I did a lot of research online and via phone calls to different dealers and then we started visiting dealerships in Wisconsin. Park models are primarily made in IN, in AZ, TX, and GA. There is also one manufacturer in WA which is quite popular in the PNW. There seems to be wide divergence in the quality aspects, much like with any RV product with the exception that none of them are ultra high end. Typical standards include vinyl and carpeted flooring, laminate countertops, a minimum of insulation and vinyl or wood siding with asphalt or metal roof. Most will come complete with an RV propane heater and six gallon gas water heater if you don’t upgrade. You also have the option of having RV holding tanks, although this isn’t typically done since for the most part, park models stay put once placed. They also come complete with appliances and window furnishings and many also feature scaled down RV type furniture if wanted. Sometimes this is a standard and sometimes an option.

All manufacturers stress in their literature that they are not meant as fulltime residences but in the real world they are frequently used as such. Currently by law they are under RV regulations, which preclude them from being larger than 400 square feet with the exception of in Florida. Ours sits on a 40 foot frame of which the living space occupies 34 feet. Newer park models are not your Grandma’s old trailer however—ours is 11.5 feet wide and boasts a 10 foot interior ceiling with enough window light to dazzle your eyes on bright or cloudy days.

Interior construction is of two types: either wallboard (vinyl wrapped) or sheetrock. We found the problem with the sheetrock units is that it is very thin and has problems with cracking, not only during transport but also after setup. Since this wasn’t appealing to us, we opted for wallboard. We chose a manufacturer, Dutch Park that is willing to customize its base floor plans—we added several standard options like the dormer clerestory windows along the entire length of both sides (+$3520) but we also eliminated the back door to a wall closet the specific size to house a full-size stack washer and dryer. We left out the sliding glass door and opted for a single front French door instead. We had the dryer plumbed for gas (+$225). We also opted for the optional 30" electrical stove (24" gas was standard) (+$115) which necessitated them building our pantry 18" wide rather than 24". Pull out shelving on the pantry was a well-worthwhile option (+$165) as was the real oak cabinets rather than the standard vinyl wrap over veneer common in most park models (+$1590). We also had them build the largest front porch they could accommodate, which was only six feet (+$980). Other manufacturers can offer up to 12’ porches. Things that are typical options are things like pocket doors, Moen fixtures, upgraded insulation, and various window configurations. Base price of our unit was $35,085. We found that it would be very easy to add substantially to the price by adding upgrades and options so watch out!

We dealt with a wonderful old-timer by the name of Shorty at Janesville North RV near Madison and felt he gave us great service and a great price. We also picked the best time of year to deal on an RV: the middle of a WI winter when there was about a foot of snow on the ground and the temps were hovering near 10 degrees. Needless to say, we were the only ones on the lot that day and likely his only candidate for a sale but it was great that he had so many models in stock to look at. Shorty got back to us within a few days on what they could do bottom dollar on price, which we wanted to also include shipping. The deal was struck at a total of $45,000 which did include the $6800 price tag to have it towed from the factory in Goshen to Bend, OR. The deal price also included $8330 worth of options. In our research we found prices varying from a low of about $25,000 for a very small, very basic park model to well into the $80,000 range for someone wanting Corian countertops and stainless appliances. Generally however, I would say our park model falls into the average range that most folks seem to pay. We knew we didn’t want ours delivered before we made it back to Bend ourselves but typical build time on a custom job is about 8 weeks.

Next we’ll report on the actual move to Coos Bay and what’s entailed in the setup process so check back with us in late September for more on that. As always, if anyone has questions please don’t hesitate to email us.