Increased obstacles for single work campers

[Vagabound]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]My initial investigations this year are telling me that there's been a sea change. It seems that single work campers, that is one person in a vehicle, are less and less acceptable even to seasonal employers. I bumped into that barrier so far with camp hosting companies, concessionaire companies, and now the sugar beet harvest people.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Similar to the wave of increased interest in RTR this year, it seems that these companies are all getting many more applicants, and so are being much more choosy, and that seems to involve choosing two employees in one vehicle. I posted more detail about this in a thread about the sugar beet harvest a few days ago.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Not sure where that leaves single work campers who want to follow the seasonal circuit.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I'm not saying that this prejudice against single workers is a brand new phenomenon, but just that it seems to have increased a lot.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]What have others out there noticed about this?[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Tom[/font]

 

[bullfrog]

What I have seen is most places are using couples because they have an increased number of jobs being filled by seasonal RVers and a limited number of RV spaces as well as a trend for more stability a couple in a relationship provides. You are a lot less likely to lose an upset employee if their spouse is working also and is there to settle them down. Also it almost takes 2 incomes with shared expenses to afford the life style, more couples seem to return than young singles so less training expense is required. Young singles tend to be housed in dormitories and don't disturb much else than each other when they socialize. Three noise complaints or issues with pets in an RV park will get you fired or cause problems for the employer, just doesn't happen as much with couples and doesn't cost as much for the employer.

 

[DuneElliot]

The sugarbeet harvest limits workampers in the west N. Dakota/E Montana operation to dual occupation, but the eastern N. Dakota is still fine with singles. I just talked to them yesterday.

I guess you could always pair up with someone. I'd rather do the beet harvest in E Montana as it's closer but alas I am single.

 

[rvpopeye]

Check into National Park concessionaires.
Xanterra and Deleware North are a couple of them.

 

[wayne49]

Seasonal domestic partners?

 

[Vagabound]

Bullfrog: Excellent explanation. Thanks.

DuneElliot: "The sugarbeet harvest limits workampers in the west N. Dakota/E Montana operation to dual occupation, but the eastern N. Dakota is still fine with singles. I just talked to them yesterday."

I applied for the Eastern region because I knew about the restriction to doubles only in Montana. It was about the East that I was just told this last week. Interesting that we're getting different answers from them. I might normally suspect that my deodorant had failed, except in this case, I'm sure that I received a canned letter first explaining the necessity for singles to double up in one vehicle.

rvpopeye: Mentioned that I had. Can't recall the name of the company at the moment, but it's the one that has the contract for most or all of the facilities in Yellowstone. They sent me a canned e-mail after I signed up specifically saying that no singles would be hired who needed in RV spot, but dormitory space was still available.

Tom

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Put in an "ad" post at this forum...perhaps a lady might take on the task.

 

[DuneElliot]

Call and talk to Alyssa MacDonald if you want to work the eastern area. (701) 787 5655. She's my contact.

 

[rvpopeye]

A twofer answer.
My experience was with Xanterra in Death Valley back in '07.
I was there with a lady I met at GrandCanyon south rim.
She transferred there and I was just along for the trip , not working so couple staying in my RV but single working.
I did check the jobs board weekly but the major hiring was well before the season began.
(Applying up to a season ahead is a good idea for any seasonal job. I know a lot of the campground jobs I have had hired right after finding out how many current staff were coming back.)
The dorms were super cheap as well as the employee dining room.
I've also teamed up with other ladies to meet the "couples only" BS. (Is that discrimination???)
All good experiences for me YMMV!

 

[gcal]

Maybe you can team up with another single camper and get work that usually goes to couples that way.

 

[akrvbob]

With campground hosting I don't think anything has changed. I believe everyone who went to the Big Tent at RTR last month got a job and there were a lot, mostly single. The RVers simply won't take the remote campgrounds without hook-ups so they will hire anyone who wants the job.

I'm no expert, but I don't believe anything has changed with Amazon either, however, they do seem to be slowly moving away from RV/Van workers.

I can't really comment on the Beet Harvest, seems to be lots of different stories floating around about it.

 

[VanGrrl57]

I will be working at Yellowstone National Park starting April 17th and the job runs through November 6th. I will be working as a sales associate in one of the stores there. Delaware North is who hired me. You have a choice of living in the employee dorms or at the employee RV park. I believe they are still looking for people but I'm not entirely sure.

VanGrrl57