"Homesteading"

I realize in this day and age that cost is a factor in allot of it but it has always been the homesteading clicks. Being a true Fla. person seen were the snowbirds have just ruined the camping thing. Use to be the nice part was meeting new faces and everyone trailing around. Now people are just taking over and hogging up space even when they are never there. It has caused problems for people you are not in the click kissing stuff to play by rules while others don't. It has driven the price of camping up and made some area's look like RV parks. Look at what happen to RV park at Camp Blanding. Once was tree's and space but thanks to the constant people hogging the spaces up they had to make room for those who could never get in. Now it looks like a trailer park and who wants to go to a trailer park to camp! I like fishing, country looking things not trailer parking it. Now all I see slowly but surely just RV parks. Miss camping and glad that we do have a few non military parks that have manage to keep it like being in the woods.

Being fairly new to luxury camping (travel trailer vs. tent) I have not had much experience with "homesteaders". MWR or the other services acronym for Special Services is finding it harder to support active duty, let alone retired military (which I am). Bottom line, income is income and retirees pay and support. With that said I believe there should be an established time/day limit for use of military or military sponsored camping facilities for both active duty and retirees. And I believe it should be a 'first in - first out' policy. 'You' are OK to stay past the agreed to date, but establish a 'not later than period.' Something like week by week. Should a request come in for a camping spot and your time is expiring then you have to break camp on the appointed day - unless of course someone else is leaving and a spot is open for the 'newbie'. As to semi-permanent structures, i.e., storage sheds, etc., the establishment/construction of such a structure should be abolished or otherwise outlawed. "If you can't carry it or tow it within an hour, it doesn't get set up/constructed."

As with everything in life - except death - there should be an exception, specifically if an inbound military person is awaiting base housing or closing on a house/apartment, then said person/family can stay. Maximum stay should coincide with HHG delivery. After that; "Its been real and its been fun, but…." Just my thoughts but I would be glad to work with anyone to resolve this issue. I can be contacted via this web site.

I know everyone uses Davis Monthan AFB as the best Campground ever, and I must agree.
The MWR has lost sight of the whole reason for Campgrounds. First it is for Active Duty and then for all other eligible patrons. Homesteading is not part of this nor was it planed to be. Davis Monthan has the most equitable system I have ever seen. Check in and go to overflow if needed. Once you move into full hookups you may stay for 21 days. If someone is in overflow when your 21 days are up, you must rotate out to dry camp until your name comes up again. If no one is on the list in overflow, and your 21 days are up, you may extend for another 21 days. If someone wants to Homestead at a particular base that is fine, but you may have to move in and out of full hookups. The advantages to this is you don't get "trailer trash" and people that have all of their belongings all over their site with porches built onto their RV's, and everyone gets a shot to enjoy the camp. Campgrounds are not intended to be Trailer Parks. They are for everyone to use.
NAS Corpus has by far the worst rules and regs for any camp. You may reserve in advance, and once you are in you can stay as long as you want. I do not have a problem with reservations, but the length of stay should be limited, so everyone has a chance to use the camp. When I checked into NAS Corpus there was no chance of us getting a site yet standing next to me was an individual who had arrived in Oct and was going to stay until May. Now that is unfair to all RV full timers and those that are just on vacation for a few days.
JLM1610

I really dislike the situation at McDill, and I'm sure that there are other bases that allow the "180 day" thing. What really gets my goat, is sub-contractors who are allowed to stay in the sites set up for us retirees. They get per diem allowances, so let them go to private parks, or hotels, and not take our spaces in the famcamps! :X

In reading some of the email replies 'homesteading' seem to be prevalent mostly at those choice vacation spots, i.e., McDill AFB and others. With that said I am not above jotting down a line or two to my favorite Air Force General (whoever that is) responsible for MWR and Services and voice a complaint or two. But in order to bring this to the attention of all concerned it needs to be a combined effort. I know there are enough Senior NCOs reading this that would not allow one of their troops to be faced with an issue like this. We would be in the “Old Man’s” office speaking very respectively and loudly. What are they going to do, recall us?? If any General Officers are reading this, you may want to voice your opinion or contact one of your fellow officers and request a little assistance in this issue. Anyway, ….

Here in southern California they have a cure for "homesteading". They raise the rates so high no one can afford them.

I made a reservation for Fairways RV Park at Port Hueneme for June of this year. I was told the rate was going up to $30 per day June 1st. She also stated that all campgrounds within Naval Region SW California would be going to $30. This is after they raised the rates $4 per day last year.

They do not have a weekly or monthly rate.

Happy camping.

Jack