Welcome to snowbirdtrailer.com

This site is dedicated to all of us 55+ers 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 Trailer life in the many RV Resort Parks located in the southern U.S. States.

We have begun with a concentration on the state of Arizona and specifically the Phoenix East Valley area where we have included the cities of Mesa and Apache Junction as well as other parts of Maricopa County and Pinal County.

We are just now beginning to expand our coverage area as we are getting requests from Tucson, Casa Grande, and Yuma. We will soon be adding some Yuma parks to our site.

What is this Site all about?

We are focusing on providing useful information and links that will be of value for; 

1. Just checking out this experience for the first time - 'have never been'.
   
   
2. Already have visited and maybe spent some time in a park and now want to find a park model trailer to rent or buy.
   
   
3. Park model trailer owners who want to find information on upkeep, repair, and renovation.
   
   
4. Those who want to advertise a park model trailer for rent or sale.

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.  

 Emphasis on New Prospective Residents

Of course those who are new at this will have the most questions. Much of our early 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 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 people 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 ?

 (and not that nice House or Condo)

Many of the new snowbirds are tempted by the good deals on condos and houses available in Arizona. And that is understandable. They 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 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.

 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.

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 trailer in an RV Resort park. This latter group represents the largest proportion of snowbird residents.

In 2003 there were 160,000 snowbirds living in about 80,000 park model trailers. 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 trailer spaces, mostly located in the many RV resort trailer 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 resort parks. It is difficult to know what to call either the parks or the trailers. (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 trailers that are almost permanent. While most of these parks also offer short-term stays for RVs (i.e. motorhomes or other trailers) 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 trailer was designed and developed (actually more 'evolved') to be almost permanent but still remain a 'trailer'. But the parks continued to be known as 'RV' parks.