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Moving a mobile home with the deuce.

ida34

Well-known member
4,120
33
48
Location
Dexter, MI
I thought I saw a post on where someone did it before but I could not find it or remember who did it. Anyone know or have heard about it being done? I am trying to get a free trailer to put on my vacation property and want to hear stories or experiences with trying to move a mobile home with the deuce. I also want to find out how much a standard 70 foot single wide weighs. I know I will need to get an escort and over size permits but I am more concerned with the ability of the deuce to do it safely.
 

M543A2

New member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Warsaw, Indiana
My son and I have moved probably 25 mobile homes with deuces. I started years ago with an M135, then we used the M35A2. I can't tell you the weights, but a front kitchen 14 x 70 will make the front end of your deuce light when pulling it rim deep in soft stuff. The biggest complaint I had was having the bed corners interfere with trying to make tight turns. We have had the a duece and a 200 HP farm tractor on some trailers to bring them out of axle deep stuff where a toter gave up. We choose our customers, not getting into freeway or long distance towing. Stopping was never a problem because we took our time and did not go over 35 MPH with them. Usually we did not want to go faster than that because some of them were not in the best of shape, and we did not want to destroy them. Tires on them were also a consideration for keeping speed down. We made up wide load signs to put on the front and rear, and have one of the flashing yellow lights on the truck and escort vehicle. It is nice to have a long air hose adapted to hook to your emergency glad hand on the rear of the truck to keep tires aired up. We had to put my son's M139 bridge truck on one 14 x 70 to bring it out of deep sand. The location was too far away from home to drive a tractor there, and it only needed to move 100 ft. to get to the pads. A toter had buried it and left deep ruts in front of it. The M139 brought it out at just above idle like there was no problem! We got into one we couldn't move with the deuce because it was down in typical Spring wet dirt to the tops of the rims in my field. We got that far with it before the deuce could no longer go. We had to put our dozer with loader bucket on one side and our Payloader on the other side, lift in unison, then put planks under the wheels to get it on top. We then waited for the field to dry a bit, and were able to move it on back to salvage. It would have been nice to have had the bridge truck then! The biggest problem in soft stuff is the trailer axles dragging.
Take care, use common sense, and all should go well. Weld a good, strong hitch on your truck.
Regards Marti
 

ojsdna744

Member
297
0
16
Location
Lapeer/Michigan
I ran a 35 or 40 footer we got from Rizzo up to Mancelona with the deuce to put on our property up there. There were no issues with the tow itself, didn't bother with brakes on the trailer. Towed it up nicely, ran about 190 degrees and 40 mph up over the Zilwaukee bridge, but other than that it went fine.
It all went textbook until I was squeaking it into the property. The trail in is very tight and I found I couldn't get it back there with my truck. Turns were too tight and I punched out the front window with the corner of my troop seats. :( Ended up sending the better half over to our neighbor who lives up there full time and blinking her baby-blues at him until he brought over his tractor to get it the rest of the way in there. :lol:

While your talking about quite a bit longer unit, I don't see why it wouldn't do it just fine. The first time I started up there I hooked the house to my 2007 Ram 3500. It pulled it MUCH better than the deuce obviously, but there was a problem with the "tail wagging the dog" syndrome. No way was I going to wrestle with it the whole way up there. The deuce was firm and steady, just a bit slower! rofl
 

ida34

Well-known member
4,120
33
48
Location
Dexter, MI
I have a very heavy duty brake controller off my F-350 to take care ot the braking duties. I hope to get one very close but may have to go as far as 80 miles or so to get it. The trailer pad is about 15-20 feet off the road and is angled just right to drive by and back the trailer in. The area is sand but the area running up to the pad has been used as a driveway so it is very solid. The turns are not that tight. Anyone have one moved by a professional? How much does this run?
 

billymac61

New member
16
0
0
Location
Bexley, Ohio
I dont know what your laws are up there but in ohio I was going to move a 60 to 65 foot job trailer. Talked to odot and they said sure just come down pay your fee get your permit show proof of insurance done deal. Well i went everthing ok till proof of insurance. It had to be commercial insurance which would open a can of worms with the duece and exspensive.To make a long story short i took a chance and towed it anyway.
 

joey

New member
110
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0
Location
North Bend Oregon
i used to install mobiles. i had a buddy recently try to have my old boss move his double wide 5 miles he wanted around 3-4000 if i remember right. He decided to move it with a small farm tracter down the highway at 3 am. worked just fine. older single wides aren't really that heavy.
 

odjeeper

Member
106
0
16
Location
Northern, MI
Was That You?

Ojsdna744- Was that you towing the small mobile home up I-75 a few weeks ago while being followed by the CUCV Blazer? I passed such a rig just pulling into the rest area North of Bay City on my way north to a Michigan Museum Of Military Transport Meeting in Grayling.
 

ojsdna744

Member
297
0
16
Location
Lapeer/Michigan
Re: Was That You?

odjeeper said:
Ojsdna744- Was that you towing the small mobile home up I-75 a few weeks ago while being followed by the CUCV Blazer? I passed such a rig just pulling into the rest area North of Bay City on my way north to a Michigan Museum Of Military Transport Meeting in Grayling.
Yep, that was us. Fiance was following in my CUCV! Whatdya know, a Steel Soldiers sighting!! [thumbzup]
 

rizzo

Active member
2,841
8
38
Location
Port Huron, MI
Re: Was That You?

ojsdna744 said:
odjeeper said:
Ojsdna744- Was that you towing the small mobile home up I-75 a few weeks ago while being followed by the CUCV Blazer? I passed such a rig just pulling into the rest area North of Bay City on my way north to a Michigan Museum Of Military Transport Meeting in Grayling.
Yep, that was us. Fiance was following in my CUCV! Whatdya know, a Steel Soldiers sighting!! [thumbzup]
cool, a sighting
 

odjeeper

Member
106
0
16
Location
Northern, MI
Figured it had to be someone either in Great Lakes, MMMT or on here, maybe all three, to have a duece and a CUCV. Hopefully we will see you at some of the Michigan MV events this summer.
 
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