Update 5.30.13 – The Freak Out!

I am totally freaking out.  It is just over a week before I move my house now… I have an awful lot invested in this project and I need to figure out how to get it across town on the back roads, preferably passing a weigh station… but probably not because it will be Sunday and they will be closed.  I am not worried about the trailer falling off or anything of that sort, I know how everything in it is built and nothing will happen that isn’t completely fixable.  I am worried because I am not in control, a very generous friend is going to help me move it.  I have the type of tires that are for mobile homes which don’t have a super reputation for longevity.   I don’t know the history of these tires exactly but I do know that for the last year and a half they have sat stagnant.  The hav had a check-up at the tire store and passed exam, but it makes me worry, what if something does happen… I m sure it will be fine, I think it’s just impossible not to worry.

I am searching for a path that is ‘backroads’.  The trip I am going on with the house if generally a 21 minute drive… the path I have mapped below would take 36 minutes, worth it for the back roads I think, slower speeds are good when the last year and a half of my life is traveling down the road 🙂  I realize this move is like, nothing compared to most tny housers but I assure you, it has me on edge!  I will feel lots better once it’s situated, that’s for sure!

So, onto the update, I am getting ready for that move and there are some things that need to happen still… The trailer has to be inspected by a motor vehicle inspector so that I can register it.  I took a peek back through my state requirements HERE and realized that I think I am actually ok on my dimensions, I went slightly over the standard 8′ max width, about 2 inches over with windows poking out but I see Idaho’s laws are actually 8′-6″, could cause problems if I go to other states but like everything else I will cross that bridge when I get there.

I am FREAKING out, this will be a stressful week getting everything together, that is for sure!  Thank you SO much Jed for volunteering to help move me, I promise not to be a pain :).

Onto the update, which is sort of related… my trailer is on it’s own 6 feet… It is resting on the ground.  I wanted to test out and see how much clearance I have over the wheels, I was expecting not much.  I have moved the location of these tires when I added the third axle so that instead of sitting in between the structure of the trailer they are right below it.  This wouldn’t matter anyway because there is now a piece of plywood on the bottom of the structure.  I think i am going to have to add a spacer between the u-bolts so that there is a little more space between the wheels and the floor.  I had to take the trailer off its supports to verify how much I have to raise it up. I should be good to lift it an inch or so up.  Here are some pictures to show you what I mean:

Had to get a new tire pressure gauge that went higher than standard. With mobile home tires they have a tendancy to blow out, I have heard this was because of age and basically rotting rubber but the tire guys actually said it is because if the pressure is too low they are generally carrying so much weight that the bead blows. The tire pressure in my tires is either 70 psi or 100 psi, compared to the standard 35 psi I can see how someone can feel weird blowing them up that much. It was weird to need a special gauge for it.

Dad the muscle-man Miller 🙂 We had to jack up the trailer to lower it, its HEAVY!

And that is how close the tires are, pretty close 🙂

It is a little out of kilter now that it's on its own feet, walking through the house there are no popped tiles of cracking drywall yet, it tweaked probably more in grounding it than it wll driving it, I think. Of course tht driving is a longer adventure.

and it's leaning now 🙂 We will be working on it this weekend to get it set and ready to be registered.

PS, now that my trailer is off it’s blocks it ‘feels’ much more wobbly that it did, to be expected but I get that questions sometimes, ‘does it ‘feel’ solid’, to this point the answer is yes, very, now, it feels like it’s on a trailer 🙂

PPS, I am having a little competition on how much this beast weighs, I can’t think of a prize just yet, let me know if you have any ideas but better yet, post your guess in the comments for how much you think it weighs.  As a base-line, the trailer itself, before adding anything to it weighed a couple hundred shy of 3,000 (~2,800) pounds, I have taken the deck off and added all that I have documented…  post your guesses below and I will think of something awesome to give whoever is closest!