RVingAndMore.com

  One of the essential elements for many RV Parks and Campgrounds is the role of workcampers. For those people who are unaware of what a workcamper does, essentially a workcamper is a person or a couple who exchanges work for free lot space to park their camper.

I was really unaware of how important a workcamper is to most RV Parks until this year. Last year, I knew the term workcamper but really didn't know much about it or how the program worked. This year, I have paid more attention and was really rather surprised how big of a role these people have in making a RV park run smoothly.

Essentially, there are two different types of workcamper jobs, interior and exterior. The interior workcampers have the responsibility of keeping the inside of the facilities clean, take reservations, assign camping lots, many of the clerical duties associated with running the park efficiently. In most parks, the workcamper who works an interior job must have some knowledge of computers as much of the reservation work is now computer generated.

Exterior workcampers are responsible for keeping the outside of the grounds in top shape. This can involve painting chores, picking up trash, basic outdoor maintenance chores and escorting RVs to their lots. In some parks, exterior workcamperss also provide grounds security and keep an eye out for unwanted visitors or situations that can disturb other campers in the park. In these situations, they do not confront the problem directly, but report it to the campground management for appropriate action.

I was not aware until recently that workcampers have their own newsletters where campgrounds post jobs and people travel from area to area doing these workcamper jobs. I was surprised to find out how many people do this as a full-time occupation! Many couples move from park to park around the country as jobs in the northern states are seasonal for workcampers. When the season is over, many of these people move back south and pickup jobs in that area of the country.

After learning more about this type of occupation, I have developed the highest regard for the folks doing a workcamper job. The people I have met are a self-starter type of individual and take a great deal of pride in what they do. Many of them make their job a bit easier by leading other campers by example. They don't throw cigarette butts on the ground and allow trash to blow off their campsites. They keep a well organized site and don't let "stuff" accumulate everywhere.

I have always tried to abide by the camping rule of leaving a site in a little better condition than what you found it and most of the workcampers I know do a great job of this.

I the last few years of Rving, I have met over 30 people who do the workcamping jobs at different parts of the country and I have to say that 95% of them are great people to be around and a pleasure to share a campground with.

My wife and I have been asked several times if we would be interested in joining the ranks of the workcampers, but we are both already employed full time and it would be difficult for us to juggle both occupations at the same time. I am glad that other campers think enough of us to offer us a chance at a position like that and maybe when we reach the time in our lives that we can retire, we might seriously consider this line of work.

If you are retired and have good people skills, a workcamper position might be for you.