On July 1, 2012, RVIA (the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association) created a new membership category for manufacturers of Park Model Recreational Vehicles (PMRVs). A Park Model RV (also known as a recreational park trailer) is a trailer-type RV that is designed to provide temporary accommodation for recreation, camping, or seasonal use. PMRV's are built on a single chassis, mounted on wheels, and have a gross trailer area not exceeding 400 square feet in set-up mode. They are certified by their manufacturers as complying with the ANSI A119.5 standard for recreational park trailers.

 

PMRVs are most often used in recreational vehicle campgrounds. They may be owned by the campground and rented to guests, or they may be brought in and used exclusively by their owners on a site rented or leased from the campground. They can also be placed by their owners on private property. These RVs are used for recreational purposes only. They are not meant to be permanently affixed to the property, they do not improve property values in any way, and they are neither designed nor intended by their manufacturers to be used as permanent residences. Since they are built on permanent chassis and therefore can be and are moved either within a campground or between campgrounds, Park Model RVs are titled as vehicles by the various states.

 

Two different types of park model RVs are offered:

1. less than 8′ 6″ in width; designed for frequent travel on the highways; typically expandable when it reaches its destination utilizing slide-outs or tip-outs

2. wider than 8′ 6″ (usually 12′ in width); must be transported with special movement permit; usually sited in a resort or RV park location for an extended length of time (typically several years)