Snowbird bang for buck: parked fiver or park model?

[Snowman9000]

I know some of you get all wound up at any discussion of dollars and cents here. So this is not the thread for you. 🙂

For AZ snowbirding, staying on a rental lot at one park all season, if we have no desire to use a big RV for any other trips, does a park model make more sense?

The assumption is we would pay annual rent, and the fiver or unit would sit there year round.

The fiver would be easier to move somewhere if we decide to. Although I'd have to pay someone because we won't have a big enough truck anyway. The park model, I'm not kidding myself, even though it CAN be moved, as a practical matter it has to be sold in place.

But I'm guessing the park models will be more comfortable in many ways and will hold up to the weather better. Is there any real reason we might want to buy a fiver instead of a park model, for long term on a year round rental lot?

We'd probably buy used either way. Lightly used, if it was going to be a fiver.

[BarbaraOK]

When you get to our stage in life you quickly figure out that 5 yrs is a long time for seeing the same people every year. I would never buy a new Park Model, most of the new ones seem up for sale within 3-5 yrs and the floor plans really don't change (only so much you can do with 400 sq feet) so the used ones can be a very good buy.

[Snowman9000]

Yeah, I agree, the used park models seem to be a much better value than new ones. Plus you usually get a shed, furniture, and some landscaping in the deal.

[pawatt]

Snowman9000 wrote:
Here is my counter-argument. You own a park model worth $15-25K. Park doesn't work out, life takes a different turn, whatever. Sell it for half price and walk away. You are losing more than that in a year on a $75K fiver for the first few years.

Very true, a few years depreciation on a RV will pay for a used park model. Just don't buy a new park model, they will depreciate too.

[Snowman9000]

Here is my counter-argument. You own a park model worth $15-25K. Park doesn't work out, life takes a different turn, whatever. Sell it for half price and walk away. You are losing more than that in a year on a $75K fiver for the first few years.

[BarbaraOK]

Fulltime Daniel - there will come a time when you want to slow down and take care of medical needs that require more than a week or two. That's why we got a park model - we needed time to recharge in the winter, wanted to spread out a little, wanted a place to go should one of us unexpectedly die, and we could do that by buying one of the older park models for next to nothing. When we are done using this place, there are outfits that will haul them out for the title - they use them on construction sites and farms for temporary housing. Not only did we get the place for next to nothing, but all of the furniture, washer/dryer, refrigerator, bedding, towels, dishes, etc. were included. We didn't have to move anything from the coach with the expection of our clothes, meds & food. So the motorhome is set up for our summer travels, and the park model allows us some needed downtime at our age. We have been tackling some serious medical issues and appreciate that we have time to do so. Added to that is the yearly maintenance on car and motorhome are done while we are here and we don't have to spend a few days parked in the lots at a service center.

Us out West - yes, new management can cause a huge turnover, but there are lots of firms in areas with loads of park models that are very adapt at moving the park models to new parks, or residents can sell (or just walk away from old models) and leave the park with a problem. BTW - there are wheels (don't have rubber on them right now) under our Park Model. Usually parks that have management change that drives people away find themselves being resold or new managers again the following year while they try and win back their winter visitors.

We are happy with our decision and have planned accordingly for our stage of life. Things change as you age and if you aren't re-evaluating every year or so, you are doing yourself and your partner (if you have one) a great disservice.

[Us_out_West]

Last year we were at a RV Park which we frequented for a few years long term over the winter months...usually a 4-5 month stay. We thought this would be the place to come for as long as we were still traveling...boy were we wrong!

Park management attitude and treatment of 'guests' went South seemingly overnight and after a couple weeks of this close to 70 rigs left in about a 2 week span (January) going to more friendly places.

If one had owned a park model you can guess the predicament of going somewhere else.

We prefer to have wheels under our 'home'.

[fulltimedaniel]

I would think that a Park model puts you more at the mercy of the park and it's fortunes and whims. Wheras a big 5th wheel can be moved in an hour.

There is a different mindset I think between the two options when dealing with any park. One gives you a better bargaining position if things go south the other ties you much more securely to whatever problems may arise. thus hobbling your position to negotiate your way out of something that has soured for you.

What the choice seems to really boil down to is: Do you want a more mobile life that gives you more options for change or is what you really want is just a small vacation house?

I see so many Park Models for sale...when I inquire about their price it's invariably almost a giveaway...this tells me that there is an underlying problem somewhere.

I'd prefer to be more mobile myself and have the increased flexibility that offers me.

[fchammer1]

Wow! What a lot of diverse and good answers. I have one more that is sure to appeal to a few of you out there. Imperial Bonita Estates is located in SW Florida and has absolutely the best weather. Our 55+ community has 86 activities - everything other parks have plus more!
Our monthly maintenance fee in the co-op (where we have our 60' mobile home with lanai and Florida room) is $113 per month! It was raised from $75 to $113 to more quickly pay off our mortgage. Last month that mortgage was burned! Guess what our monthly maintenance will be after the next board meeting! Our community also has an RV park which income basically supports itself and the co-op. You could rent here while you check out the community; or you could rent cheaper outside the park and still get a better basis for comparison. Looking to buy but still want to keep the RV? For co-op members with RV's they can park their unit in the RV storage lot for $5 per month IF they are co-op members - $10 in the boat storage area. By the way, the double-wide next to us is for sale. Those folk moved into the third part of our community, the Village in which
you own your own land, but have to pay all that is not covered in the co-op. Send me a private message if you want more information. I can relate much more, but this is too long now as it is!

[BarbaraOK]

irishtom29 wrote:
5th wheels are RVs, park models are low income housing.

Obviously you haven't seen some of the park models in our park. No low income about them.:B

[John_Joey]

That looks wonderful, BUT I hope you're not one of those that give out advice on how great winters are in your location to those that are mobile RV'ers.

Food for thought for the RV'ing snowbird newbies on the forum. This setup will have a very different opinion on winter weather vs a mobile RV'er without all those perks.

[irishtom29]

5th wheels are RVs, park models are low income housing.

[silversand]

...that covered parking would be good for a ~16 foot long car if a hail storm should hit. Nice!

One thing I always worried about was getting hit by a vehicle-killer hail storm in the Southwest, whilst with our 21 foot long truck camper rig, and being in this region for 4, 5 or 6 months would increase chances of encountering damaging hail (rather than just a 1 month stay). It wouldn't be possible to park it completely under a covered roof as short as that.

I have an "SPC delivered severe storm watch app" on the smart phones and a custom set-up on my laptop, that would give me ~15 to 30 minutes warning for damaging hail...it may be enough time to find a drive-through bank to take shelter in...but I digress...back to the topic (sorry!)...

[Snowman9000]

Me, nice place, just what I'd like. So what about your new fiver?!

[Me_Again]

Here is our vote after 10 years in the same park with a 5th wheel.

Two flush toilets, two showers, full size dish washer, 22 cu ft refer, room for full size washer and dryer. Car port, golf cart/man cave 9X12 with loft storage, two decks, addition 5.5 x 6' storage room, 60" TV in Arizona room, bonus room that will get a Murphy queen side flow bed next fall and will be computer room when bed is up.