[ziggystyles]

Its a TAD on the windy side out here in Wyoming. This is a copy and paste of what I wrote on my blog site. ON the bright side...my bike shed is still where I left it!

Well...this sucks

Marcie and I just returned from a drive around town looking at homes for sale and just driving around to see if other homes were for sale as well. We came back and turned the corner and from a distance we can see our house. Immediately, I noticed a 3 foot section of skirting was missing underneath the house.

We drove up and I looked as a neighbor was looking around. Turns out the piece that flew off our trailer went and schmucked his (yay!) and messed up some of his skirting.

I looked down and noticed light where there shouldnt be light, because the trailer is skirted all around so there shouldnt be light anywhere. Well it dawned on me that if there is light, that means there is a hole...so I went around front and noticed a 6 foot gap in the skirting there as well.

Note the convenient location of the sewer and water lines. Now, If I remember correctly, they installed a cord that is wrapped aroudn the water line so it doesnt freeze, but I dont know about the sewer line. Im worried about both of them freezing overnight. Ill leave the water running, but hmmm.

I tried to figure out what to do as...I really dont know what to do. What can I do when the wind is gusting like this? I have a tarp...but thats not going to do any good and I dont even know where I can mount it anyways. So...I took my car and parked it in front of the house for the time being to block the wind from the hole.

As I was writing this (and Marcie is writing another similar blog on her site) we heard a thump. I investigated and found this...

Luckily...this only will go on for the next 24 hours...will our house be here then? lol

If you look very carefully...there are specks of dirt flying in the air as you look at the pics.

 

[WB0SPL]

Wyoming is the windiest state. There simply nothing to stop it.

 

[DT]

Maybe you should consider moving a little further north.

Here's tomorrow's forecast for The UPPER KOYUKUK VALLEY in central Alaska:

MONDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY ICE FOG IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS 30 TO 40 BELOW.
LIGHT WINDS.
MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY ICE FOG. LOWS 40 TO 50 BELOW.
LIGHT WINDS.

At least they aren't having the windy conditions you're experiencing.

 

[ronbien]

Ziggy,
You moved right into a wind tunnel.
Here is a post I made to you when you were considering the move.
http://www.gl1800riders.com/forums/view ... 3&start=25

I was only there once but when I commented on the wind the locals just kind of shrugged their shoulders like it was nothing.

 

[KA7W]

Ziggy,

I was raised in Wyoming, but in a much windier part than you, I grew up in Rock Springs !!!

The positives of all this.
1) You will learn to ride in extremely cold weather !
2) You will learn to ride in extremely windy weather !
3) You will learn how to fix skirting on trailers !
4) You will learn how to wrap sewer and water lines with heat tape !
5) You will learn how to cook Antelope !
6) You will learn how to live when the power goes out !!

Now, You really don't want me to list the negatives do you ?? :lol:



JMHO 8)

 

[yellowtrike]

I've got news for you - Nebraska is right up there with Wyoming for wind.

Got to admit - the air certainly is clean in Wyoming cuz anything remotely resembling SMOG is blown away.

Have a house in Glenrock - lovely little town - wouldn't have been able to ride 125 miles today in the glorious UNWINDY weather if I was living in it!

 

[ziggystyles]

Maybe you should consider moving a little further north.

Actually, I think MN is one of the colder states. I thought Alaska, while it was north, wasnt as cold as MN due to their getting the ocean currents? Either way...Im from MN...I like the cold...just not the wind, lol

Ziggy,
You moved right into a wind tunnel.
Here is a post I made to you when you were considering the move.
http://www.gl1800riders.com/forums/view ... 3&start=25

I was only there once but when I commented on the wind the locals just kind of shrugged their shoulders like it was nothing.

What kind of restaurant was it? There are a few places in town, there is a small mexican place that only has seating on along a bar (Rose's Lariat)..then there is an Italian place down the same road in a light brown two story house. I havent really been out to that many places yet.
The thing is that it does get windy...meaning windier than most other places. However, like right now...its VERY windy which isnt as common....we are getting gusts of up to 70mph at the moment. Our house (aka DoubleWide) is shaking more than it has since weve been here...skirting has never been ripped away like it is tonight. I looked at our bed with the cat ontop...cat was moving with the movement of the house, lol.


I was raised in Wyoming, but in a much windier part than you, I grew up in Rock Springs !!!

The positives of all this.
1) You will learn to ride in extremely cold weather !
2) You will learn to ride in extremely windy weather !
3) You will learn how to fix skirting on trailers !
4) You will learn how to wrap sewer and water lines with heat tape !
5) You will learn how to cook Antelope !
6) You will learn how to live when the power goes out !!

Now, You really don't want me to list the negatives do you ??
[/quote]
Tom, so far...from what I've seen...wyoming doesnt get nearly as cold as MN. Also...Im not brave enough to drive in these winds...they shut down the interstate so we have two truckstops full of trucks...Pamida, Alco and other places nearby are full t the max with trucks...trucks are even parked along the off and onramps to the interstate all the way down to the interstate itself.
Hopefully i wont have to fix this skirting as I didnt install it. The house was assembled on site and the community had the skirting installed...I think they ahve a handyman who can replace the missing sections and hopefully make it stronger.
Water pipe does have something on it so Im not worried. Sewer doesnt but Im not worried about that because that is rather empty and is a drain so as long as stuff keeps flowin...Im not concerned.
We havent been hit with a outage in a couple months...rather surprised. If we were to live here for a few years...Id strongly think about getting a generator...but I don't know what sized one I would need.

Have a house in Glenrock - lovely little town - wouldn't have been able to ride 125 miles today in the glorious UNWINDY weather if I was living in it!

My principal also owns a house in Glenrock. He worked there for quite a few years and now works here in my town, so he has two homes. Im kind of thinking of buying his house down here when he retires...although I dont think we could afford it. [/quote]

 

[luckyman]

 

[nwkshusker]

I was thinking that I looked it up once and I think Dodge City Kansas is the windest place in America with an average wind speed of 17 MPH.

Wind is wind though and I don't like it. Just makes for a miserable day and it looks like you get your share up there to ziggy.

 

[Denny]

the wind fan......

They flip the switch to on position on the wind fan every once in awhile to blow the pilgrims back east.

COWBOY UP

You will learn to replace that heat tape with a new one every July so ya don't have to do it in January?

Denny

 

[ziggystyles]

Havent looked into the lifespan of heat tape yet.

However, Im starting to wonder where it is located. My bathroom (dubbed the "man bathroom") is on the far end of the house. As of this morning...no hot water on that end in the sink or shower / tub. There is cold water coming out of the sink but not the shower. However, if I leave the cold water on in the shower...it eventually comes on after a minute or so, which doesnt make sense. Also...if I turn the cold water on in the shower and nothing happens...if I go to the sink and turn on the cold water there, then cold water comes out of the shower right away.

THEN, if I turn the cold water on and water comes out of the shower and then turn it to hot...the shower stops running...if I turn it back...still nothing and Im back to the cold water situation again that slowly comes on. Kind of doesnt make sense. I figure the hot water line is frozen (or busted)...but not the cold....but I cant figure out what is going on WITH that cold line.

That and its 60 degrees in the house and the furnace cant keep its #$#$#ing flame running because of the wind....supposed to be 70. GRr.

 

[WingWing]

Its a TAD on the windy side out here in Wyoming.

down here in the hurricane capitol
... on all new trailer installs they will not issue a CO until EVERY individual piece of skirting is screwed top and bottom into the trailer and ground rail.

It works
... keeps the wind from bowing and "unlocking" them.

not sure how it will work up there
... or when you'd find the nice warm calm day to do it.
:roll:

Dennis

 

[ziggystyles]

Dennis,
Im not sure the laws or whatnot pertaining to skirting here, or even if it is mandatory. However, when we moved in, the trailer was still not even joined yet. They then later put on the skirting which constists of a top and bottom railing. The ground is uneven so on one end of the trailer, it is about 3.5 feet off the ground where at the other end, the trailer is only about 2 feet off the ground. On the higher end...they put additional wooden framing (as chincy as it is) to make a framework for the skirting to be screwed into. Not sure how they fasten at the top or if I can screw stuff in there...might have to look into that...although it might look tacky. Ive been looking for manufactured homes forums, but I cant find any. figured if a place exists...might be a good spot for questions.

 

[ronbien]

... I've been looking for manufactured homes forums, but I cant find any. figured if a place exists...might be a good spot for questions.

Here are two, the first looks like the more active.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/manuhomes/

http://www.manufacturedhomeforum.com/vb/

 

[John Ulrich]

Ziggy,
Is your place "tied down"? I rode out a storm in Tenn years ago in a single wide mobile home I was renting and I learned why they fasten them to the ground.....mine was not!!!
Later,
JU

 

[WingWing]

Not sure how they fasten at the top or if I can screw stuff in there...might have to look into that...although it might look tacky.

At the top of the skirting they screwed in a 3 inch wide (approx) flap for each piece skirting to "tuck" underneath,
... usually those flap pieces are in eight foot sections.

... there is a base plate on the mobile there where you can "catch" some wood.
... when you lift that flap up, that's where you'll put the little woodscrew (or sheetmetal) screw in through EACH piece of skirt , the flap and then into the mobile base plate
... when the flap is put back down you can't see the screws at all.

I'll take some pics of my Mom's place if you need to see what I'm talking about?

I'll ride my wing over there to keep this on topic.


Dennis

 

[murf]

The wind is always blowing in Wyoming.

 

[Tony in AZ]

OK....... Wyoming is off my list for a place to retire to.

4:

 

[ziggystyles]

Here are two, the first looks like the more active.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/manuhomes/
http://www.manufacturedhomeforum.com/vb/

Ron, thanks for the links...when I do a search I come up with that garden one as well...not too active...maybe I should start a MH forum...hmmm?! Of course, those are forums as well and look at what they get, lol.
Maybe I can be the HDL of Double Wides!

Ziggy,
Is your place "tied down"? I rode out a storm in Tenn years ago in a single wide mobile home I was renting and I learned why they fasten them to the ground.....mine was not!!!
Later,
JU

JU,
Place isnt tied down, but you can see in the pictures above where they have the...posts? That picture shows the spacing (house is a double wide...30 x 60 feet) and it goes like that along the entire length. This is the strongest wind we have had since we moved out here (and have come to the conclusion that that community owners are morons for its location). and when it really hits, you can feel it in the house as it does move a tiny bit. I looked at the bed yesterday with a pile of clothes and I could notice the clothes moving back and forth a little bit. The monitor shook while I was posting this thread and the bed shook back and forth while we were in it.....trying to get to sleep!
I do have a storage shed on the other side of the house that is not tied down...but comes with anchor points (although I missed that part of the directions)...didnt move a dime with bike in there yesterday. Although...I have no idea where the heck my garbage can is...I saw it moving across the driveway yesterday....hmm.

Dennis, I think I know what you are talking about as I know the flaps and all. Im not sure how far mine will bend up...if Ill be able to get it up high enough to get a screw in there or not. But that will give me soemthing to piddle around with. Tonight I spent 40 bucks on lumber (ack!) trying to make a ******* skirt (cant get anymore ******* as it already was) and use a 2x4 as a post to support it somehwat from falling over. Not sure what we are going to do as we have insurance through our mortgage company, but never got any paperwork...gotta love that! Also, upon closer inspection, we saw that many pieces of siding on the wind facing side of the house got damaged as well...either punctured or had them ripped right off the nails.

 

[MesquiteBob]

Years ago (1962), I was travelling with my new wife to San Francisco from Florida on our way to a three-year tour in Japan. We got to Dallas, TX and headed up to Amarillo - this is before the interstates, mind you. About half way between Witchita Falls and Amarillo I stopped at a little place for gas. There was nothing within eyesight except the station, two pumps and one raggedy tree. As the attendant was pumping gas into my car (yes, they did that back then), I mentioned that it might get a bit rough around there in the winter. His response:

" Yep, hain't nuthin' 'tween heah an' the noth pole but barbed wire fence, and hits down."

Sound like your neck of the woods, too.

Mesquite Bob