However, I am unfamiliar with any lenders having traditional mortgage options for anything with a VIN number such as a trailer.

that is more a RV park. the MBH parks down here. we typically own the land, lot, and trailers. there is a reason but long story short, if i just own the lot and they dont pay the fee. i do not have the biggest teeth to push the need for my money. but if i own it all, my experience says it is a better path

My family with 3 young kids on an E8 wages started in a trailer and apartments.  

If cash flow is what you are after, set up a coffee trailer, wash houses, sell digital assets, launch a Shopify store, set up ATMs, buy a title company, coin laundry, a party rental business a car body shop etc.. and then invest the cash flow in real estate! 

Don’t own the campers or trailers.  

I am kind of like you I don't like to have myself over-leveraged, I bought a trailer park and duplex in 2017 with 11 doors in total, currently looking at around $460k in mortgages, with about $90k in liquid savings and that is about as stretched as I want to be.

From what I can tell, it seems like most of the very small towns in this area; tons of trailers, single family homes, no visible high rises or larger multifamily that I saw. 

Also looking at properties for rent in Lakeland, FL... none of them are mobile homes, its all houses renting for much more than what a trailer would rent for.....so that explains that.

They will let you sell the trailer as long as the cash flows back thru them.  

If you do not have those it will extremely hard to ever sell it to someone who will require bank/lender financing or refinance it down the road if you want to pull out cash on the ARV or future equity.The other rule of thumb is that you buy it New and that it was never on another property or location, simple built onsite or trailered in from warehouse.