Heavy tanks in mobile homes?

[dd1965]

Does any one have any experience with this? I"ll be moving into one this spring. I have a 90 gallon tank.It's an older 70's style single wide that's been remodeled with actual 2x4's and plywood put into the outside walls, but the floor has not been changed. Any help would be appreciated, I'm afraid of the weight breaking through the floor?

 

[lorindaleigh]

I wouldn't do it in a mobile home older then 15 years. The floors in those rot so quickly. I fell through the floor in ours twice. I am so happy I sold it. Talk about being a money pit.

 

[thebrandon]

I know someone who has a 100 and something gallon in theirs. It is pretty new though.

 

[dixienut]

you have to re-enforse the floors where you wish to put it and i would use 2x6's instead of 2x4's

 

[tetramoon13]

ha, glad this question is being discussed, as I was going to ask the same thing. Only mine is 55. I will have to agree, with dixienut, though. Better to be safe.

 

[coach_z]

i am in no way familiar with the construction of a mobile home but i assume you would need to reinforce the floors a LOT, much like dixienut said...with 2x6

i am also going to assume that once the tank is placed in there the mobility factor will be completely lost

 

[jackiomy]

I live in a 1957 single wide with a 55 and a 40 and 2 20s. LOL I had a guy come out and look at my floors and he said that as long as I put my tanks on or along support beams they would be fine, he also said that if I was still feeling weird about it, to take a 4x4 put it lengthwise under the floor where the tank is and use 2 trailer jacks. All my tanks are doing fine and looking good.

 

[duke33]

I have a 300g plus other tanks in a double wide. Under the 300 I Reinforced with 4x4's and posts in all 4 corners.

 

[bushwhacker]

all mobile homes are built on a steel truss system running across the short dimension of the home.. as long as the tank is against the outside wall you will be spanning across those supports.. that said i have a 75 gallon and a 55 gallon on either side of my desk and its around 400 pounds by itself

 

[bazil323]

Mmm, I do have a 75 g in my trailer house, which is at least 20+ years old. I have stepped through the floor in the opposite end, but there was also some water damage there from the washer not leaking properly. I'm nervous about it being there, but it's been okay for over 2 months. I wouldn't recommend it without having an engineer or a qualified carpenter take a look at the floor supports, etc.

I'm personally hoping to buy a house in the next year or so and solve my problem of questionable floor strength. I'm either going to get a house with a basement and put my tanks down there or one with a poured foundation (or similar foundation) and have them all on the first floor.