Park Model Cabins: Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions
Park model cabins are used for many purposes, including seasonal vacation homes, accessory dwelling units, and Airbnbs. If you own a campground, you may wish to add park model cabins as rentals. If not, you may be curious about living in a park model as a tiny home.
But if you’re interested in purchasing a park model, you probably have many questions!
Here at Lancaster Log Cabins, we’d love to answer them. We have years of experience making high-quality park model cabins out of real wood, and we enjoy nothing more than answering your park-model-cabin-related questions!
Ready to find out more? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
1. What is a park model cabin?
A park model cabin, also called a park model home, is a small home built on wheels. Since they are under 400 square feet in size and built on a trailer chassis, park model cabins are technically considered recreational vehicles (RVs). This makes them cheaper and easier to finance than traditional homes. It also means they can be parked in places where you may not be able to build a conventional home.
Although they are moveable, park model cabins are designed to be parked semi-permanently in a campground, RV park, or private backyard. Sometimes, the chassis and wheels of a park model are removed once it’s parked, giving it a more cabin-like look.
Many people choose to live year-round in their park model cabins since they’re more spacious and house-like than other RVs. They typically include a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom.
While the terms “park model cabin” and “park model home” can usually be used interchangeably, “park model cabin” is the preferred term for park model homes that look more rustic and cabin-like.
2. Why are they called park models?
Park model cabins are called “park models” because they’re designed for RV parks and campgrounds.
Although park models look like tiny traditional or manufactured homes, they’re technically RVs, meeting the specific requirements and regulations of the RV industry.
Since they look like a house or cabin but fit all the requirements of an RV park, they’re called “park models.”
3. What is the difference between an RV and a park model?
Although park models are technically classified as RVs, the term “RV” typically refers to a structure that’s smaller and easier to move than a park model cabin.
The main differences between park models and RVs are:
- Size: Park models are more spacious than RVs, with higher ceilings, bigger rooms, and more kitchen and bathroom space.
- Portability: RVs are designed to be highly portable, either with a built-in engine or simply being towed with a pickup truck or SUV. On the other hand, while park models can be moved, they are designed to be semi-permanent, and it may require specialized equipment to move them.
- Sturdiness: Since park models are designed to be set in one place, they’re usually sturdier than RVs, which are built for lightweight portability.
- Plumbing: RVs are designed with holding tanks for water and waste, while park models are usually designed to be hooked up to local water and sewage utilities.
Overall, while they’re both designed to be vacation lodging, the main difference is that RVs are more portable. Vacationers can easily move their RV from their home to their vacation spot and back again, while park models are designed to stay at the vacation location.
4. What is the difference between a tiny house and a park model cabin?
Park model homes have been around since the late 1940s. They were created as seasonal or vacation homes that could be parked permanently in RV parks and offer a more house-like experience to vacationers. However, they were not designed to be primary residences.
In the 2000s, the increased cost of living led to the tiny house movement, with many people paring down their homes and living in small spaces. Many of these tiny homes were technically park models—that is, they were built on a chassis and wheels and fell under the “RV” classification.
Because of this, the terms “tiny home” and “park model” can often be used interchangeably. However, here are the two main differences between the two:
- Park models are designed for seasonal use or temporary stays. On the other hand, the term “tiny house” implies that someone lives here as their primary residence.
- “Tiny house” is a broader term than “park model.” While many tiny houses are park models, others are small traditional houses or homemade backyard cabins not classified as RVs.
5. Is a park model cabin a good investment?
When trying to determine whether or not a park model cabin is a good investment, there are two factors you need to consider.
Potential Income and Savings
Many people rent out park model cabins as vacation cabins or Airbnbs. If there’s a rental market in your area, this can make buying a park model cabin an excellent investment!
Similarly, if you hope to live in your park model cabin, you can save on housing costs.
The bottom line is, if your cabin will earn or save you significant money, then it’s a great investment!
Resale value
Multiple factors will affect the resale value of your park model cabin, but the main thing is the overall condition of your park model.
Many park models are mass-manufactured with low-quality materials and depreciate more quickly than traditional site-built homes.
If you want to invest in a park model cabin that will retain its value, do your research, and buy something made with high-quality materials that will stand the test of time!
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we are proud to say that our park model cabins are built entirely of real, solid, wood which is very durable, requires minimal maintenance and retains a great resale value.
6. How long do park model cabins last?
The lifespan of a park model cabin depends on a variety of factors, including:
- Construction quality
- The climate where it’s parked
- Maintenance
- How often it’s used
If you want to ensure that your cabin lasts for a long time, buy from a reputable manufacturer that uses high-quality materials, and keep it inspected and maintained.
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we make our park model cabins from high-quality real wood. If they’re properly maintained, there’s no reason they can’t last 50+ years.
7. What is the maximum size of a park model trailer?
The maximum size of a park model trailer is 400 square feet.
Some park model cabins have a loft area, which adds usable space without technically adding to the square footage.
8. Are park model homes moveable?
Park model cabins are technically moveable, but if you want to move one, you might run into a few issues, including:
- Towing Equipment: Park model cabins are large enough that you can’t just pull them with your pickup truck—they usually need specialized towing equipment.
- Permits: Depending on the width of your park model cabin, you may need a permit to move it. Check your local laws.
- Access: Although park model cabins are built on wheels and a chassis, sometimes these are removed when the cabin is parked. Replacing them is complex, and you should call in professionals to do the job. If the cabin has been parked for a while, other obstacles may be in the way, such as plants and shrubs. These are not impossible obstacles, but they make the task more difficult!
Overall, while park model cabins are moveable, they’re not nearly as easy to tote from place to place as RVs are.
9. What features should I look for in a park model cabin?
When buying a park model cabin, you should look for the following:
- A convenient size
- A layout that suits your needs
- Quality insulation
- Quality windows
- Roof durability
- Good appliances
- Adequate storage
- A suitable HVAC system
- The correct amount of beds and bedrooms for your needs
- Overall high-quality building materials
- Overall beauty
Besides that, if you want a park model cabin with a porch or a loft, look for a model with those features!
Of course, this is just a brief overview. For a more detailed answer, read our blog post about 14 Features to Look for When Buying a Park Model Cabin.
Conclusion
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we create beautiful park model cabins made from solid wood logs.
We offer six cabin models, all with different layouts, so you can find the one that suits your needs!
We’d love to help you find a great park model with everything you want. If you have any further questions, please contact us or comment below!
Or, if you’re near the Lancaster County, PA, area, give us a visit, walk through our cabins, and ask us questions in person!
We look forward to hearing from you.