Foundation stabilization system for manufactured housing

A foundation system for bracing a manufactured home on its foundation of the type which includes a plurality of vertical piers spaced in longitudinal and lateral directions relative to a longitudinal axis of said home which support the home above the ground, and at least one elongated brace connected to the mobile home and a location near a base portion of said pier, wherein the system comprises:

• a foundation plate having a lower ground contact surface for contacting the ground, and an upper pier support surface on which said pier is supported;
• a plurality of anchor slots carried by said foundation plate for receiving ground anchors extending through said plate into the ground beneath said manufactured home;
• and
• said anchor slots including first slot segments extending in the longitudinal direction of said manufactured home when supporting said piers and second slot segments extending in the lateral direction, and said first and second slot segments intersecting each other a predetermined angle;
• whereby said foundation plates may be anchored in the ground to resist forces in said longitudinal and lateral directions when groung anchors with corresponding intersecting legs are driven through said first and second anchor slots.

A method for bracing and stabilizing a foundation system of a manufactured home and the like wherein the foundation of the home is of the type which includes chassis support on a plurality of vertical piers which support the home above the ground, and at least one elongated brace connected to the home and a location near a base portion of said pier, wherein the method comprises:

• providing foundation plates having a plurality of anchor slots which include first slot segments extending in a first direction second slot segments extending in a second direction where said first and second slot segments intersect each other a predetermined angle;
• placing said foundation plates underneath the chassis of said manufactured home;
• placing piers on said foundation plate underneath said chassis so that said piers extend between said foundation plates and said chassis;
• affixing brace struts between the chassis and one of said pier and foundation plates in at least one of said first and second directions;
• providing ground anchors having first and second anchor legs intersecting one another at an angle generally corresponding to said predetermined angle of said first and second slot segments;
• and
• driving said elongated ground anchors through said anchor slots into the ground beneath said foundation plate;
• whereby said first anchor legs and said first slot segments act together to resist movement of said foundation plates in said second direction, and said second anchor legs and said second slot segments act together to resist movement of said foundation plates in said first direction so that said foundation plates are reliably anchored in the ground.