Manufacured Home Basement

[Jim M]

I am looking to purchase a doublewide manufactured home in the future (install on a lot I am purchasing). I would like to build a basement myself to put this manufactured home on and am in need of some general information on any special basement requirements to support a doublewide manufactured home. I have been unable to find much information online on this. If anyone has any links that provide basement requirements/blueprints or pictures as they pertain to manufactured homes can you please post a link.

Thank You.

[Sherry]

Here is a forum that might have someone to help; try there:
http://www.mobilehomerepair.com/
sherry

[Danny]

Hey Jim, when you find the home you want ,the manufacture should have an engineered blueprint of a basment installtion, if they don't you can call a registered engineer to draw your blueprints

[Jim M]

I know once I decide what home to buy, I will have to have my basement specs match the home exactly. However, I am right now trying to find some general information on anything that might be differant support requirement wise for a manufactured home basement compared to a traditional home basement (I used to work in contruction in the summers and have helped put up several dozen traditional basements over the years) Specifically I need to know what the central support requirement are for a manufactured home basement. Can I just use a wood beam or beams down the center for support, will I have to install a metal beam in the center, or will I need to build a full or partial wall in the center to support the manufactured home structure?

[Rschmitt]

Typically the frame rail I beams are supported every 6'. If you have strong enough beams you could span the entire foundation and set the home on top placing the beams 6' on center perpendicular to the I beams. However, this would entail using very large expensive beams and put a large point load on the foundation so normally you would support them at the midpoint at the very least. Additionally, there are "column support posts" built into the homes along the marriage line which transfers roof loads to the supporting foundation. These vary in number and amount of load supported depending on model and roof load design. If these fall between the regularly spaced (6' on center) support beams, you can hang another beam between to post up to the floor joists on the marriage line to transfer the load to the spaced beams so you don't have to add more support posts.