What Is A Double Wide Mobile Home?
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Why double wide mobile homes?
Once mobile homes became popular, potential buyers started to look for something a little extra. Some of those massive single wide mobile homes are very impressive and very practical. However on the inside they often lack the feel of a real house.
The layout is long and slim unlike conventional housing large dinning rooms and lounges. Double wide homes were developed to give a more natural, pleasing layout for the home buyer.
Double Wide Transportation Costs.
The cost to transport a double wide home is, as you might imagine, double the cost of a singlewide. Two trucks and drivers, two oversized escorts needed usually. If one driver moves both sections of the home it will take the same fuel mileage and double the time for both the driver and escort.
Some installation companies have their own mobile home toter for these jobs and they can absorb some of their actual costs making the job a little cheaper.
Why Are Double Wide Homes Built In 2 Sections?
These homes are constructed in two sections at the factory and then transported to the job site where they are joined together by a licensed mobile home contractor.
The only problem with making a mobile home wider than say 16 feet is that highway regulations come into play.
A 32 feet Wide House whilst very practical and desirable to live in would be extremely difficult to transport down county and state highways. For this reason it was decided to divide the homes into manageable sections for transportation to the construction site.
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Mobile Home History.
Double wide mobile homes have been around for quite some time in the United States. They have become more popular since the early nineties and are now available throughout the country.
In the state of Florida the largest double wide mobile home that is generally available is a 32′ x 80′ transported in two 16 feet sections giving a total of 2400 square feet of living space under air.
These mobile homes are larger than the average conventionally built home in most regions of the United States.
There are however some drawbacks to this idyllic sounding scenario not least of which is a need for a larger piece of land and the general lack of mobile home parks able to accommodate these larger manufactured homes.
Do Double Wide Homes Fit In Mobile Home Parks?
Most old registered mobile home parks do not have the roadways or the necessary turning space to spot these giants with trucks. New parks built since 1998 tend to have larger lots to accomodate double wide homes and a more active lifestyle.
There are plenty of older parks in the Tampa bay area for instance. Many of these parks are small and the homes are tightly squeezed in for maximum revenue.
They were developed in the 1960s and 1970s the homes are small single wides usually 12 feet wide and 50 to 60 feet long.
Double Wide Mobile Home Installation Costs Are Higher.
The cost of installation for these larger homes can be much higher with almost double the amount of materials needed and substantially higher labor costs.
The roof walls and floor are bolted together and covered with shingles and siding on the outside whilst the carpet is seamed and the walls are trimmed on the inside.
Cross over connections are made from one side of the house to the other for essential services such as the water supply, wastewater disposal, and the electrical supply. In some instances all of the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry room are constructed on one side of the house to make these set up procedures easier.
So Should You Buy A Double Wide Mobile Home?
That being said in my experience most people today are opting for a double-wide mobile home but please do your necessary research before ordering any of these larger units.