rotation

Can someone explain the rotation system that I keep reading about? Does that mean that you must move at the end of a specified time to another location or do you have to move from a hook-up site to dry camping until another hook-up comes open?

I have not used any of the military campsites and I would just like to know what to expect.

We thought about spending some time in Florida but I don't want to go down and not find a place to park.

Thanks for this and any other tips or advice to a newbie.

Although the specifics of a "rotation" vary by location, it basically means being in a FHU site for a specified time, then having to move (rotate) to a dry or partial hookup site. You would then be on the bottom of the waiting list for a FHU site again. When your name gets to the top, you can "rotate" back into a FHU site and start the process over again.

For example, at Agave Gulch FamCamp (Davis- Monthan AFB, AZ) during the busy winter months, you will probably need to go directly into a dry camp site and stay there for 3 - 5 days while on the waiting list. When your name gets to the top (or near the top) of the list, you move over into a FHU site. You can stay in the FHU site for 3 weeks, then would need to move back into a dry site and start over. Agave Gulch posts the waiting list daily so you can tell how far down on the list you are.

Manatee Cove FamCamp (Patrick AFB) is similar. When you arrive, you may go into a dry site. When your name comes to the top of the list for a partial hookup site, you're offered it. Or... you can stay in dry and on the waiting list for a FHU site. If they aren't too busy yet, they do allow you to go from dry, to partial, to full hoookup. But once it starts getting busy, you need to decide if you'll take a partial site or wait longer for a FHU.

The places I've had experience with in "rotation" are winter hot spots - Florida and Arizona. They are very busy in the winter. I believe having a rotation policy is the best option for these busy winter destinations. It allows many more people a chance to enjoy the campground. Unlike some that let people stay for 7 months all winter long, not allowing anyone else a chance to get in.

After visiting over 100 military campgrounds, I've only been turned away a few times for lack of an available site. But I'm willing to go into a dry site if that's all that is available.

While not considered "rotation", some military campgrounds do have limits on how long you can stay in their campground per calendar year. This is to prevent people from "homesteading" or making the campground their home. But there's no many that place these type of stay limits.

The bases in Tidewater area of VA. have a specific time. In general you can stay 2 months then you must rotate out of the Park. However you can go directly into one of the other parks in the area. The down side of this is that it does not prevent hoemsteading in the area. Active duty and retired just make reservations ahead of time and move to a different park...There does not appear to be a certain number of sites set aside for "non -homesteaders" to make reservations. We are seeing the same families here at Ocean Pines that we saw last fall. They have just "come and gone" from Little Creek or Sea Mist. Every weekend you see the great "shift" of RVs.