A park model is a smaller, single-wide mobile home that is classified as a recreational vehicle. Park models are designed for placement in RV parks, campgrounds, or locations where smaller trailers are allowed; but, like an RV, cannot be a living unit on private property in many jurisdictions. They typically are 10 or 12 feet wide and have just one bedroom. The rustic wood-sided models resemble a small cabin. 

    They were formerly called “Park Trailers,” but the name was updated to Park Model years ago. See our blog post What is the difference between a park trailer and a park model recreational vehicle? to learn more.

    Florida Admistrative Code 15C-1 refers to them using the older name, and it is defined this way: “Park Trailer” means a transportable unit which has a body width not exceeding fourteen feet (14') and which is built on a single chassis and is designed to provide seasonal or temporary living quarters when connected to utilities necessary for operation of installed fixtures and appliances.

   Because it’s an RV, floor area cannot exceed 400 square feet. Some layouts have lofts—which do no count as square footage as long as the headroom is less than 60 inches. They are built on a single trailer chassis and, like a travel trailer, set-up at an RV park is quick. However they are often permanently installed and skirted, like in the photo above.

   Park models are built under the American National Standards Institute’s ANSI Code for Park Models, except that the 400 square foot maximum is allowed to be raised to 500 square feet, in Florida only, when the unit is built to HUD standards for RV park models. A popular local manufacturer of park models is Chariot Eagle (www.charioteagle.com) in Ocala, Florida. 

   While some park models are surprisingly glamorous, like in the photo at the top of this page, others look more like a very small mobile home, as in the photos above and below.

Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

• Where can I file a complaint if I have problems with my new or used manufactured/mobile home in Florida?

• What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers?

• How do I determine the age of a very old mobile home?

• What is a "HUD label verification letter" for a mobile/manufactured home?  

• When did a ground cover vapor barrier (plastic sheet) become required under a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Is it safe to go under a mobile home? 

• Are older mobile homes unsafe? 

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosed mobile home? 

• Does it make sense to buy an older mobile home and remodel it? 

• Where do I find the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a mobile home? 

• How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

• What is the right price for a used mobile home?

• How energy efficient is a mobile home?

• When were the first double-wide mobile homes manufactured?

• How do I upgrade my old (pre-1976) mobile home to meet HUD standards?

• What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home? 

• Can you move an older mobile home in Florida? 

• What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? 

• Can you put a zone 1 mobile home in Florida?

• How can I remove water under my mobile home?

• What's the differences between a trailer, a mobile home, a manufactured home, and a modular home? 

• What is a D-sticker mobile home? 

• What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

• How fireproof is a mobile home?  

• Can I install a mobile home myself? 

• Does an addition to a mobile home have to comply with the HUD Code? 

• What walls can I remove in a mobile home?

• What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? 

• How can I tell if a mobile home is well constructed?

• How can I tell the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?

       Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES  page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.