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How to Add a Room to a Trailer

Trailers, or mobile homes, offer many appealing qualities. They are more affordable than a traditional home with a foundation, and they can also be moved easily if you decide to relocate. However, when you purchase a trailer, you commit to a limited footprint. The needs of your family can change, and it might be difficult to modify your trailer to meet them. It is possible to add a room to a trailer, either in the form of an extra bedroom, an enclosed porch or extended living space.

Things You'll Need

  • Permission from landlord
  • Permit from local building department
  • Exterior cladding materials that match existing
  • Weatherproofing
  • Professional services for plumbing, HVAC and electrical work
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Instructions

    • 1

      Request permission from the owner of your trailer park to add onto your home. If you don't own your property, you must check to make sure there are no rules or regulations against adding on. Even if you own property, there might be setbacks governing how far you can expand your mobile home. Also apply for a building permit from your local building department, if necessary.

    • 2

      Consult a structural engineer or expert in mobile home design to verify that your trailer's existing structure can support the weight of an addition. Adding on could potentially damage the structure of your trailer, or even cause it to collapse. These frames are not always designed to bear weight.

    • 3

      Pour a foundation slab or install new concrete blocks for your trailer addition. Use the same type of foundation that your existing trailer is mounted upon. Both the trailer and its addition should be able to settle and expand or contract at the same rate, depending on atmospheric conditions.

    • 4

      Coordinate the exterior materials of your existing trailer and addition. Ideally, you should purchase materials for the addition from the original manufacturer. In some cases, you can purchase pre-fabricated room additions, which are called turnkey additions, from your mobile home manufacturer. Keep in mind that materials weather at different rates. You might have to choose a cladding material for your addition that is complementary to the existing trailer rather than an exact match.

    • 5

      Install flashing between the existing trailer and addition, and use caulk to fill the gaps. These materials will prevent leaks into interior spaces.

    • 6

      Consult professionals to configure the ductwork for heating and cooling, electrical wires and plumbing pipes to accommodate your trailer's addition. Make sure that your trailer's existing infrastructure can handle the extra load. Don't try to do this work yourself unless you are experienced with mobile home systems.

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Home Additions
  1. How to Add a Contemporary Rug
  2. How to Add a Room to Park Model Trailer
  3. How to Build and Add a Room to a Trailer
  4. How Add on to a Manufactured Home
  5. How to Add on to a Single Wide
  6. How do I Add a Sitting Room?
  7. How to Add a Room to a House
  8. How to Add a DIY Room
  9. How to Add a Bonus Room
  10. How to Add a Room to a Double-Wide
  11. How to Add on a Laundry Room
  12. How to Add an Addition to My Home

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