The Manufactured Housing Forums

1997 Fleetwood, 16 x 80, in hot West Texas...refrig air costs over $300/month.

When moved, the black plastic underneath came undone at one end...who could we get to come and check out the ductwork to see if there are leaks, holes, etc? Cost? Replace insulation underneath?

We are considering having another roof built, so that it can be better insulated....

Light vinyl underpinning will be replaced by Hardiboard....

What would be some quick answers to the sun on the 80' length? Auto mechanic son-in-law used some type of temperatureguage that showed 150 degrees at the walls....

Any advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!!

1-Replace the insulation that you lost when you moved the home. Hot air rises and cold air falls. So the cool air you spending so much to produce falls to the floor where you have no insulation at the moment so it drops right under the house. A solid skirting will help. Make sure it is well vented.

2- Plant tress around the home site and get some shade on the home. There is no price you can put on shade in the Texas summer. Put whatever grows fast and looks good between your home and the path of the sun.

Upgrading your insulation throughout the home will help. Roof vents will also help if not already installed. Belly must be in good shape, completely enclosed. Having the correct tonnage of AC is also a must. A 3 to 3 and a half ton system would be about the correct size for your home. Using Hardiboard for skirting will have minimal effect on your problem. For the past few months, utilities have increased rates all over the country, everyone is suffering from the costs of running any utility these days. My natural gas has went up 30% this year alone. If your looking for a repairman for your belly, look in your yellow pages, under Manufactured Homes/Service. If your live in a small town, go to the next larger one. If that does not help ask other home owners, park managers, etc. See who they use or recommend. If there are manufactured home parks in your area, someone is repairing them. Tom

Get your AC system checked;from the air handler in the house to the vents to the compressor outside.(from a HVAC company in your yellow pages)Once you know this is functioning properly you can start looking at other areas such as insulation,etc.
A 97 metal fleetwood is not badly insulated,Your problem may very well be in your cooling system.A common problem is that a thermal switch in the compressor fails which causes it never to shut off.

Thank you all for your good advice!!! It gives us something concrete to begin tracking the problems down. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!