Vandenberg SFB FamCamp

Vandenberg is one of our favorite famcamps. Steve, the new host, is very friendly and the office staff really tries to make your stay comfortable. Wifi still does not reach the entire park. The base doesn't seem to want to support the famcamp and problems go unaddressed. It is due for expansion in 2010 but I doubt that will happen. Even with the problems it is still a very nice park.

The back-in are not as horrid as some have suggested. Yes, they are a little narrow, especially if you have slides on both sides, but there is a LOT of maneuvering room. The back-ins are all on asphalt, which is a nice change from having gravel. Even the overflow lot is paved. The pull-thrus are all easy to get into and have a lot of room between campers. The wifi was up and running when we visited, but they made some mistakes on design. I believe all back-ins will have a good wifi signal (untested, tho), but the signal pretty much disappears about 3/4 of the way up the pull-thru line, that is, sites 1-10 should be good, 11-14 pretty weak, beyond that you can most likely forget it (all this is just a guess, tho). If you have a permanently mounted sat ant, you might want to consider a back-in since the orientation of the pull-thrus and the location of pine trees will likely interfer with the signal. Check you site before setting up. Otherwise, we liked it here. Very nice place and the base is neat, tidy, clean, and with a lot of nice people. If visiting around 26Feb08, you may have trouble finding a spot, since they are having an Atlas 5 launch on/around that date. The launch is supposed to be late at night, but the exact date/time will not be released until later.

Services' personel were very friendly and helpfull. We utilized a back in site and the adjacent facilities. The facilities were kept very clean. Be carefull when walking off the paved surfaces. The small ground dwelling animals there leave holes that you can trip in if not watchfull. The fog in the evening raised havic with our satilite TV reception. Wonderful base golf course. Looking forward to our next visit.

Great base for the facilities available to visitors. You must check out the dining facility. Retirees can eat there at any time and it was superb. Now regarding the campground. My biggest complaint is that the price went up $2 a night since last year with no improvement I could see. Wifi as advertised would have been a great improvement but it was down the entire ten days I was there. When asked I was told a workorder was in to Verizen. Why no sense of urgency if the Air Force is paying for the service? Services personnel staffed the office and maintained the area. Frankly I could not see one thing that the camphosts were responsible for. Finding the camphosts will be no problem. They are full time across from the office. They have a large enclosure around their entrance to their 5th wheel and have FIVE Dogs that can usually be found in that enclosure. Go Figure... Don't expect too much empathy if you happen to have a dog complaint in this park. Next year we will probably continue past this location.

We have stayed here before, and was an OK park. This time they had added WiFi, however it doesn't work. You can connect to the network, but there is no Internet connection. As for DSL in the new lounge, every URL gives a "FORBIDDEN", so that network is locked down too. Fairly poor coverage with ATT Aircard. When we arrived the office was open, we stopped, got out and a truck pulled up with some guy trying to tell out the window to us "Just pull in to where ever you want" and drove off. Seemed kinda strange, then the next day found out he is the Night Host. Would have been nice if he would have maybe gotten out and explained that to us. Then the day we were leaving my wife had used the shower in the new facility and the curtain was covered with mold. She told the Male Camp Host so they could take care of it. A few minutes later the Camp Host Wife, knocks on our rig, had a camera (prepared to take photos I guess) and said there was "Nothing wrong with the shower curtain". My wife told here it was filthy and needed to be cleaned, the host told her "You are just RUDE!". Well my wife went to the shower with her to show her, and just as she said the INSIDE of the curtain was 'Health Dept Bad'. The response from the host was "Well, I don't look on the INSIDE". Where else WOULD you look? No apologies, she just left saying it wasn't their job to clean that as there is a cleaning crew, and of course she DIDN'T USE HER CAMERA. We were Camp Hosts at another FamCamp and you ALWAYS CHECK THE BATHROOMS to make sure they are clean for the guests. If you are 'above' cleaning, at least make sure the 'crew' gets it done.

This FAMCAMP has two VERY different types of sites, both types have W/S/E. The pull thru sites have room for slide outs and are very nice. The back in sites are just a parking lot with hook ups. Getting backed in can be a challenge. The back in sites are horrid.

We were greeted very warmly by friendly substitute camp hosts. You do have to enter through the Lompoc entrance and we have found the City of Lompoc (only 5 miles away) nice and convenient. This FamCamp has very friendly people, love the wildlife (deer, squirrels and yes I hear there are coyotes here). It is so peaceful, clean and the ability to take walks, walk your pets in temperate weather with all support services within a close proximity (give or take 1 1/2 miles). You will need a tow vehicle as we have visited the Danish town of Solvang, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. We have not had a problem receiving WiFi service at anytime at the lounge area and we do receive internet service using Verizon in our Motor Home. I wanted to mention that there is a Launderette on this base besides the laundry facilities here at the FamCamp. We love it here.

We love this famcamp. The new camp hostess, Pat,is really trying to get things organized. She has obtained permission to use a house on the famcamp grounds and is scheduling Tuesday coffee mornings, cook-outs, potlucks, etc. She has ambitious plans but it will take a while for people to be aware and participate. Be sure to ask for the information packet when you register so you can see what she has scheduled. The laundry/restrooms behind the office are much nicer than those in the lounge across the road. This is very friendly famcamp. Be sure to take a day trip to Solvang, then go down to Chumash Casino on Tuesdays for their all-you-can-eat lobster buffet. The fitness center up the road is well equipped and the library has quite a few computers for checking email. The wifi at the famcamp only works at night - sometimes. No one seems interested in fixing the problem. We plan to come back here as often as possible.

Not a fancy RV Resort, but a nice, quiet setting. We got a pull-thru site and wouldn't have been as happy in the back-in sites. They do seem close together. We saw plenty of wildlife from our RV. Deer next the rig, young Coyotes strolling by across the grass, Heron, Hawks, and the nearby fields are invested with a TON of ground Squirrels. We enjoyed visiting the nearby tourist attractions and towns. I was surprised that none of the RV sites have 30amp connections. We user 50amp, but others will need an adapter (which they also sell here). The new lounge is clean and modern.

A very quiet comfortable stay at this well managed campsite. The base offers a lot to those who enjoy the outdoors. Very close to the ocean and accessible from the campsite. Get a good base map, it is a huge base and I burned a lot of gas getting lost and finding my way back to the populated areas. Two lounges with dial up access were very comfortable. Wifi and cable would go far to make these remote sites more comfortable to those looking to stay awhile.

Do NOT try to drive your RV through the main gate. They will turn you back. Manager is courteous and very helpful. Pull throughs are shaded and back ins are just parking lot spaces but all have full hook ups with good 50A electricity. I would have given a FANTASTIC rating except that the base is very large and a fairly long drive to get to all local attractions and there are only 2 washers and 2 dryers at the campground. (Ed note: there are 2 wash/2dry in the old community center and another 2wash/2dry in the new community center). No railroad or airplane noises. Some wildlife. Didn't get to see a space launch but am told they are almost as exciting as the space shuttle launch. Will definitely stay here again when we return to the area. (DISCLAIMER: Our idea of a GREAT campground is one with full hook-ups 50A, clear of trees for good satellite reception, close to shopping and good restaurants. If you are into boon docking in remote quiet locations and cooking on the Barbie, you probably won't like the same campgrounds we do.)

Overall, this is a very nice campground, but I recommend it as an off-season destination. We entered through the Lompoc Gate (open 6:00 am to 9:00 p.m. daily) and received a very thorough search of our rig. Be sure to call ahead if you will arrive outside those hours. The FAMCAMP was easy to find with after-hours instructions posted for those who register when the office is closed. As other reviewers indicated, the pull-throughs are spacious sites with fairly high turnover. The other sites are located literally in two parking lots that are separated into very tiny spots with utilities located at the end of the parking spot. In the off-season, it is possible to park in the lot with plenty of room between neighbors simply due to the low occupancy. However, if the camp was crowded, you could probably hear your neighbor's TV if not his/her snoring! That said, the campground is a gem any time of year other than summer. Fall on the Central Coast is very pleasant and even winter is warm, but you may want to avoid Vandenberg during the rainy season (Jan-March). The campground has two community rooms with satellite TV. (We were not able to pick up any channels on our antenna.) There are also 2 laundry rooms, each with 2 washers and 2 dryers (total of 4 each). Washers are 50 cents a load and dryers cost a fixed $1.00 for 60 minutes. I rarely had to wait for a machine. There is an office, and you can receive mail as well as Fed Ex/UPS deliveries right at the campground. The showers/bathrooms are very clean. The only noise is from the occasional howling coyote, which we didn't mind at all. (However, be careful with smaller dogs-- the coyotes are quite bold and will walk right through the campground in daylight.) The gym is very nice and just slightly over a mile from the FAMCAMP. There is a pleasant walking/jogging trail with workout stations adjacent to the gym. The Community Center is only about a mile and a half away and includes the BX, shopette, library, post office and retiree activity center. The Commissary is farther away (2-3 miles) but is well-stocked and never crowded. The library is very FAMCAMP-friendly and even has a spot on the card application for FAMCAMP residents. High-speed internet is available at the library. I must disagree with the previous poster regarding nothing to do in the nearby area. The charming Danish town of Solvang is about 15 miles away and is well worth the trip for the bakeries alone! There are plenty of top-notch wineries in the area with tasting rooms to sample the excellent local wines. Vandenberg AFB itself is rich in history. You can visit Point Honda, site of a post-WW I naval disaster and SLC-6 which was originally planned to launch the space shuttle. Wall Beach is just 6 miles from the campground and is a beautiful beach to walk and enjoy the ocean as well as the shallow caves and natural arch. There are also several missions (La Purisima near Lompoc and Santa Inez in Solvang) that offer tours and a view of old California history. An hour drive to the north takes you to gorgeous Pismo Beach, the Melodrama in Oceano or the charm of San Luis Obispo. An hour drive to the south will put you in Santa Barbara-- great shopping, nice zoo, beautiful beaches and perhaps a glimpse of a Hollywood celebrity. If you enjoy a good steak, don't pass up the Hitching Post, featured in the movie "Sideways". The grilled artichoke is not to be missed.

Nice, clean and well kept park. We had a pullthru space, and can see how the 'Parking Lot' spaces could be a bit close as VERY NARROW! The pullthrus are a bit close also, but nothing like the lot. If staying very long, I think that you would be able to get a pull thru as fairly high turnover in these spaces. If you want peace and quiet, this is the place as even though it is an AFB, there are no planes flying here. One thing we didn't care for was the location. Lompoc is about 10-15 min away but not much really there, and Santa Maria to the north is 30-40 min with lots of shopping, movies and such. The exchange is small, and the commisary is adequate. Didn't find much other than fast food onbase but we would stay again.

Many of the "sites" are in a parking lot. The slots there are only 14 feet wide. None of the parking lot sites are pull-thru. Getting backed in can be a real challenge.