Margali's Griffin Wood Ranch

[Baymule]

@Devonviolet where are you? You have one of these, what did your DH do to strap it down??

 

[DeEtta]

I don't understand real estate... I am purchasing a manufactured home with list price $89k and paying $10k down. The "Valuation Report" from the lender says the home is worth $120,300. So did I just gain equity by buying it? Or is it funny money so ignore it?

How exciting and congrats on getting a new home.

I just bought a new MH and put it on 1.25 acres. It took months to have it delivered and then a month of set up.

I too did not understand purchase vs value and insurance. But it was explained to me this way.

Assess value is different than market value. I paid 60k, assess value, but my market value is 100k. Which is equity if you want to resell it. But to find your taxes, assess value, the best thing to do is check your county property appraiser site. I can access ours on the county website. It will list both assesd and market value.

I live in Florida so it might be different if other states.

 

[Bruce]

It's from Harbor Freight... what part failed the tarp or the tubing?

The tubing. It is too thin walled. We get some pretty stiff winds and it is often mainly from the south or the north. The entire structure would visibly lean hard to the south, then hard to the north. That flexed and bent one of the verticals where it enters the arched tube. I was able to bend it back but it bent again and so did the one on the opposite side. I set up bracing to keep those two in place, it didn't lean in the wind anymore but the forces went elsewhere and started bending other pipes.

You can see in the second picture that the vertical on the left has already broken off and is no longer connected to the arched piece.


When I took the mess apart, only 1 vertical was not broken and several of the "rafter" pieces were. They break where the tube narrows to go in the connecting piece.

Something you might want to look out for is that the wind will unzip the door panel. And there is nothing at the top to keep the zipper tab from coming right off. You might want to fix that before you have to try to get the thing back on the zipper.

 

[Baymule]

Nothing like the voice of experience.

 

[Devonviolet]

@Devonviolet where are you? You have one of these, what did your DH do to strap it down??

We used the anchors that came with the four corners and the tubing in the middle - an anchor where each tubing in touch the ground. In addition to that, we used to ratchet straps in the middle of the garage, to which we attached dog tiedown anchors. Then we ratcheted the straps until they were tight. That held beautifully for six years. In the end, the frame failed, when we had 60+ mile an hour winds blowing against the side of the garage - but that was due to side pressure. We never had it lift off the ground, like some reported happening. We had had Highwinds before, and the frame had stood firm. In the end it couldn’t withstand 60+ mile an hour winds! So, we took it apart (saving the unbent tubing (like any self-respecting homesteader would do), and it is stored in the barn, for future projects.

After about three years, we did have to replace the canvas on the garage, because we had 45 or 50 mile an hour winds, that ripped it to shreds. This time the canvas failed as well.

 

[Margali]

Thanks @Devonviolet I put in the ground anchors. It is protected on the windy side by the metal sheep shed. It sounds like with ratchet strap on top I should get the year I expect before making repairs.

 

[Bruce]

So, we took it apart (saving the unbent tubing (like any self-respecting homesteader would do), and it is stored in the barn, for future projects.

I guess I must be self-respecting I had to take back some broken parts to HF to get my refund (I had uncharacteristically paid for a longer warranty) but I have the rest, not sure what I will do with them though. Taking up space in the barn with all the other "might be useful some day" stuff.

when we had 60+ mile an hour winds blowing against the side of the garage - but that was due to side pressure.

Yep, side wind pressure flexing it back and forth is what did mine in.

 

[Margali]

New mom jitters. My Sister In Law will be feeding and watering the sheep Saturday and Sunday while we visit the kids great-gramma. The urge to leave a multipage instruction manual is strong!

 

[Bruce]

As well it should be unless SIL is well practiced with tending sheep!

 

[Mini Horses]

Only 2 days? They should all be good...hay,, water.