Not Your Trailer Home Anymore: Meet the New Prefab Homes of Today

If you hear “manufactured” and automatically think of a trailer from the 70s, read this blog to see what you’ve been missing from this updated industry! 

When some people think about the types of homes we build here at Champion Homes, they might envision old, bent-out trailers and want to avoid that like the plague. What those folks might be surprised to learn is how far manufactured housing has come! It’s quite an exciting path, actually.

How We Got to Where We Are: 

• According to Construction Physics, in the 1910s and 1920s, car adoption was rapidly increasing. By 1925, cars in the U.S. had increased from 500,000 to 17.5 million cars in 15 years. 
• Mobile homes as we know them today came about in 1926 with automobile-pulled trailers or “Trailer Coaches.” 
• Trailer Coaches transitioned into mobile homes after a surge in interest during World War II. 
• In 1976, a significant regulatory shift happened when the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development worked with the industry to enact the first manufactured housing construction code.  This code really put manufactured housing on the map.   It established the consistent construction parameters needed to improve overall quality and safety standards and did it at a federal level that works for all states.   
• Things were further refined and improved throughout the 80’s and 90’s with more advanced developments around structural load paths, installation procedures and much more.  The codes continue to be advanced and improved even today through a robust collaboration process that occurs between federal agencies and industry experts using the latest in construction engineering and technology.  This ensures that manufactured homes will always be built for value, performance, and great looks. 

Key Feature Updates and Changes 

So, what are some of the main differences between the mobile homes of before 1976 and manufactured homes built to more current codes? Thanks to the implementation of the HUD code, you can expect to see changes such as: 

• Manufactured homes are wind-resistant. They are built to withstand similar forces as site-built homes and are as safe as site-built homes during a storm-even on the beaches. 
• Manufactured homes are structurally sound. The federal HUD code established structural parameters for snow loads throughout the country.  This allows for the proper use of materials and assemblies to ensure a manufactured home can properly transfer heavy loads to foundations-even in the mountains. 
• Manufactured homes provide for fire safety.  The manufactured homes of today are built with flame spread-resistant materials, smoke/carbon monoxide protection and, in some cases, fire sprinkler protection. 
• Manufactured homes are more energy efficient.  Modern Federal codes have established provisions to ensure good thermal envelope efficiency and optimal use of heat and cooling equipment.  This keeps your operation costs low and your comfort level high. 
• Manufactured homes are more material efficient.  Well thought out construction practices within the manufacturing environment ensure that material usage is optimized by recycling and reducing waste wherever possible. This keeps the materials in your home rather than in the landfill. 
• Manufactured homes go through a detailed plan review and construction approval process.   Federal codes require that all homes designs be reviewed and approved by engineers before construction begins.  Federal and state inspectors then oversee all factory construction and site installation processes.  These procedures ensure that your home meets the safety and quality standards you expect. 

Under current HUD codes, manufactured homes can be installed on a variety of foundation types. From the efficiency offered with traditional manufactured home foundations to the anchored feeling of a permanent foundation just like a site-built home, Champion has a foundation system that works for you. Check out the building process in this video…it’s pretty cool!

Ready to step into the new and become a homeowner of a fabulous manufactured home? Talk to a local retailer today to find models near you!