davemhughes
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RV Park Model Cabins
- Thread starter davemhughes
- Start date
BTDT
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Looks nice.....and expensive(?). How much are they? Would a camp trailer serve the same purpose for less money?
Michael_E_Tx
Silver Member
Hey Dave. Here's what I know about RV Park Models.
What is an RV Park Model? It is a special use trailer, built in the manner of more conventional RV's, that is to say self contained with all essential needs provided for by self contained appliances and systems.
Why is an RV Park Model? A park model is meant to be the maximum size that qualifies as an RV and not a mobile home. This has to do with the regulation of RV Parks. A park model is meant to just barely qualify as an RV, and is meant for semi-permanent installation in RV Parks that allow permanent residents and park models.
In the resort where my daughter and her husband live full time, there are a larger number of permanent residents than one would normally find in the average RV Park. Park models are considered upscale and some get pretty elaborate, what with allowed patio rooms and other allowed improvements.
What might any of this have to do with you? Well, your situation does not apply. You have no need to have a "trailer" that is specifically built to qualify for the special use that a park model is intended. Generally speaking Park Models command a premium in price over equivalent fifth wheels for instance.
IMHO, you could go several routes that would make more economic and living space sense. Cabin kits come to mind. Certainly, if it were me I would consider a large fifth wheel with multiple slide outs. A conventional RV would most certainly have a higher resale value than a used park model where no market for one exists.
Hope some of what I've offered is of use.
Mike
What is an RV Park Model? It is a special use trailer, built in the manner of more conventional RV's, that is to say self contained with all essential needs provided for by self contained appliances and systems.
Why is an RV Park Model? A park model is meant to be the maximum size that qualifies as an RV and not a mobile home. This has to do with the regulation of RV Parks. A park model is meant to just barely qualify as an RV, and is meant for semi-permanent installation in RV Parks that allow permanent residents and park models.
In the resort where my daughter and her husband live full time, there are a larger number of permanent residents than one would normally find in the average RV Park. Park models are considered upscale and some get pretty elaborate, what with allowed patio rooms and other allowed improvements.
What might any of this have to do with you? Well, your situation does not apply. You have no need to have a "trailer" that is specifically built to qualify for the special use that a park model is intended. Generally speaking Park Models command a premium in price over equivalent fifth wheels for instance.
IMHO, you could go several routes that would make more economic and living space sense. Cabin kits come to mind. Certainly, if it were me I would consider a large fifth wheel with multiple slide outs. A conventional RV would most certainly have a higher resale value than a used park model where no market for one exists.
Hope some of what I've offered is of use.
Mike
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I'm with Mike.
If you are looking for an instant place to stay, than a RV, trailer or fifth wheel with multiple slideouts is the way to go. You will be able to sell it when your done allot easier and faster than a park model. You will also get more out of it when you do sell.
If you want something more permanent, then either buy a cabin kit that has a foundation or build one yourself. Most log cabin companies have small cabin kits that either install on a cement slab or wood post and beams.
Price wise, those kits will run you about the same as the park models will, but will last your lifetime and not start falling apart in five to ten years.
In my case, I've ran the numbers and think I can build a 512 sq ft cabin with one bedroom, a full bath, kitchenette and full heating and cooling for well under $30,000 easy. If I build it myself and don't hire out any of the work, I can do it for under $20,000 finished out very nicely.
Good luck,
Eddie
If you are looking for an instant place to stay, than a RV, trailer or fifth wheel with multiple slideouts is the way to go. You will be able to sell it when your done allot easier and faster than a park model. You will also get more out of it when you do sell.
If you want something more permanent, then either buy a cabin kit that has a foundation or build one yourself. Most log cabin companies have small cabin kits that either install on a cement slab or wood post and beams.
Price wise, those kits will run you about the same as the park models will, but will last your lifetime and not start falling apart in five to ten years.
In my case, I've ran the numbers and think I can build a 512 sq ft cabin with one bedroom, a full bath, kitchenette and full heating and cooling for well under $30,000 easy. If I build it myself and don't hire out any of the work, I can do it for under $20,000 finished out very nicely.
Good luck,
Eddie
BTDT
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I don't know how big your lakelot is, but would a live in shop fit the bill. Then when you do get your house built, you will also already have a shop onsite. You can build a fairly good size shop for $30000 I would think.
CurlyDave
Elite Member
davemhughes said:
We looked at them for exactly the same purpose, and decided they were very nice but too expensive for the function, especially since it would be not used after the initial year.
We strongly considered a used mobile home, which in my never-too-humble opinion is the most bang for the buck. There were several in our area which the owners were giving away for the cost of moving one to our property and setting it up, say $2500, we could have a lot more room in an older single-wide. Renovations would have been another $2000, if I did them myself.
The problem we had was that after talking to a mover, he came out & said there was no way to get the 60' one we liked up the road. Unfortunately, this was the smallest available at the time.
The other issue with an older mobile home is disposal, we didn't want it long-term, and throwing one away will cost something.
Check your local land use laws. We were only allowed one dwelling per parcel, about the only zoning around here, which meant remove the mobile home after the house is built.
About the only way a new park model would make any sense at all would be to have a nice, separate guest house if your main home is small. If you have to remove it after the house is finished, you will take a real financial beating. It is economically far superior to go cheap, cheap for temporary housing, and put the saved money into your main house.
We finally opted to just park our RV permanently on the site. Prepaing a pad for it was about $1000, and now we have a good place to store it when the house is finally built. Look into macerators for sewage disposal. That way the RV stays fixed. We spent several months trucking water in and sewage out (different tanks), before we got our well and septic in.
About the only thing I would have done differently in retrospect, is that we shoud have had a modular shed moved in. There is no storage at all in an RV, and you really need a place for tools. I have been using the small plastic sheds from Lowe's, and a much larger one would have been better.
OP
davemhughes
Silver Member
- Joined
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- Location
- Ft.Riley KS
- Tractor
- SAME 40hp turbo charged 4cyl diesel w/fel
Thanks for the advice.......well what we decided to is Not get a Rv park model.....too expensive for what we want to do. We do not need something to live in for the 12-18 months as we have a home in town (15 miles away). We just want something to stay in on the weekends out on our 15ac at the lake till a home can be built.
I am going to buy a 12' x34' modular unfinished cabin that has a double loft in it for $6300 and I will finish the inside myself and run it off a generator and dig a cheap septic system for now. I am having a well drilled and cased in the next several months. I think I can finish it out on the inside for under $5000. I plan on using 1x6 wood fencing planks from Homedepot as the inside wall and ceiling finishing material and once I run then through a planer on one side and run the sides across a joiner they should turn out nice and fit well. Plus they are $.99 each. I will use straw as insultation in the walls and big round bales fairly cheap. I plan on wiring it and using spray foam to seal all the inside seams before installing the wood and straw. Then just frame out the different areas I want framed out and run plumbing. I plan on installing gas stove, a 10 gal quick recovery gas hot water heater, and a small gas furnace. I want the smallest electrical power requirement as possible. Need to save that for the satellite tv and such.....lol
Should be something fun to do with my kids.....ok well not fun but something to teach them something as I have 4 boys with 3 of them being teenagers. Once the house is built I will leave it and let my drunk Harley buddies use it when we have to much drink......or my in-laws......lol
I posted a pic of what it looks like on the outside except the one I am buying is light brown.....just bare walls inside.
I am going to buy a 12' x34' modular unfinished cabin that has a double loft in it for $6300 and I will finish the inside myself and run it off a generator and dig a cheap septic system for now. I am having a well drilled and cased in the next several months. I think I can finish it out on the inside for under $5000. I plan on using 1x6 wood fencing planks from Homedepot as the inside wall and ceiling finishing material and once I run then through a planer on one side and run the sides across a joiner they should turn out nice and fit well. Plus they are $.99 each. I will use straw as insultation in the walls and big round bales fairly cheap. I plan on wiring it and using spray foam to seal all the inside seams before installing the wood and straw. Then just frame out the different areas I want framed out and run plumbing. I plan on installing gas stove, a 10 gal quick recovery gas hot water heater, and a small gas furnace. I want the smallest electrical power requirement as possible. Need to save that for the satellite tv and such.....lol
Should be something fun to do with my kids.....ok well not fun but something to teach them something as I have 4 boys with 3 of them being teenagers. Once the house is built I will leave it and let my drunk Harley buddies use it when we have to much drink......or my in-laws......lol
I posted a pic of what it looks like on the outside except the one I am buying is light brown.....just bare walls inside.
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Bird
Epic Contributor
I think you have some good ideas except for using straw for the insulation. And that might be a good idea, also, because you probably know more about it than I do, but it just seems to me that you'll only be building in a fire hazard unnecessarily. And having used the big round bales of straw for mulch around plants in my garden in the past, I know how much work is involved in separating the straw from the bales.
Michael_E_Tx
Silver Member
Looks like a much better choice to me. Good luck. Does sound like a good project to do with teenage sons.
Mike
Mike