# Troubleshooting a Double Wide Mobile Home



## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

Call a plumber, then take his torch, turn it on a and accidentally forget it under the mobile home. Done and done.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Usually under the bottom of the trailer. Have some cheesy ass NM connectors. Should be inline down the center somewhere. Probably near one end..?


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## JTMEYER (May 2, 2009)

Older ones had junctions in the ceiling light boxes.


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## rnr electric (Jan 29, 2010)

doublewides have splices under the trailer,kinda like a modular home. go under the house somewhere below interior panel,and look around there.


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## ce2two (Oct 4, 2008)

doubleoh7 said:


> Last Thursday night I went out on a service call to a doublewide mobile home out in the sticks. One circuit is dead. I check at the panel and everything is hot leaving the panel. Yes I checked all the terminations on the neutral bar. I am going back tomorrow morning. Obviously, there is an open. I was thinking I bet it is where the two halves of the home are tied together when it is set up. The circuit exits the top side of the panel. Does anyone know where to look for where the circuits are splice together for the halves of the home. It is a '94 model and I don't know the manufacturer.


Mobile homes are a crap shoot, one big fat pain in the arse to trouble shoot...:yes:good luck your gonna need it........


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

rnr electric said:


> doublewides have splices under the trailer,kinda like a modular home. go under the house somewhere below interior panel,and look around there.


 
That is what I would assume, however, most circuits exiting the panel exit the top side. It makes me wonder if there is not a trick hidden space somewhere.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

doubleoh7 said:


> Last Thursday night I went out on a service call to a doublewide mobile home out in the sticks. One circuit is dead. I check at the panel and everything is hot leaving the panel. Yes I checked all the terminations on the neutral bar. I am going back tomorrow morning. Obviously, there is an open. I was thinking I bet it is where the two halves of the home are tied together when it is set up. The circuit exits the top side of the panel. Does anyone know where to look for where the circuits are splice together for the halves of the home. It is a '94 model and I don't know the manufacturer.



Tie the microwave into the stove circuit. The stove circuit is 240 volts. That is what you need to operate your microwave correctly. I bet that your hot dogs are taking too long to cook in the microwave, aren't they. Talk to one of the home improvement experts at your local home dpeot or Lowes. They can explain how to do this and provide you with all of the materials required to complete the project.​ :laughing::laughing:

Look under the mobile home for splice boxes..:thumbsup:


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## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

I have seen hidden spaces above door frames with receptacles and cord ends coming from the other half.
Mind you this was a late 60's early 70's unit.


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## rnr electric (Jan 29, 2010)

doubleoh7 said:


> That is what I would assume, however, most circuits exiting the panel exit the top side. It makes me wonder if there is not a trick hidden space somewhere.


 they usually wire them that way and come down all together a a central point, which will usually be in the center of the home. Either way they suck.


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## rnr electric (Jan 29, 2010)

i have seen a few with the male/femal terminations,like in modular homes. i allways cut thes off and do my own jbox,although i have never seen an issue with them,i dont trust them.


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## 3phasesparky (May 30, 2011)

Check the outlets too, they normally use the back stab on the outlets and feed one through another. Thats usually the problem.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

I've seen them with a twist-lock recpt. and plug that wiggled loose over the years. 

One thing to remember, whomever connected the two halves together was not an electrician. More like some sort of scraggly crackhead who was in a big hurry to get done.


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

I found it! That $1400 ideal circuit tracer is good for something. This "trailer" is actually quite nice. Like I said, it is a doublewide. It's the kind with a shingled roof and vinyl siding, and it is a '94 model, not a '74. Their were four circuits feeding the half opposite the panel They were joined underneath by those cheap plug together connectors. I removed all four and spliced them in J boxes. I also gained another valued customer.


While I was there, I took care of some other issues, including replacing a ****ty outside receptacle box/cover with an Arlington IN BOX. Today was a win, definitely better than sitting at home pulling my pud.


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## Jmohl (Apr 26, 2011)

thing to keep in mind... The "electricians" at mobile home plants are paid peice work. They slam as many units out as possible in a given week. They are highly motivated to get them done as quickly as possible so that they can move on to the next.... They do Hi-pot test the whole elec system before final delivery but, however far down the road they travel gives them plenty of opportunity for things to go bad. Combined with crap devices to start with....


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

if there are blue prints that came with the house they should show where connectors are buried. they are those fancy NM connectors that are legal to bury but sometimes fail

edit: i was late. did not read all the posts


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Jmohl said:


> thing to keep in mind... The "electricians" at mobile home plants are paid peice work. They slam as many units out as possible in a given week. They are highly motivated to get them done as quickly as possible so that they can move on to the next.... They do Hi-pot test the whole elec system before final delivery but, however far down the road they travel gives them plenty of opportunity for things to go bad. Combined with crap devices to start with....


 
All the respectables are backstab. The HO's seemed to be happy with me. So hopefully, as those fail, they really become "profit holes", for me that is.


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## Jmohl (Apr 26, 2011)

yup, guy can make some coin replacing receps and switches in mobile homes.......


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> Tie the microwave into the stove circuit. The stove circuit is 240 volts. That is what you need to operate your microwave correctly. I bet that your hot dogs are taking too long to cook in the microwave, aren't they. Talk to one of the home improvement experts at your local home dpeot or Lowes. They can explain how to do this and provide you with all of the materials required to complete the project.​ :laughing::laughing:
> 
> Look under the mobile home for splice boxes..:thumbsup:


Seems strange to see Rich’s post. 
Hard to believe it’s been 3 years since he died. 

But by god I laughed reading it.


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## mitch65 (Mar 26, 2015)

If it's a newer home there should be a couple of Jbs in the attic right by the hatch if it is anywhere near the centerline of the house.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> Seems strange to see Rich’s post.
> Hard to believe it’s been 3 years since he died.
> 
> But by god I laughed reading it.


That was his favorite quote for any obvious DIYer jumpin on here. Then BAM!
Then lockout tagout thread police come in.


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## electricguy (Mar 22, 2007)

I have found them in the master bedroom up high in the walk in closet And panel was in same bedroom


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Wirenuting said:


> Seems strange to see Rich’s post.
> Hard to believe it’s been 3 years since he died.
> 
> But by god I laughed reading it.


I did too. Microwave ... more power ugg ugg :biggrin:


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