mobile home information

[mist1953]

We purchased a 1999 16X80 Chandeleur. we know nothing about this particular home (and our very first mobile home). What I did find out is from the Internet and we do know the company is out of business. We found a forum that slammed the company and there homes and complained about all the problems pertaining to the homes. I'd like to hear some positive things regarding the homes. Does anyone own a chandeleur home and if so what can you tell us about them. The home we have is 1140 sq ft with three bed rooms, living room kitchen, utility room and two bathrooms. The home is very spacious and we really like it but I'd like to know of any problems you may of experienced so we would know what to possibly expect.
Thank you in advance

[Yanita]

Hi,

First off you can find a negative website about anything from mobile home brand names to toothpaste.

We do not advocate one manufacturer over the next here. What I have found thru the years is one maybe a little better than the next, or worse. Basically if these homes are not properly maintained you and everyone else who owns them will have problems.

You already included something positive about the home you live in..."You really like it", so with that in mind does it really need validation.

The single most important thing you can do to keep your home in good condition is to prevent water damage. That means keeping up with all general maintenance for your home.

Have a great day,

~Yanita~

[kashton]

I do believe the Chandeleur was made by Champion homes. There are plenty of nice things to say about Champion Homes, and I do believe they are still in business. Maybe the Chandeleur wasn't one of their best. Do a search for Champion Homes, and you should find info on your make of home.
http://www.mobilehome.net/Tradename/Brand-C.htm

[Mark]

Any type of home, even new stick-built homes, will have their pluses and minuses. Proper set-up and regular maintenance go a long way for making any home a good home. No doubt you'll find some quirks, but that's why we're here -- to help you around those quirks.

Mark

[mist1953]

I'm sorry, I think I was mis-understood. I'm not looking for bad information I'm wanting to know what to look out for so we can check these things out before we have a situation that may cost us an arm and a leg. We are new to owning a mobile home and we had no one to talk to about this home before we purchased it and I was just looking for advise. We were so excited that we found such a nice clean home we forgot to ask the right questions regarding leaks in the bathrooms or utility room or kitchen, what amps is the electric, when was the roof last sealed or how often, plumbing is it plastic or cooper, Is the hot water electric or gas, how long the home sat empty and so on. I just want to know everything there is to know about our home. I've ordered Mark's book hoping this will answer my questions and in the mean time hoping I could get answers to familiarize myself with the home. What little I have found out I can not just walk into a DIY home center and replace some items.

[mist1953]

Thank you Kaston, this is the response I was looking for, some where to start. I will contact Champion to see what type of manual if any they can provide me with so I have a guide of some sort to help with our home.

[Yanita]

Hi Mist,

Did you just purchase this home?

Are you living in this home currently?

Did you have your home inspected by a professional before purchase?

On the first page of the Repair forum is a "sticky" titled Purchasing a Used Home, this will give you a guide line of what to look for...again this is a guide and not in lieu of a professional inspection.

Mark's Manuel is a repair manuel.

To find out what type of water heater is there they are generally located in a closet, hidden from view by a piece of wall board.

Good luck in your new purchase!

~Yanita~

[mist1953]

Yes, we purchased blindly, as we were so excited that we found one so nice for the cost.
We looked for three years and everything one we found was in such a disarray and they wanted to much for the shape they were in, so we jump at this one not using our heads and asking all the right things.
I did see your sticky situation message which I wish we knew about before we purchased (not saying that we would not of bought the home anyway) but at least we would of know what to do and we could of negotiated the price.
No, we did not consult an inspector which was silly on our part for not doing so. I think what I keep doing is comparing this home to our RV, because we have a manual for it and we knew it inside and out and I feel not very prepared being an owner of a mobile home.
I compare it to walking in a dark cave not knowing what to expect. I know that sounds silly. but that's the only way I can describe it.
I've read all of 2007 forum messages and all the way back to May 2006 and I think its wonderful and I now have a place to ask questions.

[JD]

While you are waiting on an owners manual, you could just give the home a good inspection now. Get some coveralls and get under the home. Inspect every square foot. Look for current water leaks, and past repairs. The old repair areas will tell you where they have had problems before.

Check your roof real good. If it is shingles, are they warped, cracked or have worn looking edges? If it is a metal roof, is the entire roof neat and clean looking? Are there layers of sealant painted over old layers of sealant on the edges and vents? Is there any of the black asphalt patch material on it anywhere?

Other than that, check your main appliances. The hvac system and the water heater. Heating and Cooling is harder to check out when everything is working fine. It may take an hvac licensed repair man to tell you any details. In the water heater compartment, do you see any green or white build up at plumbing joints? Is the floor in good shape? Has it been replaced before?

These are all good things to know. They tell you where problems may occur and what to watch out for. As for repairs, if you have any questions, there are probably many people on this forum that has already fixed what you are looking at.

Congrats on the new home! Enjoy it.

JD

[Greg]

Mist, I have 2 recommendations for you, First is Mark's book. He wrote it in general terms, there are no model specific parts in it.
second, go through the archives, you will soon see where the majority of the problems lie and what to look for. As others have said water is your homes biggest enemy. Greg

[mist1953]

Thanks JD and Greg,

We did have the A/C and furnace checking and its okay. We did find a problem with the drain hose of the A/C and we hope we got it fixed. The hose was loped and my husband straightened it out and the water runs out of the drain hose better. But now we are contending with the water problem in the belly of the home in the area of the A/C. Where would we find the drain pan for the A/C unit??

During the time we were under the home we noticed several other wet and dripping spots in the areas of the two bathrooms and kitchen. We did also notice that the underbelly was open in the area of the back bathroom shower area. (so we do know they had a problem with leaking). So now we have to locate the problems in the other areas to see if its the drains lines or water lines.

We did look at the roof and it does not look like its been sealed or painted. We did notice a few spots that look like they have newer sealant on them but for the most part what's there is crumbly. I checked the little tiny gutters because we had water running from the seams during and after it rains and noticed splits in the sealant and I tried to seal them with silicone which did not work but I now know to use the other stuff.
Should we just seal the seams in our metal roof or just coat the entire roof once we clean and reseal the seams around the vent pipes. In one area between the kitchen and the master bedroom the metal roof has a slight wave in it. Will the heat take that out or is there something we need to do??

I'm sorry this is so long I have so many questions.
Also there are so many rusty screws in our home is it a good idea to replace them.

During our mini check over of the home since we last got the info from this forum, we notices that the caulking is so hard and yellow around all the windows and doors. Should we replace it or leave it go.

My husband checked the water heater and he said it looks okay to him but I think we are going to check it again together and look for the things yous mentioned.

I'd like to thank everyone thats responded to me with help I really appreciate it and hope I've not made a pest of myself. As I've said this is our first mobile home and its scary to me not knowing the unknown and thank you again for all your input.

[Yanita]

Hi Mist,

Your not being a pest at all. Uncertainty is stressful.

What I need from you is to ask individual questions in separate threads. I know this may be a pain, but it makes it much easier for mods and forum users to address all your questions ...roof, floors, water lines, water heater, caulking, underbelly, these are all different questions.

We are here to try and answer all your questions and certainly do not one overlooked.

In the Articles link and the HVAC link in the blue task bar above is lots of info. But please feel free to still post questions.

Heating and Cooling questions go in the Heating and Cooling forum, (HVAC).

I am going to lock this thread and give you a chance to format your questions in to individual post.

Have a great day!

~Yanita~