Shown is a photograph of the blueprints for the layout of North Trace RV Resort, with CR 29 on the right and CR 56 at the top. The lower portion of the plans will be built in phase one of the project, including the entrance and Welcome Center. Photo provided by Steve Showalter.

By DEB PATTERSON
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — North Trace RV Resort LLC, Syracuse, hasn’t opened yet but already inquiries are coming in from RV manufacturers regarding spots for rallies.

The 230-lot resort will be located at 72987 CR 29, Syracuse, just north of the town limits of Syracuse. Its entrance will be off CR 29, south of CR 56, with the park being located south of CR 56 and west of CR 29. Work has already begun with the moving of over 170,000 yards of dirt daily taking place.

Opening date for the first phase — 82 sites — is set for the spring of 2026. Reservations will be accepted in the fall.

“I’m excited about it,” said Steve Showalter, owner of the resort. “It has taken a little bit longer to get going.”

Showalter, who owns Showalter RV Sales and Rental, Nappanee, developed the idea from his love of RVing.

Steve Showalter is shown in his office at Showalter RV Sales and Rentals discussing the North Trace RV Resort LLC, with plans on the resort. Construction work has begun on the property with the spring of 2026 as the target date to open the first phase. Photo by Deb Patterson.

“We’re big RV enthusiasts ourselves,” Showalter stated, referring to himself and his wife, Junelle.

The Showalters travel all over the country due to their love of RVing and they look for the resort-style parks.

“We really like them. We became accustomed to them and we enjoy those. So, of course, there’s not any around here.”

He stated the closest ones are in Grand Rapids, South Haven and Muskegon, Mich.

These resort-style parks have paved streets, concrete pads, pools, full hookup and gated, nice, safe, clean environments.

“There’s some beautiful places in Florida,” he said, “but just nothing really right around here. So, we just felt like it’s an opportunity for us to invest in our community.”

He noted the RV businesses in the area and a lot of RV owners who come back to the manufacturer yearly for service.

“I mean they come from all over the country to go to Newmar once a year for service, or Entegra, Grand Design … they bring them in from all over the country to come back to the factory for factory service.”

Showalter pointed out one thing he wants to do is to be able to host RV rallies.

“We’ve had several manufacturers reach out and said they wanted to have rallies at the resort. Well, for that, you need a nice event center. You need a place where you can bring 250 people and serve dinner.”

The resort, modeled after the parks they have enjoyed, will be built in three phases. The first phase will include an office, event center, fitness center, pickleball court, dog park, maintenance building, four of the 18 cabins and 82 sites. This will be in the southern portion of the 46 acres.

The second phase, the middle section, will include a pool and 89 additional sites. The final phase will be the area on the north edge and includes 59 sites.

The concrete pads will be 20-foot wide and 65-foot deep with 25 feet of grass between the sites. There will also be buddy sites where two RVs face each other for those RVers who travel with others. Each site will have water, sewer and 50 amp hookup. Another special amenity is there will be pull-through sites for those hauling a vehicle behind their unit.

Shown is a rendering of the entrance and exit at North Trace RV Resort, with a Welcome Center and event center. Rendering provided by Steve Showalter.

“We will have a sidewalk that runs into town so people can walk and ride their bike to town. We want to promote the town of Syracuse to our visitors. We want them to go there and use the restaurants,” said Showalter.

There will be some landscaping, too.

“We’re not going to put a row of bushes between each site,” Showalter said, adding, “There will definitely be landscaping. It’s going to look nice. We want nice grass. We’re going to sprinkle it.”

There will be a privacy fence around the property. The resort will be gated with a pass code for entrance into the resort and use of the facilities.

Nice Trace RV will be open April to October.

“We’re not going to be a full year (site),” said Showalter.

He added there will not be seasonal sites.

“So this is only going to be short-term RVing. We’re not going to be building sheds and decks and we’re not putting trailers there and leaving them all year. We’re not doing that; that’s not what we’re trying to do here,” said Showalter.

He said users can spend a week, a month or the whole season. They also have worked out an agreement with a local marina for boat-rental packages or boat-docking space.

There will also be opportunities to have campfires, with the use of a SoloStove. Showalter explained they will provide the stove to customers at no charge when firewood is purchased at the facility. The smokeless stove is required to be used on the property. It is a vented firepit that can be moved where you want it.

“It makes a great grilling experience,” he said, adding food tastes amazing cooked over the stove.

While the property is located in Elkhart County, the process of annexation into Syracuse is in the works.

Rental space at North Park will be reasonably priced.

No Stranger To RVs

Steve Showalter stands in the showroom at Showalter RV Sales & Rentals. Photo by Deb Patterson.

Showalter started in the RV rental business in 2015 with two travel trailers out of their home in Goshen. In 2017, he and his wife opened a business across the street from their current location at 2581 E. Market St., Nappanee, and a year later moved into the former Jim Moore Motors building across the street.

The building was remodeled and in 2019 additional land was purchased and more was purchased in 2024. Showalter RV Sales and Rentals underwent an extensive remodeling in 2021, reopening in January 2022.

The business handles sales and rentals of all types of RVs from truck campers to fifth-wheels, and brand names, such as Soaring Eagle truck campers to Flagstaff to Forest River, KZ, Sportsman up to Durango Gold, Alpine Avalanche, Keystone’s Hideout and Fusion Toy Haulers, DRV, and Dutchman’s Kodiak and Aspen Trail.

Showalter stated they do not sell new motor homes, but a lot of used Newmar units.

“We do buy some used and we’ll get trades. We don’t buy anything at auction. But we will take trade-ins and we buy from private individuals,” he said.

Business has been great for Showalter.

“We’re steady. We take care of our people. We treat them fair and we have been blessed.”

While other rental and sales locations have been down the last few years, not at Showalters.

“We just take care of everybody and treat them like we want to be treated,” he said.

On their rental units, which is a big deal for the company, renters will find the trailers in tip-top shape.

“On our rental stuff, we buy new trailers every year. We sell them every year and we buy new ones,” Showalter stated.

An aerial view of the work currently taking place at the new RV park. Photo provided by Steve Showalter.