No story is more uplifting than the rags-to-riches account of one Don Wallace, who came to be known as the RV King, founder and former CEO of Lazydays, the biggest RV dealership in the world.
In 2004, Wallace sold his stake in the company his father founded with just $500 and two trailers, but he remains a very wealthy gentleman. The Florida mansion he’s been trying to unload for a year now can also attest to that: initially listed at $22 million, it just had its price sliced to $17.5 million. Ready your checkbook!
Called The Oaks, it’s an elegant, visually arresting French-style mansion that comes with every amenity you can think of, plus a lot of goodies for the car aficionado. Wallace was an avid sportscar collector and he built this mansion around his passion, to include a spacious car museum / display area with adjacent workshop, a race track and driving simulator.
The Wallaces bought the land in 2007 and built The Oaks from scratch. Situated on the shores of Lake Thonotosassa in Thonotosassa, FL, near Tampa, it is surrounded by 400 live oaks and 21 Italian cypress trees, imported from their home country, and immaculate landscaping. The 36,000+-square-foot estate (of which 27,000-square-feet of living space) is the largest in the county and is packed with everything you need to never ever want to leave home again.
There are a main house, a guest house and a boathouse with a pool. The main house spreads across four levels, accessible by elevator: the upper for rest and relaxation and the lower for fun and games – and wellness. With eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms (and 14 half-baths), the house includes an actual bowling alley, 3 fireplaces, his-and-hers offices, several reception rooms, a 1950s-style diner, a well-equipped gym and spa (with steam room, sauna, massage room and saltwater pool).
The dining room and the living room strike a contrasting note with the fun-oriented areas, furnished in keeping with the French design aesthetic. They feature arched windows, exposed wooden beams and intricate plasterwork, and hardwood flooring imported from France and Belgium. A men’s lounge and adjoining bar are furnished in the same style.
However, the highlight is the 11,000-square-foot car collector’s garage. Built to house part of Wallace’s impressive collection, believed to have included 80 items at one point, it comes with glossy flooring and vaulted ceiling, perfect for showing off 20 such beauties. Much of Wallace’s collection has been sold off by now: he used to own the most impressive Ferraris made, the first and last Bugatti Veyrons, racecars, a very rare McLaren F1 and a P1.
Adjacent to the display area / car museum is an air-conditioned workshop and a shaking race track. Two race-driving simulators are also available, because how else are you to hone those skills before you get into the actual sportscar?
For everyday day, there’s a 7-car garage. The listing at Smith & Associates Real Estate includes photos of some of Wallace’s cars, but it’s not clear if any of them is included in the price of the house. (They’re most likely not, though.)
The fun never stops at The Oaks: if cars are not your cuppa, there is also a six-bay horse stable with a grazing pasture, and a mile-long trail that winds through the property, ideal for hikes or horseback rides. Watersports are also a possibility: a 1,300-foot, two-story boathouse sits on the shore of the lake, perfect to store kayaks and jet skis. There is also an outdoor pool.
Described as “one of Florida’s most significant homes to be built within the last century,” The Oaks apparently truly “comes alive” at night, when it’s lit by over 1,000 lights. You know, in case the car display area, the boathouse, the stables or anything else in between wasn’t enough of a selling point, a gazillion lightbulbs should do it.
Called The Oaks, it’s an elegant, visually arresting French-style mansion that comes with every amenity you can think of, plus a lot of goodies for the car aficionado. Wallace was an avid sportscar collector and he built this mansion around his passion, to include a spacious car museum / display area with adjacent workshop, a race track and driving simulator.
There are a main house, a guest house and a boathouse with a pool. The main house spreads across four levels, accessible by elevator: the upper for rest and relaxation and the lower for fun and games – and wellness. With eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms (and 14 half-baths), the house includes an actual bowling alley, 3 fireplaces, his-and-hers offices, several reception rooms, a 1950s-style diner, a well-equipped gym and spa (with steam room, sauna, massage room and saltwater pool).
The dining room and the living room strike a contrasting note with the fun-oriented areas, furnished in keeping with the French design aesthetic. They feature arched windows, exposed wooden beams and intricate plasterwork, and hardwood flooring imported from France and Belgium. A men’s lounge and adjoining bar are furnished in the same style.
Adjacent to the display area / car museum is an air-conditioned workshop and a shaking race track. Two race-driving simulators are also available, because how else are you to hone those skills before you get into the actual sportscar?
For everyday day, there’s a 7-car garage. The listing at Smith & Associates Real Estate includes photos of some of Wallace’s cars, but it’s not clear if any of them is included in the price of the house. (They’re most likely not, though.)
Described as “one of Florida’s most significant homes to be built within the last century,” The Oaks apparently truly “comes alive” at night, when it’s lit by over 1,000 lights. You know, in case the car display area, the boathouse, the stables or anything else in between wasn’t enough of a selling point, a gazillion lightbulbs should do it.