The Pros and Cons of Camp Hosting
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- čas přidán 7. 08. 2024
- In this video we share the good, the bad, and the gross aspects of camp hosting! Work camping as a camp host is a great way to earn money while full time RVing, but most who apply will not be told about the negative aspects of the job beforehand. This video will help you make an informed decision about whether or not camp hosting is right for you.
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ABOUT US
We're Sal and Rebecca, The Tin Can Travelers! We're retired military and police, now full-time RVers (since 2018) living in an Airstream, traveling the country and work camping along the way to make it all happen! We created this CZcams channel with full-time RVing education, entertainment and the sharing of ideas in mind. Join our journey as we RV our way across the USA sharing the ups and downs of full-time RVing life! It's gonna be interesting…
You two are great. I am a retired Navy Chief and my ultimate dream is to buy a class C motor home and travel the U. S., set up my sewing machine outside my camper and do free hemming and mending for anyone who wants it and I make gifts to give away to those I sew for. God bless you both keep the vids coming.
Thanks Chief for your kind words and your service. Please let us know if you have any questions before you become a full time RVer. Take care and thanks for watching.
Hey Shipmate, you won't regret it if you haven't yet.
Okay, just finished watching ALL of the video -- this just got real ! So, you're basically saying that if you have been a parent of small children, you're qualified to camp host ! Poop, bodily fluids, blood, bad manners, behavior.... sounds like it is covered!
Pretty much, you got it.! 👍🏼😂🤣😂
I bartended and customer service and raised 5 children- and lived on farm. I got this!
I was a camp host in Sequoia national Forest for 3 seasons. Loved it. Definitely true about some people trashing the toilets.
The toilet paper thing you described is also a cultural thing as you mentioned. In countries with poor sewer systems, paper waste in often deposited in a receptacle next to a toilet. We saw this in Our business in Las Vegas and after adding some inexpensive flip top trash cans with scented liners the issue was greatly reduced.
It’s amazing what we take for granted here, like reliable sanitation/sewer services. 😔
this is common practice in smaller communities in Mexico...was hard to get used to (I live in Mexico for several months each year)...I agree with your ideas on just adding lids to the garbage cans.
LOL, Awesome rewind of the video. As a retired USAF MSgt, thank you for sharing the Pro's and Con's of being a camp host. I subscribed to your site to learn more about being a camp host. Thanks again.
Thanks for subscribing and we hope you find something on the channel you like. 👍🏼
Been there, and done that, now I deliver a lot of TP and firewood to our 13 campgrounds plus take a lot of water samples to send in for testing. We started full-timing in 2008 so personally, we have enjoyed camp hosting a lot more than workamping at private RV parks, amusement parks, sugar beets, deer check-in stations, etc. We did enjoy the FL Keys in winter if one can tolerate the salt air to our RV frames, always a trade-off, LOL.
Great video/good to know! My dad and his wife ( after he retired ) spent years hosting all over The US and Canada… in their experience, the pros definitely outweighed the cons.
THANK YOU for making this video. I'm heading out for my first host job. Awesome!
Love it, I camp host too and have experienced the same. Good video guys. GO NAVY lol
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m looking into hosting. ❤Mammoth Lakes and the eastern Sierra Nevada, and Owens Valley. Lived and worked 6 years in Crowley Lake.
Thanks for watching. The Eastern Sierras are so beautiful and we can't wait to visit again. 👍🏼
This is great information, guys. I've only really thought about camp hosts as we typically pass by their rig when we drive into a state park - But I've often wondered what was involved in the job, and this is truly fascinating. Thanks for a topic that I don't think I've ever seen a video about.
Thanks for giving it a watch and we'll keep them coming. 👍🏼
Thanks for the content and advice!
Nothing but respect and love for your service to our nation.
Thank you very much, it was my pleasure. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Love your info and presentations! Thank you!
Thank you for all this information it is so helpful in deciding if this is what we want to do
Really enjoyed your videos, looking forward to more
Thank you very much. Is there anything that you would like to see on our channel?
great video with a great view! thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Great information & even better bloopers so I subscribed! Looking forward to following you as your channel develops. Cheers, Mo in NJ
Thanks for watching and hitting that subscribe button. We appreciate the support. 👍🏼🙏🏼❤️
Excellent post!!
I’m doing my first camp host position this year and I’m SO excited! ❤
Thank you for making these videos! Very helpful! Also your bloopers at the end are hilarious 😅 love the way you 2 mesh with each other ❤
Thanks guys! Thanks to both of you for your service as well.
Thanks, it was our pleasure. 👍🏼
You gained a subscriber at 9:54 when you kept it real. I love you all😂😂😂. So informative, so enjoyable to watch. Thank you for the honesty, and I can't wait to watch more. Happy travels.❤
Soooo Very informative thanks Tin can ‼️
We’re glad you liked it, thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Great video. Thanks!
Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
I am happy to say we met before you became famous. Love you guys.
LOL... We're even happier we met you! Love you back!
Thank you for sharing these important positives and negitives of Camp Hostings. I will be starting my first Camp Hosting gig at a Texas State Park in April 2023. I have 40+ years in retail so I hope this expereince will serve me well with people interaction.
We're glad you found our video helpful and wish you the best in your upcoming camp host job. You got this. 👍🏼
Good information Thank You 🙂
Thank you. We strive to make videos that not only entertain but give the viewers some information they can use.👍🏼
My wife complained that she felt like she lived in a fishbowl and felt that she was never off duty. The duties were so light that it felt like I was cheating the park. It takes just a couple of hours to complete normal duties then it's dealing with walk-ups which is just answering simple questions and occasionally selling wood (dependent on park). Remember, most camp host jobs for government parks are not hard. They know that most camp hosts are retired people, so it's never strenuous. Most state parks I've worked in, actually tell the hosts that if there is bio-waste in bathrooms, cabins, or campsites, that we just have to notify the rangers and they'll deal with it. As for strenuous work, if you are able it's available. For instance I remember stacking four cords of wood, just because I wanted to get out of the RV and stretch my muscles a bit.
Great video. Very thoughtful and informative. I'd just add, that a pro is waking up in a state park in the morning.
All campgrounds are different. Some in our area required fewer hours to work and very minimal physical activity. But we run the large campgrounds with 90 or more sites and last year was a nightmare. On average we had a 30% turnover rate on sites per day...that's a lot of raking and fire pit cleaning. But all the in all we enjoy it, the people, location, free campsite and pay make it a pretty sweet deal. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Tin can would you agree about Government State parks being easier & the {{{ bio }}}🥴being taken care of by Rangers in your experience ❓
@@TheTinCanTravelers With that many sites, they should have had at least four sets of camp hosts. You make it sound like it was just you... That's way to many sites for one or even two sets of hosts to manage.
@@brianvandy4002 We had only two camp host couples (that’s including us…so 4 people) to mange the campground. We were busy. 😊
@@TheTinCanTravelers Yeah, that's not enough hosts. Was that a private campground or state?
I'm just here for the bloopers
Thanks, we'll take that. 👍🏼
You guys are fun :) My wife and I are looking into camp hosting in 2024, we are from Australia and think this could be a great way to get to know some areas more intimately, while giving us the opportunity to meet some more of your people. Surely the pros outweigh the cons! :)
The lifestyle and camp hosting provides a lot of opportunities to meet people from all over the US and abroad. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Thanks for the great work and information. I hope this video will remind campers to respect their hosts' space and time. (and treat the bathrooms like their own? 😉)
Thanks for the kind words! 👍🏼
We are also Airstreamers who camphost. We love the lifestyle! 25 ft Flying Cloud. Like your videos!
Thanks much. Where do you camp host?
I like that shirt Hakam!
It's one of my favorites. 👍🏼
Great information 👍. We are looking for this lifestyle. Any help and resources would be appreciated. Love your 🙏videos.
We have several videos that will give you some info on the full-time RV lifestyle. If you're looking for a job as a camp host, we would recommend that you visit camprrm.com/jobs or workamper.com. Thanks for visiting our channel.👍🏼
Some countries that don't have sewer facilities that can handle toilet paper and your asked to place it in the trash can.
Very informative did you guys stop doing videos? Hope you’re OK.
We are doing great thanks. We’ve been off the road since Nov 2022 and have moved back into sticks and bricks. We hope to get some RVing in this season, but won’t be going back full-time. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the positive, neutral, and negative sides of the camp hosting job.
Hope you found them helpful? Do you camp host or are you planning on hosting?
@@TheTinCanTravelers Planning to give it a try since we both are desiring to change our careers in the next few months.
Workampers.com has a great list of job openings for camp hosting. Also camprrm.com/jobs/ is taking applications for next season. Good luck and please tell us how it goes. 👍🏼
Nice job about hosting, you hit all the same things that I have found over the past two summers. I winter in Arizona and did the Rio Grande Lower Gorge last year, this year I worked at the Chickasaw National Recreation area in Oklahoma. The weather can be a bit difficult to handle, as well as the dust storms and all. Both areas had really hot days and add higher humidity to the mix and it can be down right measurable working conditions. Not to mention the ticks, and chiggers, gnats, and flies. Meeting people and making new friends is very high on the plus side though, but as you said: You are never off duty even when the sign is on your door. Hey I really like your video and look forward to viewing more (when I find the time). Take care and enjoy your life on the road!
We're glad you liked our video. It's amazing the locations camp hosting jobs can be found. You've experienced some conditions that would've been a deal breaker for us. Are you camp hosting now or only during the winter months?
@@TheTinCanTravelers Hello again, I am hosting at the present, this weekend is the end of the season for this campground. I actually had two campgrounds to work here at the Chickasaw National Recreation area. The Cold Springs campground was the main one with 62 primitive campsites and 2 group sites, and 10 group sites at the Central Campground just down the road from me. The park started using reservations only at this location and oh what a joy that has been. They used to have a self pay station that so many campers were accustomed too. Many of which did not have good internet skills and many more just didn't have good phone service, so I ended up booking their sites for them. Not exactly in my job description, but I found it hard to turn them away. It has been a learning curve for all of us, but I think it will operate much smoother next year. I got some good reviews on the Recreation.gov web site, one complained about the loud music, while another complained that I was too stick on the noise level. Can't please everyone. I thinks I am going to try someplace else next summer, will spend the winter with some friends at the Snow Bird Capitol located in Quartzsite, Az. Until next time, take care and stay safe.
@@the7wagsdad When our campground in Mammoth Lakes, CA went from “first come first serve” to all reservations we too were happy. It took a full season for the campers to get use to the change but they came around. Enjoy your winter in Quartzsite and thanks for dropping a line. Safe and happy travels. 👍🏼
Love your videos! Where is best place you have used online to find work camp
Jobs? Thank you!
We've found the best source for work camping jobs is workamper.com. You can set up an account for free, but to post a resume and get immediate notification on jobs available, you have to pay an annual fee. But it's worth every penny, because their website has a lot of additional resources. You can also check out the sidebar of our homepage, thetincantravelers.com, for some additional work camping resources. Thanks for watching and wishing you the best in your job search. 👍🏼
Just happened on your video. Great information. Question: I've always noticed that there are multiple camp hosts at each camp. If there are a lot of sites to clean is that split up between the different sets of hosts?
Our experience is really strange.
We gave 4 seasons to AL&L and were absolutely perfect. Did everything to their rules, very polite and caring about campers, did all we could beyond the call of duty.
We were on time, did my paperwork neatly and correctly, campers complimented our bathrooms.
We gave time to campers all time of day and night --- never complained about it and always helped campers all times of the night.
Yet just because l called corporate a couple of times about their rules not being followed they said we can't come back next season.
Are they that narcissistic that they can't care about us anymore than that?
We are 80 and 78 and very reliable and trustworthy but somehow they can't care about us
Yes we cleaned 4 bathrooms a day. We had 4 group areas and did it all ourselves. We got up at 5:30 am every morning
So if you decide to get a hosting job with them do not ever say anything even though they say they want to hear from hosts
That would be me who squats on the toilet seat because I don't want to sit on nasty toilet seat, but I make sure I did not make a mess and usually wipe clean before leaving.
Thanks for doing your part and watching our video. 👍🏼
A lot of places want a resume. I’m wondering just how much and what information to include. I will start my retirement in 2023 and will be traveling alone except for my dog.
We applied directly with Vista Recreation on their website at camprrm.com/jobs/ and it required minimal information. You can also sign up for an account at workamper.com and fill out an online resume for employers to see. Those employers that don’t have an application will probably require a very streamline resume. Wishing you the best as you plan for your retirement and thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Ha! 100 sites.... I do 419 at my late spring / early summer gig in South Dakota. LOL
You’re very busy. Are you responsible for the entire 419 sites or do you have help?
I volunteered in Florida at Oscar Scherer to be near my brother for a couple of months last year. There are 5 areas including restrooms / showers. Being single, I had the same work as a couple, but this was expected. First this was a no pay situation, and like all sites, even the host sites didn't have sewer, which was inconvenient but, I have volunteered without even electric or water in the past. Fortunately, I only was dealing with gray water. The biggest, actually huge, issue was charities that brought in homeless folks. I would say 90%, or more, were decent people, but we had one or more that would crap in showers and smear crap on the walls, hand driers, sinks and countertops. Considering that I wasn't paid, this one bad experience has pushed me to the point that I will not ever volunteer if cleaning bathrooms / toilets / showers is part of the deal. But, there are other positions and some campground hosting gigs doesn't include cleaning restrooms, Another thing, is in the south northerners pretty much sew up the winter / spring host gigs, leaving very hot summers that only opportunities I typically can get. Consider the heat before you take a summer / fall gig in the southwestern states. Pros do often outweigh the Cons, but you need to fully understand the job duties for each individual gig.
Thanks for all the great info and happy camping. 👍🏼
I camp host at a state park in Utah. We don't have to clean bathrooms thank Gawd.
That's a plus. 👍🏼
Hi. We love your channel and content and please continue to make videos. My wife and I were just hired by Vista, and we will be camp hosts at Fallen Leaf Campground in beautiful Lake Tahoe! Will you be hosting this season? Still with Vista? Happy new year to you both. 👍👍
We're planning on putting up a couple more videos, but have taken an extended break from RVing. 😔
I understand. Life just gets in the way sometimes🤪We wish you two the best👍@@TheTinCanTravelers
Thanks much. We wish you the best in your upcoming camp hosting job. Safe and happy travels. 👍🏼
Thank you for the dirty truth about camp hosting! I was thinking about it, but even with the perks, the bathroom duties are a deal breaker!
There are some camp hosting jobs out there that don't require cleaning restrooms, but you have to look for them. If you do it as a couple, maybe you could get your partner to clean the bathrooms. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Also are you talking about Work camping ( paid) or camp hosting ; volunteer). Great video!
This video applies to both. Whether you're getting paid or volunteering for a site, knowing what is expected takes the quest work out of it. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Solomon shoes are the best shoes for RV'N. seconds - on and off.
I like them too…wearing my 3 pair. 👍🏼
That was some good s--t😎
I have worked at big n small camps.There are plenty small parks but they r usually going to b far out but hardly anyone will bother u...cause it far far away... lol . Yes toilet paper on floor or can is usually cultural also. Some ppl are just nasty n crap on the floor or in shower.... I have had this happen,lol
Camp hosting and bathrooms, are never a dull moments. 😳
Okay, I love all the information!! But I searched high and low about being a host when you have children, any information on that?
We haven’t seen where camp host positions are limited to those without kids. Some positions may require you to be away from your RV for hours at a time, even if you are a camp host couple. This may not be ideal if you have small children. We would recommend you contact the employer directly to get the specifics of the job and see if you're a fit. Thanks for the question and giving the video a watch. 👍🏼
I’m wondering where your residence and domicile is? Do you update to where you are camp hosting? Or do you own a home somewhere? I have found I like to stay in an area for awhile so camp hosting definitely has me curious. 💗
We changed our domicile to FL when we hit the road and use MyRVmail as our mail forwarding service. MyRVmail gives us a legal address in FL and we use it no matter where we are in the country, even while camp hosting. It's a great company! You can find some additional info on our Blog (thetincantravelers.com/myrvmail-your-mail-forwarding-solution/).
Where do you look for jobs? How far ahead do you apply? Do you apply to multiple at a time? How long do you usually stay?
January is really the time to look for openings but you can find job openings well into the first months of the camping season. Many of these jobs require a commitment through the season, which for most campgrounds ends a week after Labor Day. You can also find some volunteer, non-paid, positions in some National Parks and Army Corps Of Engineer Campgrounds. Workamper.com is a great site to get started if you're looking for job opening. Take care and thanks for visiting. 👍🏼
How do you do with emergencies like injuries , How do you keep the peace, is there rules for noise after a certain time? Do you need to call the police in some cases?
We always tried to camp where there was cellphone coverage just in case of an emergency. If you aren't in cell range, know where you need to drive to get a signal. Also, we always traveled with a first aid kit for emergencies. If you're at a campground and you have any concerns notify the camp host immediately. If it's an emergency call 911. Thanks for watching and happy camping. 👍🏼
For my last comment I’d like to add, I’m thinking about where I get my health insurance, mail, doctors , claim my taxes and vote. Thanks for any insights
Since MyRVmail provided us with a legal address in FL, it's where we got our DL's, voter registrations, where all our mail goes, etc. It is just as if we have a home in FL. As far as our health ins. goes... we use Tricare through the military, so we can use any doctor anywhere in the country.
Would you recommend camp hosting to someone whom is getting out of the military and being a full time college student? Obviously, school work takes time.
It all depends on the hours you'll be required to work and if the location will allow you reliable internet connectivity. 👍🏼
Don't forget, you live in a fishbowl. Every camper is very interested in the camp hosts living situation and 98% of them stare through every window they can see anything through the entire time they're walking/driving by. Leaving the grounds is a must on your days off or they quickly become an unpaid work day. We've had people finger paint the bathroom walls with their own excrement and had to power wash the vault toilet area. Hosting for a national park isn't great, the 3rd party running things where we were in CO was terrible. We manage a small privately owned hipcamp now with 5 glamping sites on 50 acres in NorCal, much better experience than hosting for NP.
Thanks for sharing your experience and we're glad you have found a work camping job you like. Safe and happy travels. 👍🏼
And the reason why I don't camp host is: Bathrooms and people knocking on my door at all times. Nope! Thank you.
😂😂 Those are definitely 2 of the biggest negative aspects of the job 👍🏼
Hard to find jobs that don’t require you to constantly deal with people. I was lucky to have campground jobs that were more maintenance oriented and my contact with people was limited. Seems most people are more sociable than l
Maintenance jobs limit your interaction with campers, but you do have to deal with the camp hosts. You may be more social than you think. Are you working in a campground this season?
Had to clean a Suicide in space 24 Brain matter on the wall. Anything like that?
Nope, not since we left our last careers as police officers. 😳
So do you all have an opportunity to travel and see the areas you live in? Do you have actual days off?
We sure do. Work camping allowed us to see and do so many things in and around the area. 👍🏼
Okay. I was wondering because it seemed like all you do is work. So I’m going to assume you have multiple camp hosts there then?
Is it recommended to camp host alone or do recommend it as a couple job?
It depends on the amount of sites you are responsible for. We wouldn’t recommend hosting as a single for a campground with more than 30 total sites, especially if it’s a busy campground. If it’s not a busy campground then, you might consider more sites. Ask about occupancy rates prior to accepting the job.
Is this the same if you're just work camping and not camp hosting? 🤔
This video is specific to work camping as a camp host. There are many other work camping jobs like the sugar beet harvest or Amazon CamperForce that require you to park your RV in one location and work in another. These jobs have other work-related requirements. 👍🏼
One down side of doing any work in California is even as a nonresident you (legally) have to pay CA state income tax on income from CA sources. Including services performed in CA. What's worse when you determine the owed tax you add up ALL annual income, including military retirement pay, to determine tax rate, then apply that rate to the income earned in CA.
So if your CA income is $20k, normally a 2% rate, but your other income sources total $80k this makes your effective rate 9.3%. While it's not soul crushing, it is another tax filing hassle and it is a net reduction in pay that many folks aren't aware of when planning a temp job in CA.
Many get away with it due to a combination of not being aware and CA tax collectors not going after the small fry. As long as you don't post a CZcams video telling people you're working in CA you should be fine (wink).
We've been working in CA for the last 3 tax seasons and haven't gotten hit too hard during tax season. Thanks for the info and thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Cleaning bathroom would be much easier if pressure washer is always use.
Thank god for gloves 😊
Well I am a Camp Host's dream. Just got back from a 5 day camp trip at State park with my dogs. In the whole 5 days, didn't bother the hosts not even ONCE about anything! And they didn't bother me. Just how I like it 👌
Sounds like you enjoyed your camping trip and that makes us happy. Safe and happy travels. 👍🏼
Keeping it real, lol
The out takes.... hahaha😂
Thanks for watching. 🙏🏼👍🏼
As full time camphosts we enjoyed your video. Agree with everything. May I add a few things? Misrepresentation. We take a very remote job and we’re told there’s laundry facilities and there’s one washer and dryer for almost 20 people and no hot water. Or the hours are grossly under estimated. We are told it’s 20 hours a week and it’s really 80 hours a week or 100. We were told we only have to stock the bathrooms but the cleaners are always mysteriously ill , sick or on vacation, and we have to do it. You might want to tell people this to keep their sanity: Only Host for three months and then take a two week vacation in the area. Then come back and do more time if you want. You can build in a vacation while you’re hosting and that’s what we do.
We find good management of the park vital to our jobs. Responsiveness to our requests which are always simple, and appreciative attitude and the willingness to work with us goes along way. Because of this we will no longer work for any national park. We enjoy the in state parks or service BLM county etc. but no national. Enjoyed your video
Great management is essential to the gost’s sanity and keeping employees through the season. We've been lucky to have that and that's why we've been with the same company for 4 years. Thanks for the great comments. 👍🏼❤️🙏🏼
I take it you guys have never been to Central or South America. Used toilet paper in the trash cans is a cultural difference. In other countries that don't have advanced sewage systems like the US, it's mandatory to put used toilet paper down in the trash. Their systems can't handle that type of waste. What you are encountering is a cultural difference, not people being gross.
We understand the cultural difference and we acknowledged that in the video. But it’s not just people new to the US doing this, it’s plenty of American campers being gross. And were not new to camp hosting. Thanks for watching. 👍🏼
Sound like working at summer camp.😅😢😢😅😅
Something like that. 👍🏼
Drunk people I imagine is a factor?
"If you hate people".... alright.... or maybe you just lack social skills then ya know....