Am I the only one on here that's jealous about how clean your crawl space is? 😅

I saved my husband's life about 20 years ago. We bought a property, to clean up and resale, with an old single wide on it. He was tearing it down and I was working on landscaping. I was pregnant with my beautiful daughter and stopped working to sit on the hood of our car for a break. I was watching him take screws out on the outside wall when I noticed the trailer was ever so slowly starting to lean.. I yelled, It's going to fall! Get away!. He walked toward me to see what I was talking about and the whole thing leaned that way and the roof, with layers of tar on it, crashed down right where he had been standing. He hadn't even had time to turn around and look. So close. Still thanking God for that. If I hadn't gotten tired and if I hadn't been looking, that would have been so terrible.

We live in an old farmhouse (~1895) with a crawlspace under most of it. When we moved in, there was a mold/odor problem, which was fixed when we laid down heavy plastic and installed a ventilation fan in one of the foundation vents. No more smell, no more mold!

We have a 1983 mobile home.It’s 1600 ft and we purchased it we paid a little over 5000k to tie it down and make it officially a permanent foundation. There’s brick around the bottom and we had the home stuccoed. We also put a metal roof on it and laid it over the existing shingles for extra insulation. The home sits on 1.86 acres of land. We are about 45 minutes outside of Vegas. For those of you that say that mobile homes aren’t worth fixing...... we paid 85,000 for the property in 1995. Well, we just sold it for $325k 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼😊Good luck everyone! Great video!

Doug, this is probably one of the most important videos out there on what must be done to prep for any major mobile home renovation - understanding why a mobile home is not the same as a wood-frame house. This video cannot be shared enough. An extremely important video. Thank you so much for making this. Oh, and Happy Day-Before-Half-Price-Chocolates Day! :D

It is good that you have a good outside wall foundation. It looks well built. However I would add some pads with 6" cylinder blocks in the center... Just for good measure. The cylinder blocks are less than $3 each. So the expense is not all that much.. for the added support that you would get.

I just can't get over the Huge amount of work that has been done and you guy's still find the time to share your lives on youtube. I just want to thank all of you for doing so, I really enjoy watching. Happy Valentines Day DIYfferent Family luv mia :)

Good job. As a retired Realtor I can tell you banks are not willing to finance Mobil home of a certain age. Before 1989 pressed board was the norm. After that time in Fl plywood was required. I have lived in three different Mobil homes and know that they do not hold up very well. A lot of cheep trim is used. I do feel that they do have a need. Many entry home owners as well as retirees need to go that route. We all have to work with the tools we have to make our lives work. Great job.

13:18 you could tell Ashley was confused LOL. but really DIYfferent can't end a video with out Doug's "take care" followed by Ashley's "bye". It's their trademark

Doug ! You are just a WEALTH of knowledge !!! I realize you are a private person, but please share with us -- do you have a background in the construction trades ! Or did you learn off of KZfaq alone ? The house renovation is coming together beautifully !! ❤️

Cleanest crawl space ever! 68 yr old granny enjoying your teaching from my recliner in Vancouver BC ❤️ Happy Valentines Day to you and your family.

Very informative video. I have a feeling someone that saw this will be saved a lot of grief from watching it.

That white kitchen phone brings back many happy memories of my childhood! This is a very informative video!

Am buying a mobile home; almost done with all the paperwork. It’s not new; but am really trusting in the Lord I won’t have any major problems. I totally appreciate this video. 👍 Thanks!

Cleanest crawlspace I've ever seen. lol

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’ve been working on my single wide. The levelers are coming next Wednesday. I’ve had to replace my back door three times! This time I replaced the floor and a portion of the 2x6 under the door due to rot. Discovered one of the cross beans is much higher than the rest. Hoping once the place is leveled properly I will not have to keep replacing back doors. It get rather expensive

Piers could be added under the i-beams & at the marriage line using concrete blocks , pressure treated wood & wedges. I set up mobile homes.

This was soooo helpful to me. U need an hgtv show. More than 50% of home owners, own or live in a mobile home in the USA

Your work is meticulous. The two of you seem very knowledgeable. I come from a family of carpenters and even though I'm a nurse by profession, I've been pounding nails since I was a little girl. My hubby is a machinist by trade. We learned through the years of building our own houses by trial and error. Some things we learned from the people that sold us our building materials. I'll bet folks have learned a lot from you guys. Sharing the knowledge is very kind. Happy Valentine's Day dearest ones, take time out for yourselves! ;)

You could also add some block pillar supports under the floor joists...sat on poured concrete footer for more support

Thank you so much 21 years old no family so idk what I'm doing but this helps me understand better how to build up my new home can't wait to build it living in a garage currently😂

Don't forget if you think your mobile home is starting to sag you can tell by your windows and doors not opening right. Or open your front door or any door and see if it swings on its own and either direction. Should not do that. Thought I'd mention that. Thanks for all your videos

I don't even own a mobile home and I love all the things you've taught. You and Ashley both make everything interesting. Palm peeped in, too. Bye, Ashley!

Can you please do a video for the mold treatment/removal when you get to it?

I love that you make sure to explain this kind of stuff to your viewer's. You are so honest and caring. Thank you.

Doug, you have a kind heart, you continue to help your audience learn.🌿

By the way I want to say hello to Ashley I am so glad that she is in more of the videos she seems to be happy and I pray she stays that way. She has to remember she has so many van fans that really care

You might want to reinforce the floor under your refrig too... I think most folks do not even think about the weight load of a reno even in a sticks and bricks house.

While I have no desire to remodel a mobile home (or even have one), this is all very interesting to me, so I appreciate your efforts. It is also wonderful to see how you guys do everything and how beautiful you are making your home. Thanks for sharing your lives with all of us "armchair homesteaders."

First, I want to wish all of you a Happy Valentines Day. Second, do you have to put insulation under the home? Third, GET ME OUT FROM UNDER THAT CRAWL SPACE! LOL I am so claustrophobic I was ready to scream. Doug, you are such an intelligent man. You could really make a lot of money if you started your own company. Please say hello to Ashley, Belle and Maverick. Thanks for sharing!

Great advice on the foundation/structure. Very interesting. Ashley was fun at the end! It would be cute if you'd start doing that with Ashley and also have each of the kids do their "bye" ... like "good night John Boy" on The Walton's.

I'm glad Ashley didn't fall back to get out of the frame! You both do such a great job. I really enjoy watching your videos.

Could you guys make a video on your mold removal process on the wood under your home? I’m interested to see that!

Just another example of how Doug is great at teaching. Could you do classes at Home Depot or Menards? I work in a library and we are always looking for knowledgeable people to do programs for us. Possible other stream of income.

Think about it your children can look back and see how great,careful and loving their parents were keep up the good work.

Greg& family, you guys should be the proudest people in the usa, your determination and strength to provide the very best for your family is truly inspirational, I admire you so mutch, I long to see the day when you can sit back breath a very big sigh of relief and finally say you have finished your renovations, time when you can take a break and hopefully a good holiday ,reward your selves for your hard work, then be able to continue your life's journey, god bless you all, thank you for sharing your story so far and for the future, kind regards. Michael

I have land with a well and septic tank but no money to put anything on it. I'm totally against going into debt to put a house on it because we're just too old for that. I'm trying to get my son to remodel a mobile home so that he won't ever have to pay rent or mortgage. I'm hoping that your channel may help my argument. He's not without skills so I have hope. Wish me luck!

Very very important is to put a clear plastic (not thin like saran wrap lol) down on the ground underneath your whole trailer. This will prevent mold and moisture from collecting on everything down there and getting into your home. It's called a vapor barrier. You will see the difference in time. You can always put a post on concrete in the center something is better than nothing.

Excellent video Doug! Some newbies and Diyer's wouldn't have even thought of structural concerns when adding weight. Right on the money Doug! Also, the "outriggers" as you called them are also known as "gussets". Just a fyi. Keep up the great work, and looking forward to the tiling videos. Tony.

I've made my feelings about mobile homes known before, but I didn't (at the time) realize that you had a full foundation, which is key... also you obviously have a good grasp on the importance of the distribution of weight and that's also very important. Spring is 34 days away!!! Also.. Belle tends the chickens... so that makes Belle a chicken tender ;)

You could explain dirt in an interesting way and keep our attention. That's a compliment on how well you explain something that we all can understand.

You have the mind and thoroughness of Einstein! I'm impressed!

Hey guys!! 👋 I had to think about this with my home too.. adding basement support was the very first thing I did 👍👍👍

My parents special ordered a Horton DW in '86. The walls were done in 2×6's & floors were 2×8's on both side of the marriage line with plywood underlayment, not particleboard. Also, at that time, cut offs at water fixtures were not common. However, my Dad had them done on every sink, toilet & the washer machine. Unfortunately, we DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT POLYETHYLENE PIPES UNTIL MUCH LATER! With the floorplan that my parents chose it had another issue. It had no overhang so the rain water would run straight down the side of the home. So they had the roof design altered so that it would have 12" overhang & would also more air exchange in the attic. Once ordered, my Dad & Uncle prepared the area the home would placed. As dirt was brought into the lot, it was packed over & over by the bulldozer used to move the dirt. This was done so the home foundation would be at a higher elevation than the remaining areas of the lot and it was packed to decrease settling & cracks in the foundation. A concrete pad was then poured. We then had masons do foundation block piers under the home. They also built a beautiful brick skirting around the home. I now live with my Mom in this home. She fights me doing updates, but, some are really necessary. One is the replacement of the underbelly. Don't get me wrong, if you are doing a full gut the underbelly needs to go. Because you need to be able to see if any repairs are needed, re-insulate "properly" & replace. It can be a rather difficult job. I would have no less than 3 reputable companies that work on mobile homes come out to give quotes. Older mobile homes are not known for being insulated very well. I worked in construction for 10 years or so in stick built custom homes. But, I was involved with family renos on older mobile homes. I think there are way better ways to insulate the floor than foam board that typically have low R-values. What most people don't know is that mobile homes are built upside-down. The underbelly is supposed to be your final line of insulation for energy savings & protecting your home from wild animals/feral cats looking for warmth & protection. We all know rodents of all kinds will chew wiring & many don't have bladders. So they "go" as they are moving around in the insulation of your home. Then they bring in all kind of things for nests & their winter food stash! Please do your research on re-installing the underbelly & insulation in a mobile home. It can be done so much better now with new products available. Check out more information about the differences in the construction of mobile homes, also.

Thank you for taking the time to share this valuable information. Knowing the thought process that goes into these decisions helps others know safest guidelines. Appreciate you taking the time.

Well done Doug. I'm glad you did this video. I've lived in several mobile homes and your coverage explains why I cringed each time I see others remodel or renovate their mobile homes. Most of them have "assumed" that whatever they did would be fine. You hit on almost all of the weak points of mobile home structure. (There are those built with 2x6 lumber and I've never seen their underpinnings.)

I don't know why I find this so interesting :D We don't even have this style of house in Germany (at least I don't think so) and I have no intention of ever remodeling a mobile home myself and yet - here I am :) I have been with you for so long now though that you could teach me about anything and I would love it probably

Thanks for the video. Very useful information. A couple of quick things: 1. I've lived in a couple of doublewide homes, and they have both had chasis support running under the center of the home, with the two sides being bolted together. Over time they shift and loosen, but they are connected metal-to-metal. 2. Adding the lag bolts between the two halves of your home is a very good idea, however, I would have added some sizable washers to help prevent the head or nut from eventually tearing through the wood. You could always go back and add some later if you are leaving the underside open.

Interested in your treatment of that mold under the floors. Don't forget a little video of that too. I'm starting on a limited RENO of my '72 SW. I'll be putting drywall on the inside of all enveloping walls. None on interior (load bearing) walls and partitions. I'm glad I was correct about shaving weight, 'cause I just have jack stands.

Excellent instructable. Doug, you have a way of describing things that makes it easy to understand and retain. You should really be a teacher.

Do NOT wait to deal with mold! Mold is so invasive and makes ppl sick & sometimes dead. Esp the very young, asthmatic, elderly etc. It can grow from neg zero on up. Any- sneezing, headaches, malaise? Take care.

This was a really good video and it is so responsible of you to put this out there. I do not have a mobile home but appreciate the information. Again, I say that HGTV should be knocking down your door to get you on their channel!

Thank you . I have to go under my mobile home with a decent game plan because I'm 58 now and years of construction have taken their toll . This brought back all those memories so with the short bursts of enthusiasm I still have in me I can tackle this in stages . (wish I still had my youth haha)

Very interesting! I think you should teach classes on renovation at your local vocational school!

Thanks clarity in explaining is one of your great gifts Dom

That was a really great video . So well presented and informative . I was completely engrossed I and have nothing at all to do with trailers ! I don’t in fact think I’ve ever seen one . To see what issues you have had to take into account while renovating , and to see your decision making has frequently been necessity driven as well as aesthetically and financially driven . This renovation is an even bigger achievement than I realized . Great respect for you . A silly appendix .... the orange colour of the floor looked great with your white walls and spiky leaved plant . Dynamic , fresh , and uplifting . Usually I don’t like orange .

My poor husband split a doublewide apart & moved it. With are old tractor. That was quite the job & accomplishment. The mobilehome movers said it couldn't be done. But he worked slowly, patently & carefully. Jacking small amounts & keeping it balanced as he went. In order to not let it fall, before he was ready. And everything was on the tractor hitch. It was remarkable to watch & took serval days..

Great cautionary tale! You really did your homework before you did your reno. You are both AWESOME!!!

Even if you're familiar with construction a mobile home is not a house. Your local hardware and home improvement store doesn't have tools,materials, suggestions about this. A mobile home supply store has the correct stuff. My sliding glass window was $1900 to replace one side of the glass. It had to be custom cut. You can count on steep prices and complications for your special mobile home stuff...yet its crap.

You are such a thorough, thoughtful instructor. Ansley’s Bye @ the end...hysterical.💖💖

You are so full of knowlage. I know you have done lots of buildings and renovations but I would love to know more of your history how you know what you know . I love what you do here good job teaching and explaining your process.

To me you can support that floor before you renovate a lot of way to do it, is paint that stop the metal for getting rust as they are the main support, to support the middle you can pour concrete pillars and Jack the floor with treated wood beams every 4 to 5 feet depending the side and how much load you going to put on this floor. I guess is about preparing for a remodeling before you do it. cool video...

Thank you for showing this! I wish under my mobile home was that clean, I could live under there! That make a "Mobile home jack" that's adjustable to brace up any place where you might have a heavy floor load. I'm going to use one under my new water heater.

Literally laughing out loud at Ashley’s send off 😂 You guys rock

Bubble Foil, learned a lot about it from boss of the swamp but it's very effective isolation and mouse proof your home a little. The boss proved how good it works and its cheap. Just something to consider .

I love that you always explain what you are doing and why. The info is sound and very profitable for the usual home DIY-Er. Thanks Doug!

Ah...coffee with Doug and Ashley 💞 best valentine's ever 💞

Just a side note...I've seen some off grid cabin builds where they use "bubble wrap" with a foil liners. The Boss on swamp boss recommends it highly.

Very interesting and really important information to know BEFORE you start any renovation, addition or remodel of a Mobil Home. I wouldn’t have known any of this if not for this video. Thanks for sharing! Your foundation and metal beams look to be in great condition too! Whomever did that really knew what they were doing! But also your additional sistering of some of those beams and shoring up your sub flooring was really smart, ingenious! You have a solid stationary home there now really, not sure if you could consider that a Mobil home anymore, could you? It’s like a Mobil home on steroids LOL

So glad you did this. Ive commented on several upgrades that this is a problem. Exspecshioly we I'm hired to move them. People add wood siding, shingled roofs and sheetrock. Then wonder why the floor is bowed down, sunken. I have to weld more axles to move. In most cases, it can't be moved. Yes Ive tore down a few. I've never seen a trailer without floor insulation Usually not enough. Then blown in insulation that dumps down the road causing a big mess.

Good advice for everyone! We lived in a mobile home before and then traded it in for a manufactured home, single wide. We have 16x80. We have 2x6 walls and 2x10 floor joist. It came in on 5 axles. Its heavy. We didn't take the one on the lot- we ordered so we could max out the insulation in the ceiling, walls and floor. We do not have particle board floors. It was 2 1/2 the cost of a mobile home the same size, but worth it. You could put block piling under the middle of yours to add support. Ours is all blocked underneath. Here, if you put the block foundation in, they charge you real estate taxes instead of mobile home tax, which came out to about $1,000 difference in '95. How many tie downs do you have? I didn't see them when you were under the house.

We have a lovely /78 double wide Hubby thinks our unit has cement blocks down the centre.... but he'll take a peek to make sure. Thanks for the heads up. Happy Valentine's Day to you and Ashley. 💗

Thank you for actually getting underneath and explaining the structure of a mobile home! I’ve lived in many, but never really understood what was really supporting the structure. Very informative, even to woman!

A side note on adding foam board insulation. Foam boards are vapor barriers, and depending on the climate, it might be recommended to put your vapor barrier on the inside or outside. Renovators should check local codes or talk to local experts about where to add them. If you put a vapor barrier in the wrong place, or if you create two vapor barriers, there's a risk that condensation inside the walls might not have anywhere to go, leading to mold or rot.

Ashley, pretty cute. Thought you were out of the video and surprise attack from Doug. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and keep on smiling🤓

Very good information on mobile home floor and foundation structure and it is probably an area that you don't realize the importance of when you are making plans to renovate. I have run into situations where you gotta know your limitations and either work with them or modify the whole thing. Your structure seems to be very solid and sound .

Great info and advice for those who may be thinking of doing what you have done with your home. I know they would greatly appreciate you sharing what you have learned from experience and done to avoid problems in the future. I had not given a thought to the weight you have added to your home nor the possible lack of support to hold that weight.

You can also research the original design drawings for your particular mobile home. There you can find the engineer specs that will tell you the maximum dead load and live load allowed.

You are a gifted teacher Doug!

Awesome!Thanks for sharing your story.

This video is one of the most informative and straight forward I've ever seen. For weeks ive been stressing in what to do to my home because its not looking good at all and this just solved and answered all of my worries! Thank you for this 😇🔥

A lot of people stack up cynder blocks to make up for that weight on the outside wall, great video Doug, real nice info!!

folks mobile homes 1990 an newer the frame extends all the way to the ends an the marriage walls are supported now have been since 90 now if your house is as old as his then follow his steps, also newer double wides are built with the best upgrade materials theyre litterally built like on site structure home. if your tags on your home says 'manufactured' you actually have a upgraded home an its not the same as a mobile home just because they have frames doesnt mean theyre considered mobile . anything up to 88 is mobile home trailers. after those years an newer its either manufactured because the frame structure is different or its modular the only home thats still labled as a trailer or mobile home is a single wide. those are still built the same an honestly theyre built worser now than they were back then, theyre very very weak. with a steep price so before buying any single wide new weigh your options on purchasing a used doublie wide between 1990 or newer to now .. very good vid on a old mobile home. an he laid out the differences of what makes them a mobile home an a modular doublewide,

You can always add joists, 2x10s or 2x12s, to run with the steel I-beams that will support the entire mobile home.

The wife and I just got a 1969 single wide. We're planning on gutting the whole thing and starting from scratch. Thanks for the video!

This is great. My son owns a Doublewide trailer and he put a 600lb gun safe in it. It has made the floor soft. My husband told him to support it when he got the gun safe. Guess what they are doing this next month? Replacing the flooring and joists.

Very informative video. I don’t have a mobile home but I have been thinking about one day maybe buying one or a prefabricated home when I fully retire ( when the grandchildren finally move out). My other idea is to buy a townhouse across the road from the beach so I can sit out on my balcony and enjoy watching the water, looking for dolphins and whales. I just have to pray that I will live long enough. I have been watching a few other people renovating their mobile homes and I always suggest that they watch your videos to get some ideas to help with what they are doing.

YESSSSS!!!! Ashley, love the ending!!! It's not the same when you don't say "bye" :)

Doug, have you thought about insulating the floor? Don't your feet get cold?

Just when I thought I wouldn't see Ashley, there she is saying "Bye" lol Grammy sends BIG Hugs! XOXO

Thank you! I wonder how many people has never even thought of this, I know I didn't! Very good video and very informative!

You might want to consider putting 6 mil poly over the dirt in your crawlspace to reduce the moisture. This will greatly increase the life of both the wood and the steel structure. In addition, install insulation on the perimeter walls of the crawlspace to reduce your energy costs.

Just a tip but lag bolts have very little tensile strength 70-85000psi you'd be better off using Grade 8 bolts which actually have a tensile strength of 120-150 000 psi. Just food for thought.

Happy Valentine's Day to You , Ashley and the Children. ❤❤❤❤

Great info Mr Doug! Mobile homes are definitely harder to convert into a house! Time & patience!!

Definitely very good important information to put out there for sure,as this is one thing I definitely pay attention to when and if I was to do anything to my outside walls,or do anything to my roof,as I've been under my mobile home and your right there's no good enough support on those outside walls to add much more additional weight to them,and I've seen people do this all the time putting heavier roofing onto their mobile homes and run into problems, ty for sharing this 👍😊...

Brother you me helped a bunch!!!!! Thank you so much for your info and very well detailed video!!! My buddy’s home subfloor collapsed on his mobil home because of heavy tiles and 1/2 inch drywall. I fix mobil homes but wasn’t aware of this!! 🙏🏼👍🏼 Thank you

Finally. The video that may save my home. Leveling is useless if weight distribution is not proper. Ty ty ty. Gbu.

My manufactured home has 2x10 joists every 24 inches on center. I also have double the amount of support blocks at every 8 feet vs every 16 feet that is required by the county building department. One thing people need to understand about subfloor is most mobile home floors are only made from medium density fiberboard (MDF) which can become extremely brittle with any moisture. I recommend covering all of the MDF with a solid 3/4 or 5/8 inch plywood commonly referred to as sheer.

Thanks for the info Doug...and bye Ashley 🤗