Park Model Living Feb 2007

PREMIERE ISSUE!PREMIERE ISSUE!PREMIERE ISSUE!

“R etirem en t L ivin g at its B est!”

RVIA Convention - The Ultimate Tailgate Party

V O L . 1 N O . 1 F E B . 2 0 0 7

Arizona Gets Superstitious

Advice From the RPTIA President

The Doctor is in! Simple WiFi Solutions

$4.99 US $5.99 CAN

V O L . 1 N O . 1 F E B . 2 0 0 7

Features

Departments

Notes From The Boss 2 Letters to the Editor 3 Park Review 4 - Superstition Sunrise Apache Junction, AZ Techno Babble 5

Dealer Review 10 - Park Models Plus The Model Life 11 Classifieds 13

m a g a z i n e

Cover Story

High Class Housing A look at three manufacturers and the trend toward luxury retirement living

RVIA Convention All the latest that the industry

has to offer

12

7

Park Model Living Magazine 2

◊ N o t e s f r o m t h e B o s s ◊

elcome to

Park Model Living Magazine!

Dear Readers, A few years ago I discovered beautiful RV parks with quaint little places called Park Model Homes. I was traveling full time in an RV and wondered about this cozy and adaptable seasonal housing. Since I am a curious guy who likes to learn new things, I researched Park Model Homes on the internet and in bookstores. To my astonishment, my results were fruitless. As I traveled more, I looked for Park Models and talked to owners and renters about this life-style. Because most of my travels were in warm climates many of the residents were folks from the northern United States and provinces in Canada. They migrated south in the winter to relax in the sunshine while those they left behind battled the cold and the snow. W hat a w onderful idea to have a residence that you can “park” and enjoy w ithout the m ain-tenance requirements of a larger home and property. I spent many years living in the cold winters in New England and love the idea of a life in warmer spaces. I purchased a Park Model Home in a park in central Arizona and settled in one place for awhile. As I met more Park Model owners I realized that there is a certain rhythm and style to life this way. Most of my neighbors had homes and families in other parts of the country. Many had R V ‟s and w ere w ell-traveled. We shared stories about how easy it is to live in 400 square feet. My Park Model was over 20 years old and in excellent shape, however, as I settled in I no-ticed small things that needed to be repaired. I set out on a quest to locate repair parts. Once again I was unable to locate any information about how to maintain and repair this special home. There are more than 300,000 Park Models in seasonal and sometimes year-round use. Park Models are in resorts and campgrounds throughout the world – in all climates. With so many of us who enjoy the Park Model lifestyle, we deserve our own magazine. Since I could not locate one I decided to make a special magazine happen. I am pleased and excited to announce the arrival of “P ark M odel L iving M agazine.” I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it. I look forward to many informative and interesting issues to come. We invite your comments and participation as we grow the magazine.

Peter F. Gauthier

Publisher

www.ParkModelLiving.com

PUBLISHER Peter F. Gauthier

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kaeth S. Brown

PRODUCTION MANAGER T. M. Brown

STAFF WRITERS Pete Franks

K. Shaughnessy Alice Onnalee

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bill Garpow Benjamin Regal

Letters to the Editor Have a suggestion?

We need to hear from you!

S o…

E-mail us your letters to the editor at: [email protected]

Or

Send us a letter by mail at:

Park Model Living Letters Dept. P.O. Box 13571 Fairlawn, OH 44334

Congrats! Congratulations on your new venture! The Park Model indus-try is growing dramati-cally. Boomers are retiring and many of them purchase Park Models for a relaxing alternative. I look for-ward to seeing articles about the Park Model lifestyle. Mary C. Colorado Loving Luxury We recently bought our fourth Park Model. Charlie and I purchased our first Park Model in 1975 for use at a family campground in Ken-tucky. That first pur-chase let us go camp-

ing with our three chil-dren and sleep in a dry building rather than tents. While that Park Model had indoor plumbing and bunk beds it was certainly “bare-bones.” Our newest Park Model has luxu-ries w e didn‟t im agine in 1975. We have be-come snowbirds and stay in Florida January through March each year. Our lovely home has plush furniture, a fireplace and flat screen TV. It pro-vides a relaxed and very comfortable way to live. Lynn J. Ohio Suggestions for the Future

W e are “new bies” to Park Models. We are both teachers and bought a fifth wheel to travel in the summer which we enjoyed for almost ten years. When we retired last year, friends suggested we rent a Park Model. We stayed at a great park in Georgia last year and had a won-derful time with activi-ties and tours. The Park Model gave us more space to spread out and relax. Our rental had an attached screened porch that doubled our living space. This winter we plan to stay in Florida and make new friends. We would like to know about ways to “tim e share” P ark Models and hope fu-ture issues will address

Park Model Living Magazine is an independently owned and produced magazine. Magazine and all original design copyrighted 2006, Park Model Living, Inc.

If you have a question or are interested in a subscription, please visit our website at www.parkmodelliving.com

E-mail us at

[email protected]

Or you can write or call at

Park Model Living Magazine P.O. Box 13571 Fairlawn, OH 44334 1-866-766-0564

Subscribe on-line at www.parkmodelliving.com Or complete this form and mail with your check to the address below. Please print Name________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________ City _________________________ State __________ Zip______________ __ e mail information to _____________________ Include a check or money order for $19.76 for a one year subscription or $34.58 for a two year subscription. Park Model Living Magazine, P.O. Box 13571, Fairlawn, OH 44334

A r i z o n a G e t s

S uperstition Sunrise gets five stars and rave reviews. Sid & D iane O verby report, “W e really enjoy coming to Ari-

zona as winter visitors. We especially like Superstition Sunrise Resort be-cause of the friendly people and it has so many amenities at a reasonable cost.” Located in Apache Junction, Arizona this spar-kling park is close to popular attrac-tions that include Sedona, the Grand Canyon, golf courses and shop-ping malls. The park has 800 park mod-els on larger pads (typically 34 x 48) in a beautifully landscaped environment. Alyson Stroup, Manager at Superstition Sunrise tells us, “M any people choose a park based on loca-tion and features. At Superstition Sunrise we offer a beautiful location with tons of activities and a fabulous staff.” T he inviting options include woodworking, dances, a library and computer room. Active residents enjoy water volleyball, tennis and pickle ball, a newer game that is a hit in many

ways. A cross between ping pong and tennis, pickle ball is played with a rac-quet and a plastic ball. When asked why people love Superstition Sunrise, Alyson says, “T hey w ant to com e w here the weather is nice, they have friends and they can go and enjoy themselves. Here people can relax, golf, and have many recreation choices so they‟re not bored. W e find that people who live in the Park Models get out

for more activities, because their home space is sm aller.” Residents relax in the large, sparkling, heated outdoor and pools and spas. They are pampered at the hair salon, masseuse room or nail tech center. The staff at Superstition Sun-rise includes a great team of dedicated people. Year round Recreation Direc-tors plan on-site events and trips to local attractions, historic locations and parks.

Most of the residents spend the winter season at the park, although some stay for only a month or two. Lew and Sandy Vinson told us why they love Superstition Sunrise: “W hen we retired and went full time as fifth wheel RV'ers in 1986, we knew we wanted to spend our winters in Ari-zona. We'd already checked out Flor-ida and Texas, and the desert and mountains of Arizona won us over. Friends wrote to us they had

recently moved into a new RV park called Super-stition Sunrise. They said it is „cham pagne liv-ing on a beer pocketbook.‟ W e told them to re-serve us a lot for three months. We were here two months and went annual. Two years later we bought our first

Park Model. Twenty-one years later, we are still here and in our third Park Model. And, oh yes, it is still cham-pagne living on a beer pocketbook!” Amenities at Superstition Sun-rise include paved interior roads, laun-dry, pads with adjacent RV spaces, poolside cabanas, and a pet section. There are clubs and classes year round. - K.S.

by K. Shaughnessy

PML Staff Writer

- P a r k R e v i e w -

Park Model Living Magazine 4 www.ParkModelLiving.com

The beautiful front entryway at Superstition Sunrise

K. Shaughnessy can be reached at: [email protected]

5 Park Model Living Magazine

“ C om pu ter advice th at you can u se...an d u n derstan d!”

By Dr. Computerist

Pour lire cette colonne en français, voir le sit web svp .

A ctually it‟s both. T he Internet has becom e an integral part of our lives for e-mail, online banking, reading the hometown newspaper and a host of other uses. For those not deep into the techno culture it can be very frustrating. Problems with connections, set-up, e-mail, or attempts to figure it all out can be daunting. In the next four issues of Park Model Living Maga-zine I will help you unravel the mysteries of WIFI and show you how to tame the beast in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Part one deals with a basic understanding of W IF I. W hat is it and how does it w ork? I w on‟t bore you with clever acronyms or computer buzzwords. WIFI is a means of connecting to the internet without wires. For purposes of this article it is the use of WIFI in an RV park that allows the residents to connect to the Internet from their park m odel hom es or R V ‟s.

The WIFI provider usually installs one or more antennas in the park. This allows the customer to connect to the internet using a computer that has a wireless client device attached to it. This is an impor-tant point. “A w ireless client device” is not a router. The provider provides the router and you supply the client device.

Think of the connection as two ends of an electrical power strip. One end plugs into the wall out-let (in this case the internet, this is usually the device provided by the company offering the internet service) then you plug in many appliances to the power strip. In our case the router is the power strip and the appli-ances are wireless client devices attached to com-puters.

Now - how does it work? WIFI in general works best when you can see a clear sight line from your computer to the WIFI antenna. Although this is not a requirement, without it, your signal will be de-graded. Consequently, your internet access may be very slow, your connection may be intermittent, or you may not be able to connect. Most of these de-vices are meant for connecting to routers that are a very short distance away from your computer, for ex-ample, the use of a Laptop computer with a built in WIFI device inside a building.

As I write this article I am sitting in my home office in a beautiful old home in Akron Ohio (owned by my lovely fiancée). In November, I had a great wireless connection since the router was no more than 25 feet away in the living room. Alas, there was trou-

Part 1 of a

4-Part Series

www.ParkModelLiving.com

Customer Benefits Convenient & easy

connections to the internet

Able to connect with business, family, and the worldwide web of information

To add this affordable and dependable WiFi benefit to your park, contact The Wireless Web at www.TheWirelessWeb.com,

[email protected], or (210)491-9440

ble brewing in WIFI paradise. In December we rekindled a family tradition of hers and cut down a live tree for the living room.

So what has this to do with WIFI? Well, that wonderful tree was put in between the wireless router and me. After the tree was decorated with all the lovely orna-ments (many of them metal, in-cluding of course the tinsel), my wireless signal instantly fell from excellent to low. Although I am usually able to connect and work, the speed has decreased as well.

The moral of this story is: When it comes to WIFI, what you have now may not be what you have tomorrow. Many things in our environment effect the quality of WIFI connections.

What can you do when you get an inadequate or inconsistent signal? You can purchase a more powerful device. This includes (but is not limited to) a wireless bridge, which is an external WIFI client device that will let you move the location of the device to get a better signal.

In some cases you will need an antenna attached to the outside of your park model or RV. This outside antenna is the best solution. It eliminates the interference caused by being inside of a structure and generally results in a clear line of sight to the nearest transmitter. This solution almost always solves signal and connection problems.

There are two ways to im-plement this solution. First, you can purchase a wireless bridge that allows you to connect an external antenna cable. You can then con-nect a network cable from the bridge to your computer. Second, if you prefer not to connect a cable to your computer, or if you have more than one computer you want attached to the internet, simply con-nect the wireless bridge to an inex-pensive wireless router. Then con-nect your computer to that router using your wireless client devices.

The second method actually creates your own little WIFI net-work. However, if you choose this option be sure to set some security in your new WIFI router. You can

use WEP security, which essentially encrypts all the information sent and received, or you can use MAC address authentication so that no one else with WIFI can get into your computers. - Dr.C.

Be sure to check out the rest of

this series -

Part II: Wireless Security “H ow m uch do I need?”

Part III Using multiple

computers from a single WIFI account

Part IV Connecting with your friends over WIFI

Send any comments or questions to: [email protected] Questions must include an e-mail address, telephone number, your full name, city and state. Requests for confidentiality will be honored with the disclosure only of the cor-respondent’s first nam e and state


The Wireless Web installs and maintains affordable and depend-able high speed access to the internet in RV parks.

Park Owner Benefits Increase occupancy Increase revenue Improve customer loy-

alty Offer a frequently re-

quested amenity

The luxury mod-els (from top): A Reserve model from Laurel C reek, L ee‟s B ear Kountry Kabin, an d A th en s‟ E s-tate model

I s it possible to have luxury in only 400 square feet? Absolutely. As significantly more people purchase Park Models, demand has risen for comfortable elegance in these compact homes. Consumers want full size appliances, quality fabrics and du-rable surfaces that they expect in larger residences. Lee Enterprises, Athens Park Homes and Laurel Park Homes are among the manufacturers who focus on custom models with features usually found in residential construction.

- C o v e r S t o r y -

7 Park Model Living Magazine www.ParkModelLiving.com

When you want casual ele-gance in your Park Model, Lee En-terprises delivers. Erica Lee (Sales, Marketing and Design) and Jodi Lee (Office Manager, Purchasing and Accounting), granddaughters of founders Micki and Dale Lee, took us on a tour of their homes under construction. Lee Enterprises builds Park Models under the brand names of Resort Cabin, Cub Cabin and the Exclusive Bear Kountry Kabin. Jodi em phasized, “Q uality is the number one objective here. We fo-cus on details and get it right.” New in 2007, the Resort Cabin with Cape Cod Cottage decor is a visual treat. From the soothing gray-blue shingles on the outside, to the crisp white interior paneling, this home looks ready for the beach. The living area features shelving with bead board style and an electric fireplace. The model we toured had white curtains ready to move invit-ingly in an ocean breeze. Another special feature is exterior window boxes for gardeners to personalize with flowers. Add a good book and a w ater front view and you‟re ready to relax for the season. Lee Enterprises has a market niche in custom designs. According to E rica, “W e w ork closely w ith the customer to provide a quality, per-sonal space.” W hile m any P ark Models are owned by snowbirds

and located in warmer climates, L ee‟s business is expanding m ore in

the North. Customers who work with Lee are getting more approvals for placement of Park Models in campgrounds. One Lee Park Model in-cludes a 102” w ide shingled roof with a hinged floor slide out. Op-tions include cedar logs, cedar lap siding, metal roof, residential oak cabinetry, single or double lofts and a new super bay added this year. E rica said, “In the 8 ½ ‟ w ide m odels we do lofts and many companies do not. T his is a big seller for us.” T he thermopane windows tilt in for easy cleaning. A 40,000 BTU furnace is standard in L ee‟s m odels and u p-grades are available. Rustic Bear Kountry Kabin is a warm and light-filled log cabin with custom cabinets and furniture. The attention to detail is obvious with trim that includes attractive and functional pine knobs on the kitchen cabinets. For this model,

the cabinets and hand-crafted log furniture are Amish-made and con-tribute to an appealing space. The sturdy rock-ing chair was especially inviting. The upholstery on the sofa featured a rustic scene with bears and added to the overall harmony of design. This cabin is winterized and headed to Heritage Lake campgrounds in

Wisconsin. A custom design, it was built with an additional door in the living room to accommodate an ex-tra room that will be added on site. Lee Enterprises is noted for its unique upscale appearance with quality the number one objective. A s Jodi said, “W e use high end m a-terials and produce quality m odels.” For 23 years they have sold to deal-ers, developers and consumers. Athens Park Homes of Ath-ens, Texas builds Park Models with quality craftsmanship and design harmony usually seen in residential construction. Dick Grymonprez, Vice President of Sales and Market-ing states, “B efore w e started the business, we researched what others were doing. We knew that to be com petitive w e couldn‟t build the same things. We chose to do the luxury models. Our Park Models have a luxury residential look. We got into business specifically to do upgrade models. We offer some-thing unique and different.” The Estate, Manor and Royal series produced by Athens Park Homes feature uniquely de-signed exteriors and interiors that feature tape and textured walls, ceil-ings accented by plant ledges, soffits over the cabinets, recessed lighting and ten foot ceilings. The Estate Series model has a deep overhang, large multi-pane windows and a rear porch. Many of these models ship with front and rear porches, adding attractive and livable space. This model has the largest windows and accommoda-tion of any vacation home in its class. Standard interior features include raised wood cabinet doors and built-ins, space saving pocket doors, ceramic backsplash and edg-ing. Clerestory and prismatic dor-mers are available in most models. These features contribute to a space that is filled with light and very wel-

“ Q u a lity is th e n u m -ber one objective

here. We focus on details and get it

righ t.”

The Lee Enterprises Resort model in its natural habitat


coming. Included as standard items in the Manor, Royal and Estate are insulated patio door with window grids, ceiling fan in the living room and plywood floor decking. Kitchen features include lined cabi-nets with hidden door hinges, dou-ble metal drawer glides and lami-nate counter tops. The mirrored wardrobe doors in the bedroom add to the spacious feel. All of these models have loft or porches which maximize the living space. G rym on prez added, “W e build about 500 units per year – all luxury. Even our entry level is tape and texture. When we go up, we upgrade cabinets, carpet and drapes. We also do custom models with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.” Athens Park builds the Estate with heavy duty exterior construc-tion. It includes a front rounded bay with five windows and heavy asphalt/fiberglass shingles with a 20 year warranty. Backer board wraps the entire home. The Campanel Fi-ber Cement Siding is by James Har-die. Laurel Creek Homes, in Phoenix, Arizona, builds luxurious Park Model homes designed to meet seasonal living needs. Their Park Models are built with standard fea-tures such as full tape and texture interiors, residential cabinets, full size appliances, and solid framing construction. These homes are typi-cally placed in desirable resort com-munities. Laurel Creek has an espe-cially robust web site that was fun to navigate. It includes a wealth of photos and a customer tool inset. The on-line shopping includes styl-ish selections for wall colors, fabrics and counter tops. Upscale kitchen design is a valued feature for many customers. Some of the favorite Laurel Creek kitchen options include custom

countertops, a bay window and an unexpected island – a masterful de-sign in only 400 square feet. The living rooms in some models surround you with light. One room we viewed has windows on three sides including sliders and a bay window. The addition of a colorful valance adds to the luxury feel. A dining room option in-cludes an angled cupboard with countertop and glass front cabinets that look like a high-end furniture hutch. Extra large windows adja-cent to the dining table give you the feeling of al fresco dining. Addi-tional glass front cabinets and a wrap around counter provide dis-play space. For 2007 Laurel C reek‟s R e-serve series offers lux-ury features as standard. Bedroom features in-clude full width mir-rored slid-ing doors on the wardrobe with double drawer bases below and angled nightstands that maximize the space and storage. The kitchen includes crown molding on the overhead cabinetry and adjustable shelves. There is a 4” tile backsplash behind the range to the base of the microwave. GE® appliances include a pacemaker clean steel m icrow ave, 30” deluxe clean steel smooth top range, and a side by side clean steel refrigerator with an ice maker and water dis-penser. A garbage disposal is stan-dard in these models.

Luxury standards are a 30 gallon electric water heater, ceiling fans with remote controls and lever satin door handles throughout. There is an upgraded 300 Series drapery package throughout w ith 2” faux wood blinds, hardwood cabinet doors & drawer fronts and an im-pressive surround sound system. The loft area is a great spot to relax. One option includes built in multi-drawer cabinets. Bathrooms have soffit light-ing and a solar tube. They include a full length m irror and a 48” cultured marble shower w/ hinged door. E xterior upgrades include 8” Hardi-lap exterior siding with OSB

and moisture wrap, 30 year architec-tural fiberglass shingles, front 12” eave 12” rear overhang, and low “E ” w hite vinyl fram ed dual glazed windows. When customers look for comfort and elegance, Lee Enter-prises, Athens Park Homes and Laurel Creek Homes are ready to meet your custom requests and pro-vide you the luxury that you so richly deserve.

A n exam ple of th e A th en s P ark H o m es “M an or” m odel


K. Shaughnessy can be reached at: [email protected]

A One-Stop Ticket to the Park Model World

- D e a l e r R e v i e w -

Five years ago a camper, tired of having just one va-cation spot, walked up to a campground owner in New Hampshire and posed to him a simple question, a question that would lead to a big answer. He explained that he wanted to buy another park model RV from him, but this time he wanted to put it in Florida. Could that be done? That simple question planted a seed into the mind of the campground owner. Over the next two years that seed grew and in 2004 Joe Persechino, the then campground owner and now entrepreneur, created Park Models Plus, LLC. As president of Park Models Plus, as daughter of Joe Persechino and as a major architect of his vision, Anne Sailer sits behind her desk and proudly explains how PMP has inno-vated to meet the demands of people who want to enter the park model world. “P ark M odels P lus only sells park m odels,” she says, “and only the best ones at that,” she adds w ith con-fidence. Based on the knowledge gained from her parents‟ years of selling park m odels inside their campground in New Hampshire, and after an exhaus-tive research period and a series of factory visits, Sailer identi-fied manufacturers for PMP to ally itself with. Their manu-facturers include Athens Park Homes and Woodland Park Homes. Both examples were chosen for ones who build-in the most quality construction and standard features, and offer flexible floor plans and solid warrantees. But why limit sales to only one type of RV? She sm iles, it‟s obvious to her. “W e decided to specialize in park models because we knew clearly, that there was a market out there not being satisfied. Park models are different than a travel trailer or a m otor hom e in that they really aren‟t de-signed to travel anyw here!” She continues to explain that people who are looking to buy a park model are looking for a vacation home, a sec-ond hom e or a new hom e in a nicer clim ate. “M ost of all

they want it to feel like a home not a mini-bus.” The company delivers on this personal home feel by performing a personal consultation with each and every cus-tomer. They custom design and order nearly every model. The model usually delivers within 4 – 6 weeks and then a full “turn-key set up” is perform ed on site. “P eople w ho w ant to buy a park m odel often are in need of a good place to put it.” T o find the perfect location for those w ho don‟t already have one, P M P has created a giant network of pre-approved and rated parks from all over the country. From their website (parkmodelsplus.com), or 1-800-603-7889, customers can access their ParkLocator ser-

vice. This is a very handy tool where customers can enter their desired crite-ria for a park. (buy or rent your lot? which state?, mountains or beach?, wooded or open?, etc.) Then, PMP employees create a short list of parks from their database that meet the crite-ria. The results are sent to the customer and followed up with a phone call. Lastly she explains that Park Models Plus, can almost always beat the price of any traditional dealer. Every order is shipped directly from the factory to the custom er‟s lot. T he com -

pany doesn‟t have one official sales lot and holds little inven-tory allowing the company to operate under very low over-head costs. Sailer creates a nice visual, “w e don‟t com pletely elim inate the m iddle m an, w e are one still, but w e‟re a thin and lean m iddle m an instead a big fat one.” P ark M odels P lus, L L C , m ust be, by anyone‟s stan-dards in the park model world, an ambitious and excitingly new idea. They offer a choice of top manufacturers. They have a narrow, concentrated focus on exclusively selling park models but simultaneously, they have greatly broadened the spectrum of services offered by a dealership. In fact, you can-not define the company simply as a park model dealership, they sell park models plus. - B.R.

By Benjamin Regal PML Contributing Writer

T he A thens “R oyal” - one of many models sold by Park Models Plus


Benjamin Regal can be reached at: [email protected]

E ditor’s N ote: B en jam in R egal is an em ployee of P ark M odels P lu s.

News & Notes on the Park Model Lifestyle from R P T IA E xecu tive D irector W .R . “B ill” G arpow

What a thrill it is to be a part of a brand new publication devoted to Recreational Park Trailer owners. This is a great lifestyle and one that offers wonderful adventures in these sea-sonal and vacation dwellings. The Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association, Inc. (RPTIA) represents the industry firms that provide the products and services enjoyed by our owners. As the founding Executive Director of the Associa-tion (established in 1993) it is indeed a privilege for me to write this column and hopefully be-come the person you can turn to for information about your recreational park trailer or the life-style it offers. While I may not have the information right at hand I will hopefully have the gift of some time for a little research before my reply gets published. That research will be used to make-up a response that will make you think that I really am “T he A nsw er G uy”. W hat a luxury it will be for me compared to the tele-phone calls and daily barrage of e-mails that re-quire a m ore or less im m ediate response. It‟s really nice to be able to check things out twice before being required to reply once. You might ask: “W hat are m y qualifica-tions to be your A nsw er G uy?” T o start w ith I‟ve been doing this kind of w ork since 1969. I first got into trade association management with an organization that still successfully represents the Recreation Vehicle and Manufactured Hous-ing Industry in Michigan. I liked the work and especially enjoyed the chance it gave me to make a difference and help people overcome obstacles and make things work the way they should. As

such, I‟ve been involved in the R V industry (or its cousin, manufactured housing) as a trade as-sociation staff member for 38 years. O ver that tim e I‟ve w orked for or have represented the interests of RV owners, dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, park owners, finance and insurance firms and have done so in many interesting places and in different ways. I have worked with federal, state and local governmen-tal agencies and legislative bodies, as well as with industry professionals who together have created the nationally recognized safety stan-dards that our products are built in compliance with. Additionally, I work with educational, sta-tistical and demographic tracking programs that keep the industry and the public current with changes in the industry. Working with the media helps spread the facts about these products and how they serve the needs of our owners. I‟ll look forw ard to hearing from you and responding to your questions. Send me ques-tions covering: taxes, building codes, land use issues, decks and add-on rooms, forms of owner-ship and what this all means to you as an owner. How you can use your unit and what you can or cannot do with it and why. Send them to me “T he A nsw er G uy” and I‟ll do m y best to re-spond with the real hard facts and figures about Recreational Park Trailers.

To be considered as a Question to the Answer Guy, your request must be accompanied by an e-mail and telephone number as well as the full name and City/State. Requests for confidentiality will be honored with the disclosure only of the correspondents first name and state.


B ill “T h e A n sw er G u y” G arpow can be reach ed at: [email protected]

When baseball players an-nounce, “I‟m going to the show ” it means they are headed to the majors. We headed to the majors recently by at-tending the 44th annual National RV Trade Show sponsored by the Recrea-tional Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

This show features supplies and services for the recreation industry. There were mega-displays including lights, mu-sic and food as well as entrepreneurs with amazing new ideas. With almost 300 vendors there was a wealth of informa-tion. Most of the show has a focus on motor coaches and fifth wheels. It seems that P ark M odels are often the “step-child” in the R V industry. B ecause our lovely hom es aren‟t as portable as trailers and motor coaches, we get convention space in the furthest arena and not much media attention. Park Model Living Magazine (PMLM) is here to focus on your interests. We love Park Models and real-ized that there is no publication focused on the lifestyle for people who own and

rent Park Models. This trade show gave us a chance to see many Park Model manufacturers in one arena and we had a great time.

One of the best bonuses at the show was meeting the team from the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Asso-ciation (RPTIA). Executive Director Bill G arpow offered to be our “answ er guy” for the magazine and we gratefully ac-cept. Laraine Ayers and Kathy Rook answered lots of questions (and made luggage tags from our business cards). Thanks RPTIA for sharing your exper-tise!

The Park Model manufac-turers at this show were a pleasant and welcoming bunch. There are family owned businesses and major companies producing standard and custom models. If you can dream it – these folks will build it. Thanks to all the people who answered our questions, gave us brochures and welcomed us to the Park Model fam ily. W e‟ll share m ore of their stories and ideas as the magazine grows.

Our goal with PMLM is to entertain and educate folks who en-joy the compact, easy to maintain

space of 400 square feet. We want you to suggest articles, submit pictures and ask questions.

We are doing research now on the following and welcome input from you: Small Treasures (parks with fewer than 50 Park Models), Getting There is Half the Fun (how you travel to and from your Park Model), Navigation Systems (what glows and what glitches), Byways (fun things to see). We look forward to your comments. - A.O.

by Alice Onnalee PML Staff Writer


Alice Onnalee can be reached at: [email protected]

www.PML Classifieds.com

4|Pads/Space For Sale

Key: 1 - Models for Rent 2 - Models for Sale 3 - Pads/Space for Rent 4 - Pads/Space for Sale

5 - Furniture/Housewares 6 - Vehicles 7 - Park Model Time Shares 8 - Dealers

9 - Parks 10 - Services 11 - Insurance 12 - Mortgages

13 - Movers 14 - Awnings & Attached Rooms 15 - Miscellaneous 16 - Help Wanted


10|Services

DRTrainingOnLine.com We will train you online in basic and advanced com-puter skills. Our skilled technicians can take over

your computer for training and also have real-time

interactive instruction. Mi-crosoft product training

available.

RVStorageLocator.com Find a local place to store your RV.

OREGON - Space for 3 Park Models in small, pic-turesque park. Set amid the Oregon Pines, 20 miles inland from the Oregon Coast/Dune Country, close to great fishing on the Um-pqua River. 541-587-4406

15|Miscellaneous

PMLClassifieds.com Buy, rent and sell Park

Model homes and related items.

RVClubMail.com List your RV club here and get

free email for you and your members.

GrandparentsRemember.com Post photos, stories and audio

about your life and family. Invite others to post comments

and share stories.

BuyAnythingWIFI.com Purchase wireless equipment including an external antenna

for Park Model Homes.

OurSeniorSpace.com A place for seniors to connect

and communicate.

RVRallyMail.com List your RV rally here and get

free email for you and your members.

BeOnTheWeb.info Web site hosting and web de-sign. We have a special focus

on RV resorts.

RVLotListings.com Buy, sell or rent RV spaces for your Park Model Home or RV.

Love for

Angels

Angelman Syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in every 15,000 children and yet many doctors have never heard of it. In 2006, an estimated 284 children were born with Angelman Syndrome. An-other 284 children will be born with it this year. Help us educate parents & doctors about this disorder and how to show

Love for Angels

This is Corbin

H e’s 17 years old H e’s happy

H e’s healthy And he has

Angelman Syndrome

Never heard of it?

You’re not alone

For more information, please visit our website at:

www.loveforangels.org or

Call or e-mail us at: [email protected]

330-686-2700

BeckysSoyCandles.com Clean Burning Candles with virtually NO SOOT!

Hand-Poured - Triple Scented Fun scents include:

Clean Cotton Angel Wings Green Tea Sweet Orange Chili

Pepper

Peach Papaya Strawberry Kiwi Blackberry Sage And many more!

“I am aston ished at h ow long these cand les last and it’s fun to experim en t w ith th e variety of scen ts!”

- Laura G. Call for more info:

330-773-3050 Or

See us on the web at:

BeckysSoyCandles.com

We Provide Online Support (You see what we do) We Can Install software for you We will Apply all required OS patches We can Insure that your system is Virus free We can Prepare your system for wireless internet And many more support items Spam Filtering,

Virus Filtering, Web Mail Access

and more!

2625 Accounts and Growing!

"Sell your RV or related items online for one low price

until sold"

Documents

Park Model Living Feb 2007