Campgound Price

Maybe I'm over-reacting, but the price at Ft Belvoir definitely pushed my button. Been watching our health care, our commissary, our pharmacy, now even our MWR benefits erode to nothing of value, while our COLA hits a whooping 1.7% and campgrounds raise the prices anywhere from 10% to 20% and now this new one plugs into the 'milking trough' at $60 a night for a concrete pad and $5 worth of electricity - yeah, I know, the facilities might be nice, but at $1800 we can rent/buy a fine home with a concrete pad beside it.

SO, here's what I wrote to ICE and the response, and my response to it back again.

COPY BEGINS:
NOTE TO ICE:

We are retired military and travel extensively with our RV and stay often in Military campgrounds, a benefit I earned through service - am also a 100% Disabled vet.
Must say we're completely disappointed with the price for a single night of camping $60 - this is camping - not a hotel. Although it's great to see new MCG's it's not so great when the price is this outrageous. You do sit in first place in one category - probably the highest price of any campground in the country, and we've been from border to border and coast to coast.
You say in one response to another retired brother that you did research. I believe you should have done research to compare your price to other military campgrounds in the nation, not to find the highest price of any. You're even above the "resort" style private campgrounds.
SO, first, can you explain why this price is so high? And, can you explain why we should consider this a "benefit" and not a cash cow for the MRW ... seems that's what it may be, at least that is, if you can find anyone retired that can afford it.
What if you open, and no one comes? That would certainly teach a lesson in pricing. Well, maybe campers will come, but we won't be in the group, that's for sure.
Do we sound a little annoyed, yes, we certainly are. You exist on our military base with no overhead, no profit, no advertising, and mostly volunteers to run it - and we consider this an insult to the AD and retired military community that spent our careers defending the land you sit on right now.

SO, maybe to assist with your research, in coast to coast military campgrounds - and deleting California and a few in the DC area - the prices run between $12 and $20 a night, generally. SO, $60 a night it more than double, we expected benefits for our service, not a milking of our retired pay.

NOTE TO Forum: In her reply below, she calls me “sir” instead of a name, implies a ‘canned response’ … and similar if not identical to the others so far. We’re probably beating a dead horse, generally figuring this will soon enough fill with DOD using our taxpayer Per Diem to pay for it because housing is so expensive in that area – stick the rest in the wallet - another screw the taxpayer coup for abusers of the system.

MWR Reply:

Sir,
Thank you for your comment card, all comments and concerns are how we evaluate improve our services. DFMWR at Fort Belvoir spent a lot of time doing research and time developing the plan for our Travel Camp. The price is $60.00 per night and we are sorry that is not within your travel budget.

We hope that you considered giving us an opportunity to show you our Travel Camp even if you are not an overnight guest. The Travel Camp has 52 sites each are fully loaded with water, electric, sewer, cable TV, wifi, a picnic table and fire ring. Each site has a great view of the Potomac River and is located between two fishing piers that turn out great catches year round. The site of your choice will be 40 foot in length and 20 feet wide with a 10 foot by 10 foot extension where your picnic table will sit. There is also extra space for RVs longer than 40ft on both ends of the pull thru sites of about 12ft, the back in sites have an extra space of just 12ft. The Travel Camp also has a community pavilion and fire pit for group gatherings.
We hope that you will make time to give us a try or visit and let us know how your experience compares to other comparable campgrounds. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Again thank you for your comment and sorry for the disappointment in our pricing but we hope you see the value in our Travel Camp when you visit us.

Hope you have a great day and safe travels!
Brianna
Brianna M. Kipper
Outdoor Recreation Director
Family & Morale, Welfare & Recreation

My reply to her note: I notice in her response, nothing in that MCG that others don’t have too, so nothing extra for the ‘supposed’ higher price we spend. Bragging about concrete pad, water, sewer, and power?? For $60 ?? Give us a break!!

MY REPLY TO HER RESPONSE:

ICE system is designed to communicate between the users of MWR and staff, not simply to accept compliments you can copy and stick on the walk for a job well done.

Looks like your sending out a 'canned reply' to anyone that asks about this pricing - it's not about "within our travel budget", our travel budget it fine and healthy on it's own, it's about overpricing a benefit we earned as US military veterans defending this country.

IF you truly did research, you'd have asked the people that use military campgrounds, not the people that want to milk the RV guys for an overpriced campground.

If we take the time to write you a comment, we deserve the respect of a reply that answers our questions, not a 'canned comment' that shows us how much you all care, or maybe don't care.

Tell you the truth, I sincerely hope all my military brothers skip your campground altogether ...
________________________________________
END REPLY

RV Forum Guys: I sure hope this is not a harbinger of things to come in the RV world of MCGs … just when we got old enough to enjoy the RV lifestyle, the price climbs out of reach. And the trouble is, once one does it, all do it – we really need to ICE this one, all of us, and a note to our Congressman is probably a good thing too. OMG, Monkey is freaking out !!! Calm him down with a nice can of Coors, maybe we can buy one at Ft Belvoir for $20 to go with our $60 site. Might even get a 16 oz instead of a 12 oz for that price ...

You're a good man Mr. Monkey and like they say, "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." I hope those ICE comments go to more than the Outdoor Rec Manager. If they get enough of them, maybe the MWR Director and Base Commander will take notice. And for my money, even if they lowered the price to $50, it would still be price gouging. If they priced it at $35 it would be higher than most military campgrounds but given the area I'd say, oh well it's the DC area. Maybe they will fill up with people on per diem but that's not the purpose of MWR facilities. I don't think there will be too many active duty or retired folks doing any recreational camping at $60 a night. JMHO

Will not see us at this one either and if there is anyone who uses this forum that is stationed at Ft. Belvoir please shed some light on this subject so we can better understand the logic behind this pricing. If they priced the campground fee to align with those in the area they better take off their rose colored glasses as this price is not representative of other military campgrounds and I would guess retirees and active duty will not go here.

For example the NAS JRB campground in New Orleans is about 1/3 of the campground prices in New Orleans and at the campground at Parris Island Marine Corps Base it is also about 1/3 of other campgrounds in the area.

P.S. For Monkey, you definitely are not over reacting and my hubby and I thank you for taking the time to use ICE, we get such wishy, washy feedback from them and your response fell into the wishy, washy category also.

Good job there, Sir. Oh! I mean Monkey! I think I will bypass that one also. I've been to DC and seen all the sights and don't need to go again.

Folks, we're beating a dead horse on this one.

Look at the listing in the facilities directory for the Fort Belvoir campground. Find the part about authorized users. Look at the last entry in the the listing.

Yep, that's right....installation contractors. Civilians. Folks getting paid a hefty per diem for working on Fort Belvoir.

60 bucks a night is chump change for these people. They're probably pocketing a 100 a night after paying all their expenses.

Seems kind of obvious that the powers that be at Fort Belvoir, from the post Commander on down, never intended for this campground to be used by active duty members or retirees.

Dogs and soldiers...keep off the grass.

This old Soldier (Airman) will definitely keep off the grass.