# mobile home



## te12co2w (Jun 3, 2007)

What do you guys do when you add circuits to a mobile home? Romex underneath, uf, mc, conduit? Years ago an inspector told me adding circuits to a mobile home might not be the best thing to do as I could be violating the mobile home listing. I liked that idea. I could just tell customers that doing that would violate their warranty and I don't want to be responsible. There is usually nothing good to strap to under there anyway. And I don't like crawling around below those things any way. Sewer leaks, animal droppings, tight spaces.


----------



## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

Around here, those are the rules. The mobile was wired at the factory and not intended to be added to. For example, if we add an AC unit, the circuit needs to originate at the service equip outside the home and not the house panel.

That being said, when i add a circuit to a mobile, i cut a 12" square in the wall so i can reach the bottom of the panel and also see the bottom plate for drilling. Forget trying to fish thru the belly pan, so i just run a cable in a 3/4 inch pvc conduit over to wherever, and cover the wall with plastic access panel.

edit: the conduit is just stubbed into the belly pan (fabric) underneath. No need to terminate the conduit on both ends. That's where all the other cable is anyway.


----------



## mando324 (Jun 13, 2013)

Around here we do it all the time. Most of the time we use mc or uf we crawl under and handle. We just make sure no wires are touching the ground or else we will get a call back when they try and sell the place


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Read 550.15(H)



> (H) Under-Chassis Wiring (Exposed to Weather). Where
> outdoor or under-chassis line-voltage (120 volts, nominal,
> or higher) wiring is exposed to moisture or physical damage,
> it shall be protected by rigid metal conduit or intermediate
> ...


----------



## piette (Feb 7, 2008)

Just this past week I had a woman, a trailer home owner, tell me how rich I would be if I handed out business cards in trailer parks, because everyone needs work done. I don't know what it's like in other areas, but around here trailer parks aren't the first places I think of when I think about places to work where I know I will get paid. No thanks


----------



## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

Run the crap in conduit and charge accordingly. Like 3x said try to come out of the service pedestal if you can.


----------



## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

piette said:


> Just this past week I had a woman, a trailer home owner, tell me how rich I would be if I handed out business cards in trailer parks, because everyone needs work done. I don't know what it's like in other areas, but around here trailer parks aren't the first places I think of when I think about places to work where I know I will get paid. No thanks


Here is what mobile homes will cost you where we work...

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1555-Merrill-St-SPC-112-Santa-Cruz-CA-95062/82972163_zpid/


----------



## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

Switched said:


> Here is what mobile homes will cost you where we work...
> 
> http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1555-Merrill-St-SPC-112-Santa-Cruz-CA-95062/82972163_zpid/


according to post #5 there's money to be made in them there trailer parks

:laughing::laughing:


----------



## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

3xdad said:


> Around here, those are the rules. *The mobile was wired at the factory and not intended to be added to.* For example, if we add an AC unit, the circuit needs to originate at the service equip outside the home and not the house panel.


How do you do that when the NEC doesn't allow more than one feed to a structure?


----------



## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

Cow said:


> How do you do that when the NEC doesn't allow more than one feed to a structure?


Well, you're not sending another feeder to the house, it's just the AC circuit to the exterior wall disconnect.


----------



## knowledge29 (Nov 6, 2010)

te12co2w said:


> What do you guys do when you add circuits to a mobile home? Romex underneath, uf, mc, conduit? Years ago an inspector told me adding circuits to a mobile home might not be the best thing to do as I could be violating the mobile home listing. I liked that idea. I could just tell customers that doing that would violate their warranty and I don't want to be responsible. There is usually nothing good to strap to under there anyway. And I don't like crawling around below those things any way. Sewer leaks, animal droppings, tight spaces.


I go from main panel and use conduit depends obviously on what im installing. I dislike uf cable, just my opinion.


----------



## knowledge29 (Nov 6, 2010)

piette said:


> Just this past week I had a woman, a trailer home owner, tell me how rich I would be if I handed out business cards in trailer parks, because everyone needs work done. I don't know what it's like in other areas, but around here trailer parks aren't the first places I think of when I think about places to work where I know I will get paid. No thanks


I thought so too until I landed a mobile home contract fixing their services. Its been a decent money maker.


----------



## Spunk#7 (Nov 30, 2012)

On new services for mobile homes I always install a Midwest 200 amp/meter box with a 12 circuit panel combo. Anything you want to add I leave an empty 2" pvc stub out the bottom of the panel,just drop the u/f underground. To get back under the mobile home hole saw whatever size pipe you are using in the bottom of the skirting.The rest is old work!


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

3xdad said:


> Around here, those are the rules. The mobile was wired at the factory and not intended to be added to. For example, if we add an AC unit, the circuit needs to originate at the service equip outside the home and not the house panel.


That is usually the way it is done here but I agree with the other post as that would be a technical violation of 225.30. Also that must be a local amendment that you have as there is no nec rule that states you cannot add to a trailer. It may be in the trailer manufacturers instructions tho.


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

I normally run a carflex under trailer. Cash in advance is my normal procedure. They almost always understand.


----------



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

sbrn33 said:


> I normally run a carflex under trailer. Cash in advance is my normal procedure. They almost always understand.


I always had problems getting money from trailer owners - never got burnt but came close to many times. Now I don't mess with them


----------



## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Never had a problem getting paid. Around here they are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. People have to have money to afford a mobile home....sounds funny, but it is true. On top of that house payment, they are saddled with space rents that could rival most peoples mortgage payments.

At one point, there was a park in the Santa Cruz area that had mobiles that were going for close to a million. The park is on the ocean.


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

My toughest part is that I usually have to use their 5 year old for a translator.


----------



## mando324 (Jun 13, 2013)

We advertise mobile home specialist. Around here there is plenty of money to be made on mobile homes


----------



## gesparky221 (Nov 30, 2007)

Back when I had my own shop I put in a new panel and a heating contractor I worked with installed a new furnace and Ac. We kept trying to get paid, even went to court and got them served with a small claim notice. The next thing we know they pulled up the trailer and disappeared! Did not try to look for them just wrote it off. That was one of the reasons I quit working for myself.


----------



## piette (Feb 7, 2008)

mando324 said:


> We advertise mobile home specialist. Around here there is plenty of money to be made on mobile homes


Where you guys have million dollar mobile homes, we have sub $10,000 mobile homes. The vast majority around here are absolute garbage. They are filled with trash inside, never cleaned, falling apart and going underneath will subject you to years of used condoms, needles, and empty liquor bottles. They are straight up money losers in these parts. We do a lot of state work in them, but we are paid by the state to do it. I would never consider doing any job on a mobile home that wasn't through a state contract.


----------



## Fillyfil (Apr 19, 2021)

piette said:


> Just this past week I had a woman, a trailer home owner, tell me how rich I would be if I handed out business cards in trailer parks, because everyone needs work done. I don't know what it's like in other areas, but around here trailer parks aren't the first places I think of when I think about places to work where I know I will get paid. No thanks


Typical prejudice. I don’t know what state you are in but in California “trailers” can go for over a million dollars. I doubt these residents would have any problem coming up with the cash for a tradesman. They might even let you sit on their deck and admire the Pacific. Of course where you are the trailers are probably inhabited by poor white trash and then I can see your point of view.


----------



## Fillyfil (Apr 19, 2021)

piette said:


> Where you guys have million dollar mobile homes, we have sub $10,000 mobile homes. The vast majority around here are absolute garbage. They are filled with trash inside, never cleaned, falling apart and going underneath will subject you to years of used condoms, needles, and empty liquor bottles. They are straight up money losers in these parts. We do a lot of state work in them, but we are paid by the state to do it. I would never consider doing any job on a mobile home that wasn't through a state contract.


Don’t blame you. Could you reply sooner next time.


----------



## Wiredindallas (Aug 9, 2018)

Here we go again, time warp


----------

