ECN Forum
Posted By: Theelectrikid OK, one more question - 08/21/06 09:32 PM
Before my mother goes and plops down $110K on a new doublewide, I'd like to ask this:

Does anyone here know how the two half's systems (mainly electrical) are connected? Or does it depend on the installer? How are they normally connected where you live? I'd go crawl under the one she wants to see, but I don't think the office would like it too much...

Thanks
Ian A.
Posted By: HotLine1 Re: OK, one more question - 08/21/06 09:39 PM
Kid:
The only double wides I ever touched were comm office trailers; each one had 150 or 200 amp panels (each half of the double wide)

Slapped together; used, and slipped apart to leave; no interconnections.

I'm guessing the resi units are interconnected to one panel??

Heck, if you're thinking about buying it...crawl under!

John
Posted By: Dnkldorf Re: OK, one more question - 08/21/06 10:12 PM
If she's got 110K to "plop" down, I'd talk her out of it.

Get out of Falls, and Bristol Township while you can.

Move to central or upper bucks.
Posted By: Megawatt Re: OK, one more question - 08/21/06 10:39 PM
The ones I have seen have the large appliances in the half with the panel, & several J boxes are used to connect lighting circuits etc. to the other half.
These J boxes have been placed in closets, near the seam, & some under the sides.
Posted By: Gregtaylor Re: OK, one more question - 08/21/06 11:38 PM
Most modern manufactured homes have connectors front and rear that are installed at the factory and connected by the set up crew at insallation. They are usually under the home but sometimes behind access panels in closets etc.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 12:11 AM
John: The "realtors" (more like --- who seduce innocent people into buying one of these things in one of these places) won't let you under. If you go under w/o permission, expect FTPD to show up in one minute! And yes, they're hooked to a common panel.

Dnk, I wish! She's like talking to the skirting! There was just a big fight at the pool before I came in, with all the neighborhood crack addicts. And she says this is the perfect place to live! Ughhh, Grrrrr... The "Money Don't Grow on Trees" Saying comes to mind. Levittown! PLEASE! The Middletown Twp. part of Levittown is extremely nice, even though most of the homes go for $450K. Land (and housing) in Western PA is dirt cheap, Lancaster has cheap housing with expensive land. [Linked Image]

Mega and Greg: Thanks for the information.

To tell you guys the truth, I wouldn't mind a doublewide or modular on MY own land, NOT in a trailer (sorry, "Manufactured Housing) Park, with NO lot-rent, NO crap rules, etc. However, I would watch the construction VERY carefully.

Ian (sorry for the trailer-park rant) A.

Edited by self for abbreviated cursing.

[This message has been edited by Theelectrikid (edited 12-01-2006).]
Posted By: Merlin Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 02:47 AM
The ones that I have seen, have connector plugs on the ends of the units. Kinda scarey in my mind. These were some sort of a 4 wire flat(If my memory serves me correct) plugs. There was one for each cable that jumped. They were located on each end. There was a notch cut in the sheating on the outside. Once set up then they sided over it. only way to access it later is to remove siding. (great!)

It too had all of the big appliances on the side with the panel. Only lighting and general-use recepts. on the opposite side.
Posted By: gfretwell Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 03:18 AM
I think you are talking about the Amp Enerflex connector. We had a long discussion about these a while ago. A "search hook' into it may be "334.40" since that is the article in the code that addresses it.
I inspected some modules for the park system that went together like that. They haven't burned down yet [Linked Image]
Posted By: pauluk Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 07:51 AM
Quote
The "realtors" {.....} won't let you under.

They want people to fork out $100,000 but won't let them have a good look around the product?

I'd say it's time to start looking elsewhere.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 02:09 PM
Yeah, look above the floor, not under. [Linked Image]
Posted By: trobb Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 04:34 PM
IMO, not being able to check out a mobile completely is like buying a used car without being able to look under the hood...
Posted By: Alan Nadon Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 07:22 PM
Will this be set on a foundation i.e. basement / crawl space, or blocks ?
Most of the ones designed to be on a foundation will have J boxes underneath those for parks that will be on blocks will have connectors like Merlin described that are behind the siding.
One note, make sure the set up crew has it solidly supported and level. Also there is a bond wire that bonds the two frames together it is usually at the tail end and the lugs and wire are shipped on the unit but putting the wire in the hole and tightening it seems to be too much work for some crews.
Depending on the manufacturer some of these are better than stick built and appreciate in value. I didn't believe it either but, it is true.
Ask the sales guy if they have sold any lately that are just being set up so you can see how they do it. That is when you can check them out.
Alan--
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 08/22/06 10:19 PM
Alan, these are on blocks with skirting. I'll try to watch them when the crews (plumbers, electricians, park guys who don't have enough caffeine, etc.) when they start working on it. The two halves are already put together and on blocks.

Ian A.
Posted By: ExpressQuote Re: OK, one more question - 08/23/06 04:39 AM
Its been a while since I did a hook-up, but the one that I did, had JBs underneath and we connected the two JBs together then made the connections in one JB.

As I say, it has been quite a while. And also, that is in Canada. So, ours might be a little different.
Posted By: e57 Re: OK, one more question - 08/23/06 07:52 AM
Quote
They want people to fork out $100,000 but won't let them have a good look around the product?

I'd say it's time to start looking elsewhere.

Reminds me of the day the "Inspector" (Bank/Housing) showed up at the place I live in now.... He looks up and says "Well theres the access to the attic.." turns and walks off, when I said 'you going up there? "Oh I wouldn't fit up there..." (Smaller guy than me) I had to show him how it was done, even though I was going to go up there myself after he left. I refused to pay him after he attempted to "Inspect" my roof from the street. 'Oh I dont have a ladder' - Well guess what, I do.... A few minutes later we were looking at the busted tiles on my roof. I'll be forking over $800K+ over the next 30 years, darn straight I looked in every orifice. But needed that jerks stamp of approval for the bank.

I also look under the hood of new cars just as hard as I would on a used one.
Posted By: pauluk Re: OK, one more question - 08/23/06 01:35 PM
Quote
Also there is a bond wire that bonds the two frames together it is usually at the tail end and the lugs and wire are shipped on the unit but putting the wire in the hole and tightening it seems to be too much work for some crews.

Too many people seem to think that bonding is there just for the heck of it.

I hooked up a mobile home yesterday (the one in this thread ) and paid particular attention to all the bonding on the chassis. With a few years of weathering and then the vibration of the unit being transported, I think the safety bonding should always be checked carefully before connection.

Quote
To tell you guys the truth, I wouldn't mind a doublewide or modular on MY own land, NOT in a trailer (sorry, "Manufactured Housing) Park, with NO lot-rent, NO crap rules, etc.

Ian,

I've often thought the same way myself. I could quite happily have a double-wide to use as my home and then get a good single-wide unit to fit out as an office/workshop/storeroom.

The biggest problem we have with that over here is the pettiness of the local councils who often object to any sort of housing other that what they call conventional (i.e. brick built).


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 08-23-2006).]
Posted By: Alan Nadon Re: OK, one more question - 08/23/06 02:16 PM
Watch how the service guys remove / open the skirting.
That is how you can find out what method was used to join the wiring of the two halves and also to check if the bonding junper has been connected. [Linked Image]
Alan--
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 08/26/06 08:56 PM
Well, we're going to an open house in the North Park Section of Levittown tomorrow. While a Levittown House might be more of a wiring mess, at least it isn't in this place. We won't buy the one we're going to look through, because it's about $50K out of our range. Hopefully it'll give her an idea what those houses are like (bigger than they look.)

Ian A.
Posted By: GA76JW Re: OK, one more question - 08/26/06 09:40 PM
Good Luck looking at the house.

My wife and I are currently looking too. We have about another year or so before the little two lane road in front of the house is turned into a nice new four lane. They've already clear cut all the trees that used to be in front of the house.

Hope you guys find a great house with little/no problems at a great price. They're out there. Just be patient.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/08/06 10:54 PM
Yeah, some doublewides can be nice...

[Linked Image from i29.photobucket.com]

...until some just meet their inevitable fate!
(Okay, I'll admit, for a doublewide, it was nice, at one time. Now, it's fate (demolition) has been sealed.

Ian A.
(Edited to fix photo link.)

[This message has been edited by Theelectrikid (edited 09-08-2006).]
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/09/06 09:06 PM
Oh, I asked the realtor today about going under the new double, guess what she and my mother said, "NO!"

Ian A.

[This message has been edited by Theelectrikid (edited 09-09-2006).]
Posted By: Alan Belson Re: OK, one more question - 09/09/06 10:13 PM
Seems a lot of money for a home. For that here I'd expect to get a nice new 3 bed detached conventional built house on a lotissement, [ small housing estate, usually 11 houses max ], with 1/5 acre garden. Or an old farmhouse for renovation with a barn bigger than 4 mobiles and a couple acres of meadow. There must be rural areas in the States with similar potential - after all building materials are the same price world over and labor here in France is an astonomical cost, [ US$15 an hour just for the social security tax, let alone compulsory liability insurance, 19.6% sales tax, income tax, etc. ]. How about Montana? Just saw a tv prog about a dude ranch - the folks there impressed me as really nice. Only the winter to worry about - I guess it gets cold?

Alan
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/09/06 11:17 PM
Alan, there is, Western PA. The problem? No work.

Ian A.
Posted By: PEdoubleNIZZLE Re: OK, one more question - 09/10/06 12:49 AM
I live in SW PA (McKeesport, outside of pittsburgh.) If you live in an urban area around here, it's cheap, but as witt all places, the cheaper you go, the worse crime gets.

We have 2 lots and out land is valued at $600, and the house is at $2000 because of the neighborhood. Butler county is more expensive, but it's a lot nicer! Cleaner, less crime, and more of a country setting. On of my ex-girlfriends lives there and I loved it there. Then again, I'm an old fashioned guy (even tho I'm only 21)

As for the doublewide question, my city's High School has a vocational school built in, and they do 1 or 2 doublewides a year. They run everything underneath and just leave spools of romex long enough to go to the panel without a j-box. They leave a 4' section of wall undone where the panel is, and after assembly, they wall it up. For a bunch of urban high schoolers, they do a hack of a job, usually better than many contractors around.

The plumbing in these particular houses are all on one side, and the heat vents are run underneath as well. These get donated for Habitat for Humanity.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/10/06 02:26 AM
I've been in the Belle Vernon/Rostraver Twp/Fayette City Area, and it seems nice. Like I said, no work. Great schools for me, no work for my dad.

Ian A.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/14/06 06:48 PM
Okay, while on the bus ride home yesterday, our bus had to stop in front of the new doublewide to wait for the contractors to move their trucks. [Linked Image]
Anyways, I'm looking over, the door's open, and there's the park guy installing a ceiling fan. The bus stops moving, I look over and see sparks shoot all over the guy, and the whole "house" goes dark.

"Certified Workers?" (The manager's wife said that.)

Ian A.
Posted By: e57 Re: OK, one more question - 09/15/06 06:34 AM
(meant as compliment) Ian, you're gonna be a Superviser on the second day you're on the job....

BTW How old are you now...
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/15/06 10:59 AM
(Taken as a compliment) Thanks Mark. 14 yesterday.

Ian A.
Posted By: Beachboy Re: OK, one more question - 09/16/06 03:30 AM
Hey Ian, my first post, so I wanted to wish ya a belated happy birthday man! Wish I could go back to 14 again....enjoy it while you can. Thinking back to when I was 13 or 14, my major electrical project was wiring my Dad's machine shed on the farm, using wiring and fixtures we salvaged from a house we tore down. I think the only cost was for light bulbs! Original wiring in the machine shed was one of those wicked open bladed knife switches with fuses, attached to a foot length of old style romex, and a duplex outlet attached, no box or anything. At least I substituted a safer fuse box with four 115 volt circuits, and permanently affixed wiring. I was in 4-H at the time, and won first place in my age division in the electrical category. By the way, some 44 years later, the machine shed hasn't burnt down, so I guess I did something right! Happy birthday, man!
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 09/16/06 02:04 PM
Beachboy, welcome to ECN and thanks man! Sounds like an interesting project you did onthat machine shed.

Ian A.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 11/08/06 01:20 AM
Heheh... doublewides are out of the question. Now it's down to three Levittown Houses... Levittown (and Township Office for a few permits) here I come!

Oh, and the doublewide I mentioned earlier, it's already sold and been vandalized, twice. Once all the windows were shot out, the second time someone actually ripped the skirting off and knocked over a cinderblock pillar right underneath the "Block up here" sticker. [Linked Image] They just got it level too...

Ian A.

[This message has been edited by Theelectrikid (edited 11-07-2006).]
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: OK, one more question - 12/01/06 10:56 PM
Another Heheh...
https://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c266/Macsignals/New%20House/

Ian A.
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