6 Thrifty Things You Can Do With A Mobile Home Frame

The basics …

It goes without saying that you will need all the proper welding and metal cutting power tools as well as skills. In most cases, you will need to cut stuff away, weld stuff on, and do a bit of tweaking here and there. Here is a basic list of things you will need to do to make this happen:

• • Cut it down to size: Manufactured homes are much longer than they are wide, especially older homes. You might need to shorten it somewhat to be of any use.
  • Add more support beams: As we mentioned, the steel is more lightweight than usual. If you want it to support heavy loads or just improve the lifespan, you should add a few more support beams. If there is no center beam running the length of the trailer, add that too.
  • Install new axles and wheels: The wheels and tires of a mobile home frame are not the same as other trailers. If you want it to function more like a roadworthy trailer, you might need to remove the old ones and replace it with a real roadworthy axle. This will also strengthen the frame. Depending on whether you resized the trailer, you might even need to reposition the axles.
  • Add a floor: You will need to add some kind of surface to the trailer. You could use anything from metal sheets to corrugated iron to crosshatched metal.
  • Add sides: This is optional. If you transport hay or something similar, you could also just tie it down using ropes or cables.

Build a New Home/Studio/Workshop

If you want to push your creativity, DIY skills, and ambition even further, you could go all the way and build an entirely new structure on the frame. After all, this is exactly what it was meant to do in the first place. Say a home was treated poorly, it might be the case that the walls, ceiling, and flooring are in such a state that it’s easier to rip it off and start from scratch. Rather than try and recover it.

Assuming that you are lucky, the frame of wooden joists and supports within the walls can be kept. Otherwise, you have your work cut out for you!

Speaking of mobile home frames, there are different types of mobile home sheds that can be built on them, ranging from simple storage sheds to more complex workshop or living space setups. However, it’s important to keep in mind that as the complexity of the project increases, so does the difficulty of adding plumbing and electrical systems.

Having just the frame

Starting with just the frame, you will need to:

• Build the frame for the walls: The best way is to construct H-shaped wooden frames. Use 2/3” or 2/4” wooden joists. They need to be wide enough to add some insulation (if desired).
• Cover the walls: You will need an exterior and interior wall. You could start with a base layer and then add on panels on top.
• Get a floor installed: It’s a good idea to have an underbelly that protects the floor, then a layer of insulation, then a layer of subflooring and then your actual floor.
• Install the roof: You could buy an entire roof kit that you simply fasten to the top or build your own.
• Electrical installations: You should probably start doing this as you build out the walls.

In the event that you plan to open your new structure to the public, for example, in the case of a shop, you will need to get the appropriate licensing from the local authorities. Regardless of which DIY project you tackle, you might also want to get to grips with the ins and outs of a mobile home. Check out our helpful guide on how to build a manufactured home on a chassis.

Here are two fantastic projects where someone has managed to turn a dilapidated old manufactured home frame into a store. Both people have been nice enough to share almost their entire project. These DIY projects will give you an amazingly insightful look at how to remodel a run down manufactured home:

• Turning a Trashed Mobile Home Into A Shop – Instructables
• Sillac’s Workshop – Lumberjocks.com

What else can you build?

We have seen plenty of other ideas of what to do with a mobile home frame floated around online. How many of these projects were actually seen through, we’ve no idea. However, we know about at least two: a short span bridge and a play stage.

Manufactured homeowners are known to be an endlessly creative bunch up for almost any DIY challenge. Skulking around on relevant forums should help you come up with a few more ideas or provide hours of entertainment at the very least.

What can you come up with for your mobile home frame?

We hope that you have managed to draw some inspiration from some of these ideas. If nothing else, you might be able to make a few bucks off that hunk of metal lying around and taking up space.  If you come up with any of your own ideas or projects, we would love to hear about them as well as have you share it with your fellow readers!