Doing the geo-bach thing in Norfolk

[bjbkkb]

Just moved into FT Story RV park for my 2 year tour on HST. Trying to anticipate the winter. Any ideas on what I should do for the water when it gets below 32? I was thinking about just letting a slow drip go since I am also hooked up to sewage. What do you folks think?

[bjbkkb]

Just moved into FT Story RV park for my 2 year tour on HST. Trying to anticipate the winter. Any ideas on what I should do for the water when it gets below 32? I was thinking about just letting a slow drip go since I am also hooked up to sewage. What do you folks think?

[Submustang]

We are in Western Oregon. Spent some time in Norfolk, my son is stationed there right now. Winter climate is pretty similar. We put pipe insulation on our hose last winter. It got down to about 22 degrees one morning and we had no water. I suspect the faucet froze rather than the hose. I always keep some water in the tank, so I still got a shower. This Winter I plan to use heat tape covered with the insulation. I found a thermostat controlled outlet block that is set to come on at 35 degrees. I'll plug the heat tape into that along with my 100 wat troublelight that I keep in the compartment with the tanks. That should take care of it. If we are forecast for an especially cold night we'll drip a faucet. I always keep the gray valve open. Good luck on your tour.

[Ol'Joe]

Hey Bruce,

I've been out on a float so just catch'n up the forum when I saw your post. I'm in my 3rd winter season here in the Norfolk area. Water problems generally don't pop up untill late December - early March. Anyway, here's my shopping list.
1. 25' water hose
2. 25' 110v heat tape
3. 25' 1" foam pipe insulation
4. 1 cheap plastic floodlight fixture. (the one with a spike AND flat base)
5. 1 15 watt light bulb
6. 1 outdoor light timer
7. 1 Large collaspable garbarge container.
8. 2 tent stakes.

Now the obvious.
Tape the heat tape to the hose. Cover them with the pipe insulation. Leave the portion of the heat tape and hose that enters into the water bay exposed. Also make sure the heat tape temperature sensor is also exposed.

Connect hose to rig and water spigot. Connect heat tape and floodlight to the timer. connect the timer to 110v power source. Either spike the floodlight very close to spigot or mount in some manner to the spigot. Cover the spigot / light with garbarge container and stake the container to the ground. Set the timer to Dusk to Dawn and wait for spring....

When it gets cold enough the heat tape sensor kicks in, the exposed portion of the tape in the water bay heats the bay also. The 15w light heats the exposed portions of the hose and spigot all the way to the ground, the garbage container retains the heat and protects from the elements and the timer turns it all on and off each night. This arrangement has worked for me so well that the managemanet at Oceana bypasses me when they're knocking on doors telling folks to disconnect water because of freezing issues.

Hope this helps.

[ItstheTrip]

Just curious, don't you receive a housing allowance while on this tour? If not, why not? If so, why are you planning on taking up on a long-term basis the limited space in a recreation facility?

You may not be aware of it, but long-term residency (and 2 years is certainly long-term) is referred to as "homesteading" by people who would like to camp there for a short period of time, but are unable to do so when the limited spaces are taken up by homesteaders.

There are exceptions. One is active duty personnel on PCS orders who need to stay there -- temporarily -- while awaiting quarters. Another could be a retiree who needs to stay for a longer period while being treated at the base hospital. You don't seem to be doing that.

Now, in the winter, there probably aren't many folks looking to camp there, so by all means, stay there. However, when the season starts, you may be asked to move on if this is the military campground (MCG) managed by Ft. Eustis. See the campground reviews for this facility on... Military Campgrounds ...and while you're on that web site, pop on over to the forum and see what the general opinion of homesteaders is among people using the campgrounds for their intended purpose, i.e., recreation. (And for those who are just marking time until they can get to the 'Reply' button and blast me, you ought to read those discussions also!)

As a military retiree/full-timer I personally am NOT pleased when I get to a military campground and find there is no room for me because the campground is full of homesteaders. Yes, there are some MCGs where this is still allowed, but that number is, fortunately, decreasing. I have NO problem with long-term camping in a MCG so long as people are not being turned away.

Now before everyone jumps me about this, stop and think about it. There is a reason that public campgrounds, e.g., National Parks, State Parks, Forest Service campgrounds, etc. have time limits on camping -- they are for recreation, not residence. That is why military campgrounds are almost all managed by the base morale, welfare, and recreation office, NOT the housing office. People who take up residence/homestead are going to end up depriving someone from being able to use the facility for its intended use, which is and always has been.... recreation.

So by all means, save some bucks this winter, but when the campground starts filling up in the spring, it would be appropriate for you to move out to an RV park/campground that is intended for long-term/residential use. Your base housing office should be able to help you with that.

[Sandman]

Re: homesteading.. there is an Army Reg that covers MCG stays.. but I don't think that a "winter over" at Ft Story will keep a traveler out if a waiver is granted..

If I ranked the Hampton Roads MCGs, Ft Story would be at or near the bottom of the list.. I know that NAS Oceana has a 60 day in 14 day out rule..

I've been retired for 10 years but back in "the day" if you were a "Geo Bachelor" the housing office dinn't want to speak to you..



Was thru Ft Story in mid-October.. would have stopped for a brewski if I'd have known that was you (was camped at FT Monroe)..

[patty98311]

NAS Oceana does have a 60 day rule but it can and does grant waivers, just came from a week there and most occupants appeared there were there permanent(saw them come and go in uniform). It is a nice secure park but is lacking on some aminities.

[bjbkkb]

Bryan and Susan, believe me, I hear you. We bought a house in Tampa (my last tour) and due to the market, my son starting high school and a host of other reasons it didn't make sense to lose my shirt selling the house and uprooting the family. Since this is a sea tour for me I will be going out to sea shortly. Right now the boat is in the yards so I can not live on it. Yes, I am well aware of the timelines and I have been moving regularly (it really helps me to get to know the town).

Long story short, I am eager for the boat to get out of the yards and us to get back to sea because at the end of the day sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea.

[emmmw]

bjbkkb, I guess I felt just the opposite last winter when we tried to get into Sigsbee RV Park in Key West last winter. It was full of retirees. I was just returning from a ship and two consecutive overseas tours and couldn't get a spot because of snowbirds, most of whom live there year round... some in homemade tarp tents. Looked like the slums. Now, that just ain't right.

As long as the military won't pay for geo-bachelors to get a residence or give them a room to live in, I'm all for you staying in the campground. I would recommend that MCGs be realistic and allow at least a small portion to be homesteaded, but zero is not the answer. At Solomon's in southern Maryland they have annual rental spots available, whether you live there full time or just park your rig to use as a cabin when visiting... and yearly rentals have priority! Not sure what is right, but zero tolerance isn't smart either.

Last I looked, you are still defending our freedom! Thanks for your service!

[bjbkkb]

We did Christmas at Sigsbee and had a blast. They have spots reserved for active duty so I am surprised to hear that you couldn't get in. The park manager was a retiree and he was very adament about getting active duty in. I know that there were several retirees that were upset that they were holding a spot for an active duty guy (me) but I got over it