FAQ: How much rubbish is in a mobile home? (2023)

Dismantling a mobile home is not an easy process. Neither does the decision to discard it at all. To make matters worse, there are very few online resources available to provide useful and much-needed advice. It really isn't that booming industry and "expert RV scrapers" are few and far between. So where do you find out how much junk is in a mobile home?

You're probably limited to searching all kinds of forums, learning about past people's experiences and finding questions you didn't even know you had. To make things easier, we've provided this handy guide to speed up the process a bit. We still recommend looking up some of the previous experiences of others, but this is a good place to start.

When should I cut my losses and sell my home?

As we briefly mentioned, RV demolition is usually not an easy (or very profitable) task. So what would bring someone to this point? Or when should you seriously consider tearing apart your house?

There are two main reasons: finances and because you have no other choice.

finance

When it comes to the financial side of things, the number one reason people resort to demolishing their homes is that it is so expensive to move. Even a relatively short move from a local business can cost upwards of $1,000. Crossing the state or one more trip can cost up to $10,000!

Let's not forget that mobile homes are not very expensive initially. You can get a decent single width for under $50,000 and a double width for under $80,000. In addition, mobile homes lose about 3-3.5% in value per year. This means that after 20 years, 70% of the value of your motorhome has already been lost through depreciation.

Add to that the fact that the move itself will drastically reduce the value of the home and you begin to understand why some just throw it away. All of a sudden it doesn't seem so bad to pay a professional to dismantle the house or dismantle it yourself and make a few hundred bucks.

No choice

When the land appreciates in value, the land itself can be worth more than the house. If you're looking to sell it, you may need to relocate or dispose of the home before a buyer accepts it.

Older mobile homes (before the 1990s and especially before 1976) sometimes looked more like caravans or trailers and were of far lower construction standards than today. This means many of these homes are completely uninhabitable until now and are not allowed in RV parks. This may remain your only option to get rid of the mobile home altogether.

Where should I look for rubbish in my apartment?

This answer can vary greatly depending on the origin of your motorhome, the type of motorhome and the specific model. Some older mobile homes are built entirely of metal materials such as corrugated iron and aluminium, while others have only metal frames but asbestos wall panels. Note that you must dispose of asbestos very carefully.Its fibers are poisonous.and can lodge in the lungs and chest.

Newer homes can be just as different. Vinyl, wood, and metal walls are equally common. The roof can be an equally good source of metal if the house has a metal roof. However, many houses today have plastic or rubber roofs because they are more energy-efficient.

Support

However, one constant has to be the dark side of the house. From mobile homes to new prefab homes, they all have a framework of steel beams, axles and rails on which the homes rest. These will be heavy, which means a lot of money, but they will also be very difficult to transport.

Electric

The entire electrical system in the house can also generate another significant profit. Electrical cables are mainly made of copper. It's also the most desirable and expensive pound-for-pound junk. If you really want to get some junk out of your house, then don't waste any of it. Even if it seems the wiring is insignificant compared to all that other metal you throw away.

Accesories

If the house is particularly old and still has its own built-in appliances, these could be another source of scrap metal. If the house is in bad shape or has been abandoned for years, it's probably not working anyway and not worth saving. Dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines are heavy and crammed with metal and electrical components. However, they are usually not worth what you think they are as they have "mixed metal" prices.

Installation

Plumbing can be another good source of scrap metal. Most homes have copper or galvanized steel tubing. Many homeowners choose plastic when they need to replace their metal pipes; Therefore, do not rely on the fact that the entire piping system is made of metal. While we doubt you'll throw away the newer models, they too are increasingly being made with plastic tubing. Faucets, faucets and valves are another solid, albeit small, contribution.

Others

Other areas that might be worth looking at but are not always present in every home are baseboards, metal doors or window frames, gutters and drains, sinks, lighting fixtures, and ducts and vents.

What types of metal are in demand?

Let's start with the absolute winner of all the metals you're likely to encounter when demolishing your house:

copper

The reason it is the most valuable is because it is arguably the most common and useful metal. Most electrical systems and wiring depend entirely on copper. It is also still commonly used in households for plumbing work as it rusts and corrodes less easily than other metals.

It's also relatively easy to recycle and reuse, further increasing demand. Copper can cost as much as $2.50 per pound. It is not bad.

Messing

Messingis another very useful metal that is used in all sorts of jewelry here and there. Locks, doorknobs, plumbing fixtures, valves, musical instruments and electrical components use this material. Just don't expect to find tons of them in your RV. As you can see it is mainly used for smaller parts.

Brass generally costs less than copper but is still respectable, averaging over $1 a pound.

Aluminium

This is another metal commonly found in RVs. While not as valuable as copper or brass, it contributes significantly due to its weight. Older (pre-1971) mobile homes used aluminum cables. If you were expecting copper, too bad. Even today they are often used in door or window frames or on the crash barriers themselves. If the house has metal siding, it is very likely that it is also made of aluminum.

Aluminum typically only costs about 50 cents a pound, which is a drop, but the volume should make up for it.

Stahl

finally there isStahl. As previously mentioned, most of the chassis and support beams will be steel. Even steel, despite its weight, does not come close to the value of copper and brass. You only get about 40 cents a pound. It's also worth noting that because they're so heavy and long, they take a lot more strength to move. If you don't hand over the whole house or you have a huge trailer to transport it, you have to chop them down and find a way to transport them.

This page at Scrap Sales USAThis will help you get a better picture.

Can you demolish a house alone?

That depends a lot on the type of house we are talking about, but in general it would be too much work and too dangerous for one person. For most households you need a team of people to hold things up or down, prevent parts from falling on someone, carry the heaviest objects and do all of this in a reasonable amount of time.

You also need a long list of tools. From the usual ones such as hammers (also mallets), pliers, knives, pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. Power tools such as grinders, drills, electric steel and wood saws, etc.

It's also not like you can start hitting the next side of the house and hope it falls apart so you can haul the materials and dispose of them. You must carefully plan how to dismantle the house in order to speed up the process and carry it out safely.

Do I have to demolish the house myself?

As you can see, it's not easy. This is also why there aren't many services that do this. It's just a job no one really wants to do for the money they pay. That means it's always worth stopping by. The offer you receive is highly dependent on the circumstances.

One option is to try and find a junkyard that takes up the entire house, but in this case you'll likely have to pay moving expenses, which we're trying to avoid. Another option ishave a company like we areEZ Men,do the demolition for you.

(Photosout of stockbefore, during and after a demolition).

How to throw out or get rid of all other non-metallic waste?

So you also need a way to transport it to the junkyard and junkyard. Keep in mind that most scrap yards will not accept other waste such as wood or plastic. You need to find another place to dump these materials. If you can't find a trailer or large truck to rent, it can mean making a lot of round trips.

Some landfills allow you to dispose of these materials for free, while others charge a small fee. You have to decide whether it's worth it.

Many people just let the wood materials rot somewhere and dump the rest of the plastic and rubber materials in garbage cans as a last resort.

Is there other valuable waste in my house?

Depends on. None of the other building materials are worth much. Especially in old buildings made of asbestos it is pretty much useless. However, one thing you can make good money off of is home appliances.

All major gadgets can be sold at the same junkyard, but you'll only get junk prices for them. If they are still functional, you should either take them with you or sell them separately as used items.

Because they are made of different materials, you only get mixed metal prices for them, which is very low. That's because the junkyard incurs some cost and labor to separate the materials for recycling. Expect only about 10 cents a pound for these devices. Because of this you can see that if it is in good condition it is worth a lot more to sell as a used item.

Now that you know how much junk there is in an RV...

You can decide if selling your junk is worth your time and effort. We hope we've also answered some of your other pressing questions on how to get rid of that pesky RV. While RVs can be a dream to live in, once they've passed their sell-by date or become derelict, they can be a real burden on your shoulders. Remember to consider your particular circumstances and read what others have done in the past. We wish you good luck.