Best Structural Quality?

[Scott]

Just got finihsed doing a search under "who builds the best manufactured home" and found that nobody seemed to have an answer. Answers such as "that is a subjective answer" or "depends on price" seemed to come up. Some times people confuse the accesories or aesthetics with the "quality" of the product. Maybe a better question might be "who builds the best structural quality manufactured home"? That can be measured very easily; quality and size of wood used, number of fasteners per foot and their quality etc etc. These things are not subjective and are very quantatative and a forum such as this should be able to discuss this rather easily.

Coming from a manufacturing back ground myself, I am very aware of the short cuts that go on in building a product and the problems that saving two cents can cause ten years down the road. Accesories can be changed (cabinets, sinks) but the joists, flooring material and wall studs are there for life. Three little pigs one built their house out of straw, the other sticks and the last one built his out of brick. Which house would you want to be in?

[rmurray]

I have always felt that the 3 pigs story was a very good marketing program of the brick industry...smile

I still contend that best is all in the eye of the beholder...Every customer buys what they preceive as the best home for thier money...No one buys an inferior product in their eyes...Everyone has different needs and long term desires...All manufactured homes will last 50 to 60 years with proper care...Some may take more care than others...but they will all preform..Example...If you are 75 years old...do you really care what happens to the home 40 years from now???

If we all were looking for the safest...best built cars in the industry...we would all drive Volvos...Try to live on the sales commissions from Volvo sales anywhere but the largest cities...You will starve..

Are 2x6 wall studs really better than 2x4....are 2x8 floor joist really better than 2x6...there are 12 and 14 inch i-beams...is one really better than the other once the home is set??? Who knows...

My experience is in the SE...The heaviest (most lumber,,largest lumber..biggest frames..closest studs,rafters and joist...buy your apparant standards the best) houses in the SE are...Bay Manor model of Homes of Merit (from Lake City, Fl.), Jacobson (from Palm Harbor, Fl.), the Palm Harbor built in Plant City, Fl... (Notice the FL connection...the market has buyers that will spend more per square foot than the national average)...Mascot from SC, Norris from TN, some Franklin Homes TN, some Adrian Homes from GA, top models of the Horton Homes from GA...On the bigger units...all of these sell for $ 37 to $ 40 per sq. foot...In the small units they will be from $40 to $45 per foot...Some of the most delux appointed models (tile floors, hardwood floors in living areas, Corian counters, store bought custom cabinets (I recently sold a home with 16K in optional cabinets)..elevated roof pitches...the list goes on..can run $ 50 to $ 60 per foot..

Most very high quality homes come from small low volumn manufacturering plants..Most often they will do custom floor plans...

I am sure that other manufacturers build similar homes in other parts of the country...Maybe someone will list some for you...

[kathy]

I know someone who live in the south ,that live in a brick.the home is coming apart the bricks are 1/2 apart outsize,the structural poor quality. now I know someone who live in a manufactred home a cavalier not coming apart a greenbrier-DW good quality.

[Terri]

Scott, your concerns seem to match mine. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an "easy" answer.

If you are 75 years old, you might not care what happens to the home in 40 years, but if you are 25 years old, you should certainly care!

I think I've read every question and answer in every forum here. I purchased Randy Eaton's "book" and have read it. In it, he lists structural qualities that a well-built home should have (in his opinion, and I agree with most of them). In one of his responses to a question somewhere in one of these forums, rmurray said that only two manufacturers in the SE have all the qualities desired by Mr. Eaton - Homes of Merit and Jacobson. After perusing the Jacobson website, I'd say they DO build an excellent home; unfortunately, they are based in Florida and only list dealers in the state of Florida. I assume they have no manufacturing plants outside of that state.

I found a floorplan I liked very much made by Brigadier, but they unfortunately have structural deficiencies, in my opinion. As far as the "prettiness" of the interior and the types of appliances, etc., that they use, they DO build a very pretty home. I'm in the process of finding out if they will upgrade the structural items of concern to me. This seems to be the only way I will be able to get a home that has ALL the qualities I desire. From all the research I've done, R-Anell also seems to build nice homes and the structural qualities exceed the standards of Brigadier. You might contact them to see if their product meets your needs. Good luck!

[Scott]

Thanks everybody for the advice. Good hunting.

[r murray]

Unfortunately..Brigadier (a Cavalier product) will not make any structure changes except the floor materials....to plywood...

I am not sure of which state you are in...but...Homes of Merit will build any floor plan that you have seen....There web site is www.Homes-of-Merit.com .....

The only dealer that Jacobson has out of state that I know of is Melvin Williams Homes in Augusta, Ga and Savannah, GA...Jacobson has 2 web sites...1 lists thier GA dealers as well...

ANell..indeed is a good home...have you checked out the Mascot???

Happy hunting

[Terri]

rmurray, thanks for the information about Brigadier - the floorplan I loved was the Mansion No. 303. You have been far more forthcoming about the Brigadier than my local dealer! There ARE several OTHER Brigadier dealers around here, however....I may end up buying one, anyway, just upgrade to a Zone 3, if that's the best I can do.

Just a reminder: I'm on the SE coast of NC, where we have had "visitors" named Bertha, Fran, Bonnie and Floyd - all since 1996! If I lived in a different area, I may be far less stringent on my demands of a manufactured home's structure. I don't really expect ANY kind of structure, not just a manufactured home, to stand up to a powerful hurricane; I just don't want the "close call"-type to ruin my home.

I have visited an R-Anell modular home lot (it's about two miles from my home) and I can attest to the beauty and apparent structural integrity of the modulars. One modular I looked at is priced about $15K more than I feel comfortable spending; many other people shopping for a manufactured home may want to look at lower-priced modulars, though.

I understand that R-Anell's manufactured homes are built more sturdily (is that a word?!) than many others. Thanks for the tip on the Mascot - the same family who owns the modular lot sells R-Anell manufactured homes in another town close by so I'll have to go there and take a look!

[tom]

If Brigadier is a Cavalier produst you can upgrade one thing in the structure. You can option in 2 x 6 walls which also givees you 16" o.c. floor joists instead of 24". We purchased a Buccaneer by Cavalier recently. We relly shopped a lot in our area, Ky., and tried to research a lot of brands. Our biggest issue with any brand was finding a dealer with good support which is important with any product.

[rmurray]

Terri

One of my best mortgage sources is located in your neck of the woods...When you are shopping finance you should give him a call....The originator I deal with is Peter McCallion at Irwin Mortgage in Willimington...He is VERY knowledgeable about manufactured homes and the offerings of his company..Irwin is a large mortgage company that has every possible finance plan available...They work with very low costs to you...Better yet..Peter will work with you directly and any dealer that you land on...I know Pete..he will look at your deal as a foot in the door with the dealer and many future referals...Because of this..he will treat you as if you were 50 deals...not just 1...You will have to look up thier number...be sure you ask for Peter McCallion...Tell him...RMurray sent you..It will not get you or me anything free...but it might get a big smile..
Good Luck

[Terri]

RMurray: Mr. McCallion at Irwin Mortgage is the very name my local Brigadier dealer recommended to me! I haven't yet talked with him but your SECOND recommendation sure makes me feel that he is certainly someone I should speak to...and thanks for your tip that he would be someone to speak with even if I should decide to buy a Horton instead. Again, many thanks for the helpful advice you dispense here!