A Close Up Look at Cochise Terrace RV Resort, Benson, Arizona

Anatomy of a Dream

By Don Magary, editor

Photos by Erin Magary

Managing owners Pat and Art Bale of Cochise Terrance RV Resort in Benson, Arizona

Like all other  entrepreneurs in the RV industry, Pat and Art Bale have a dream. But rather than dreaming of chassis, tongue weights and dealer networks like RV manufacturers, the Bales' dream is wide open spaces, grand views and providing a pleasant place for RV owners to wile away their retirement years or vacations. Their dream is called Cochise Terrace RV Resort on a hilltop overlooking Benson, AZ.

RV News first heard about Cochise Terrace from visitors to the RV America On Line^® RV forum. Cochise Terrace was being touted as one of the nicest RV resorts in the country. And since we do many stories about those who make and sell RVs as well as those who supply components for OEMs and the aftermarket, we believe we should occasionally focus on businesses that cater to the RV owner once they've bought an RV ­ our industry partners in the campground and RV resort industry.

So armed with those opinions from the RV forum, RV News decided to take a look at Cochise Terrace for ourselves. Last month we drove from our headquarters in the Phoenix area to Benson, AZ, and met with managing partners Pat and Art Bale.

The resort, a mile south of I-10 in Benson, makes an excellent first impression. It sets atop a hill overlooking valleys on three sides ­ offering a 60-mile view. The huge U.S Flag on an 80-ft pole in the center of the complex can be seen from miles around. To the southeast in the foothills of the Whetstone Mountains is the famous Cochise Stronghold, where the legendary Apache eluded the U.S. Calvary for many years.

The 54-plus-acre park itself is spacious and well manicured and has a variety of amenities for campers to enjoy such as a large swimming pool, hot tub, putting green, clubhouse, and multiuse dance hall that also doubles as a banquet hall and entertainment center.

According to Art Bale, phase four of the development   is complete and he is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to start phase five.

Bale said the park will eventually have 308 spaces but 223 are already developed. The additional 85 and another clubhouse will be developed in phase five.

Of the developed sites there are 55 lots for sale of which 37 have already been sold for an  average price of $28,000 and Bales predicts the additional lots will be sold within 18 months.

Bale said, "We have 23 annual spaces, 18 of those are leased, and we have 145 spaces on this side of the park for monthly, weekly and daily rentals. The only difference between the monthly spaces and the weekly and daily spaces is that the monthly spaces are metered for individual electric usage and have two telephone lines." continued