?

[Scott]

When you compare PH plant 05 which is the best of the 5 plants in Texas, the prices that they generally sell for are every bit as high (if not higher) than the same size home in a Karsten. My point is that why on earth would anyone settle for a PH with 2x3 interior, 2x4 exterior, 7.5 ft sidewalls, 40 gal water heaters, 20 year shingles, smart panel siding, 48 inch walk in showers, particle board cabinet doors, etc... when they can get a Karsten with 2x4 interior, 2x6 exterior, 8 ft sidewalls, 50 gal water heaters, 30 year shingles, hardi panel siding, 60 inch walk in showers, real wood cabinets, etc...(all standard features) for the same price as a PH? The cost of upgrading a PH to be equipped with hardi panel siding, 2x6 exterior walls, 30 year shingles, 50 gal water heaters, real wood cabinets, etc... would far surpass the cost of upgrading the flooring in a Karsten to plywood. When anyone is comparing Karsten to PH 05/07 or any other PH plant, they are really comparing apples to oranges in every aspect except for prices. JGN is right in that you must find a retailer that you can trust, but I have seen many PH company owned stores that have dropped the ball as I have seen independent retailers. And JGN is incorrect in one thing, you would be surprised how many PH sales centers will try to place blame on the factory and vice versa.

[john]

Karen, you really should go see the Karsten it will be worth the trip. I am not in the industry but from all of the homes I have looked at they are the nicest. I look at it from a different perspective in that it will replace a 1976 DW as a lake home and I have yet to justify the cost difference. The Karstens I have looked at run in the low $50psf range and the PH 07 plant with Hardi panel and upgrades on cabinets and fixtures is in the mid $40 so the difference in a 2000sf home is 15K but as a primary home I wouldn't hesitate to go with Karsten but would insist on plywood subfloor. I have been treated very well by the PH location and with total indifference by the Karsten dealer and that clouds my thinking to some degree but again go see the Karsten I think you will be pleased with the day you spend.

[DPowell]

I could be you in your post. We are looking to buy a home . But here in Arkansas we are running into homes that are not highly recommended. We have looked at and are considering Champion Gateway,Solitaire, and Patriot. Was interested in the Palm Harbor but they didn't give me the time of day. I intend on checking out the Karsten also now that I saw this site.
I had bought the comparsion list and book by Eaton . Really like it. but the homes are falling in the poor. average listing unless I upgrade.
I don' t know what to do? Can anyone give me some information that might be helpful? Thank you. I really like the Fuqua home but they wouldn't deliver from Missouri.
Donna

[rmurray]

Scott....The $50 deductable on the Palm Harbor warranty is for years 2 thru 5...no deductable the first year...Most manufactures with long warranties have a deductable for the out years...most are $100 to as high as $250...and some are stated as per item..not per service call...

Best advice would be to read the actual warranty of any home one is considering..

For instance the Karsten 10 year program must be something special...because their own web site reads...

"Customer Service Warranty Service
Our exclusive five-year warranty guarantees your home to be free of defects in all materials and workmanship during that all important first year. Years two through five provide you with further protection against defects in structure including chassis, sub-floor structure, wood framing, inside interior and exterior walls, roof structure or roof rafters, gas and water plumbing, and electrical wiring. Other equipment and materials in your home are warranted by the original manufacturer of the equipment or materials which provides its warranty and service directly for your benefit. "........The point is..the company standard warranty is 5 years...the extended version must be an option..or a sales tool that one better have in writing..FROM KARSTEN...not the dealer..

[Scott]

rmurray...the 5 year warranty from Karsten is the standard warranty, however they also offer a 10 year warranty as an option that is usually an upgrade at a cost of $250 per floor. However, in Texas, Karsten is offering the 10 year warranty as standard through 31 December at no additional cost. And yes, it is in writing. As I have stated in previous posts, after 31 December, the warranty will revert back to the standard 5 year with the optional 10. Thank you for reading my post.

[Katherine]

You guys have been really helpful. It is such an enormous decision and I definately want to look at all my options. I will try to check out Karsten. DPowell where do you hail from? We are in Pine Bluff, and the surrounding area has many dealerships, but they are not very knowledgable about what they do. We had a very good experience at the PH in Benton, AR. The saleslady was very nice and talked with us for about three hours even though she knew we were not intending to buy for another six months to a year. She answered all are questions on construction and price. It has been the best dealer experience for us so far.