Disposing of an Old Mobile Home

[Dagny]

I'm looking at a piece of land that has an old (1969) mobile home on it. I know that mobile homes manufactured before 1975 are fire traps, so I would have to get rid of this one somehow and put a newer model on the site.

Does anyone know how this works? Would a dealer be willing to dispose of the older home as part of a trade or would I have to figure out a way to get rid of it myself? I doubt it would be possible to sell it since mobile home parks don't want a house this old either. I don't have enough money to ignore the existing house and build something close to it. I've searched the web for ways to fireproof the older house and came up with zip.

Any information will be greatly appreciated!

[WRTN]

Sometimes scrap metal dealers and collectors will come haul it off for free. Don't count on this though. Otherwise you can salvage the trailer materials and separate the aluminum, steel, and copper metals out. The remaining wood if might be useful for something or just burned. The axles, springs, and tires may be worth using for a home made trailer if they are still present.

Count on the job being more trouble than it is worth. That is likely the reason the old trailer is still there. ;)

[bee_pipes]

Does it hold water? Does the roof leak? Do you need the exact site for the newer home? An old trailer, while it might not be what you want to live in, has a lot of potential use as a storage shed, barn, chicken coop, work shop, etc. It could be turned into an asset. If it has to go, there's plenty of salvage more valuable to you than anyone you'd want to tear it down. The windows can be used to make a greenhouse, the old sheet metal can be used for the roof of a shed or coop, the wiring can be reused, plumbing - maybe not for the new place, but for odd jobs around the homestead - sparing you the expense of buying new materials.

We have an old trailer. It's newer than yours, but was allowed to fall into disrepair by the last owners. The roof leaks, there's water damage, but it has electric hooked up to it. I have to finish a shed so I have a place to store the salvage parts, what I can't reuse will go to the dump, one pickup truck load at a time.

Regards,
Pat

[fredfl]

I have a friend in VT who does this on a regular basis he gets enough scrap out of the trailer to pay for his time. Evidently there is a lot of aluminum in trailers and scrap steel is getting a good price now as well. He usually charges whatever it cost him to dispose of the remaining material as it is not legal to burn it there.

[lostinthewoods]

Does it hold water? Does the roof leak? Do you need the exact site for the newer home? An old trailer, while it might not be what you want to live in, has a lot of potential use as a storage shed, barn, chicken coop, work shop, etc. It could be turned into an asset. If it has to go, there's plenty of salvage more valuable to you than anyone you'd want to tear it down. The windows can be used to make a greenhouse, the old sheet metal can be used for the roof of a shed or coop, the wiring can be reused, plumbing - maybe not for the new place, but for odd jobs around the homestead - sparing you the expense of buying new materials.

We have an old trailer. It's newer than yours, but was allowed to fall into disrepair by the last owners. The roof leaks, there's water damage, but it has electric hooked up to it. I have to finish a shed so I have a place to store the salvage parts, what I can't reuse will go to the dump, one pickup truck load at a time.

Regards,
Pat



I have to agree with Pat on this one, I can't see just hauling it away if there is anything you can get out of it that may be useful. Pat's post pretty much covers all the bases.

Good luck and let us know what you do.

lost

[Deberosa]

They also have great metal beams underneath that could be used to build other things with! I was going to get some from a co-worker that lived in an old trailer until he built a house and then the county forced him to tear down the trailer, but at the time didn't have a way to get them over to my place. :-[

If I could keep it at all I would and use it for storage or chickens or something - with the electricity disconnected it wouldn't be a fire risk.

[Dagny]

Does it hold water? Does the roof leak? Do you need the exact site for the newer home? An old trailer, while it might not be what you want to live in, has a lot of potential use as a storage shed, barn, chicken coop, work shop, etc. It could be turned into an asset. If it has to go, there's plenty of salvage more valuable to you than anyone you'd want to tear it down. The windows can be used to make a greenhouse, the old sheet metal can be used for the roof of a shed or coop, the wiring can be reused, plumbing - maybe not for the new place, but for odd jobs around the homestead - sparing you the expense of buying new materials.

We have an old trailer. It's newer than yours, but was allowed to fall into disrepair by the last owners. The roof leaks, there's water damage, but it has electric hooked up to it. I have to finish a shed so I have a place to store the salvage parts, what I can't reuse will go to the dump, one pickup truck load at a time.

Regards,
Pat

Thanks for jogging my gears loose! I seem to be having trouble thinking outside of the box with this older mobile home, but after I posted, it did occur to me that the house could be used for storage and/or a chicken coop. That would mean having a concrete pad poured, utilities somehow extended from the old house to the new, and, of course, bringing in a more recent model mobile home.

I haven't seen this property in person yet, but it looks to me like the place was lived in until recently. The photo isn't the best, but I can see that some flowers were planted in a circle of stones by the parking area. There's also a two-vehicle garage that looks like it's at least as big as the house.

I'm itching to go see it, although I'm still torn between a mini-homestead a few miles from town and living in the heart of the small town itself.

Thanks to all for the feedback!

[bee_pipes]

...did occur to me that the house could be used for storage and/or a chicken coop...
... having a concrete pad poured, utilities somehow extended from the old house to the new, and, of course, bringing in a more recent model mobile home...
... the place was lived in until recently...


If it's in that good a shape, put the chickens outside. You have the makings of a fine workshop. If the old place is in the choice spot on the property, consider having IT moved, if that would mean less expense for concrete, etc. If it is livable, it is too valuable for livestock - can always serve as overflow housing for people and would make an excellent place to work on projects during inclement weather.


...torn between a mini-homestead a few miles from town and living in the heart of the small town itself...


Please do consider this one carefully. Even small towns have additional taxes and ordinances - I could never live in town again.

Regards,
Pat

[Mr.B]

I have a friend in VT who does this on a regular basis he gets enough scrap out of the trailer to pay for his time. Evidently there is a lot of aluminum in trailers and scrap steel is getting a good price now as well. He usually charges whatever it cost him to dispose of the remaining material as it is not legal to burn it there.

I live in Vermont & Ive heard of people & small time buisness's doing salvage before. If I was you and you want to save some $$$ salvage everything you can. Appliances for reuse. Copper pipe, stainless steel is worth some $$$ now. Also you could keep a number of things as stated above.