How to Move a Mobile Home Trailer

Proper planning is vital in moving a mobile home.

Mobile home trailers were designed specifically for relocation when the need arises. However, laws must be followed in the process of having such a mobile home trailer moved when using public highways and byways. Since such homes are light in weight, they can also be blown over on their sides easily when in transit. This requires paying attention to the weather forecast for the given day of the move. The majority of the tasks in moving a mobile home trailer involve proper planning.

Things You'll Need

• Pilot car service (required in most states)
• Mobile home relocation service

Instructions

1. Remove all of your personal goods from the trailer home and place them in a rented storage unit or a relatives garage. Many mobile home relocation services refuse to tow a mobile home trailer if there are any personal effects inside because of litigation risk.

2. Determine the day you will want your mobile home trailer moved and hire a professional pilot car service if your mobile home moving company doesn't have its own. The moving company will require you to have one if it doesn't provide one, and most state laws require a pilot car in front of, and behind, any mobile home when it is on the highway.

3. Provide all information about the current location of your mobile home trailer, as well as the exact destination where you desire the home to be moved, to both the moving company and also to the pilot car service. Your moving team will have to plan the shortest, safest route on which to move your home, and it may also have to survey the height of overpasses to make sure the home will fit when being towed through them.

4. Take the finalized route information provided to you by your moving service to your local department of transportation office and provide it to the clerk. You must then purchase a mobile home moving permit from the clerk for that specific route, on the specific day and for the specific time at which the home is being moved. This is so that law enforcement agencies are aware of the move and so they may assist at busy intersections where tight turns may be required for your mobile home towing service.

5. Have your mobile home wheels ready for your towing service to hook up to your mobile home before it arrives. Your team will more than likely elevate your trailer and install the wheels days or even a week before the actual day of the move. Once they have elevated, blocked and placed the wheels on your trailer, don't permit anyone to climb under the trailer to prevent injuries.

Tips & Warnings

• There used to be a day where someone could simply hook a mobile home trailer to a farm tractor and to then relocate it without assistance. Today's laws require a truck specifically designed for safe movement of a trailer home; the law also requires signal lights on the top of the truck. Even further, anyone moving a mobile home trailer must now have a commercial driver's license (CDL) in most states. Permits are required for most mobile home relocations. Because of all of the planning to satisfy all laws and regulations, it would be best for you to simply do the legwork and to let the actual move be handled by those who are qualified to do so.

References

• Rite Way: How Do I Prepare For My Move?

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish