Moving a mobile home for the first time is not as simple as attaching it to a vehicle and dragging it to its new location. It also isn’t as simple as just driving it yourself. The phrase “mobile home” typically conjures up images of recreational vehicles traveling down the freeway packed with camping supplies and kids. But there are also mobile homes that are trailers, tractored behind pickup trucks or minivans. When it comes to figuring out the cost to move a mobile home, there’s a few questions that you need to answer before beginning. How much is required to relocate a mobile home? What types of permits are required? What type and size of mobile home do you possess? What is the mobile home’s status?
Here at American Auto Shipping, we understand how to help you move a mobile home. We can help you answer all these questions and more with this helpful article. So keep reading and find out what to expect when moving a mobile home and how American Auto Shipping can help you get it done. But no matter how you choose to contact us, we’ll make sure we move your mobile home at the right price every time.
Why should you ship a mobile home?
The very first question you should ask when trying to figure out shipping a mobile home is whether or not you need to ship a mobile home. Mobile home transportation isn’t cheap, and often takes a lot longer than shipping a standard vehicle. This is because there are fewer transport trucks on the road capable of moving a mobile home safely. Those that are out there aren’t everywhere.
As auto carriers consider the size and weight of a vehicle, as well as the distance it’s traveling, mobile home moving is going to cost a pretty penny. Most will run at least a dollar a mile, sometimes two or even three if they’re really big! That said, smaller trailers will cost less to move. So factor all that in when you’re figuring out whether you want to move your mobile home or not. If you do decide to ship your mobile home, American Auto Shipping is here to help! But it’s important to understand more about it, so keep reading.
Is it safer to ship a mobile home?
Yes, it’s typically safer to ship a mobile home with a professional transportation company. When budgeting for the relocation of a mobile home, the cost of mobile home movers is the first consideration. You can move a mobile home on your own, but it’s usually a lot of work – work that most people don’t want to do.
This type of work is performed significantly more frequently by movers, who are trained in handling trailers and mobile homes. This is important especially if you’re not comfortable moving your mobile home yourself.
In addition, businesses that transport mobile homes have insurance in the event of an accident. This means that if anything happens during transport, your insurance won’t be affected. However, if you decide to move it yourself and something happens, you could be on the hook for higher premiums.
What do I need to move a mobile home?
The type of mobile home you own will be the first thing movers for mobile homes will inquire about when speaking with you. Is it a single-wide? Double-wide? Something different, such as a travel trailer? Knowing what kind of mobile home will go a long way to determining the cost.
You may also be required to provide additional information, such as the year you purchased your property and the type of material used for the outside of the house (for example, metal, vinyl siding, etc.). Not all moving companies require this information, but it certainly helps.
The last question, which is the most crucial, is: How far will they move your mobile home? Where exactly do you want to travel across the country or the state? The movers will use the answers to these questions to estimate the cost of relocating your mobile home.
To learn more about what you will need to transport your mobile home, call American Auto Shipping at 800-930-7417. We have representatives standing by who can answer your questions, give a quote to move your mobile home, and much more.
What factors will determine the cost of moving a mobile home?
The cost to relocate a mobile home can vary from $1,000 to more than $20,000, based on its condition, size, distance, and other factors. When transporting a mobile home less than 100 miles, it can typically be done for less than $5,000. For lengthier travels, expect to pay an additional $6 to $15 per hour in transportation expenses.
Some of the factors that will determine the cost of moving a mobile home include:
Single vs. Double Wide
A large portion of the cost of moving your mobile home is its size. Single-wide mobile homes are smaller and easier to fit on smaller trucks, which typically means they move faster and at a lower price. Double-wide mobile homes often require larger trucks that may not be as ubiquitous on the road.
Travel distance
This is one of the most important criteria in determining the cost of transferring your mobile home. Are you relocating locally or across the country? Before speaking with movers, approximate how many miles you’ll be traveling.
Shorter routes will cost less to move along than longer routes. It might even be that short moves (as in, within a few hundred miles), will cost you significantly less to move it yourself. But longer distances take other considerations such as the time you spend driving and the money you spend on food, fuel, and lodging.
Longerroutes make more sense to hire someone to move your mobile home along than short routes for this reason. However, you can hire a transport company to move your mobile home any distance.
Bumper Pull vs Transporting
There is a service called “bumper pull” – this is where a transporter will hook your mobile home to the hitch on their pickup truck. This is common for travel trailers that don’t move under their own power. The same goes for other types of trailers, such as racing trailers.
Transporting a mobile home, though, means putting it on a truck. Most are moved on a flatbed truck. Some small mobile homes may be able to fit on an enclosed trailer, but the vast majority will require a flatbed truck to transport them.
Which one you decide is up to you. Each has their own advantages. For instance, bumper pull is often a much cheaper method for shipping a travel trailer since it’s easy to hook up and tow.
If you are unsure which is right for you, ask one of our representatives, or ask in our live chat right here on our website.
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For mobile homes movement, consider contacting American Auto Shipping.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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