FAIRFAX COUNTY, Virginia. – A Northern Virginia family speaks with FOX 5 after receiving a toll of nearly $550 for driving their RV on the I-66 express lanes.

The Landry family took a trip to the Luray Caverns last month. John and Julia Landry have six children. The five oldest were with John in the camper and the youngest followed them in a trailer. The high cost of the tolls was the total cost of their round trip.

“The amount was ridiculously high,” John Landry said.

There are signs at the Express Lane entrances stating “Higher Toll for Larger Vehicles”. John Landry said he expected to pay more than the listed variable price amount.

But John and Julia say they were stunned when they saw their EZ Pass deducted multiple times and got the final toll amount for the round trip.

“It’s outrageous. It was incredible,” added Julia Landry.

This was the first time they used the camper in the express lanes.

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“Deep down I thought it must have been a mistake. Maybe for some reason they hadn’t read the transponder and I was being penalized for using it without it. I wasn’t sure. So I was “I wasn’t particularly keen, I thought they would sort it out and so I just called to try to explain it,” John said.

He filed a complaint with I-66 Express Mobility Partners, which collected the toll. It is the private entity in the public-private partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

He received a response from customer service denying his refund request and was told he had been billed correctly.

“We were willing to spend more, but we had no idea how much more it would cost. So yes, it’s a luxury. If we had known, we would have made a different decision, we would have spent that money on something else,” said Julia Landry.

In a statement to FOX 5, I-66 Express Mobility Partners said they are transparent and following their contractual agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Signs warn entering vehicles that if they are larger, they may be subject to higher tolls. On their websitethey indicate the amount that a toll can be multiplied for certain larger vehicles, such as a motorhome.

The website says a three-axle RV could be charged five to seven times the listed amount during peak hours, according to their contract with the state.

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They also claim that federal regulations prevent them from putting these multiples on highway signs.

“Signage on the 66 Express outside the Beltway complies with VDOT and FHWA regulations, and toll factors based on vehicle classification are standards followed by all express toll facilities in the TX area. Northern Virginia,” a spokeswoman said in a statement shared with Fox 5.

The Virginia Department of Transportation added that this current system is what is approved in the contract between VDOT and I-66 Express Mobility Partners.

VDOT encourages anyone traveling to check the website before leaving and understand what the toll structure is before leaving on their trip, especially if they are traveling in a larger vehicle.

VDOT added that the current agreement and funding structure have contributed to significant infrastructure improvements in Northern Virginia.

John Landry says he has filed complaints with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau in hopes of creating more transparency or doing something to improve public confidence in this toll structure.

He says he’s hoping for at least something that could warn drivers of their first high toll.

“When you’re a customer on a toll road, you assume they’re going to be fair in how they charge you the price. You’re driving a large vehicle on a toll road, you’re not logging into a website to determine what class your vehicle is in and what the toll charges will be,” said John Landry.