What is a Park Cabin/Park Model?

Park Cabins, also known as Park Models, are recreation vehicles primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreation, camping, or seasonal use. They are built on a single chassis, mounted on wheels and have a maximum of 400 square feet of living space. (Sleeping lofts and porches/decks are not included in this square footage restriction.)

Although they can be narrower, Park Cabins usually have a maximum width of 12 feet, must be transported with special movement permits from the state highway department and are usually sited in a location for an extended term.

There are actually 2 types of Park Models, depending on the building code that was used to construct it.

1. HUD code Park Models are built to the national Housing and Urban Development building code similarly to a mobile home.  These are the least common and are most often used in disaster relief areas for temporary housing while permanent housing is being rebuilt.  You don’t usually see these in RV parks or campgrounds.  These homes are labeled with a HUD sticker.
2. ANSII code Park Models are certified as complying with ANSII A119.5 construction code for recreational vehicles.  Although considered a Recreational Vehicle (RV), ANSII code Park Cabins typically appear, when blocked and skirted, similar to a small cottage.  These cabins are labeled with a sticker certifying that it meets the ANSII A119.5 code.  In many cases, this certification is provided by the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA) but not always. It may be certified by another third party engineer allowed to certify such structures.

For all discussions on this site, we are refering to the ANSII code Park Cabins.  Here are some examples from different portions of our state.

Park Cabin in Western NC (Cherokee County)

Park Cabin in Central NC (Davidson County)

Park Model in Eastern NC (OBX-Dare County)

Well, is it a mobile home or an RV?  In a later post I will explain how, when, and why, in North Carolina, a Park Model may be considered an RV and when it may be treated as a small mobile home.