Buy new and used trailers

The best websites to buy new and used trailers for sale

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More than 20 million Americans live in mobile homes or trailers, this means that this type of housing occupies more than 6% of the residential inventory in the US and around 20% in the southern states of the country. Later you will find all the information you need about the best websites to buy new and used trailers for sale, first we will focus on some concepts that will help us clear up the doubts that usually arise about this type of home.

Table of Content

What is a trailer or mobile home, exactly?

The trailer houses are manufactured outside the place where they will finally be installed and to which they will be transported. Some people call them manufactured homes, mobile homes, trailers, or trailers. Mobile homes typically come in two types: single-width, with a long, narrow, and often compact design; and the double-width ones, which have double the space and look more like a traditional single-family home on the inside.
There is a lot of confusion about mobile homes or trailers and this is largely due to their origin. Before 1976, prefabricated and factory-built mobile homes were mass-produced and marketed as mobile homes. They were very similar to caravans and travel trailers in that they could be transported and moved thanks to their trailer frames, axles, wheels and hitches, but they were really different in terms of furnishings and size.
At the time, the federal government stepped in to make sure affordable housing was safe for the American public. It passed the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Act of 1974, followed by the HUD Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards of 1976. With this, federally regulated national building codes were created for all trailer homes, with the purpose of making them safer and more durable to the ravages of Mother Nature.
After 1976, mobile homes are legally called manufactured homes and must adhere to HUD code building specifications. These houses are usually moved to a specific location and are kept there permanently.

Types of trailers

Normally, we can talk about two types of trailers. The typology of trailers depends on their sizes, which can be single width or double width. In both cases, the trailers are prefabricated structures made by companies that specialize in them and come in different sizes. Here we talk about the most common types.

Single width trailer

This type of trailer is the smaller of the two types. It is generally 90 feet (27 m) or less in length and 18 feet (5.5 m) or less in width. This type of trailer is normally towed as a single unit to the site where it is to be installed. Logically, its characteristics make it especially easy to move from one place to another when required.

Double width trailer

Typically, this trailer is 90 feet or less in length and 20 feet or more in width. Being larger than the simple trailers, the double trailer is moved in two units to the place where it is going to be installed, once there the two parts must be joined.

Who moves and who transports a mobile home or trailer?

One of the main advantages of a trailer is that it is very easy to transport. However, it must be moved by professionals, specifically a moving company.
Several factors determine the cost and time of moving. For example, the distance within which the trailer will be moved, the weight, the age and condition in which it is at the time of the move, the movement of materials, the size of the trailer if it is single or double width, installation services, permits and, finally, labor costs and transportation fees.

One of the main factors that affect the price is the distance of the trailer, logically the greater the distance, the greater the cost of the transfer.
Like the distance, another very important cost factor has to do with the size of the trailer and therefore the weight, the larger the size, the higher the cost. Size and weight increase cost because more materials and more labor are required. The materials that are required to make the trailer house move include tires and trailer hitches.
The age of the trailer is also a factor to take into account for the cost of the transfer. In some cases, being older, it may require some type of repair before moving. Sometimes these repairs are absolutely necessary and add more time to the moving process , as the company will have to make sure they are done before putting the trailer on the road for transport.

Take out trailer insurance

Finally, a point of great importance is that if you plan to move your trailer, you must take insurance into account. If you do not currently have it, you must acquire civil liability coverage that protects you from any unforeseen event related to the transfer, removal and installation. You can also purchase third party insurance. Before acquiring the insurance, check with your current company if the one you currently have covers this type of transfer or not, because if so, you can save some money there.

How to buy trailers: financing

If you have thought of financing the purchase of your trailer with a mortgage, there are several things you should know. The first thing is that banks do not consider trailers as real estate but as personal property, so they will only offer you a personal loan. To stand a chance of getting a home loan, you’ll need to make sure the trailer is permanently linked to a foundation.

If you don’t want or can’t make a permanent connection to a foundation, you should consider credit unions as they can offer you a mortgage for a mobile home. The other possibility is to take out a personal loan or borrow money from a mobile home dealer. However, regardless of where or from whom you apply for the loan, the lender will most likely require that the trailer meet the requirements of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Which means that the lender will hire a specialized person to carry out a home inspection and certify it.

Trailer sales: Best websites to buy new and used trailers

It is important to make it clear that not all websites were created for the same purpose. Many of them were created primarily to promote a particular manufacturing company. Only a few sites are really designed to offer the buyer easy access to compare models, prices, materials, and other build specifications.
The list below includes the best websites to buy new and used trailers for sale.

ManufacturedHomes.com

It offers an excellent database with a wide variety of trailer manufacturers and competing retailers. The selection of 3D virtual tours is huge. Plus, you’ll find thousands of plans, images, custom quotes, and build specs. It is a very intuitive and friendly website. It has a great virtual library of information and buying advice on trailer homes for sale in the resources section. As a detail of great importance, this website is not full of advertising like others in the same sector.

ModularHomes.com

With over 100 trailer builders, this page has earned a good place among the best websites to buy trailers for sale. It can be defined as a clean and organized site that offers many images, plans, 3D tours, information and comments about the manufacturers and “what distinguishes them from each other”. Geo-targeting for the states they serve. Direct contact section. And a resource section that introduces the different trailer options and their differences.

OakCreekHomes.com

For some, this is the best manufacturer site. The digital content is excellent, reliable and with a great design. It offers 3D tours and a large display of interior images. On the other hand, there is no multiplicity of products and no geo-targeting for inexperienced users. Offer quotes over the phone.

MHVillage.com

The MHVillage database is so extensive that it can be a bit confusing and overwhelming when navigating through it. According to users, this website is better if you are looking for a used trailer for sale instead of a new one.

SunshineHomes-inc.com

It offers great content, 3D virtual tours, floor plans with feature descriptions and build specs, has a great design center, and custom quotes. It is probably the most practical website of all the manufacturer sites that we can find.

ClaytonHomes.com

A first-class concept with good content, although unfortunately a bit confusing due to the lack of geo-targeting, so it is necessary to search to obtain local results. It has a unified database of all its factories. By using this website, you feel that the design was made with the user in mind.

ChampionHomes.com

This is a very striking and beautiful website, its design was recently updated. In addition, it offers very good content. However, the visits in 3D are somewhat limited, but little by little it is being placed among the best sites. This page is an excellent representation of the industry.

LegacyHousingltd.com

The presence of Legacy Housing is very good although compared to the other options it does not seem to be up to par. It offers a good presentation of the products.

TheHomesDirect.com

Due to its history, this distributor could not be missing from this list of the best websites to find trailers for sale. The page is excellent for all manufacturers and retail outlets that includes

ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com

This website is largely article-focused and not necessarily shopping-oriented. However, it is a great source of educational material for someone just beginning to explore the trailer industry. You can connect with great connoisseurs of the subject through its platform. The company has a long history, so this website will go a long way in the future.