Ever fantasized about living and traveling in your camper, but troubled by the costs? While camping offers an affordable escape to explore the country for short periods, extending your stay often means facing mounting expenses. But what if there was a way to stay longer at your cherished destinations without breaking the bank?
Enter the world of workamping: the hidden gem of the RV community! If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of workamping, you’re not alone. Many are yet to discover this unique approach to sustainable RV living.
In this comprehensive guide, I delve into the ins and outs of workamping. Drawing from my personal journey, I’ll unveil the benefits and challenges of this lifestyle, providing insights into the realities of workamping. You’ll learn practical tips on how to find workamping jobs, making it easier to embrace this fulfilling approach to RV life.
Exploring Workamping: A Unique Blend of Work and Camping
At its core, workamping is a fusion of the camping lifestyle and employment. It involves campgrounds hiring individuals to ensure smooth operations. In return, these workampers often receive benefits like complimentary or reduced-price campsites, sometimes combined with an hourly wage.
Understanding Your Workamping Options:
- Exchange Hours for Campsite: Work a set number of hours weekly in return for your campsite.
- Hourly Wage: Earn a regular hourly wage for your work.
- Hybrid Approach: Combine the first two options: work initial hours for your campsite and receive payment for additional hours.
- Free/Discounted Campsite Plus Wage: Enjoy a free or heavily discounted campsite while also earning an hourly wage for all work hours.
Focusing on Campground Workamping: While workamping offers a variety of opportunities, such as in oil fields or at wineries, this article will specifically discuss campground jobs. Campgrounds generally require workampers to have an RV in good condition, though there are rare instances of tent-dwelling workampers.
Eligibility for Workamping: Who Can Embark on This Journey?
Workamping is accessible to any adult, with a notable preference for couples in the hiring process.
This preference arises because a campground manager can effectively gain two workers for the price of one campsite, a common practice in the industry.
However, single campers shouldn’t feel discouraged. Many campgrounds are open to hiring singles, especially those with standout skills.
Families also find a welcoming environment in workamping. It’s an increasingly popular choice for those seeking a long-term RV lifestyle. The flexible scheduling often allows couples to alternate shifts, enabling one partner to be home with young children.
In some more relaxed campgrounds, families can even bring their children along throughout the day, and older teens may find opportunities for employment in various campground roles.
My experiences workamping alongside several families have been overwhelmingly positive. These families cherish the lifestyle for the opportunities it provides to explore new regions, engage in authentic learning experiences, and maintain a debt-free life.
Campground Jobs: Understanding Your Role in the Great Outdoors
The Workamping Experience in Campgrounds
Just because you are at a campground doesn’t mean you aren’t actually “working.” Expect to work hard most days, with some days being very hectic.
Five Key Job Categories in Campgrounds
Jobs will fall into five basic categories, depending on the size and location of the campground:
- Office/Store: For those who like customer interaction and have great organizational skills, the office may be the right job for you. Each campground will train you in their particular methods and reservation systems.
- Maintenance/Guest Services: Maintenance staff, also known as guest service staff, are the ones who escort people to a campsite, bring firewood, pick up trash, and fill propane tanks. If you love making sure guests are happy, and you enjoy being outdoors, this is an excellent position for you.
- Housekeeping: Housekeeping staff is dependent on campground size and whether or not they also have cabins in addition to RV and tent campsites. If there are no cabins, you can expect to clean bathrooms and shower houses daily.
- Activities Director: An activities director is another in-demand workamping job. If you love socializing, cooking, and organizing things to do, choosing a job as an activities director is a great way to get paid for having fun!
- Camp Host: A camp host is a designation given to those who work camp at a state or national park. Camp host jobs usually run for four months, with workers expected to put in, on average, 24 hours per week in exchange for their free site.
Maximizing Your Workamping Experience
Knowing what is expected in each job makes it easy for you to find the job that best suits you. This is the key to having a fun and positive workamping experience. Better yet, once you have a successful season of work experience at any of these positions, you’ll be in demand when and if you apply at another workamping job.
Insider tip: Don’t be afraid to learn aspects of any position. Understand what the housekeepers do or how to escort guests to sites, so you can assist when it’s busy. Cross-training is crucial if you wish to make yourself invaluable to campground management.
Workamping Benefits: Why It’s Growing in Popularity
Reduced Camping Rates: A Major Draw
There are many benefits to workamping, which is why it is becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger campers. A free campsite is the number one reason people choose to workamp. Getting a price reduction or free campsite is such a saving in cost, considering the average rate for a campsite.
Flexible Hours: Tailoring Your Work-Life Balance
You can find workamping jobs that entail 40+ hours a week, but most range from 12-30 hours per week. You will typically be able to choose your days off and your preferred work hours (morning or evening, etc.). It’s also easy to schedule extra time off by either swapping days with another workamper, putting in extra hours, or just asking management for it.
Campground Perks: More Than Just a Job
Along with possible hourly pay, you can expect some of these perks to come along with your workamper contract:
- Free laundry
- Free or reduced propane
- Free electric/water/cable
- Free WiFi if available
- Camp store discounts
You can also expect the occasional free meal or drinks from your friendly guests, as well as camp gear or beach toys they don’t feel like taking back home. These perks add up to a lot! Workamping is more about what you don’t have to spend money on, as opposed to the focus being on how much money you are making.
In-Depth Area Exploration: Discovering New Places
Workamping is a great way to explore new locations with no rush. By exploring different areas, like the coast of Florida from Pensacola to Miami, you can find hidden gems and local spots you’d otherwise miss.
Free Stays at Sister Campgrounds: Bonus Exploration
Another bonus is visiting sister campgrounds of the one for which you work. It’s common to get free stays at these sister campgrounds, perfect for a “mini-vacation” from your workamping job.
Gaining New Job Skills: Beyond the Campground
I never knew how to dispense propane, take care of a swimming pool, or make a campground reservation until I started workamping. You’ll learn new things every day from other workers and campers, making these skills a valuable asset for future jobs.
Corporate Advancement: Climbing the Career Ladder
If you show a desire to learn and be a team player, there’s potential for advancement. Management positions at campgrounds often come with better security and pay, especially if you work at corporate-run parks like Encore RV Resorts or KOA.
Pitfalls to Workamping: Understanding the Challenges
Workamping, like any job, comes with its set of challenges. Being aware of these can help you decide if this lifestyle is right for you. While many find these pitfalls acceptable, for others, they are dealbreakers.
Little Pay: Managing Financial Expectations
First and foremost, workamping is not a path to wealth. The pay is often minimal, and benefits like health insurance and retirement plans are rare. Hourly pay typically aligns with a state’s minimum wage. Despite the modest pay, the value increases when considering free perks and campsite rent reduction. Privately-run family campgrounds may offer better starting wages than corporate-run parks.
Insider tip: Workamping might not be suitable if you have significant debt. This job is about living simply and avoiding financial stress, focusing on relaxation and exploration.
Alert: Be aware of new IRS tax rules that may affect the reporting of the “value” of your campsite and perks on your W-2 or 1099.
Many campgrounds face staffing challenges, leading to potential overwork. If management offers extra pay for extra hours, consider taking it. However, it’s common for them to expect additional work without compensation. Stand your ground and work only the contracted hours, and expect fair compensation for any extra work.
No Job Security: Preparing for Uncertainty
Workamping jobs usually have a seasonal contract, but these can be terminated at any time by either party. Most campgrounds honor their contracts, but abrupt changes are not uncommon. Always have a backup plan and be ready to adapt quickly.
Management/Co-Workers: Handling Workplace Dynamics
Working in a campground means dealing with diverse management styles and co-worker personalities. Frustration can arise from workplace issues, leading some to leave their workamping position. It’s important to find a balance between voicing concerns and adapting to the work environment.
The Workamping Experience
The good and the bad of workamping make it an experience you’ll never forget.
Some people love the lifestyle and continue choosing workamping jobs year after year. Others find it an affordable way to stay for a season at an otherwise cost-prohibitive campground in a popular tourist area. There are also those who try it and decide, never again!
I have spent good months and bad months workamping, but overall I have found it to be an eye-opening experience that allows me to travel, explore, learn, and grow while having a heck of a lot of fun.
I have made friends from all over and find it stunning that just five years ago I never knew such a job as a “workamper” even existed.
#5 – Where to Find Workamper Jobs
Locating campground workamper jobs is easy when you know where to look. The biggest online source is Workamper News, where you can find listings state by state of available positions.
If you become a member, you can also submit your resume so campgrounds can search for workers as they need them. This is the first place most campgrounds go to when looking for staff.
Another place is to send resumes or fill out applications for large corporate parks like Encore RV Resorts, Sun Communities, KOA, and others.
You can also google workamping or work camping jobs for the state you are looking for and see what comes up. It can’t hurt to call campgrounds you love and ask directly if they use workampers and if they are hiring for the next season.
A typical campground will search for staff six months to a year before a season begins. If you plan on working only one season at each campsite, start to look immediately for your next contract once you have the first one in place. The longer you wait, the less appealing the job options become.
Insider tip: If you are a couple looking for a position, write your resume jointly, with a short skill setlist for each person. Everyone should include a picture of themselves, along with a clear shot of your RV. State the length, model, and year of your camper, and mention if you have pets. These details will make your resume stand out and give the hiring manager all the information they need without having to ask.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a way to expand your camping trips into a more permanent RV lifestyle, workamping may be the bridge you need to get there.
For those of retirement age, couples, singles, or families who want to travel yet still make it affordable, workamping may be the perfect fit.
Have you had an amazing workamping experience? Please share your story and help others who are considering the workamper life!
i have always wanted to try workamping
thank you for cool article
Cool story
I came to your Workamping article and wanted to say how great I think it is!