Luxury along the river

Recreational vehicle owners looking for a luxury outpost have a new destination — and it's along the Missouri River south of the metro area near Bartlett, Iowa.

This marks the first fully operational summer season for the Wilds RV and Golf Resort, a 130-acre development with almost 200 full-service lots, a park, walking trails, a beach, a boat ramp, a clubhouse with showers and laundry facilities, and a nine-hole golf course that opens today.

Construction began in 2006. Co-owner Regan Rohl said he and partner Jim Carlson recently purchased additional riverfront on which they expect to develop at least 80 more lots by next year.

The Wilds currently has 80 riverfront and river view lots, with another 110 on the golf course. All are equipped with utility hookups.

Eighty lots have been purchased, Rohls said, and he expects to sell an additional 10 to 20 this year. Prices for the lots, the smallest of which is 5,000 square feet, range from $25,000 to $65,000, depending on location and amenities, he said.

The recession hasn't had a significant impact on the project, which cost about $4 million, Rohls said. But because of tighter lending practices at financial institutions, Rohls and Carlson now offer financing options for some buyers.

“Bankers aren't as free and easy as a year ago,” Rohls said, adding that most buyers have paid cash or have obtained loans elsewhere.

RV owners can leave their motor homes in the gated community year-round. The resort has its own homeowners association, which charges residents annual fees of $500 each.

Covenants dictate, among other things, how big and how new RVs must be — at least 24 feet long and less than 10 years old. In addition, owners must landscape their lots. Some people have spent as much as $20,000 on landscaping, Rohls said, which is part of the reason the resort is more than an RV park.

“This is a community. It's more of a lifestyle,” he said.

Wilds resident Dave Meyer agreed.

Meyer said he purchased a lot after a representative of the Wilds visited his employer, Apache Camper Center in Bellevue.

The 40-year-old Meyer has been an RV camper for about 10 years. He used to vacation at state parks with his RV and boat, which required taking an extra vehicle. Meyer also had to pay to store his RV when he wasn't using it.

That's why he thought buying land where he could park his boat and RV would be a good investment.

His lot at the Wilds, where he moved his RV last summer, has steps leading down to the river, so he can leave his boat there, too.

The purchase has turned into more than simply a place to get away, Meyer said. Residents have bonfires and weekly potlucks and even vacation together.

“It's almost turning into a big family,” said Meyer, who lives in Valley, Neb.

He said he spent more than 200 days at the resort last year and often commutes to work from his RV.

“It's not just a weekend deal,” he said.

Residents take pride in their lots, said Meyer, whose improvements included sod, a sprinkler system and a boat ramp.

“This isn't camping,” he said. “It's more like going to a cabin on the river.”

Meyer said the nearby town of Tabor, Iowa, has adopted the resort's residents. The grocery store has been especially welcoming, he said, even catering dinners at the Wilds.

Lanina Condon, manager at James Country Grocery in Tabor, said the resort's residents have generated a lot of business for the store.

“They're a welcome addition to our community,” she said.

Reaction in Fremont County was mixed as construction got under way in 2007.

Chuck Larson, a member of the Fremont County Board, voiced concerns about potential flooding. Other county officials, however, said they hoped the new development would attract money and tourists.

Fremont County officials, including Larson, did not answer phone calls or respond to e-mails for this story.

“It's always scary when you head into an economic slowdown,” co-owner Rohls said. “You expect the worst and hope for the best, and it worked out.”

Contact the writer:

444-1085, stefanie.monge@owh.com

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