The evolution of all these words began with the surge in popularity of automobile travel in America in the 1920s, which provided the impetus for the first towed camping vehicles. They were called trailers because they “trailed” behind vacationers’ motorcars. The first ones were homemade, with a wood frame set on a salvaged auto chassis, and trailers became instantly popular.

   Manufacturers starting producing them in the 1930s and they began to grow in size immediately, getting longer, wider, and more elaborate year by year. Soon families started living in them year-round, and the larger versions became known as “house trailers.” They were no longer designed for travel, instead intended to be installed on a simple foundation as a year-round home.

   When house trailers and, more specifically trailer parks, acquired a shoddy public reputation, the industry renamed them as “mobile homes” in the 1950s. Further image buffing occurred in 1975 when the Mobile Home Manufacturers Association changed its name to the Manufactured Housing Institute. It also managed to get the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to mandate that HUD-code homes, formerly known as mobile homes, could only be called “manufactured homes.”

   So now a trailer has come to be defined as an RV-type travel trailer, which can be hitched to the back of a car like the original models, for use by vacationers and vagabonds.  Mobile homes and manufactured homes are two words for the same thing: a home built in a factory on a steel frame with wheels for transport to a homesite, where the wheels are removed after it is set on a foundation.  Manufacturers and HUD prefer that they be called manufactured homes, but most people still refer to them as mobile homes.

   Modular homes are also built in a factory and then delivered to a homesite. They look virtually identical to a site-built home and comply with the local building codes where the homesite is located. Upon delivery they are hoisted by crane into place on a permanent foundation. To read a more detailed account of the differences between a manufactured/mobile home and a modular home, go to our blog post How can I tell the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?. 

   And for an enjoyable graphic romp through the history of travel trailers, we suggest getting a copy of the book “Trailerama,” by Phil Noyes (Gibbs Smith, 2012). The “Atlas Mobile Home Museum” website also has a wonderful collection of old travel trailer and mobile home brochures and ads at:

http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com/

    Also, see our blog posts When were the first double-wide mobile homes manufactured? and What is a Park Model mobile home?

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

• Where can I file a complaint if I have problems with my new or used manufactured/mobile home in Florida?

• What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers?

• How do I determine the age of a very old mobile home?

• What is a "HUD label verification letter" for a mobile/manufactured home?  

• When did a ground cover vapor barrier (plastic sheet) become required under a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Is it safe to go under a mobile home? 

• Are older mobile homes unsafe? 

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosed mobile home? 

• Does it make sense to buy an older mobile home and remodel it? 

• Where do I find the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a mobile home? 

• How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

• What is the right price for a used mobile home?

• How energy efficient is a mobile home?

• How do I upgrade my old (pre-1976) mobile home to meet HUD standards?

• What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home? 

• Can you move an older mobile home in Florida? 

• What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? 

• Does an addition to a mobile home have to comply with the HUD Code? 

• What walls can I remove in a mobile home?

• What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? 

• How can I tell if a mobile home is well constructed?

       Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES  page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.