How to Haul Away a Mobile Home Trailer
- 1). Calculate the weight of the trailer, including remaining interior items. Most 14-by-70 foot mobile home trailers weigh between 3 and 6 tons. To calculate the weight, look at the trailer's axles. Each wheel/axle combination represents a ton. Add furniture and interior additions to the wheel/axle total for your estimate.
- 2). Use a hammer or pry bar to remove any side cladding that was added after the mobile home trailer was parked. Some of the side skirts might be nailed, screwed or bolted on, this includes the stairway. All exterior additions must be removed for safe transport.
- 3). Remove all exterior wires. Usually, mobile homes have a junction box with one or two connections for the mobile home. If there is a fuse panel as part of the junction box, shut down the main power before unplugging. Cable, satellite and phone lines tend to be located near each other. Disconnect all lines after the power is off.
- 4). Shut off all water lines leading to the mobile home before disconnecting. Disconnect all sewage components. Some mobile home locations have a sewage inlet directly beneath the mobile home trailer. Be sure to cover the inlet after disconnecting.
- 5). Remove all secondary support connections. Some mobile home trailers have steel cables attached to anchor points on the outside of the trailer. These provide extra support for stability. Remove the cables by unscrewing the tension components slowly.
- 6). Secure all interior items, including leftover furniture and appliances with rope or bungee cords. Shifting weight makes transport difficult. If a majority of weight is on one side, try to shift some to the other side for better balance.
- 7). Check all of the tires using a tire pressure gauge. Even if the tires hold air, they may not be roadworthy. Check for cracking or bubbling of the side walls and tread depth.
- 8). Repair and replace tires as needed. Check the proper tire pressure by locating the optimum tire pressure figures on the tire's side wall. If the mobile home trailer requires jacking up to repair tires, only place the jack under a steel component like the cradle that holds the axles on.
- 9). If the height of the trailer hitch is acceptable, connect it to the tow vehicle to prevent rolling.
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Use blocks or bricks in front and behind the front and rear wheels to prevent rolling. Many mobile home trailers are supported by jack stands. Only remove the jack stands once you are confident in the tires ability to hold weight. - 11
Set up portable trailer lights at the mid point of the rear of the mobile home trailer. Make sure the lights are as close to eye level as possible and in accordance to your state's requirements. Test to make sure all light functions work properly. Try to keep the electrical cable connecting your tow vehicle to the mobile home trailer up and out of the way to prevent snagging it. - 12
Secure all windows and doors before moving.