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.

Park model for sure. Besides the obvious, more room you get better insulation, no holding tanks to deal with and real home fixtures.

I would have bought a park model, if my park would allow storage when the park is closed.Plus you won't need to buy a truck

With a park model you are stuck if you want to leave because of the rent going sky high or the park being sold are any thing else you can think of. With a 5th wheel if you don't have a truck you can pay someone to move it. In our park there or a lot of cottage that way you have wheels if you do ever want to move.Good Luck

Yeah, the waste water system would be a big advantage.And no slides.

Have you already stayed at several places in AZ? If you are picking the RV park based on prior knowledge and enjoyment of location, amenities, etc....I would think a park model is the way to go. The only benefit of the 5th wheel that I can think of is easy moveability. You'll want to "summerize" both.

Snowbird bang for buck: parked fiver or park model?

Fizz
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
We have stayed in a few parks that mixed trailer and park models.
We found these parks very insular and clicky. You either get along or you don't.
I would rent first if you find a park that looks good.
Us_out_West
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
Why not just rent a condo?
Janss
Explorer II
Mar 18, 2017
For your first season, I suggest renting a park model for one month in each of four or five different parks. I know it would cost more to do this, but if you're planning on several years of snowbirding in one place, I think it might be worth it.
Swell1
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
I looked into this same type thing in February. I actually stayed in a park model that the park lets you try. Here's what I found. Park models used cost from 25k to 125k depending on amenities. The real kicker is the yearly rent. The site cost is $6400.00 per this does not include water, electric, or garbage and there's a tax for the lot. You don't own the lot but you pay a tax to leave the trailer there. To put a 5er or travel trailer on the lot is 800 per month plus electric which is metered. from the people I talked with you can expect about a 4% increase to the lot rent for the park model every year. The 5er seemed to be a better deal for me since I would only be there 3 months out of the year. If you decide you want to try out a park model they have a program called the fly and buy. it cost nothing if you don't buy and they'll pay for you airline ticket if you do. It was a great way to see if that's what you want.
Good luck
Snowman9000
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
Janss wrote:
Have you already stayed at several places in AZ? If you are picking the RV park based on prior knowledge and enjoyment of location, amenities, etc....

No, that is a sticking point. We have stayed in the locales a fair amount, so we know what the areas are like. But we have not stayed in the RV parks. So to buy a park model we would be going in blind as far as what the personality of the park was.

That is the only argument I have for a fiver, and it's a big one.
Janss
Explorer II
Mar 18, 2017
Have you already stayed at several places in AZ? If you are picking the RV park based on prior knowledge and enjoyment of location, amenities, etc....I would think a park model is the way to go. The only benefit of the 5th wheel that I can think of is easy moveability. You'll want to "summerize" both.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
Yeah, the waste water system would be a big advantage.

And no slides.
want-a-be
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
With a park model you are stuck if you want to leave because of the rent going sky high or the park being sold are any thing else you can think of. With a 5th wheel if you don't have a truck you can pay someone to move it. In our park there or a lot of cottage that way you have wheels if you do ever want to move.
Good Luck
Mfan
Explorer
Mar 18, 2017
I would have bought a park model, if my park would allow storage when the park is closed.
Plus you won't need to buy a truck
donn0128
Explorer II
Mar 18, 2017
Park model for sure. Besides the obvious, more room you get better insulation, no holding tanks to deal with and real home fixtures.

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