Guide
Park models, explained plainly.
Written for people considering one for the first time. No pricing, no pressure, and no claims about what is allowed on your particular piece of land.
What a park model RV is
A park model RV is a small, factory-built recreational vehicle. The category is built to no more than 400 square feet under the RV Industry Association definition, and it is designed for recreational and seasonal use — a weekend place, a seasonal site, a retreat — rather than as permanent housing.
It is not a manufactured home. Manufactured homes are built to a federal housing standard for permanent residential use, and they are regulated, titled, financed and sited differently. Mixing the two up is the most common and most expensive mistake a first-time buyer makes.
The RV Industry Association publishes useful background on what counts as an RV and on the standards and regulations that apply to the industry. Neither we nor those references say that a park model may be used as permanent housing or an accessory dwelling on any given property — only your local jurisdiction decides that.
If you are still sorting out the language, start with our overview of park homes and the U.S. park model RV category. This guide then takes the next practical step: preparing a real site.
Factory build versus site work
Two separate projects sit behind every park model. The first happens indoors: the unit is framed, clad, wired, plumbed and finished in a factory, on a schedule, out of the weather.
The second happens on your land: clearing and access, a level pad or support, utility connections, and any permits or inspections your area requires. Site work is usually arranged locally, and its cost and timeline depend on the parcel, not on the unit.
Planning both at once — rather than buying a unit and solving the site afterwards — is what makes the difference between a calm delivery and an expensive one.
Four questions to ask about a site
Access
A park model arrives on a large transport. Road width, turning radius, overhead lines, gates, bridges and soft ground all decide whether a unit can physically reach the spot you have in mind.
Ground and support
Slope, drainage and soil determine what the unit sits on and how it is levelled. This is site work, arranged locally, and it is separate from the unit itself.
Utilities
Water, sewer or septic, and electrical service. Distance to each connection point is often the single largest site cost, and it is worth measuring before anything else.
Local approvals
Cities, counties and campgrounds each set their own rules for park model RVs — where they may be placed, for how long, and for what use. Ask your local authority before you commit to a site.
What the Parq priority list does
Parq is in prelaunch, working toward a target launch of January 2027. The priority list is free: you give a name and an email, we record them along with the order they arrived in, and we contact people in that order as plans firm up.
It is not a purchase contract, it does not reserve a specific unit, and it does not set a delivery date. Signing up asks us to contact you; broader updates are a separate optional choice. We do not publish or sell the list.
Planning a 50 to 100 unit project
A destination of this size is a different exercise from a single unit. In broad strokes it runs through market and site feasibility, approvals and utilities, unit mix and phasing, delivery logistics, and an operating plan for how the place is actually run.
We publish no rates, occupancy assumptions or return figures for these projects, and nothing here is an investment offering. Scope and terms are confirmed directly with Alex.
Common questions
- What is the difference between a park model RV and a manufactured home?
- A park model RV is built as a recreational vehicle for recreational and seasonal use. A manufactured home is built to a federal housing standard for permanent residential use. They are regulated, titled, financed and sited differently.
- What happens in the factory versus on my site?
- The unit itself is built and finished in a factory. Site work — access, a level pad or foundation support, water, sewer or septic, electrical service, and any local approvals — happens separately on your land and is usually arranged locally.
- What should I check before choosing a site?
- Delivery access for a large transport, ground conditions and slope, utility availability and distance, setbacks and easements, seasonal weather and drainage, and the approvals your city or county requires for a park model RV.
- Can a park model be used as a permanent residence?
- Park models are designed and regulated for recreational and seasonal use. Whether any longer-term use is permitted is determined by local law in your jurisdiction, not by us.
- What is involved in planning a 50 to 100 unit campground project?
- Typically market and site feasibility, approvals and utilities, unit mix and phasing, delivery logistics, and an operating plan. Scope, terms and any numbers are confirmed directly with Alex.
Something not covered here? Call (316) 669-0800 or send a message.