PLANNING TO BUY ... Instead of waiting for 'peak' winter selling season shop early. Lots of December rentals available to go and look.
Click Here For a list of 100 Snowbird Parks
Welcome to snowbirdtrailer.com
An Information Site
*Our 15th Year* Promoting this Affordable and Healthy Lifestyle for Snowbirds
This site is dedicated to all 55+er retirees who seek an affordable and healthy way to escape the northern winters and enjoy life to its fullest.
It is intended to serve those interested in this lifestyle and those already taking part. The focus of the site is on the Park Model and other units in the many RV Resort Parks located in the southern U.S. States.
*** Advertise your unit For Sale or For Rent ***
Snowbirds are now shopping. Supply is short.
For More Information
What is this Site all about?
We are focusing on providing useful information and links that will be of value for;
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Just checking out this experience for the first time - 'have never been'.
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Already have visited and maybe spent some time in a park and now
want to find a park model to rent or buy.
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Park model owners who want to find information on upkeep, repair, and renovation.
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Those who want to
advertise a park model for rent or sale.
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RV Parks wanting to
attract those
new retirees and promote to
new buyers ... contact us for details.
And ... 'services ... things to do ... etc ... for snowbirds' section. (click here)
Take the time to 'Browse Around' the Site
If you are new at this experience make sure to take the time to read ... About the RV Resort Parks ... About the Park Models ... About the Weather .
Check out some of the parks websites shown on this page. They are our 'featured parks' ... they support this website as advertisers which allows us to keep providing this service to snowbirds. We are familiar with all of them. While we never recommend one park over another we also do not pursue some parks to be 'featured'.
When checking out parks pay special attention to their facilities and activities. It will help you get a sense of what the park is like and whether it meets your needs and interests.
If you are looking for a park model to rent or buy make sure you are familiar with all the park model and RV park options. Check out some of the rental ad listings in the Park Models for Sale or Rent section.
You can also click on the featured park ads on this page and it will take you to their site where you can find rentals/sales and other information.
Time to Buy ... ?
Better Be Quick! Prices continue to rise. But there are always deals to be had. Check out the units for sale and shop around by clicking on our featured parks.
That aside ... at our stage in life we no longer should be trying to gauge the longer term marketplace ... it's time to just do what you want. Like the park and the unit then buy it. Simple.
Where to buy ...
Check the featured parks on the page and click on the park of interest. These are all great parks with tons of activities and facilities …
RINCON EAST in TUCSON and
RINCON WEST in TUCSON
DESERT SHADOWS in north PHOENIX (near Scottsdale/Peoria)
MUNDS RV RESORT in MUNDS PARK ... a 'SUMMER' PARK (near Sedona)
SUNRISE RV RESORT in APACHE JUNCTION (east valley)
PUEBLO EL MIRAGE in EL MIRAGE (west valley)
CARRIAGE MANOR in MESA (east valley) ... a 'resident owner' park
FORTUNA de ORO and SUNDANCE RV RESORT in YUMA
GOOD LIFE in MESA (east valley)
But ... If you plan to keep renting then make sure to arrange for next year as soon as possible.
Emphasis on New Prospective Residents
Of course those who are new at this will have the most questions. Much of our emphasis on the site is for those who have never experienced time in the RV Resort Parks or maybe never experienced winter time in Arizona.
Part of the motivation for originally developing the site comes from the many requests we have received from back home ('up north') for information on this lifestyle experience.
We are providing information to help retirees get a sense of what this experience is all about. To answer many of those questions of 'how do we?' ... 'where do we?' ... 'what do we?' ... and the like. We are sure that those same questions are asked all over the northern U.S. States and Canada.
Why a Park Model in a 'Resort' - and not that nice House or Condo
Most new snowbirds have spent their lives working hard to afford that nicer bigger home. Lots of room for the kids and such. BUT NOW THINGS ARE DIFFERENT.
If you are newly retired it is time to make the big shift to LIFESTYLE FIRST!
It is not just about the building anymore. That starts to become less important ... way down the list in fact. Of course you need the basics ... but you will find that those are far less than you ever thought.
You have also been used to looking at your home as a potential investment. That 'someday' it may be worth a whole lot more. But that is also different now. 'Someday' has pretty well arrived. It is now time to ENJOY YOURSELF!
It is time to ENJOY LIFE and get out and do things. And that is where the retirement parks come in. Most parks offer so many things to do you could never do even a fraction of them. And you will quickly acquire new friends. The atmosphere is as close to the mythical 'small town America' as you will find.
If nothing else ... take a look and talk to some residents before you decide. Of course, for some, that big house is still far more important. But give the parks a look.
Over 300,000 Snowbirds in Arizona ---160,000 RV Resort Park Model Residents
There are 100,000s of snowbirds who spend their winters in the southern U.S. They come from the northern United States and from all across Canada.
Unfortunately, the only study we have found on the parks was done years ago by the Arizona State University. At that time there were 300,000 snowbirds who become semi-permanent residents in Arizona over the winter months. No doubt it has grown since then.This figure does not include the more casual short-term winter vacationers or retirees who stay in hotels or travel through in RVs or other means.
Snowbirds spending the winter in the south live in a wide variety of accommodations. Some use traveling RVs, some rent or buy condominiums, and some rent or buy a park model in an RV Resort park. This latter group represents the largest proportion of snowbird residents.
At that time there were 160,000 snowbirds living in about 80,000 park model units. A large percentage are in the Phoenix area. The highest concentration being the Phoenix East Valley area which includes the cities of Mesa and Apache Junction. This area has about 33,000 unit spaces, mostly located in the many RV resort parks.
Whats in a Name?
Snowbird Parks - Retirement Parks - Seniors Parks - RV Parks - Trailer Parks - Mobile Home Parks - Winter Trailer Resorts - RV Resort Parks - Park Models Mobile Homes - Trailers - RVs - Snowbirds - Retirees - Seniors - 55+ers - Baby Boomer Retirees
One (unexpected) challenge in developing this site was what to call it and how to describe our focus on park model living in Arizona Snowbird resort parks. It is difficult to know what to call either the parks or the units. (Or even the residents) Some refer to the parks as Retirement Trailer Parks, or Seniors Parks, or Snowbird Mobile Home Parks or 55+ Trailer Parks. The formal name used by most of the parks is RV Resort Parks. But that does cause some confusion.
They certainly are a 'resort' but the reference to 'RV' suggests something quite different. To those 'up north', who are new at this, the term RV park conjures up more of a 'campground' for the traveling RVers. We have found people back home tend to ask about 'those retirement trailer parks in Arizona' or those 'senior mobile home parks' or those 'Arizona trailer parks' or any combination therof.
The parks being featured here are those parks that cater mostly to park model style units that are almost permanent. While most of these parks also offer short-term stays for RVs (i.e. motorhomes or other units) they are really quite different than those 'RV' parks dedicated to visitors mostly 'traveling through'. They should probably be called Park Model Resort Parks for Snowbirds or something similar.
Many of the parks actually started out by catering to the 'shorter stay' traveler. But what happened is that people began to stay longer and longer. It then became more reasonable to leave the trailer or RV at the park over the summer. But then there was little need to move the trailer or RV so a park model style unit was designed and developed (actually more 'evolved') to be almost permanent. But the parks continued to be known as 'RV' parks.
This site is not affiliated with any park or any other organization. Any ads you see on the site are placed by and are the responsibility of the advertising business or individual. Park model ads are placed by the owners of the park model or their licensed representative. Any and all contact should be made directly with the advertiser.
