The job of camp host should not be only about a place to park your RV for free

[Cammalu]

It’s always so much more peaceful if you aren’t in a park at all


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[crofter]

When I was hosting, we could write "tickets" which were useless other than to record the incident. For everything else, we had to call the FS LEO.  Mostly the host job is a helper job, and doing cleanup when campers don't do it, collecting the rent, sanitizing the bathrooms, putting out campfires.   ~crofter

 

[WanderingRose]

On the flip side, there are camp hosts for whom their campground becomes a personal fiefdom.

I had an experience a couple of years ago in a federal site in Vermont, I think it was, where I was flagged down when I entered this first come, first served campground, to be told they were “completely full”.

His intent was to turn me around at the entrance, rather than my driving through to see for myself, like in any other self service campground.

I asked was there nothing, not even a tent site?, to be told “Well, we have two, but don’t usually give them away until much later in the day, as it’s much easier for you to find something at another campground now (it was mid day) than the family with four kids that shows up at 9:00.”

I asked to be shown what was available, said this was the campground I wanted and why I had gotten here early to find a site. I also reminded the camp host that this was a first come, first served campground, and I was there.

I did notice a large, beautiful site that backed up to the woods had a parking cone in it but no rig, chairs, tent or other signs of occupancy, but when I asked about that site I was told it was “reserved”.

I no sooner got parked in one of the two vacant sites and was setting up a bit when the camp host wife came to my site with a full page of print entitled RULES in huge letters, and to “collect”.

I had my envelope, and there was a self service fee station. She apparently had already spoken with her husband, and told me if I didn’t like it there, I could leave.

It was a bit bizarre.

I stayed my two nights, and did speak with the supervisor before I left.

 

[B and C]

Makes me glad I only stay in pay campgrounds (or any actually) infrequently. I will get one with full hookups to take care of all my business (long shower, dump, fill, laundry, propane) so I don't have to run around in a town to take care of them separately (usually when I am running low on everything). Sometimes RV parks are your friend. Most of the time I take care of one or two on the way somewhere else where there is solitude.

 

[Homeless in Canada]

I wouldn't call all expenses paid parking for an RV in a recreation area 'working for nothing'. RV park spaces are not cheap and usually what I once heard Carolyn call "hell" when she stayed in one in Nevada to fulfill her state residency requirement.

If the employer didn't pay for your RV then it's not really "all expenses paid".

 

[RoadStar66]

If the employer didn't pay for your RV then it's not really "all expenses paid".

So I guess you probably expect an employer to pay for your wardrobe, car and gas by your logic. Lodging is something everyone that's not living nomadically almost always needs to pay for. Owning an RV or mobile home is a liability unless you have space to park or even store it. If an RV owner accepts a free spot to park, with utilities at at a government subsidized spot amid natural splendor, they are receiving something of value for which some compensation in the form of work is to be expected.

 

[RoadStar66]

On the flip side, there are camp hosts for whom their campground becomes a personal fiefdom.

I had an experience a couple of years ago in a federal site in Vermont, I think it was, where I was flagged down when I entered this first come, first served campground, to be told they were “completely full”.

His intent was to turn me around at the entrance, rather than my driving through to see for myself, like in any other self service campground.  

I asked was there nothing, not even a tent site?, to be told “Well, we have two, but don’t usually give them away until much later in the day, as it’s much easier for you to find something at another campground now (it was mid day) than the family with four kids that shows up at 9:00.”

I asked to be shown what was available, said this was the campground I wanted and why I had gotten here early to find a site.  I also reminded the camp host that this was a first come, first served campground, and I was there.

I did notice a large, beautiful site that backed up to the woods had a parking cone in it but no rig, chairs, tent or other signs of occupancy, but when I asked about that site I was told it was “reserved”.

I no sooner got parked in one of the two vacant sites and was setting up a bit when the camp host wife came to my site with a full page of print entitled RULES in huge letters, and to “collect”.

I had my envelope, and there was a self service fee station.  She apparently had already spoken with her husband, and told me if I didn’t like it there, I could leave.

It was a bit bizarre.  

I stayed my two nights, and did speak with the supervisor before I left.

I've had somewhat similar experiences. Some hosts seem to regard campers as violating their solitude. But if the campground remains unoccupied it will likely either be closed or privatized.

 

[RoadStar66]

When I was hosting, we could write "tickets" which were useless other than to record the incident. For everything else, we had to call the FS LEO.  Mostly the host job is a helper job, and doing cleanup when campers don't do it, collecting the rent, sanitizing the bathrooms, putting out campfires.   ~crofter

That sounds reasonable. I know there are some major a-holes that drop by campgrounds. I'm not expecting hosts to be packing heat and engaging in gunfights with them. And many would if pressed.

 

[RoadStar66]

My experience has been different. Usually they actually over enforce the rules, but most of them do a great job. I appreciate having them there

Sometimes hosts over-enforce rules to benefit themselves.

I was camping in a quiet campground when a noisy bunch moved right across the road from my site. They started carousing and 4 or 5 other cars moved into adjacent campsites that had been reserved but were no-shows. The limit at this FS campground was supposed to be 2 cars. In order to avoid the noise, I moved two campsites down to one of the no-show sites, a good ways from the rabble rowsers, leaving some of my gear at the original site. The host dropped by and started yelling at me that it was against the rules to occupy two sites. I told him if he'd been doing his joy by telling the rowsers to quiet it down after 10pm I wouldn't have to move. This was well after dark so it wasn't likely the no-shows would show. I could move my tent (didn't need to be taken down) and bag in less than 5 minutes but the host insisted I move back to the site near the noisy campers. Nothing said about their being 2 cars over the 2-car limit or the fact that they had parked their cars in one of the no-show campsites parking. I just told him he was an idiot and moved back. Most hosts probably would have told me it was ok to move but that I'd have to move if the no-shows showed.

 

[RoadStar66]

I'm pretty sure you could not have found a way to say this with more ignorance than you did. Great job!

Here's a *kick in the ass* and now here's a *hug*. Please listen to how people are responding to you, I don't think you're coming across like you think you are.

Relax and go *hug* somebody. If you don't like hugs, then maybe go volunteer or do something for someone else. Be constructive, not destructive. I try not to hold onto stuff, if we ever meet up, first rounds on me. Prob second and third round too, I'm feeling guilty now for the lecture...

I'm not much of a social drinker. And my words come from experience.

 

[Homeless in Canada]

So I guess you probably expect an employer to pay for your wardrobe, car and gas by your logic. Lodging is something everyone that's not living nomadically almost always needs to pay for. Owning an RV or mobile home is a liability unless you have space to park or even store it. If an RV owner accepts a free spot to park, with utilities at at a government subsidized spot amid natural splendor, they are receiving something of value for which some compensation in the form of work is to be expected.

Of course. I expect my employer to pay me a living wage so I can purchase food, gas, clothing and whatever else I need. You can't expect people to work for less than it costs for them to live.

 

[crofter]

A good hosting job will provide uniforms, usually brown (is that your idea of a wardrobe?), and a good hosting job will also pay you for the mileage driven in your vehicle, but rarely pay for damage to your vehicle while hauling firewood, navigating narrow roads, or backing up through thick stands of trees. Taillight $130, body work is more. If you use their vehicle, then you don't get the mileage money. You will be required to live on site, and customers will knock on your door 24-7. There will be some really long days, and sometimes your customers will be having a really bad day when you meet them, or a really good day (they are drunk or high) when you meet them. Either way, your customers are the reason you can live in that great place in nature, so it is important to be kind to them. Customers appreciate kindness, and rarely get it. 

There can be a complicated web of reservations work. If you are in an area without cell service, there is a delay in posting reservations to the actual campsite. Sometimes camp hosts know that there are a slug of reservations coming in, that are not posted yet. If the host says that the site is not available, that is probably true. Most camp hosts will try to steer people without reservations toward camping areas that do not use reservations. That way the campers can choose from some nice sites that may be open that day. In the campgrounds I served, I only had one or two sites that were not reservable, and they were not the choice sites. 

Sometimes campers would set up camp on a reserved site (already paid for by someone else) and want to camp for free. How is it "free" to take something from someone else? That is not "free" it is theft of services. If you want to camp for free, ask the host where the dispersed camping area is. The host will probably know where there are some nice spots to try.     ~crofter

 

[RoadtripsAndCampfires]

I can pay $20-$35 a night at a campsite and have a variety of experiences from fantastic to no sleep from drunk neighbors. Usually it's the first.

I can pay over $1,000 a month for a house where there are people having roofs put on and hammers going all day, horns honking, fire truck sirens - hell, I even had a neighbor nail a dead squirel to a tree by my mailbox. I've had to put up with trash thrown around at campground and trash thrown around a neighbor's yard.

Take the good with the bad. Tomorrow is another day.

Thank you to all the hosts who clean out the fire pit and toilets before I arrive. Bless you.

 

[Homeless in Canada]

Goes both ways. If you want me to deal with your rowdy neighbours then pay me.

IMO the job of the campground host is to collect the rents. As long as he gets the money and the park is fully booked then no one cares if you had a nice time or not.

It doesn't matter that you paid $40 to rent a site and feel entitled to peace and quiet. In America you don't get peace and quiet for $40.

It doesn't matter how many jobs you had to work so you could afford to stay at a $40 campsite once in a while. You're still a nobody who lives in a car.

America is ruled by rich people most of whom did not have to bust their asses to get where they are. And blaming your disappointment on people who have even less than you is only going to lead to more disappointment and bitterness.

 

[RoadStar66]

Hosts are "paid" in the form of free RV parking and utilities. If you don't think that is payment then you must not have tried to park your RV in an RV park lately. The fed, state, county, city or private entity that owns the land the RV is parked on and who pays the utilities is the payee. They are charged with upholding the campground rules, all of which I've ever camped in have a 10PM quiet time. If that rule is not upheld, then anyone camping within ear range of the source of noise has had their agreement (by filling out and paying for a campsite permit) is due enforcement or a refund for paying for camping under posted rules. If they wanted to be a stinker they could sue for having their weekend ruined as well.

You can go elsewhere to rage against the class system in America.

 

[RoadStar66]

I can pay $20-$35 a night at a campsite and have a variety of experiences from fantastic to no sleep from drunk neighbors.  Usually it's the first.

I can pay over $1,000 a month for a house where there are people having roofs put on and hammers going all day, horns honking, fire truck sirens - hell, I even had a neighbor nail a dead squirel to a tree by my mailbox.  I've had to put up with trash thrown around at campground and trash thrown around a neighbor's yard.

Take the good with the bad.  Tomorrow is another day.

Thank you to all the hosts who clean out the fire pit and toilets before I arrive.  Bless you.

I know there is no guarantee of good neighbors in a campground. If you read my original post, that is not my beef. The host, in addition to allowing the revelers have 4 cars (2 in another reserved parking space) and over a dozen people drinking and yelling, playing loud music past 10. What happened next was the problem. I moved my tent and sleeping bag (only) to a vacant reserved campsite well after dark, when it was unlikely anyone would show up to claim it in order to escape the noise. The host insisted I move back to the site near the noise. He denied me enforcement of the quite time rule and the 2 car rule while insisting on unreasonably disallowing me to stake my tent in a campsite the was almost certainly going to be used by anyone else that night. Had the person who reserved the site shown up, it would have taken me less than 5 minutes to carry my tent and sleeping bag back to my original site. I called the host an idiot because he is.

 

[RoadStar66]

A good hosting job will provide uniforms, usually brown (is that your idea of a wardrobe?), and a good hosting job will also pay you for the mileage driven in your vehicle, but rarely pay for damage to your vehicle while hauling firewood, navigating narrow roads, or backing up through thick stands of trees. Taillight $130, body work is more. If you use their vehicle, then you don't get the mileage money. You will be required to live on site, and customers will knock on your door 24-7. There will be some really long days, and sometimes your customers will be having a really bad day when you meet them, or a really good day (they are drunk or high) when you meet them. Either way, your customers are the reason you can live in that great place in nature, so it is important to be kind to them. Customers appreciate kindness, and rarely get it. 

There can be a complicated web of reservations work. If you are in an area without cell service, there is a delay in posting reservations to the actual campsite. Sometimes camp hosts know that there are a slug of reservations coming in, that are not posted yet. If the host says that the site is not available, that is probably true. Most camp hosts will try to steer people without reservations toward camping areas that do not use reservations. That way the campers can choose from some nice sites that may be open that day. In the campgrounds I served, I only had one or two sites that were not reservable, and they were not the choice sites. 

Sometimes campers would set up camp on a reserved site (already paid for by someone else) and want to camp for free. How is it "free" to take something from someone else? That is not "free" it is theft of services. If you want to camp for free, ask the host where the dispersed camping area is. The host will probably know where there are some nice spots to try.     ~crofter

Regarding lack of cell service affecting reservations coordinating. Lots of campsites in the eastern half of the country have satellite internet at the entrance kiosk. I noticed that almost all of the campgrounds managed by the Army Corps of Engineers have this. It's nice because once you are in their system, next time you camp at one of their campgrounds all they need is your phone number and everything else fills in automagically. Of course, if you've made a name as a problem maker at one campground, it might follow you to other ACE campgrounds too.

 

[RoadStar66]

Of course. I expect my employer to pay me a living wage so I can purchase food, gas, clothing and whatever else I need. You can't expect people to work for less than it costs for them to live.

Assuming $50 average cost of parking in an RV park, providing a host a spot away from neighbors in an idealic natural setting ought to be easily worth $1,500/month utilities paid. That's pretty good pay, especially not having to go through the qualification process of parking/renting in the real world. And an employer is going to pay you what they pay you independent from how much gas your 50 foot diesel pusher gulps per month.

 

[highdesertranger]

campground hosts have no enforcement authority, they can only call a LEO. highdesertranger

 

[RoadStar66]

Having been assigned the task of calling LE gives them authority. In most instances, LE is going to believe the host over whoever they are "hosting." Please don't tell me 'the host is always right.'