Recycling Double Wide Trailers

[WackerMan]

I am wondering if anyone or group has scrapped a double wide trailer from the 60s or 70s. I do know that many of those older trailers have aluminum siding on the outside walls and the under carriage is made of real heavy gauge steel. So what is the metal scrap value of an older trailer?

[mikeinreco]

you better think about all the trash that goes with it and how you are going to get rid of it

[taterjuice]

I've scrapped 3 late 70s trailers and from my experience the steel I beam under them is rather light maybe 1/8". The siding is usually aluminum and they also have copper wire in them. It's a roll off dumpster for sure, no two ways bout that. Roof is tin. I would recommend a 1/4" impact driver for unscrewing the siding, knocking it off with a hammer and bar takes entirely too much time and effort. Good luck

[KeyCityRecycling]

The frame is worth a couple hundred dollars if you cut it up into three foot pieces, the aluminum siding might be worth a couple of hundred dollars if you clean all the screws, staples and caulking from it, the window frames if aluminum extrusion will be worth maybe $100.00 if they are cleaned, depending on if the wiring is aluminum or copper it could be worth maybe $50.00 to $150.00 or more if you strip the insulation off. I would think the most you will get for scrap value from a double wide is $500.00 - $600.00 at today's scrap prices.

If you are thinking of buying these trailers to scrap DON'T. I wouldn't even take them for free. If you are going to scrap them for someone else make sure you charge them a fee and get paid and you get to keep the money from the scrap for yourself. The amount of money from the scrap you receive will not be worth the amount of work it takes to tear apart a mobile home. I wouldn't tear apart a mobile home for less than $1000.00 and that wouldn't include the landfill and disposal fees which I would charge the owner separately.


Unless you can burn the wood right there on the spot the landfill and disposal fees for the wood, carpet, glass, insulation, ect. will likely cost more than what the scrap is worth also.

[taterjuice]

I'll agree with key city that for sure can't make a dime buying a trailer to scrap but I know for sure from my experience there's more than 600$ worth of scrap in any trailer. Land fill fees are definitely a consideration as well, I did very well on the 3 I scrapped I got for free but wasnt far to the dump and they don't charge for the c & d pit.

[Travis91]

Im working on my 3rd trailer tear down currently.. Everyone starts from the outside. Start from the inside pull paneling and appliances and fixtures from the inside.. remove the insulation and pack it in trash cans or bags. then you can kick/hammer the aluminum sliding off 9 times out of 10 the screws just pop threw the aluminum. then carefully tear out the interior load bearing walls, most of the side wall studs.. and two people pushing from one end can push the trailer over, we pull the roof off and burn the rest.

[Ir0nman1]

I am wondering if anyone or group has scrapped a double wide trailer from the 60s or 70s. I do know that many of those older trailers have aluminum siding on the outside walls and the under carriage is made of real heavy gauge steel. So what is the metal scrap value of an older trailer?

Did one about a year ago. Net salvage value from siding, window frames, copper/al wiring, roof and frame was about $7-800.00. I did it solely for the salvage and would NEVER do it that way again. As KeyCity posted you really need to get paid to do this work as you will have the cost of disposal. A friend helped me out with that aspect of things, so I got lucky there. They are not worth buying for the salvage value.