bent outriggers

[NMarie]

Crawling around under my 1978 12x60 trailer, getting ready for winter, I noted that the original outriggers of metal seem to be crumpled along the outer edge. I noted earlier that their is a decided list or dip of the floor to one side of the trailer if you check out the floors in the trailer and the ceiling wall joining on that side of the trailer. The worst place is below the front door.

I have read about the outriggers I can order here on this website, but will they fix this problem or do I need to have the trailer releveled and blocks installed on the outer well of the trailer.

I plan to remodel the bathroom and kitchen and install regular kitchen cabinets from Home Depot, so I want to take care of the floor and leveling before I start into those projects. Also, from one topic on this forum I noted that another remodeler installed additional outriggers to compensate for the heavier stock kitchen cabinets he installed. So I want to make sure the trailer supports can handle this.

Thanks for any help, suggestions.

[JD]

I think the add-on outriggers will help support the wall better, but I doubt you will be able to move that outside wall/rim joist up much at all. I have seen this happen often to homes that have floor joists running from end to end (front to back) rather side to side. Even jacking up the rim joist with perimeter piers and leaving it elevated off of the I-beam piers for a while does not seem to correct the bend. You can try it though. It seems like it should work.

JMO
JD

[NMarie]

Thanks for the response JD.

I have noticed from other posts that using the outriggers should help support standard kitchen and bath floor cabinets, and that I can level the floor using plywood if necessary for installing level cabinets. I believe that installing the extra outriggers under the kitchen area would also make sure the outer wall and floor can handle the 18" dishwasher along with the cabinets I want to install.

'nother question. The trailer has relatively new (3years) windows installed, and I do not think the trailer was releveled prior to installation. Is there anything I need to watch out for or do as they level the trailer, to make sure the windows are not damaged?

[JD]

I am thinking that after the home is releveled, it will still have a drop/bow in the floor towards the wall. I would have the home leveled, and then add the outriggers to give the wall additional support. When installing the floor cabinets, they can be shimmed to level to make up for the drop in the floor. I have even used 1x6's and shims on one of the worst homes I installed cabinets in. You will need to add a floor molding around the cabinets to hide the gap this leaves at the floor. Remember when installing floor cabinets that the return side (the cabinets that go towards the middle of the home), that they will need to be level with the wall side so the counters will fit right.

On the windows, just open the latch so they are not locked into place and hope that they still line up after the relevel. They probably will. Not much else you can do while leveling. If the latches don't line up when the relevel is done, and there is not enough adjustment to fix it, you may want to back off of the level from end to end a little (length ways of home). It is more important that the home is level from side to side. A perfect level is not always feasible and sometimes not possible.

JMO
JD

JD