I'm new to this, and having a lot of fun.
I started with the Blackview MP80 running Ubuntu(Minecraft server on docker and Home Assistant in a VM)
Then I bought the BMAX for 82€ and moved HA on to it so I can wipe the MP80 and play around with Proxmox and Nextcloud erc without breaking my home automations.
Yesterday I got the Hardkernel H4+ with 16gb ram and 2x 6TB 2nd hand commercial grade HDD's (testing them now, 3 month guarantee)
Looking forward to setting up ZFS pools for the first time, ans probably move my Nextcloud AIO over to the TrueNAS app
Strap them onto a scrap piece of wooden board for stability. You could then hang the board vertically to save space.
This sort of metal strapping works great:
Hid a pc into a bar of my mobile home this way. All parts were either screwed into plywood or strapped with zip ties. I hated the wasted space. It had a 24x28" space with no door (Fixed with a scroll saw, magnetic close, and some hinges). I added a very small plywood shelf for DVDroms and usb drives, and just attached the board to the inner wall. Used a hole saw on the tabletop for I think 2" (just big enough for a VGA connector, and ran all the cords into the cabinet. Worked well, then I moved into an actual house. Still loved it more than apartment life. Coolest part was no one ever saw the door unless I showed them (which was great cause that cut was waaaaavy)
Did it have a spinning hard drive? I shudder to think what happens to it in a mobile home. After just a few years, all my posessions were finely sandpapered on the outside.
And yeah, it was a HDD on its side. No issues really.
A mobile home doesn't really mean mobile always. In this case, just moved from one area to another. A trailer home. Wasn't bad either, 16x60, insulation sucked though. I had industrial laminate from an old shoe store, copper pipes, landlord let me keep a 20x20 yard and 400x20 garden, for $100/month (8 yrs ago). Paid $3k to buy it preowned, 2k to move, and about $500 in cleaning and repairs (floor and various things were free sourced mostly), sold it after 6 years for $3k with no cost to move it again.
Always a problem with mobile homes.
Very similar story to my last one. I get nostalgic sometimes - a converted UPS van painted red, wood paneling & wood furniture on the inside, a wood burner, solar panels on the roof...