Graham YB Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 Does anyone know anything about load bearing limits on static caravan floors? I want to bring a piano into mine, it could weigh around 200 kilos. Not sure if the floor could sustain it's weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 I'd suggest that this is a question for the manufacture. You could probably put some reinforcement and extra support under the proposed location (or get an electric piano rather than a cast iron one) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1957 Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 If you look underneath you will probably find the floor is a wooden frame over the chassis with chipboard floor boards so not very substantial. You might need to spread the weight over a larger area rather than just the piano feet but as already pointed out, you should ask the manufacturer of the static. There will already be heavy things in there such as a double bed and settee which when occupied might be 150 kg so a piano might be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveE1 Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 I suspect the floor would need reinforcing to take the weight of a piano. However if your on a typical static site I’m not sure how your neighbours are going to react to the ivories being tickled regularily, even if you play really well, especially if they go there for peace and quiet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seaside Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 Are you in a static holiday caravan or a residential park home? In both cases, as already said by others, you will need to ask the manufacturer about the weight and the best position for it - the overall weight is unlikely to be a problem, but "spot" loading may be, so (again as already said) you may need to spread the load so that it covers several bearers. You may also (probably will) need to relevel the van and add extra supports underneath. The other questions are, do you have french doors into the room you want to put it in? If it is NOT a residential park home, how will you protect it from condensation in the winter when you are not there? Have you checked whether your insurance company will cover it? (especially if your home is insured as a static, rather than as a residential park home). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman Iain Posted October 14, 2019 Share Posted October 14, 2019 200kg isn’t much. It’s less than the weight of 2 decent sized blokes. If you put a load spreader under the feet of the piano to reduce the psi pressure on the floor I can’t see why there’d be a problem with the weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Wulfgang Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Hi all, thanks to the OP for the question, i'm sorry i'm not here to answer but I have a similar question. I've just purchased my first static and I'm looking to renovate it to live on. The idea is to do all the work myself and save up over a couple of years for a plot of land closer to my work. Question : Is there a weight limit to what I can install on the caravan i.e; stone tiles, inner wood framework etc - I don't want to go through all the hassle of the work to find out i cannot move it as it's too heavy. I'd be looking to crane it on a lorry to a desired location. Thanks in advance :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seaside Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 I strongly suggest that before you start, you research the area you plan to move it to to find out whether your plan of buying a plot of land and living in your static will be possible. If you are looking in the UK, then you will not simply be able to buy a piece of land and move in - you will need planning permission for the static, especially as it is to be used as your home. As far as weight goes, your floor is probably chipboard over wooden struts on a metal chassis. Have a look and see whether the chassis has a max weight stamped on it anywhere, if not, ask the manufacturer. I would not recommend things like stone floors or granite worktops. Also bear in mind that the more inflexible items you build into it, the more likely they are to crack under the stress of being lifted, transported and then lifted or shoved into position. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1957 Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Rather than being designed to be put in place by crane, statics have a chassis and wheels so are transported on a wagon and then wheeled off and in to place. They are then jacked up and put on axle stands or similar under the chassis with the wheels off the ground. If wanting to use a crane you might need to build a frame to go under the chassis that the crane can then lift with the static resting on it. You ought to seek advice from the static manufacturer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seaside Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 Find the desired location and get planning permission first. Be a waste of time doing it all then finding out that there is nowhere to put it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat_at Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 11 hours ago, Paul1957 said: Rather than being designed to be put in place by crane, statics have a chassis and wheels so are transported on a wagon and then wheeled off and in to place. You ought to seek advice from the static manufacturer. It does happen sometimes. 1 Quote I'm not afraid of hard work, I'm terrified of it! If you don't swear when you're driving, you're not paying attention! I like children but can't eat a whole one. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything! Don't call me an idiot, I would take it as a compliment. Not all my ducks are in a row, some are missing and I think one is a pigeon. I know my place, under my wife's thumb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1957 Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 Looks as if a couple of beams have been put under the static for the lift. I wonder what it costs to hire a crane, when we had them at work we would have a long list of things for it to do to spread the cost. Definitely a job for experts, imagine if it was not balanced when lifting, could be good bye static. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat_at Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, Paul1957 said: Looks as if a couple of beams have been put under the static for the lift. I wonder what it costs to hire a crane, when we had them at work we would have a long list of things for it to do to spread the cost. Definitely a job for experts, imagine if it was not balanced when lifting, could be good bye static. We were at Brynowen in, I think 2016, when that happened. It took half a day to lift that one out and its replacement into position, all the people involved seemed to know what they were doing. It made a change from watching seagulls. Edited June 9, 2020 by Flat_at Doh, again Quote I'm not afraid of hard work, I'm terrified of it! If you don't swear when you're driving, you're not paying attention! I like children but can't eat a whole one. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything! Don't call me an idiot, I would take it as a compliment. Not all my ducks are in a row, some are missing and I think one is a pigeon. I know my place, under my wife's thumb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seaside Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 That is definitely an impressive photo. Watching it is fine when it is not your van (and your van is not near it). When we purchased our park home, I brightly said to the salesman, "Oh, we'd love to see it being sited". He winced, and palely said, "Please don't". We didn't. But apparently ours was the one that took the gatepost out when being brought through the gate (by landrover, not crane). Having watched several others being sited, I am full of respect for the ingenuity of the delivery crews who get them through and into seemingly impossible spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejay Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 5 hours ago, Flat_at said: It does happen sometimes. Wonder why the large crane which seems a bit overkill if the mobile home is being dropped behind the motor caravan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DACS Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 My understanding is that the wheels on static mobile homes are only there to satisfy the planning regulations and are of little practical use for moving the caravan. There are ten so-called mobile homes near us which required scaffolding to build them on site. One wheeled chassis was used but only to demonstrate that one of them could be moved a few metres on its temporary wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Plodd Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 Having seen the underside of a fair few mobile homes over the years I would be exceedingly wary about putting something as heavy as a piano in one (I don’t think you would get it through to door anyway (unless it’s a modem one with patio doors in it) Secondly in answer to Marcus Wukfgangs question I would strongly advise to firstly follow the previous advice ref planning consent as that’s absolutely vital before going any further. You cannot simply plonk a mobile home down on a bit of land and use it. Thirdly, and to both people. I would advise they crawl underneath to see just what his mobile home is made of before proceeding much further with installing anything heavy. Fitting tiles might be “iffy” as the substrate of the floor will move and might cause any tiles to crack! Andy Quote Experience is something you acquire after you have an urgent need for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 (edited) Have a shufti here if you want to see whats holding up your static or mobile home - https://www.bankside-patterson.co.uk/ and then decide which bit might be strong enough (if any) to support what you want. You can see why load spreading beams are required for a crane lift (because there doesn't seem to be a lot that holds the walls on). It's only made of pressed steel channelling - I'd have at least hoped for a bit of decent rolled channel or I-beam and something around the perimeter - the walls are only supported on outriggers Edited June 10, 2020 by matelodave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat_at Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 (edited) 18 hours ago, beejay said: Wonder why the large crane which seems a bit overkill if the mobile home is being dropped behind the motor caravan. The distances are very deceptive, that static was lifted from about 50 yards from the crane and put down where the guy in the yellow jacket is, about 60 yards from the crane. Its replacement was brought in when the "old" one was towed away by Land Rover. Edited June 10, 2020 by Flat_at I can spell but my fingers can't Quote I'm not afraid of hard work, I'm terrified of it! If you don't swear when you're driving, you're not paying attention! I like children but can't eat a whole one. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything! Don't call me an idiot, I would take it as a compliment. Not all my ducks are in a row, some are missing and I think one is a pigeon. I know my place, under my wife's thumb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejay Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 4 hours ago, Flat_at said: The distances are very deceptive, that static was lifted from about 50 yards from the crane and put down where the guy in the yellow jacket is, about 60 yards from the crane. Its replacement was brought in when the "old" one was towed away by Land Rover. Thank you. Long reach requires larger crane . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1957 Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 (edited) A picture of the underneath of one being installed. I did not see it but was told it was towed from the wagon by Land Rover down the lane to the site and then put in to place. Not a standard static but one of the lodge types. It is raised up quite a bit to avoid flooding. Looks to have wood floor beams as well as the steel chassis. Edited June 10, 2020 by Paul1957 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, Flat_at said: The distances are very deceptive, that static was lifted from about 50 yards from the crane and put down where the guy in the yellow jacket is, about 60 yards from the crane. I reckon that 60 yards was a bit optimistic even for a really long boom on a mobile crane, but I'm willing to be corrected. Full extension will require a quite a substantial derating of it load capacity - dunno how heavy a static like that is but even my towing van weights in at nearly 1.5 tons 4 minutes ago, Paul1957 said: A picture of the underneath of one being installed. I did not see it but was told it was towed from the wagon by Land Rover down the lane to the site and then put in to place. Not a standard static but one of the lodge types. It is raised up quite a bit to avoid flooding. are those floor bearers made of wood - not sure I'd want to put a piano in one of those Edited June 10, 2020 by matelodave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Plodd Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 1 hour ago, matelodave said: I reckon that 60 yards was a bit optimistic even for a really long boom on a mobile crane, but I'm willing to be corrected. Full extension will require a quite a substantial derating of it load capacity - dunno how heavy a static like that is but even my towing van weights in at nearly 1.5 tons are those floor bearers made of wood - not sure I'd want to put a piano in one of those I had a hot tub delivered some years ago, empty it only weighed about 300kg. It was delivered 50m over a couple of gardens by a 90 tonne capacity crane and it needed its full reach, the over-weight alarms were going off as it hung over the conservatory ! AND it had all the counterbalance weights loaded! Have a close look at the timbers under that lodge in the picture, looks like they are still being made the same way with untreated bare wood, disgraceful at the price they charge for them. Andy Quote Experience is something you acquire after you have an urgent need for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seaside Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 6 hours ago, matelodave said: Have a shufti here if you want to see whats holding up your static or mobile home - https://www.bankside-patterson.co.uk/ and then decide which bit might be strong enough (if any) to support what you want. The chassis will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer; those on the link and in the 'photo look extremely flimsy compared to ours (made by Bell trailers). Don't think much of the underfloor insulation on that lodge, or the way the floor bearers are left exposed, either. The floor bearers on top of the chassis are indeed wood - just like any suspended floor. The biggest problems with weights on anything is "spot" overloading - which is why people with valuable parquet floors get upset about stiletto heels. Or truck drivers when they discover that the container they have just collected has all the cargo at one end (it does happen). The special problems associated with static and park homes are: (a) They flex a LOT more than a standard bricks&mortar, so - as said above - inflexible ceramic or stone tiles crack. (b) The are up on axle stands. The more weight you put inside, the more axle stands are needed - and they need to be in the right places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1957 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 20 hours ago, 2seaside said: Don't think much of the underfloor insulation on that lodge, or the way the floor bearers are left exposed, either. The insulation is not quite what it looks like. Behind the polythene sheeting is a plastic expanded foam fastened to the floor, not polystyrene but something similar. The aim of using it instead of the usual rock wool was that when the site flooded, ones with rock wool suffered floor damage since it did not dry out, even though the water level just reached the insulation. The idea behind the foam is water should run off and not soak in. Possibly a similar reason for the wood beams left exposed and not boxed in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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