Review Detail

4.3 134
South Carolina 171398
2016-2017
Overall rating
 
2.5
Location
 
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
 
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
 
4.0
Value
 
4.0
Overall Experience
 
1.0
We are a retired (USAF 30 year) couple who stayed at JB Charleston Air Force FamCamp in long term. The following is a short review of our stay. The camp itself is fine – and many of the long term sites are very good. However, some are way in the back, under heavy tree cover and poor drainage causes them to stay wet after it rains. The location is great in relation to commissary, airport and the Charleston area. We have camped for years in many different places and this director and her office staff are some of the laziest, rudest people I have ever encountered. And, if I read one more comment about the greatness of Connie and Vic, I might puke. Connie is in everybody’s business! If you stay a few days, they are probably great, but long term is very, very different. There are no written guidelines for campers and the director refuses to provide any such guidelines. She makes up the rules as she goes along and is furious if she is questioned about ANYTHING! She lies outright. You can’t depend on the website. If you refer to it, she will tell you it has not been updated. When we left, she openly gloated that she had seven IG complaints on her desk and they meant nothing! If that’s not a lie; then obviously, the IG Office needs to be investigated, too. In the year we were there, there were six different hosts. Everything we read states that active duty members are not supposed to live in the campground. When we left in the late spring, the hosts were a young active duty Coast Guard member and his wife. He claims to be retired Coast Guard. He is not retired. He wears civilian clothing and changes at work. Jmann is right, management and especially hosts Bob and Gwen Diamond who return every fall have their favorites and if you don’t have a $200K-plus motor coach, are not a member of the American Motor Coach Association and/or do not participate in the 4:00 o’clock cocktail hour, you will not be in one of the better spaces. If you go to Bob with a question and he does not like you or the question, he will literally beat his chest with his fist and scream in your face that he is “running the place.” And make no mistake, he is! The Director allows him to do as he pleases. She cannot be bothered with the people who stay there, even though it is why she has a job. If you want to stay in long term, be ready for all to know your business and your comings and goings. It is a gossiper’s delight! Military campgrounds like this were built for the enjoyment of veterans who have served their country and retired! For the commander and his staff at JB Charleston to turn a blind eye to the rude and disrespectful treatment that the FamCamp Director, staff and hosts show to veterans and their families is shameful! 
Report this review Was this review helpful? 8 6

Comments

6 results - showing 1 - 6
Ordering
To write a comment please register or
August 02, 2017
Your 100 percent right. One thing that I forgot to mention earlier is that there is a bad snake infestation in the woods in the loll long term area. A few months ago a lady with 3 dochounds dogs all dies because they got bit. Plus it also happen to another, and one camper found one under his camper. I know it happens but the director will not do a thing about it.
August 03, 2017
Raiche0727, you write very well and I enjoyed reading your review. I kept thinking that your review presented a “can’t judge of book by its cover” message. By that, I do not mean that you are the book, you exposed some alleged facts and perceptions about the JB Charleston FamCamp. And that’s a good thing. Reviews are meant to bring forth conditions, issues, experiences, etc. that need to become known, validated, measured and eventually initiate some type of action, or in some cases, nothing needs to be done. I want to be up front with you, this is the only response that I will make to your review - it is not my intent to create a continued confrontational condition. Your review brings to light both good and not-so-good things about the JB Charleston FamCamp. It is ironic that you described a less than desirable physical terrain condition. We are currently at JB Charleston FamCamp and had a heavy downpour last night. As I sit here crafting this response, I look out the window to see the flooding in various parts of the RV park. Unfortunately, there may not be an easy solution to that problem. Someone obviously dropped the ball a long time ago during the design and construction phases of the park – they may have been either short-sighted or incompetent, this is Charleston, always expect and plan for wet weather. The terrain conditions you describe in the long-term shaded area are typical in many of the campgrounds in the southern states – the wet and nasty conditions are just the results of mother-nature doing her thing. But look on the bright side, at least the sites (or at least ours) are not muddy and the shade provided by those tree’s during the hot summer days is a welcomed relief. We have been to JB Charleston FamCamp many times over the years and have always enjoyed ourselves - we will continue to return in the future. Our stays have always been short term and our interactions with the hosts have always been respectful, enjoyable, helpful and very necessary. I feel obligated to defend the hosts action even though they do not need my help. We do not have a personal or social relationship with any of them, care about their status or background, or for that fact, even know the hosts you mentioned by name. Unless they are wolves in sheep clothing, I do not agree with your assessment of their behaviors - they are hosts in a RV park. An RV park’s mission is to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for recreational purposes – unfortunately the hosts are easily misused when they take on the role of landlords in a long-term, residential domicile environment. The problems, solutions, interactions, and compliance to policy and/or rules are not a “one size fits all” situation when it comes to short-term versus long-term RV site customers – the guidelines which should be quite clear in black and white terms, suddenly become ambiguous and take on a shady gray appearance. That’s a tough situation to deal with. You may have perceived, which is absolutely your right, that the JB Charleston hosts are cliquish, in everybody’s business or king-pins in the gossip world. I will refrain from debating those issues because I don’t know some of the individuals you named, nor have I witnessed any of the behaviors you mentioned. However, I do ask that you reconsider your assessment of the hosts – they’re doing a difficult, necessary, balancing-act, on-the-job training job. They are also human beings, they will make mistakes and not always make the right decision – understanding and forgiveness seems like a pretty good way to make you feel better about them. Moving along. I do not know the manager nor have I ever had a need to deal with her, so the jury is out when it comes to her persona and management style. But I might add, there have been several times that I have left an Outdoor Rec Center at different MCG’s and muttered to my bride, “I could have accomplished more by talking to a tree than talking to someone in the Center”. I, like you and most of folks that read these reviews, have served our great country with honor. We are proud of our service to the country and value the benefits associated with that wonderful and fulfilling experience. Leaving active duty service does not end our concern or involvement in preserving and improving our benefits. Use of a military campground is one of the benefits available for current and future active-duty service members, retired, and other authorized users. We have very few effective options to communicate and stimulate thought for consideration of our concerns, observations, and recommendations. Hence, we have this great military campground website, with its review process/capabilities, to at least pursue an attempt to communicate a real-world situation that we feel is worthy of notice and review. After having said all the above things, and if needed, I apologize in advance for any discomfort I may have caused. Keep submitting reviews. It will make you feel better and maybe, just maybe, someone will read it, then pick up the ball and run with it. And who knows, something might change for the better. Semper Fi
August 08, 2017
In reply to an earlier comment

May I make a suggestion to your review, you need to go back to your previous review June 16, and re-read it so you can correct yourself as far as not even knowing the camp host by name. You plainly called them by name, Connie and Victor, remember, you said you did not know the host names. You seem to know a lot about being a host yourself, have you been one before? They are not landlords and should not take on that role which is what they have done at Jointbase Charleston. You also seem to know all about short term and long term, have you used it?if not, maybe you just don't know about how it works. Host are there to assist with campers not to direct them on what they should do, give the campers the black and white rules, not tell everyone something different. Don't think you know just what you are saying. Well, we have been host and so much you do not know! We have camped at many military campground and used military lodging at many places, they are not all the same. You had a lot to say, but you don't understand all of what the writer was explaining nor do you know what is taking place there. You are right about one thing reviews are to help others and let them know what is happening. I think that is what the message was intended to do. There are many official avenues to take to bring issues to light. Even with your long review I really think there was much miss understanding on your part, some untruth in it as well.
August 10, 2017
In reply to an earlier comment

My, my Janice. It appears that I “poked the bear” on a topic that is important to you and caused you some discomfort which resulted in an emotional response. I look forward to honest, civil debate but refuse to go down “a path to no-where” by getting into a well-known preverbal contest - I normally will not take the bait. But in the case of your comments, I will respond this one-time with the intention of making you aware of how your choice of words, nit-picking between the lines, and arrogant accusations about petty things that really don’t matter, may have bounced off the walls of astute readers and landed back in to the court of the messenger. There will be some readers that will absorb the “thrill-of-the-moment” of a somewhat perceived heated competition, while others will analyze and draw their own conclusions about the subject matter – not be focused on the inconsequential things. This response is not a challenge attempt against you personally or your choice of words, but I do want to create an awareness that “words do matter”. To prove that point, I intentionally used the first three words of this response to create the identical and expected reaction as your first five words. A little homework might be some help If you have no idea what I am talking about. I will readily admit that I could probably have used a better choice of words when I wrote a statement relating to who I knew or didn’t know. I stand by my original statement and make no apologies – the subject document was a response to a review, not a legal deposition taken under oath. If we are at the point of “splitting-hairs” about who or what is to be included or excluded in the definition and use of a word, we are in deep trouble. I do not owe you or anyone else any information about my personal life – it is no body’s business but mine. You seem to imply that I have no foundation on which to base my statements. That assumption [no experience] is not even close to the ballpark. Let me provide you with a few keywords about my experience: Mobile Home Park > Convert to transient RV Park > Manage > Hire & fire hosts > Expand to adjacent properties > Self-evaluation > Time to move on and enjoy the rewards of achievements > “Got my life back”. Need I say more? So now Janice, I’ve given you a response that is more than 144 characters. Maybe it’s time for you to assess how emotions create unnecessary false perceptions and only lead to self-defeating actions. You will hear no more from me.
August 14, 2017
In reply to an earlier comment

JMann
I have read some of your posts and you make some good points on various topics.
However, Could you please clarify your comment about "a lady with 3 dochsund dogs all dies because they got bit" ??
Are you referring to the dogs getting snake bitten and dying?
If so, I am happy to let you know that the three snake bitten dachshunds did NOT die and are alive, happy and healthy. The owners incurred tremendous vet bills to save the dogs.
This is just a caution to you about posting a comment based on campground scuttlebutt.
Yes there were two incidents regarding snakes: the one event where the three dogs were bitten; and another when a snake was found under a camper and it was removed (no one nor dogs bitten).
Hope this helps.
August 17, 2017
In reply to an earlier comment

Harry Louise,
Mr? Mrs? Etc?
Your first mistake in your expose' is to insult Raiche0727 of" alleged facts and perceptions". She indicates being there long enough to witness, observe and be subjected to problems there.
The "jury is NOT still out about the ORC director. Raiche0727 stated several problems with the ORC and her staff. Raiche0727 did not ask for someone to judge whether she was making factual comments. She knows already. This is the reason she is telling her experiences in the review.
There are several routes to take problems (and solutions): chain of command; IG; and Interactive Comment Evaluation cards (used to be Comment cards back in the day).
The Famcamp hosts are who they are and want to be.
6 results - showing 1 - 6