Forum Discussion

Almot's avatar
Almot
Explorer III
Sep 13, 2017

Seasonal site - chain tie-downs?

Not Florida, but flood streams do happen. Not enough to wash it out to the sea, but "can be" enough to move the trailer and/or flip it to some ditch. 21 ft box of trailer. Heavy winds happen too, but no tornadoes.

Need some anchoring. Mobile homes sometimes use Chain Tiedowns. 4 of these should be enough, one each close to the corner. No details, looks like 5/8 expansion sleeve anchor with eye-bolt. Likely plated steel or galvanized, I wish it were stainless.

I don't see these chain tiedowns in other stores. Don't see many eyebolt sleeve anchors in stores, either. Mostly mobile homes use flat straps around the I-beam, and on the ground - the bracket with tension bolt and wedge anchor. Mobile homes have their own regulations and codes, I'm not worried about these things in Mexico.

Chain with clamps seems easier to attach, since my I-beam is covered with plastic under-belly, so running flat straps around the I-beam would be difficult. (In mobile homes there is better access to I-beam).

Is there anything else that I should know about these things?
I'm probably just thinking aloud - the question is more for mobile homes crowd.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 14, 2017
    So, the consensus is - don't do anything :)

    re-wind: so far (don't know about future), in this area it was not heavy enough to rip trailer or mobile home off the frame. Some lost solar panels (clueless residential contractors, not on my trailer).

    Flood brought debris and a lot of mud, this did more damage than water level. Damaged cement block walls, moved some trailers that were not anchored.
  • beemerphile1's avatar
    beemerphile1
    Explorer
    Sep 14, 2017
    mike-s wrote:
    If the water is deep enough that you need anchors to hold it in place, using anchors is only going to leave you with a water logged, black mold filled, worthless trailer which hasn't moved.

    Wind is a bit different, but tying down the frame only means you end up with an unmoved frame, with the rest collapsed/blown away.

    What's the point? Why buy insurance if you don't use it?


    My thought also, tie downs are for wind, not floods. Even in winds, an RV is not built to the same standards as a manufactured home, after the storm all you will have left is the frame, suspension, and tie downs.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 14, 2017
    valhalla360 wrote:

    Water is a different matter. Any anchor you put in by hand is going to struggle with water forces great enough to move the RV. First saturated soil is typically much weaker than dry soil and more importantly once the water gets to 2-3ft and is flowing...

    Yes, this is what my guts have been telling me - anchor won't hold in soft soil covered with water.

    It's not going to be 3ft above the ground. In this particular place - maybe 2ft max. Barely to the top of the beam, likely less, considering 4" pad. It does leave ditches deeper than 1.5 ft when water is gone, - hard to explain - streams make their way, digging into soft soil. The flow height around my pad - before it started digging in - was under 1.5ft above the ground during the heaviest rain in several decades. Though, weather records get broken as time goes by.
  • valhalla360's avatar
    valhalla360
    Navigator
    Sep 14, 2017
    Anchors can help with wind. I see trailers going down the road at 75mph often into 20mph head winds (ie: 95mph apparent winds or well into hurricane force).

    Water is a different matter. Any anchor you put in by hand is going to struggle with water forces great enough to move the RV. First saturated soil is typically much weaker than dry soil and more importantly once the water gets to 2-3ft and is flowing...at best you get a soaked thru totaled trailer, more likely it still washes away.
  • mike-s's avatar
    mike-s
    Explorer
    Sep 14, 2017
    If the water is deep enough that you need anchors to hold it in place, using anchors is only going to leave you with a water logged, black mold filled, worthless trailer which hasn't moved.

    Wind is a bit different, but tying down the frame only means you end up with an unmoved frame, with the rest collapsed/blown away.

    What's the point? Why buy insurance if you don't use it?
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 14, 2017
    wanderingaimlessly wrote:
    How about the screw in anchors such as mobile homes use,

    There is a concrete pad under trailer. Yes, I could drive those long screw-ey anchors next to the pad. But, but... this is more to protect from water than from winds. If water comes, in this soft sand/mud it will make 1 or 2ft deep "river bed" where it flows, I wouldn't trust the earth anchor.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    Sep 14, 2017
    TNGW1500SE wrote:
    I'd be sure no water lines or electric lines were in the ground before I screwed or pounded anything into it. Then I'd use some chain and these:

    This is exactly what Mobilehomedepot sell - turnbuckle complete with a piece of chain and sleeve anchor with eye-bolt, $13 total.

    That your place - Uscargocontrol - have nice stainless turnbuckles, I wonder what should be the minimal rating for turnbuckle in this application. Ah, there are no stainless eye-bolt anchors anyway...

    These concrete anchors are typically 3" long, shouldn't be any pipes at these depth (and I know for sure there is nothing there).
  • TNGW1500SE's avatar
    TNGW1500SE
    Explorer
    Sep 14, 2017
    I'd be sure no water lines or electric lines were in the ground before I screwed or pounded anything into it. Then I'd use some chain and these:
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Sep 14, 2017
    Tractor supply sells them every day (screw in earth anchors) screw in and secure.
  • wanderingaimles's avatar
    wanderingaimles
    Explorer
    Sep 13, 2017
    How about the screw in anchors such as mobile homes use, I'm thinking 3, one on the tongue, and either one at each support for the rear bumper, or on the axle where it attaches to the springs, and you could use 5/16" steel cable with the appropriate clips to secure the ends.

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