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.

[Snowman9000]

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]

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]

Yeah, the waste water system would be a big advantage.

And no slides.

[want-a-be]

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]

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]

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