Happier Abroad Forum Community

Over the past weekend, we had a large fire here in Southern California that burned almost 29,000 acres, many hundreds of homes, and forced over 25,000 people to evacuate their area. Many of my coworkers were evacuated out of Yorba Linda and Diamond Bar. I had to go evac my cousin's family + cat from Diamond Bar on Sunday, as the fire was burning through the hills and they ordered some 1,400 families out immediately.

Allow me to to state here that I hold the highest respect for the thousands of fire fighters from LA and OC, who risked their lives to fight the fire and keep our people safe.

The administrators who choose what fire fighting resources go where, is another story.

When a mobile home park with 650 mobile homes was threatened, few resources were sent and some 500 mobile homes were torched. The fire was so fierce that the tires on fire trucks blew up from the heat, as the fireman escaped with their lives.

When the fire was threatening an exclusive enclave of multi-million dollar homes in the hills of Diamond Bar, I personally witnessed many fixed win aircraft and helicopters going in to "bomb" the hills with water and fire-retardant spray. Hundreds of fire fighters converged on the hills to make a stand.

I don't recall seeing fire-fighting aircraft being sent to save the mobile home park. After the fire sweeped through the mobile homes, they're now sending cadaver dogs to see if there's any dead bodies.

This was a very brutal reminder of seeing exactly how much poor-er people's lives are worth to those in charge.

A bunch of worthless social parasite American females homeless, jobless, and with no hope.

This is good!

Since those homes were mobile homes, why didn't they just move them out of the way of the fire? All you gotta do with those homes is tie them up on one of 'em GM trucks and hit the road. Maybe because those mobile homes fell so much in value that it was better to have them burn and collect the insurance payout rather than save them.

starscream wrote:Since those homes were mobile homes, why didn't they just move them out of the way of the fire? All you gotta do with those homes is tie them up on one of 'em GM trucks and hit the road. Maybe because those mobile homes fell so much in value that it was better to have them burn and collect the insurance payout rather than save them.

Mobile homes aren't always "mobile". Double-wide and triple-wide mobile homes are basically prefabs that are towed to home site, then joined together on a fixed foundation.

momopi wrote:

starscream wrote:Since those homes were mobile homes, why didn't they just move them out of the way of the fire? All you gotta do with those homes is tie them up on one of 'em GM trucks and hit the road. Maybe because those mobile homes fell so much in value that it was better to have them burn and collect the insurance payout rather than save them.

Mobile homes aren't always "mobile". Double-wide and triple-wide mobile homes are basically prefabs that are towed to home site, then joined together on a fixed foundation.

Then what's the point of a mobile home if it can't be mobile?

adam917 wrote:Then what's the point of a mobile home if it can't be mobile?

Generally speaking, travel trailers, caravans, RV's, campers, and trailer homes are mobile, but mobile homes are not (!).

Travel trailers, caravants, RV's, and campers sit in recreational veicle parks, also called RV park or caravan park. The park provides limited utility hook-up and visitors typically only stay for few days to few months. There are exceptions such as "Slab City" here in California, which is basically a self-adminstered, tax-free libertarian squatter ville:

http://www.desertdutch.org/slabcity.htm
http://vagabonders-supreme.net/SlabCity.htm


Trailer homes are typically no wider than 8-10 feet, can be towed, and sit in trailer parks. Once a trailer home is "set" in a trailer park, the trailer may be fixed at the foundation (immobile), or remain in mobility-capable state.

Mobile homes are trailer homes that grew to the size of a small house. Single-wides are 18 feet or less in width and 90 feet or less in length, they can be towed by heavy truck in one piece. Double wides and triple wides are bigger and must be towed to the home site in 2 or 3 pieces, then joined on-site at a mobile home park. Once a mobile home is "set", it's immobile.

These days, mobile homes are actually classified as manufacturered housing, or pre-faberciated housing. You can read more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufactured_housing


Many people don't know the difference between a trailer home and a mobile home, so the term trailer park and mobile home park has become somewhat muddled. A more accurate description of a "mobile home park" today is probably "pre-fab housing community".

momopi wrote:

adam917 wrote:Then what's the point of a mobile home if it can't be mobile?

Generally speaking, travel trailers, caravans, RV's, campers, and trailer homes are mobile, but mobile homes are not (!).

Travel trailers, caravants, RV's, and campers sit in recreational veicle parks, also called RV park or caravan park. The park provides limited utility hook-up and visitors typically only stay for few days to few months. There are exceptions such as "Slab City" here in California, which is basically a self-adminstered, tax-free libertarian squatter ville:

http://www.desertdutch.org/slabcity.htm
http://vagabonders-supreme.net/SlabCity.htm


Trailer homes are typically no wider than 8-10 feet, can be towed, and sit in trailer parks. Once a trailer home is "set" in a trailer park, the trailer may be fixed at the foundation (immobile), or remain in mobility-capable state.

Mobile homes are trailer homes that grew to the size of a small house. Single-wides are 18 feet or less in width and 90 feet or less in length, they can be towed by heavy truck in one piece. Double wides and triple wides are bigger and must be towed to the home site in 2 or 3 pieces, then joined on-site at a mobile home park. Once a mobile home is "set", it's immobile.

These days, mobile homes are actually classified as manufacturered housing, or pre-faberciated housing. You can read more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufactured_housing


Many people don't know the difference between a trailer home and a mobile home, so the term trailer park and mobile home park has become somewhat muddled. A more accurate description of a "mobile home park" today is probably "pre-fab housing community".

Interesting. So, what are the advantages to manufactured Housing vs something fixed?

I didn't know mobile homes are now the same as pre-fab homes. Did you know Berkshire Hathaway owns a few companies that make pre-fab homes? According to those manufacturers, pre-fab homes are cheaper for the consumer, are built in a controlled environment where quality is tightly monitored and can be assembled quickly.

I was actually considering buying a prefab home instead of a regular home since the quality of houses from the regular home builders were pretty bad the last few years. During the housing boom I heard so many stories about labor shortages so home builders hired whoever they could find even if they weren't qualified. Even then, they were short of laborers sometimes and homes were often delayed. A lot of half-built homes just sat there in the rain or snow without adequate protection.

Here's a quick defination of different pre-fab homes:

http://www.claytonhomes.com/our_homes/w ... /index.cfm

Manufactured Home:

Built entirely in the factory under federal code administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which became effective June 15, 1976, and has been upgraded numerous times. Covers single or multi-section homes and includes transport to the site and installation. Regulations include: design & construction, strength & durability, transportability, fire resistance, energy efficiency & quality.


Modular Home:

Built to state, local or regional code where the home will be located. System-built homes are transported to sites and installed.


Panelized Home:

Built in factory, where panels that include windows, doors, wiring & siding, are transported to site and assembled. Codes are set by state or locality where sited.


Pre-Cut Home:

Materials are factory cut to design specifications and then transported to the site and assembled. Examples are: kit, log and dome homes. Standards are set by state and locality.


Mobile Home:

The term mobile home used for homes built prior to June 15, 1976, when HUD code went into effect. Voluntary standards were previously in effect.


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I think most of the major home builders today use pre-cut homes, where the materials are pre-cut and transported to construction site for assembly.

I have NO experience in buying or selling pre-fab homes. Here's an article that may be useful to you:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Premanufactur ... &id=680164

Premanufactured Homes - Sometimes Referred to as Prefab Homes

They are houses which are manufactured in advance and shipped in sections to be assembled at the customers place of residence.

Many of the current pre-manufactured homes have a fairly marketable design and décor, yet they have not been extremely marketable until just in recent years.

There are several reasons why the demand for this type housing was lower than the current supply. The homes were not produced in a cost effective way, and they were not considered a real home by many consumers who were accustomed to the brick and mortar, or wood alternatives. They felt them to be substandard in makeup and didnt take the time to really look into the alternative because they believed it would not be to their liking.

In many cases, the customer is not familiar with the concept of a prefabricated home and does not know a great deal about them. In recent years, architects have been exploring with prefab homes as a way to help offer well designed but still massively produced housing alternatives. The housing situation in many cities is clearly inadequate. Manufactured housing would help to alleviate a great deal of this in that they are able to be put together in a far lesser time than it may take to build a custom home to suit a client.

A premanufactured home can mean, in todays market, a modular home, a manufactured home, a mobile home, or an site building home. The term is nearly interchangeable and can be used to describe any type home which is built prior to being ordered by a customer

Pre manufactured homes are becoming more popular just recently because the material is less expensive, they are fast to build, and are durable if they receive proper care.

They require a great deal less labor than a normal, or conventional home and the cost will be a great deal less for roughly the same amount of floor space. Most of the companies are selling absolutely complete pre manufactured or modular homes, mobile homes or manufactured homes. This means that the homes will come complete with appliances and furniture in many cases.

These homes aer becoming a great deal more popular in Europe and the United States as they are far cheaper than a conventional home. or houses called "mobile homes" or "manufactured homes".

In some communities and neighborhoods, manufactured housing is not acceptable and this should be checked prior to purchasing one.