Taking a position as a campground manager for a summer can be a memorable experience. You will regularly hear envious statements from campers saying that they would love to be doing it. Only they can’t afford to do it, time and money-wise, or they just have way too much stuff to be able to leave it all for so long. More often than not, it can be a pretty good job. Many have been doing it for ten or fifteen years. There are also those who quit in the first couple of weeks or in the middle of their first season (not a good thing) or who bag it after the season is up. Some just do not like dealing with the two hours of weekly paperwork.

If you are contemplating a campground manager position at some point, be sure to do some research. Ask yourself what kind of people you like to spend time with. If you enjoy being around lots of RVers, you might want a position in an RV park or a national park. Or get a position through workamper.com. There are also national forest campgrounds which gear towards RVers. Look for NF campgrounds that have paved roads and, possibly, hookups. You’ll probably have a golf cart to ride around in to do your chores and a leaf blower to clear the sites. Not exactly my kind of place—but different stokes…

There are also numerous primitive campgrounds out in the national forests if you prefer the company of tenters and small RVers. The roads will not be paved nor will there be hookups. The campground manager’s site, though, will generally have water and maybe sewer. Sometimes a generator is provided.

Note the distance from the nearest town. If it is only ten miles or so, you could have some problems. There will be some locals who come up just to drink for a few hours at night and then drive back home. They can leave a mess, cause some damage, make a disturbance with the campers, and tend to skip out without paying the fee if you don’t catch them. At least the local sheriff deputies generally don’t mind coming up and taking care of any disturbances. All in all, however, not all peaches and cream. You can weed most of these lowlifes out in the first couple weeks, though. They definitely do not like paying the fee so if they know you will be there enforcing it, they tend to go someplace else the next time. A very good thing and much appreciated by all.

Campgrounds farther out, tend to have less of this type of problem. You can get an occasional rowdy group up for a weekend, however. The first night might be rough but they generally get the message. If the campground is large, there will probably be two or three couples managing the sites. Strength in numbers might be helpful, or at least supportive. Also look for campgrounds without any ATV trails in the area. There are definitely exceptions, but those people tend to be a little rougher around the edges and not overly considerate of fellow campers. Large campgrounds with sites not all that far apart sometimes have fewer rowdy problems since they will have so many other campers telling them to shut up. Granted, there will be exceptions to all these scenarios.

Depending on the campground, the biggest problem might be theft. Many just do not want to pay for camping. Skipping out without paying and stealing the fees is theft but you will hear all kinds of rationalizations for it. Unreal. There will be no problems with those who appreciate and respect our natural resources and the campgrounds. They don’t mind contributing to their upkeep. It can be difficult to deal with the freeloaders.

You will find that a good number of people who come to the campgrounds are not ‘campers’. Some pick up a tent and sleeping bags at Wal-Mart and come up to get out of town. Their radio is blasting; the tent is pitched so that if it rains, it’s going to get flooded, and they can have 8 foot logs draped over the fire-pit ring! Clueless. Thank the gods most of the people you will be meeting over the summer are pretty good. One just has to focus on the good people (not always easy). You will have some stellar conversations throughout the season and become friends with some of the returnees or even those just passing through from out of state who you will exchange email addresses with. You will regularly be invited into campsites for morning coffee, breakfast, and dinner. Sitting around talking with these campers is one of the best aspects of the job, by far. Then there is also the quiet time during the week when there are only a handful of campers around and you are out and about taking care of the various chores, listening to the sounds of the forest, and watching the wildlife.

During the week your days will be filled with: emptying trash cans; picking up, raking, sweeping off tables, and shoveling out fire-pits in sites where campers have been; cleaning outhouses; painting; replacing missing signs; fixing knocked over posts; trimming brush and tree limbs; whacking weeds; possibly mowing grass; sweeping foot bridges and walkways; collecting fees; seeing if campers need anything, answering questions, or just asking how things are going; picking up cans and bottles tossed out along the road; making a weekly run to the landfill; a Monday run to the bank to deposit the week’s take, and various other tasks. The days and weeks can go by fast.

All in all, it’s not bad. There will be times when you want to throw in the towel. There will be many more times when you are walking around with a big smile on your face, really glad you are doing what you are doing. Find out as much as possible about the campground that you are applying to; why isn’t last year’s manager returning; what will you be responsible for; will the company provide you with a pickup if the roads are rough; how do you handle the landfill runs; day off; and all the basic stuff. The first month I tried a job like this, I was saying, no way am I ever doing it again. I was getting tired of dealing with drunks around their fires in the dark; free loaders trying to skip out without paying; calling the sheriff at 12:00 at night; dealing with the mess some ‘campers’ were leaving, and the like. But I was also meeting and spending time with some wonderful campers: artists and actors from Salt Lake, a writer from Reno, quite a number of locals, and many more. I just had to learn what to focus on. Getting campers laughing and feeling good about their experience in the canyon really makes one feel good. Walking into the various campsites with a smile on your face tends to set the scene for a more congenial outcome. I’ll be going back and doing it again.

Sebastian

Thanks for the realistic rundown of being a camp manager. Good to know the ins and outs before we try to persue that path. Still sounds like it would be a good thing to experience, even if for just a season.

I know most campgrounds have self-payment places now, but years ago, when I was truck-camping, I would roll in late, stay the night, and leave in the morning as soon as I awoke. The signs said to find a spot and the campground host would collect in the morning. Most of the time the campground host was asleep when I left. I had no intention of stealing the camping but I also wasn't going to hang around until 8 AM to wait for someone to come collect.

I haven't seen a campground like that lately, usually if they are not attended there is a box to put the registration and fee in.

Bobbie

That'll be 15 Hail Mary's my child...

We had a few that do as you have in my campground this summer. In actuality.. this isn't a big problem.

Those that come in late and leave early generally do nothing more than park and sleep, and don't use the resources. Most camp hosts understand this situation, and that it is not intentional. We are not going to chase you. Even if you are "sneaking" a site.. it's really not a big loss, once again.. you haven't used anything but a few inches of spur and the site is available for a paying customer before we realize you were there.

If you come in at midnite, light a bon fire, dump your black in the site and make a mess, we will know long before you leave. "Good" campers are generally not shy about complaining, no matter what time it is.

I only had to get up once for such a group, and they paid promptly, probably knowing the sheriff would be there long before they could break camp.

As far as collections, this past summer where I worked as camp host, I had to wake a few campers on my early 7:00 AM walk-about and collect.
Only twice did campers manage to leave before I got to them.
My manager was at another campground only 6 miles up the road and we were more or less left to solve all the problems that would come up.
The sherif drove though once in the visable evenings and again later, after hours, with a manager.
I never saw them on these nightly romps because I was sleeping.
Only once did somebody come to my camper in the night and ask for help because her girl friend fell and skun her knee but she was wailing like her leg was cut off and when I offered to call for an ambulance (at thier cost) things settled down.
Another thing, they didn't want to have to call the sherif in because it would cost the company $$$.
I had a situation of domestic violance going on OK an all out fist fight between a grown son and his mom, and after calling for 45 minutes for the manager I finally got her.
She asked if she really needed to come down and I said yes.
She was there about 5 minutes and she said she had enough and call in sherif / forestry police / and state police.
I asked her after..."So was I justified in haveing you come down".
She took this as a sarcastic remark and scoweled at me.

As far as going back next year....The last thing said to me by the manager was "So you made it through the whole summer".

I wonder what she ment and she never asked if I was comeing back.

Maybe I didn't do a good job???

I am starting to look for jobs in the area for campground maintainance but if they call me back I would think long and hard it's about 50/50 chance that I would go back there.
Gerry

Gerry, take heart -- A large part of satisfaction in any job is the management, usually the one directly above you and sometimes the dice roll bad! If they contact you for rehire, you now know enough to discuss policy (like permission to call Sheriff) with them and who your direct supervisor would be -- In my travels, I have met many people who were paid or unpaid camp hosts and by far most of them were enjoying the experience and intended to continue.

Well your right Pete, I will know just what is involved.
As far as discussing policy, we had several during the year and my supervisors policy was a bit different then the companies and sometimes what was ok to do for some (friends and ex-hosts) was a no-no for the common camper.
Made it hard to tell people "no more then 2 cars per site when as they came in there was a site with 4 in it.
When "discussed" Oh that's So-n-So, X-host so that's OK"
Just one example.
I think if I do get called back, knowing know whats involved the compensation for the work will be a bit more then I got last season.
Work/compensation equaled out but add in the head-achs and sometimes fealing that your own supervisor was against you did not equal out.
In all fareness the supervisors job was a pain as they had 5 campgrounds to answer for but they knew what was expected of them as they were doing it for many years.
I may try something new.
I am going for an interview at a private campground as activities director.
Maybe being in a privately owned, well established campground, things will be monitored more closely, and the bad campers will go to the less expensive state and national forest campgrounds.
Gerry

Well I did it....I got a job at a private campground for this season as a maintainance man.
Went on interview and was told it was a full time job and that we will be building 3 cabins and some platforms along with doing regular maintainace repairs on the 140 + sites.
I was hopeing the wife was also going to work at the campground as they had some other jobs available but she said that the compensation would not be enough to make ends meet.
I suggested that we could rent our house out for the summer and have extra income and she just scoweled at me...I was just kidding.
I think this is more my cup of tea, working just maintainace and not haveing to deal with people with who knows what mental issues that they have at any moment.
Looking for the snow to go so I can start.
Gerry

Gerry,
Congratulations on the new job!
Gina has one also, you two and Sebastian H are part of a unique but growing group of FGRV campers. I can predict the need for an additional forum here!

We pray the aggravations will be minimal and the sense of fulfillment will be great,
Kurt & Ann K.

Betty & I will be Hosting a Rocky Mountain campground in the national forest this Summer for a management corporation named American Land & Leisure. AL&L This is our first work Kamper experience. Maybe someone here has experience with AL&L ?

American Land & Leisure is the company I work for also. They are great if one is leaning towards primitive campgrounds.

I don't know if any of you remember my posting last summer "evicted", but I just got an email from AL&L and they are reducing my weekly hours from 40 down to 20 because of the potential flood problems. They are keeping the lower three campgrounds closed, leaving only three open. Guess I'll be doing quite a bit of silver work this summer to make up for it. The hillsides will probably be ok. We had some heavy rains after the fire, nothing came down, and the spring run-off should also take care of a lot of loose soil. I'm glad they are not taking any chances with the campers, however. Judging from what was said to me after the canyon was partially reopened last summer, I am sure going to get an earful from irate campers. Oh well, I can work on being tactful.

Sebastian

In addition to providing a parking place, water, propane, sewer, and sometimes electricity, do they pay minimum wage or something? How do the hours effect your compensation?

Hey, primitives, that's us alright. We will be in South central Colorado, North East of Chama New Mexico just off of Hwy. 17.

That sounds close to the Valley View Hot Springs... nice place if you don't mind skin.

An online search shows Valley View to be near Alamosa Colorado. We will be four miles North of Cumbres Pass, just barely over in Colorado.

It varies with AL&L to what will be provided for the campground manager. In South Willow, I get water and sewer. They also leave a generator which I rarely used.
Click on a state at the following link and it will show what will be provided:

http://americanll.com/Campground%20List%20by%20State.htm

I forget what the hourly wage is. I netted a little over $800 a month for 40 hour weeks. I have to see how the 20 hrs will effect my compensation. Can't wait until I'm 62 in three more years so I can collect SS.

Gerry, right there I would have handed him the keys and said, "You obviously want someone else for this job," and left.

Sebastian, as of July 24th of this year , we will be getting a .70 cent per hour raise ! He, he, the minimum wage goes up.

I have landed a full time gig at Nancy As' Arizona High Country Campground near Show Low AZ.

I worked Forest Service last summer, on weekends, but this is a very nice little private place and I think I am going to enjoy it here very much. They are very nice people, and super accommodating for me and my Herd. It's pre season now, and I have only been here for an introductory visit, but I am looking forward to my return and to getting back to work. (Unemployment does NOT suit me at all.. I gotta do something.. and yes, I will do bathrooms.. it's all part of the lifestyle)

Oh that is such a beautiful area! Our avitar photo was taken in that "neigborhood" during our Race Across America trip last year (I work as a reporter every year for this bicycle race).

This year we'll be passing through sometime between June 20 to 22 (depending on whether I'm assigned to cover the leaders or the back-markers) and time permitting, we'll stop by to say "hi." And if it happens that we're in that area near nightfall we might even put down there for the night.

What a great gig you've landed!

Vic

'nuther pic of that area.

Here's Spanish rider Julian Sanz Garcia, headed toward Cumbres Pass. He was in 2nd place here, but ended up 8th by the finish in Annapolis. A three-thousand mile race sure takes its toll on a rider!

Sweet ! We will look forward to seeing you then. Now, talk about a sweet gig, yours ain't got no flies on it !

You know I might have to chain Betty's bike to a tree to keep her from falling in with all them guys in bicycle pants !

Sebastian, sorry for the topic derail, but in my defense it was two workcampers talking about the job ? While I am on here mangling your thread, i'll make an attempt to learn about embedding a photo, is there a testing topic I have missed ?:

Well, the Race Across America isn't just for the guys. Here's a shot of Caroline Van den Bulk going over Cumbre Pass...
Vic

And another of Janet Christiansen just as she rolled over the 1000 mile mark (just 2050 to go!) about 70 miles from Taos.

These two ladies went solo last year. There are a number of women on the relay teams too...fit, trim healthy ladies, I might add. So maybe Betty will want to invest in a chain for your bike too?!

Vic

Sebastian, our campground has several hiking trailheads, a jeep trail and the fishing lake that will likely bring outdoors related emergencys to us. We are told that a walkie talkie will be provided but that because of the remote location, it doesn't work very well. The nearest cell phone signal is a mile away at a mountaintop, but there is only one bar of signal, and sometimes none.
Do you have any suggestions for communications to resolve emergencys ?

This company (and others) has devices to boost a cell signal. I'm looking into getting something for our tow vehicle for uploading our race report stories and photos.
http://mycellularsolutions.com/

Or maybe try this older but effective method...

No, Larry, I only have a couple spots in my canyon where I can get a signal.

This is the year of the Ox, my year. I think the gods are having a little fun with it. Like I said, my summer hours were cut in half and now the trans on my Cherokee died yesterday. At least it happened as I was passing through El Paso and not miles down a narrow dirt road quite a ways from a town. There's also a library (guess where I am) a few blocks from the shop where the trans is being rebuilt, as well as a grocery store, and a place out back where I'm living in my trailer. I missed a stellar picture of the Jeep up on the tow truck's flatbed and the casita hooked onto the back of the truck. Oh well but I sure hope I do not have another opportunity to get the shot. And once again the Good Sam Roadside Assistance came to my aid by getting a tow truck to me without charge. Sure has been worth the yearly fee, saved me twice.

Well it's not a managers position but I did take a job as Maintainace man at a private KOA campground for the summer.
Took the job for $7.49 hr. and 3/4 of site fees.
Just 40 hrs a week will be nice.
Had interview with care-takers and told them I would take the job.
I guess my interview went well because yesterday the care-taker called me and said after they talked to the owner about me, he wants to lock me into the job and offered me$8.50 and is going to wave all site fees.
Not too bad for not even being on the job one second.
They had a position for the wife too but she wants to make more $$$ per hour so she declined.
Gerry

don't forget the value of the "included". If you look at your sticks and bricks expenses, take what it would take in $$ to cover your house, utilities, commuting costs and other expenses you incur in day to day living to support the transportation and infrastructure. And keep in mind, you have to earn enough to pay the housing costs + pay the taxes on what you earn to break even on the expense.

If you are required to live on site, the "Included" are not taxable in their value.

I am your typical schmuck, and in the "real world" I spent nearly 3/4 of my take home just to sleep and have transportation to work. The rest went for the other stuff, like food and car payments and stuff. In my new position, since my housing expenses are covered, and my commute time and expense is ZERO, I can manage on a lower salary. I will still have to eat, and I will still have car and insurance payments, and slowly pay down those dreaded credit cards, but I will be comfortable for the time being.

Once the car and CCs get paid off, there will be even more in the pot for savings etc.

So, not all value can be directly related to an hourly wage and what actually goes in cash in your pocket.

"It's not how much you make, it's how much you keep."
Good points Gina D. I'm wishing you the best of luck in your new position.

Here's a quote from Workamper.com on site included in income. As I understand it, the IRS makes an exception for volunteers in federal facilities (NP, NM, NF, etc.) but NOT for private except:

"Q: When a Workamper is given an RV site as part of his or her compensation, is the value of the site taxable?

A: Current IRS regulations allow for the exclusion of the value of employer furnished lodging from the employee's gross income, provided the following three tests are met:]1) The lodging is furnished on the business premises of the employer, 2) The lodging is furnished for the convenience of the employer, and 3) The employee is required to accept such lodging as a condition of employment. (see irc 1.119 (). Employer provided meals might also be excluded from gross income. (Also see IRS Publication 525 - "Meals & Lodging"). This means that you do not have to report the value of your site on your tax return. It is unlikely, but should the IRS ever question such an arrangement, you would want to have something in writing from the employer that indicates that you were required to live on site. You should also document the value of the site and/or meals. Since employers can also deduct these costs, both parties benefit from these arrangements."

I'd get a statement from the CG manager every year stating that the site furnished meets the three tests above in case the IRS comes aknocking on your door...

workamper is where I learned this tid bit. Condition one usually rolls to an automatic 2&3 (If you read it, this only makes logical sense)

The nature of the job 9 times out of 10 requires one to be onsite and all of these conditions are pretty standard practice.

Also standard practice is a contract, which includes this. If you don't HAVE a contract, ask for one.

I think Gina's point is "it's not what you make but what you spend".
Unfortunately, costs related to a house and three vehicles and other machines that requir maintainance or insurance is a constant.
Even though our home is paid for there is a budget and a $$$ amount that has to be made to maintain all.
Gerry

With the IRS and income (that's what they get the most fussy about) determination, it is better to have too much paper than not enough!

IRS was actually going to start making volunteers at federal parks declare the 'free' site as income and the Dept of Agriculture/Dept of the Interior had to step in and declare that they would destroy the volunteer host, maintenance and visitor center programs if they did that, so something was officially done to provide for that exception.

and there lies the problem with most "younger" home owners/folks doing this. As noted, even WITH the house paid for, the costs do not go away completely. It's not only the maintenance, the county will ask for "rent" twice a year, and the utilities, altho reduced when not there, will still want some change at the end of the month. You auto insurance might go down a bit, but even if you never drive your car all season, you still have to send Farmers, State Farm or the Gecko a check at reduced rates.

Lets not forget that an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but some big insurance company is going to step in and take over a big chunk of what went for mortgage if you do not qualify for medicare yet (And even then, you'll probably supplement)

If you are older and retired, you no doubt are spending your retirement to supplement, and you have some sort of monthly paycheck from the government as well as a medical card. If you are my age (Which I didn't consider "young" until now.. when I have to figure out how to supply adult needs on a 20 year olds circumstances again) you no doubt do not have a ton of retirement resources to fill in the gap. Or a paycheck of sorts, or a doctor waiting to collect from the feds.

SO.. you are pretty much limited to private enterprise if you want to workamp, which gives you a salary as well as housing.

As I go through my house and toss bags and bags of collected junk out, I have mixed feelings. The first is sadness that my "life" so to speak, is reduced to going to a landfill. At the same time, I feel a bit (A LOT) liberated. My sadness is overshadowed by the stress reduction. In the "sticks and bricks" sense..No more broken water heaters to worry about, no worrying about how I am going to pay for the new roof. The plumbing and electrical repairs I have been struggling with to do a bit at a time as I can afford it.. I no longer have that agenda. The kitchen remodel and room additions I have contemplated and drawn and plotted for.. no more.

The feeling of pride I had in saying I worked for a big rock-n-roll icon faded about a day after I was laid off. I am not an egotist when it comes to this stuff, but I think more folks I know envy what I am going to do now than what I DID in the past.

NOTHING is easy when it comes to making a living, so I am now just taking the opportunity to do what I want to do, instead of what I ceased enjoying doing some time ago for the sake of keeping some wood and wire. Will there be new problems? Absolutely.. but at least they are "new" and a new challenge is always welcome.

I think of this whole deal as a forced sort of mid life crisis.

well said Gina!!!

Although we are still working we are doing so at a twenty percent loss and we are not 20 year olds but we are no where near retirement either. We are eing forced to look and see what we would like to do as a second career and where we would like to relocate to do it. I am sure that we will be ginving the house back to the bank at a complete loss to us that was our retirement plan and money. Now we are looking at starting over. Oh the joys of the recession. However I agree with Gina that there is a certain liberation in letting go and you making the choices instead of THEM telling you what you will accept and be happy about it.

Alexandra

Gina, the big problem is that you didn't have a choice!

Had a buddy in my company have his position red-lined and he was given a couple of months to find a new one (there weren't any) -- They sent him home for a year on full pay, and then retired him at the same time as a whole bunch of us took early retirement, except one guy they wouldn't let go because he was needed to do some major software work on old programs for Y2K! Both those guys were unhappy, but the one finally got to retire, leaving a guy who is still unhappy about it 15 years later!! He got the best deal, but was and is still angry about it because he didn't have a choice!

I take your point about choice, but if the unhappy fellow is the one who got sent home for a year at full pay and then got his company retirement, I'm.... staggered.

I'm down to half time, and if things get worse I'll be gone. No back pay or plush company retirement* Just your basic thanks and a wave.

Raya

*This is not to say that people who have a good company retirement plan have not earned it, just to be clear.

Gina,
So are you going to try to sell your house? It sounds like you are doing some major cleanout. How soon do you have to be back in AZ for your new job? (Pet the puppy for me.)
Pamela

If the guy hadn't qualified for retirement, he would have been let go with some kind of severance package -- He just took the whole thing personally, but the two guys in the management chain above him who also got the same deal didn't and were quite happy! Truth be known, he just wasn't mentally prepared to retire and then he and wife did a lot of travel (Needed a new truck to pull his trailer, of course) and effectively blew the year's salary.

He was sure that if he had held on for a few more years with retirement in mind, he would have been in better financial shape, but I believe otherwise. In fact, the retirement deal that we all got was the second-best one the company ever offered (They did it slightly wrong the first time around and we were the second go, mostly volunteers). Then they went back through and did selective cutting of people (Now, that got personal!).

My friend didn't look ahead and see that would happen and that with hiring freeze a lot of work was going to have to get done by a lot fewer people and it would get slipshod, which he disliked. He also didn't recognize that many of the people who took the inducements were the people who didn't have any reservations about being able to get another job elsewhere (Small local contract engineering companies were hiring to fill some of the gaps; one guy never left his desk, doing the same job for a new company -- Those companies were happy to take on people as contractors who had retirement medical, etc.). The guys left behind who were eligible for retirement were not the best employees to be sharing an increased workload with.

BTW, what was fueling this was that the company had kept up with funding the retirement funds during good investment times and were actually over-funded, but couldn't use the money for anything but retirements under federal law or agreements. So some bright person came up with the idea of using the money to buy out employees and get the head count down.

What also angered him was that they put his position back after two years because they found they needed it. He's still angry and I am at the point where I can't even remember how to spell GTE...

I see.

I probably sounded a bit cross up above. Just... times are tough and here he was complaining about a sweet deal. But you gave a good glimpse into his take on it. Sounds like you knew how to retire gracefully and enjoy it

Pam, I have the house on the market but there is little hope of selling it. It will sit for sale until someone makes an offer for a short sale, but most likely.. I will lose it to the bank.

I will be leaving here on thursday next. And not coming back. I'll do what I can until then.

Gina, I'm speechless.............

I guess you have what it takes to do what needs to be done, but I'm thinking about the millions who are in similar situations and many of them unable to function from the shock.

I wish you success and good fortune. Hope to see you thriving in the future.

Raya, remember, that was 15 years (actually 16) ago and times were somewhat different -- Corporations were just starting to find ways to reduce headcount (Quote from new-at-the-time IBM president "You mean we are paying good people to LEAVE?" -- Many of whom went to work for competitors )

Gina, any chances of renting house out to someone, perhaps retired, who has lost their home to foreclosure or wants to downsize?

Pete, not really. Too much competition. Rentals are a dime a dozen here. I would need more than what the rest are getting to pay the mortgage.. as do most of the rest trying to rent theirs. If I tried, it would be throwing good money after bad.

It is my understanding this is the most affected housing market in the country right now.

Gina,
I had heard that the California housing market was really, really bad. Many, many people in "upside down" or "underwater" mortgages now. It sounds like parts of Florida are also as bad. Hearing about your experience makes it all the more real, even though I know we haven't met in person, just through this forum. My best wishes as you start the new job and make this difficult transition.
Pamela