What is work camping?
Work camping has a lot of definitions but basically you are doing a job in exchange for a place to park your rig. Your position may or may not include pay and it may or may not be long term. here are a few types of work camping jobs.
Camp host
RV park management
Mobile home park management
Gate guarding
Tourist store employee
National parks attendants
Concessionaires for events
We chose to discover RV park management on a 6 month contract. There are basically two seasons in the RV world. Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Spring/Summer is the easiest time to find a work camping position that includes a salary or an hourly wage. Fall/Winter is harder to find a pay related gigs unless you plan to be right in the heart of snowbird land.
In our case, we took a position that includes our space rent, utilities, laundry, store discount and an hourly wage as a package deal. We work 3 days on and 3 days off which allows us time to see the area and to work on my writing projects.
If you are looking for a work camping position be sure to shop around. Many of the work ads ask for a lot of hours in exchange for your space and utilities. Always make an effort to know what the true value is.
For instance, monthly space rental can run from $295 plus utilities to $1,500 plus utilities. If an ad asks the couple to each work 20 hours a week in exchange for your rent and the monthly equivalent is $295 you are getting a raw deal. If instead you are right on the beach and the rent is $1,500 a month you might think it is a great offer. Be sure to research the area and understand the offer.
If you are offered a package look at the total value. Work camping may supplement your income or it may replace a job but you won't get rich. You will however have the opportunity to live the lifestyle you dream of and you can't put a price tag on that!
Want to learn more about work camping? Here are a few links. Remember! Jan/Feb is the hiring time for Spring/Summer. Early summer is hiring for Fall/Winter. If you look for work in between these seasons you may find it difficult to land a job.
Check these out:
http://www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.comhttp://www.workingcouples.com/jobs-category/work-campers
http://koa.com/community-camping-programs/work-camps/