PARK MODEL HOMES

 

From 1971 to 1984 Overland was primarily a Mobile home dealer with an occasional travel trailer or a dbl tip our for sale. In 1984 the first true park model was built. I call this a true park model because it was o  a 12' wide frame, with a total sq footage of no more than 400 sq ft. This revolutionized the Park Model Industry we have today. Dalers were afraid to purchase this new product because the state and cities were very hesitant to embrace this idea, if they couldn't sell the product they would be stuck with the product.The restrictions on the RV park ws complicated as well. RV parks are just that. The spaces were built to the spec of a RV that had wheels and could move at the drop pf a hat. Rick felt that the new park model was the way top go, it provided a structure that was so much more comfortable and gave the customer a much more cost effective home. Rick believed in  this concept so much that he brought the first 44 park models ever built from Earnhardt RV's. Sales in 1984 skyrocketed with the new park model. Customers traded in the travel trailer,single tip outs, double tip outs and full slides to get the new park models. Since most of the dealers were still unsure on the new park model Overland held the park model market.

       

Rick knew once the idea of a park model took off there would be a boom in manufacturing for this product. In 1984-1985 Cavco Industries and Overland built the first true park model. This unit was a U shaped kitchen with a metal roof, it sold for 14,50 and oddly enough was sold to go up north. Once the word started to spread about the new park model, Customers across the United States felt the need to have a park model as their new winter home. The idea that they could have all the comfort of home in a RV park with all the activities was a dream come true. Parks embraced the idea of a park model and Arizona became the hot spot for winter visitors. RV parks sprung up thru Arizona, to fil the need of the winter visitor.

       

Now in the midst of all this activity Overland and Cavco formed a bond that revolutionized the industry. Rick had the knowledge of the design of the park models and Cavco had the knowledge of cost effective building. This made for one great relationship. As the units evolved we have moved from the 7' side wall, 12X33 box sizes, with metal roofs to 10' side walls, indented back doors, with bays and shingled roofs with floor plans to numerous to count. As I stated before with the new park model came the birth of RV Parks. Mesa, Arizona was the hot spot, with rental spots sold out every year, year after year. As time went by emerged a need for lot ownership. Mesa-Apache Junction saw five such parks arise.In Mesa there are three Greenfield Village 111 S. Greenfield Rd, Mesa, Arizona. Venture Out 5001 E. Main St Mesa, Arizona and Carriage Manor, 7750 E. Broadway, Mesa, Arizona. In Apache Junction the two arks are Road Haven 1000 S. Idaho Rd, Apache Junction and Golden Vista, 3701 Goldfield Rd, Apache Junction, Arizona. With the rise of lot ownership customers felt a need to upgrade the park model in it's design and the features within. The winter visitor started to stay longer, to have family members spend time with them and thus the 400 sq ft seemed a bit small. Az with the need comes the fulfillment, thus the Arizona Room was born. Customers took full advantage of the weather and started building decks and screened in room to make life much more comfortable.

          

It seemded only right that you should be able to install a room on your own lot attached to your park model. Rick understood that in order to make the rooms fit he needed to build a unit that would have a decent head room in the AZ room, hence he had Cavco build a high side on the park model which gave 18" more height to the park model and accomplished the Az. side wall adequate height.