That is my thought also. I suspect they are designed to be set on a concrete pad/footing, not dirt/gravel/etc.
I doubt that very much. I would expect them to be 24" x 24" at best.
1 Like
Guess I should said “corrected”. “Shot Down” is a slang term in my area for being corrected on something. Guess it’s a regional thing Larry… 
1 Like
Really?..
They’re made to set on the soil after confirming…
(from site)
“confirm soil bearing capacity of the area on which you will be working.”
3 Likes
Really Ass Wipe!!! 
I have seen them a few times. If the soil is not disturbed, they probably work fairly well. Mobile homes have a zillion piers under them 
“Whatever blows your skirt up!”
1 Like
Are they HUD compliant though? Guess I’ll have to look into it further because I’ve yet to come across them in my area.
Only chance of that is if a Modular and placed with a crane!
1 Like
Manufactured homes are notorious for cracking and minor displacement along the marriage line (walls, ceiling and flooring) during normal settlement. They are very heavy separate structures that are joined together with bolts and nails. There is usually a heavy half and a lighter half that can move independently over time.
Larry is correct, the bottom 8"x8"x16" is a cinder block and the 4"x8"x16" is a solid block.
The plastic (ABS) foundation pads have been around for a while and will not deteriorate for many years with ground contact, whereas ground contact wood will deteriorate much much quicker.
2 Likes
It can be a challenge to connect two buildings together perfectly. Plus piers on grade are not optimal. I have a question for those who might know. How many piers are required/recommended on the marriage line?
1 Like
@rthornburg - From what I see traditionally, the marriage line/rail will require 4 piers at a minimum and then also be mechanically joined. In the HUD guide I have seen and referenced, they will be called out by the manufacturer. It is usually 6" or as close as possible to the ends, and then 2-3 others in the middle. The bulk of the weight is on the trailer frame rails…I still think the Marriage rail should have more supports, but I am not a HUD engineer either.
2 Likes
Hello Brian, I agree with Russell. I’ve set a few prefab houses before and it looks like a poor installation on soft soil. It almost looks like they’re trailers. Are they house trailers that were connected? it looks like trailer steel beams in the one picture.
Russell those are ABS pads been around since 1994. I see them all the time. I do an average of 100 mobiles / Mfc a year.
1 Like
Not Russell, but duly noted if I ever come across them. Thanks for the input!
Never heard of them unitl now. Setting a house up on plastic supports seems like a receipe for failure.
Thanks for the info!
Just a quick look up, but doesn’t include spacing length wise.
Russel, Those are base pads with metal piers or Blocks as support. They were adapted due to failure of wood pads and last much longer.
Will