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2008 - Volume #32, Issue #4, Page #07

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"Upscale Sheds" Made From Old Mobile Homes

"It's cheaper than building a shed from scratch," says Donnie Beechler of Springfield, Ill., about the remanufactured sheds he makes from old mobile homes.
Beechler is president of Beech-Built, a business he started to recycle discarded mobile homes. He's been operating a trailer court for years and has had to get rid of a lot of old mobile homes. Typically, the mobile homes would last 20 to 30 years and then be sent to a landfill.
"It costs about $1,000 to get rid of each one. You've got landfill fees and the cost of getting the discarded trailer out to the landfill. I thought there had to be a better way," says Beechler.
He did some research and found that 200,000 to 300,000 mobile homes go to landfills every year. He also learned that most recycling methods only remove the metal and wiring from the structures. So he began working on ways to reuse most of the mobile home itself by cutting it into sections and then transforming it into a multiple-use shed.
Last March, Beechler showed his innovations at a local home builder's show where he got a positive response. Speaking about the demonstrator model he brought to the show, Beechler had this to say: "This was formerly the kitchen of a mobile home. The paneling is the original paneling that was in the mobile home. I turned the paneling around, patched the holes, and then repainted it. We reused all the paneling, the ceiling, the insulation, the light switches, and even the electrical outlets. We reuse 80 percent of the original mobile home."
The sheds Beechler builds range in size from 8 by 12 ft. to 12 by 14 ft. Basic prices range from $2,395 to $4,895.
People have a lot of different ideas about how the sheds might be used, says Beechler. "Someone told me my sheds would make a nice facility for food vendors. Motorcycle riders say they'd make nice winter storage. And weekenders say they could use them as lake cabins."
Beechler says he may rebuild some mobile homes into upscale portable restrooms complete with toilets and showers.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Donnie Beechler, 2845 Sand Hill Rd., Springfield, Ill. (ph 217 638-7433; www.beechbuilt.com).

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"Upscale Sheds" Made From Old Mobile Homes BUILDINGS Miscellaneous 32-4-7 "It's cheaper than building a shed from scratch," says Donnie Beechler of Springfield, Ill., about the remanufactured sheds he makes from old mobile homes. Beechler is president of Beech-Built, a business he started to recycle discarded mobile homes. He's been operating a trailer court for years and has had to get rid of a lot of old mobile homes. Typically, the mobile homes would last 20 to 30 years and then be sent to a landfill. "It costs about $1,000 to get rid of each one. You've got landfill fees and the cost of getting the discarded trailer out to the landfill. I thought there had to be a better way," says Beechler. He did some research and found that 200,000 to 300,000 mobile homes go to landfills every year. He also learned that most recycling methods only remove the metal and wiring from the structures. So he began working on ways to reuse most of the mobile home itself by cutting it into sections and then transforming it into a multiple-use shed. Last March, Beechler showed his innovations at a local home builder's show where he got a positive response. Speaking about the demonstrator model he brought to the show, Beechler had this to say: "This was formerly the kitchen of a mobile home. The paneling is the original paneling that was in the mobile home. I turned the paneling around, patched the holes, and then repainted it. We reused all the paneling, the ceiling, the insulation, the light switches, and even the electrical outlets. We reuse 80 percent of the original mobile home." The sheds Beechler builds range in size from 8 by 12 ft. to 12 by 14 ft. Basic prices range from $2,395 to $4,895. People have a lot of different ideas about how the sheds might be used, says Beechler. "Someone told me my sheds would make a nice facility for food vendors. Motorcycle riders say they'd make nice winter storage. And weekenders say they could use them as lake cabins." Beechler says he may rebuild some mobile homes into upscale portable restrooms complete with toilets and showers. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Donnie Beechler, 2845 Sand Hill Rd., Springfield, Ill. (ph 217 638-7433; www.beechbuilt.com).

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