Long-term FamCamp Residents

We are naive RVers. We don't understand how campgrounds -- military, private and sometimes public -- can allow so many people stay full-time in their facilities. But since this is a miliatry campground site, I'll confine my views to you.

I can understand if active-duty personnel are TDY for a few months or a retiree is being treated at the on-base medical facility, but how does a long-term stay gibe with the purpose of the FamCamps? At one camp we visited, the office had trouble finding a working site for a week-end reservist because of the permanent residents.

And even more of a pet peeve is the condition of long-termers' parking spots. It seems like lots of management people either have no backbone to enforce rules or don't want to lose steady income. Seabreeze in Seal Beach is beautiful, but like almost eveywhere else, there were messy pads when we stayed there in February 2009. When we set up, we put recliners under the trailer in bad weather, but we try to keep it neat.

My suggestion is that we prevail upon Larry to add a specific rating for cleanliness of sites, instead of combining it with hospitality. If enough people show the management they are concerned, maybe things will improve.

Naively,
Barry Zander

[bbw zander wrote:[/b]

We are naive RVers. We don't understand how campgrounds -- military, private and sometimes public -- can allow so many people stay full-time in their facilities. But since this is a military campground site, I'll confine my views to you.

I can understand if active-duty personnel are TDY for a few months or a retiree is being treated at the on-base medical facility, but how does a long-term stay gibe with the purpose of the FamCamps? At one camp we visited, the office had trouble finding a working site for a week-end reservist because of the permanent residents.

And even more of a pet peeve is the condition of long-term' parking spots. It seems like lots of management people either have no backbone to enforce rules or don't want to lose steady income. Seabreeze in Seal Beach is beautiful, but like almost everywhere else, there were messy pads when we stayed there in February 2009. When we set up, we put recliners under the trailer in bad weather, but we try to keep it neat.

My suggestion is that we prevail upon Larry to add a specific rating for cleanliness of sites, instead of combining it with hospitality. If enough people show the management they are concerned, maybe things will improve.

Naively,
Barry Sander

This has been a long and hot topic on this forum. If I remember correctly, it had the most post than any other topic. Someone posted a Army Regulation, which stated that RV spaces can't be used for extended stays, but apparently it is not enforced. It was also mentioned about posting complaints, on the bases sight about how you feel concerning this issue. I did this about a military campground that had the same problem. I recieved a response, which was followed up by questions and more responses. The person was new and had already been trying to make changes. Now here I really need help from one of our seasoned members. Could someone give the name of the web site for posting. One thing for sure if you look in some of the older topics, you will see you are not alone.

Found the information, I couldn't remember (sure hate those senior moments) Larry posted it a while back:
As you can see by my status, I'm a "newbie" so forgive me, but here goes; What is ICE? How can it help us in the complaint dept? :-


Don't worry about the "newbie" designation, we were all newbies at one time.

ICE stands for "Interactive Customer Evaluation". This is a DoD ran program where military installations can VOLUNTARILY participate in. This includes MWR, and military campgrounds. Customers can fill out an evaluation which goes to DoD. The evaluation is then forwarded down the channels to the installations ICE Manager (who usually works for installation commander). Local policies dictate how the evaluations are handled, but eventually a responsible manager/person is supposed to receive them and take necessary action. If requested, this also means getting a reply.

For full information, you can view the DoD ICE web site. Also search these forums for more discussions on ICE.

On this website, IF a military recreation facility participates ion the ICE program, there's an ICE web link included in the campground's information page. This ICE link takes you directly to the online ICE form for that facility.

I don't know how much luck any of you have with ICE, but it deserves a look if you see a problem...

On three occasions I have used the ICE connect to voice a comment. On two I received a phone call direct from the manager of the site. On one, I got nothing ... but that's two-thirds ... so worth the effort. Some managers do care about the voice of the campers.

Was told by a host that the CG manager (of the subject CG) had to run a recreation facility for all authorized users and keep the $$$ flowing in, long stays assure the $$$ flow..

I have been beating this tree for a long time, I have always said that FamCampgraounds is just that not a Military trailer Park which some has become, We all who have wanted to go to a certain Mil CG but can't becaise of the so called Homesteaders, either they need to get an apartment or do some RVing or sell the RV, RVing means a 2wk stay at the most especially during the summer so other active, and veterans can use their benifits such as this when available.