Workamping Sites?

[GypsySilver]

Do you have a favorite place to look for " workamping" jobs? Is there a one stop shop to look for job listings?

One place I saw has a paid membership - I wasn't sure about spending the money and not knowing if it was any good or not. (or if there was a just as good other site) Another seemed to have several sites with different names but all led to the same place.

Thanks!!

 

[Spirituallifetime]

These are the 2 sites I have a membership with: workamper.com and caretaker.org
I haven't taken any jobs through them yet. These a pay membership but seems to be worth it depending on what you are looking for. Workamper has many part time jobs for those who are looking to park and work for the rv space and some have pay by the hour positions but don't pay much. caretaker has many positions taking care of peoples property for a place to stay and some pay positions as well.

 

[decodancer]

I think the KOA site costs $35.00 but I got my first workamping job off of it and have had more offers than I can count since. The first job is the hardest. A lot of places want a couple (two workers for one site) but there are available jobs for singles. I think I remember that your husband is not able to work. They hire for summer in the fall and winter months as a rule but there are always jobs that come up because somebody left or never showed up. On KOA, you can choose the states you wish to work at and for how long ie. 1 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months. If you have a particular area you want to work in, a call to the campground won't hurt. The KOA where I work has hired several people who just came here to camp. Working at a KOA is only for someone who doesn't mind having lots of kids around. They are geared towards families. They as a rule pay better than most.
Workampers News is another site I've used and I still get their free newsletter. Lots of good information and jobs listed though not all of them pay.

 

[decodancer]

RVers Workers on Wheels, this is the free site with the newsletter and lots of job postings

 

[GypsySilver]

Thank You both so much!!

I am single so will be doing this solo and starting out in the fall. Life is an adventure

 

[WheelEstate USA]

I heard of one called coolworks dot com. Seems they have all kinds of seasonal jobs that offer parking + wages.

 

[user 423]

http://www.coolworks.com/

 

[akrvbob]

Here is how you can find a workcamping job as a National Forest campground host without going through a website.

1) Decide on a state you want to work at.
2) Find a National Forest you want to work in.
3) Do a google search and find the phone number of the Ranger district where you want to work
4) Call the Ranger, tell them you want to work a a campground host there and ask for the name of the vendor who operates them
5) After he tells you do a google search of the name of the company who runs the campgrounds and get their phone number.
6) See if they have a page listing where they are hiring.
7) Do research and see if there is a campground you want to work at.
8) Call the compnay and tell them you want to be a campround host at XXXX campground, can they give you the phone number of the person who does the hiring for that campgorund?
9) Call him and do a phone interview and get a job!

Remember:

1) at almost all National Forrests you are given a free site and paid for every hour you work. Much better than most private RV parks
2) Most pay minimum wage so go to a state with a higher minimum wage like CA or OR.
3) Even if they aren't hiring some people won't show up and some will be fired. They will be hiring through the summer.
4) If they offer you a part-time job, take it. Some people won't show up or will be fired and you can get their jobs. Or worse comes to worse when you go back the next summer you will be fulltime.
5) All the RVers want the big nice campgrounds but none of them will take the small remote campgrounds without hookups. If you are willing to go remote with no electricity or hook ups you are guaranteed a job!! Make sure you tell them that.
6) We had campground hosts in tents, vans, and pop-up trailers in our remote campgrounds because we couldn't get anyone else to go there!!!!
Bob

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Most pay minimum wage so go to a state with a higher minimum wage like CA or OR.

On the other hand, I expect you'll have to pay state income tax to CA or OR too.

You might come out further ahead by working in a state with no or low income tax, even if the state minimum wage is lower.

It should be easy to put together a simple list of states you'd like to work in, what their hourly minimum wage is, and what their state income tax rates are, how much you are allowed to make before you owe them taxes, etc.

Then run the numbers.

Regards
John

 

[user 423]

4) Call the Ranger, tell them you want to work a a campground host there and ask for the name of the vendor who operates them

1) At almost all National Forrests you are given a free site and paid for every hour you work. Much better than most private RV parks

Questions: Are all the CGs run by vendors or are some run directly by the NFS? Also, I've been looking at the gov site for OR (below) and very few of the listings mention an hourly wage. Some say that you MAY receive per diem for food and reimbursement for mileage, propane,etc. but it doesn't seem to be guaranteed because there might be a lack of funds?

http://www.volunteer.gov/results.cfm?states=OR

 

[akrvbob]

Optimistic Paranoid, no, state tax rates are so low that they aren't really a factor. I worked in California for 3 years as a campground host and my total state tax for each year was around $100. I made an extra $1 an hour more than paid for all the state tax in the first month.

Slow2day, you were looking at a volunteer website, of course they didn't pay anything!! You aren't going to work for the Federal government, you are going to work for a private company that bids to operate campgrounds for the federal government. Big Difference!!

The great majority of National Forest campgrounds are run by vendors because they are run better and they cost less. Some campgrounds can't be run profitably so the Feds run them at a loss. The Feds get part of the profits from campgrounds run by vendors. And of course if they bid badly or it's a bad year, any campground can show a loss.

Some of you are going to write in and say how horrible it is that they are run by private companies and at a profit. But, if the feds ran them they would run them badly and would pay more to run them. Private companies run them for less money, run them better and still make a profit.

This is the jobs listing of the company i worked for, there is a job waiting for you right now!! I've been to several of those campgrounds and they are beautiful!! One of them, Mono Lake, is in the High Sierras at 8000 feet, has fantastic weather all summer is in a gorgeous place!! I know for a fact you can live in tent there. Starting pay was $8.50 when I was there.
http://www.clm-services.com/employment/job-openings

Bob

 

[Kevin H]

I recommend Workamper News. (workamper.com) They are one of, if not THE, main source for work camping type jobs. They have a print as well as an online subscription. I had a membership for a couple years and was pretty impressed with them. I met their reps and actually was interviewed and appeared in their mag a couple years ago. Good people!

Having said that, I recommend you determine a place you are interested in and contact potential employers directly. That is all I've done for my working and volunteering stints.

The two main players in Yellowstone are Delaware North and Xanterra. I work for Delaware North. We handle the retail outlets in the park. Any store named XXX General Store is ours. (delawarenorth.com)

Xanterra has the hospitality side - campgrounds, resorts, restaurants etc. (xanterra.com)

This will be our third season in YNP. Each employer has housing or rv spots for employees. They also have meal plans if you are interested.

Both vendors have positions in multiple parks throughout the country. DNC also has some work in Australia.

 

[user 423]

Slow2day, you were looking at a volunteer website, of course they didn't pay anything!!

Bob

Well, I set out to find a host gig and since I'm on SS I'd be happy to just get the free camping, so I was drawn to that site. Then I noticed that some locations will reimburse for expenses or even pay a stipend. Anyway, I just got locked into thinking that all the NFS,BLM,etc. jobs available would be listed there whether they were gov't run or operated by vendors. I also had this notion that the paid jobs with vendors were really sought after and were quickly filled so that was why I wasn't seeing any listed. OK, I'm clear now on how it works, thanks!

I'm glad to hear that some CGs you can do in a tent. I'm in a van for now with just the basics and it's good to know that would be fine for some of the spots.

BTW: What about emergency contacts at those remote locations? Does the company give you a radio or would you need something like a S.P.O.T. device?

 

[blars]

While some remote campgrounds will be supplied with a two-way radio, I think it's unusual.
Emergency contat is probably driving to somewhere, or at least where you can get a cell signal.

 

[akrvbob]

In my campground I had no communication with the outside world so if I needed help I had to drive to get it. Fortunately I was only 6 miles from help. We had a campground that was really remote, it was 10 miles from any help and 40 miles to the nearest town.
Bob

 

[PeacefulSoul]

I have used workamper.com and coolworks.com both to secure jobs. By far my favorite is coolworks. They are tapped into some great job opportunities that I dont see on any on the workamper sites. I am currently packing to do a 7 month job in Alaska that I found on coolworks.

 

[VibesAlive]

I also find coolworks.com to be very helpful. I'm working at Glacier National Park this summer thanks to that site. Craigslist is very good for finding jobs anywhere you are. Just go to the local page and click on jobs. You'll have much better luck finding a job with adds that provide a contact name and phone number with local area code.