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Old 08-30-2020, 05:13 PM   #1
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Real value of site when workamping

Why it is that campgrounds think they should get full retail value of a monthly site, yet offer a lower than normal pay rate for your time? I mean if they want 600 for their site I can go anywhere and make that money and just pay the rent, why work for them? Their cost is far less than what they are asking for the site, it has to be or they would go out of business.

Workamping for a private campground, from what I see in ads, is only for couples willing to work for less than minimum wage.
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Old 08-30-2020, 05:56 PM   #2
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Most workcamping involves limited hours and the site is tax free. The wages are low enough to not impact social security benefits. They are also often at a beautiful destination. Granted, it does not work for everybody, but some enjoy the social aspects as well.
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Old 08-30-2020, 06:20 PM   #3
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Most workcamping involves limited hours and the site is tax free. The wages are low enough to not impact social security benefits. They are also often at a beautiful destination. Granted, it does not work for everybody, but some enjoy the social aspects as well.
I understand they are generally limited hours but if you take 15 hrs per person, for a couple, even at only $8 per hr, that is $960 per mth they want for their site. You can't tell me that it costs the campground that per mth for a site, some maybe in a resort setting on a beach on the water, but not most, they would go out of business. If they called an electrician to change a breaker it would cost them hundreds for a single job, not the $8 an hr they are paying the workamper. So they make a huge net profit for each and every workamper that works for them.
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Old 08-30-2020, 10:13 PM   #4
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Hummmmm.....
Wonder what the cost of the electric usage at the Workampers site per month?
Wonder what the cost of water usage is ay the Workampers site month?

Yes Workamping is NOT for everyone and it sounds like you are not interested in doing it
BUT for many folks it WORKS for them and the CG
So why the rant about the arrangement between Workamper & CG??
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Old 08-31-2020, 07:13 AM   #5
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actually I am interested in a workamping deal but haven't had any luck finding one, I have applied to several though and yes, with these same type of parameters I have mentioned. I have not gotten to discuss these details with any of them probably due to not having any experience workamping yet.

to answer your questions for me, a solo -

elec avg is 17kwH per day, so generally less than $100 per mth
water use - I fill my 42 gal tank on avg 3 times a mth so 126 gal, I don't know what water costs per gal, but I have filled at some pay water stations and it cost less then a dollar to fill up

its not meant to be a rant - but looking for insight like there is more benefit to it than they spell out int the ad, or they pay less because they don't actually expect you to work very hard, or?
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Old 08-31-2020, 08:35 AM   #6
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I agree that many of the employers are getting the better end of the deal, financially. BUT, here are some reasons to consider the no/low pay positions:

* Location, location, location. Sometimes the only way to stay in a location longer than 2 weeks is to find employment at the site. This is true in many state and national parks. Or expensive places that book 2+ years out.
* Sometimes the only FHU sites at a location are for the camp hosts
* Many retirees don't want pay - it can mess with retirement benefits, taxes, etc.
* Many folks like to volunteer and don't need the pay - this is the biggest reason I've heard for workamping in general. Most articles will tell you that workamping is not meant to be a basis of income.
* Some places treat their employees really well, and folks will return year after year for the friendship and comraderie, as well as other nonfinancial perks.

In general I don't think owning a campground / RV park is a way to get rich. Most (at least, family-owned campgrounds) do it as a labor of love and it's exhausting. Workamping offsets the investment and is another resource keeping the parks open.
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Old 08-31-2020, 09:16 AM   #7
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I agree the pay sucks. We stayed for a month at time when full timing and never had problems with staying at popular sites. Just booked early and paid the going rate. I see many full time RVers doing jobs off site for higher pay and it definitely works for a lot of individuals. when I retired I was able to make things work without having to work. If I had to work I would have stayed where I was. If you need the money pick your area and get a monthly site. Then get a job off site. Seems like 50% of the sites have people doing this. Safe travels.



Enjoy the journey
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Old 08-31-2020, 10:52 PM   #8
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I’ve been fulltiming and a forum member for eight years. Someone or other raises this issue regularly and the same discussion ensues. Usually overlooked is the basic premise of any transaction, the agreement of the parties. If you don’t like the deal, don’t take the job.
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Old 09-01-2020, 09:00 AM   #9
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What we had seen is that as more Baby Boomers retire and look for a cheaper way to travel full time, the campgrounds have a larger pool of people to choose from. We have seen the required host hours go up and they are still filled.

In exchange for a camp site we like to work no more than 30 hours total between the two of us. We are still working cheap, but if we enjoy the work, that makes up for some of the reduced pay scale. We want to feel appreciated, not just slave labor.

Ken
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Old 09-01-2020, 09:45 AM   #10
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It will go on until the labor founds out. It appears that taxes are not being paid.

Similar situation with golf courses in the USA. They offer free golf in exchange for 'work'. Usually on the driving range, cart barn and some light manual stuff. One person decided that he wanted a premium tee time on a saturday morning. The golf course refused as that is a $$ slot. He got angry, reported them to the Florida department of labor. Most golf courses in Florida had to actually hire folks at minimum wage, take out taxes and such, cut back on how many folks were 'working', and dropped the free golf incentive. Many retirees were quite angry at the fellow as they used to golf for free during the week. This fellow even bragged about do this. I'd be surprised if he still golf's any place.

It is contrary to US laws to exchange 'work' for goods or services.
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Old 09-15-2020, 10:10 AM   #11
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We have done a couple of summers hosting for the site we were in. No pay but we didn't have to pay for some of the best locations in the nation either. Not a lot of physical labor. Just responsibility
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Old 09-15-2020, 10:45 AM   #12
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Do the Camp hosts get a percentage of the ice and firewood they sell or does it go the campground?
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Old 09-16-2020, 07:56 PM   #13
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We have work camped for 8 years and have covered 28 states so far with a goal to check off all 48 lower states. We like to volunteer because it gives us something to do and to be involved. As a volunteer, you can usually negotiate your hours to actually work and the projects that interest you. I admit that we make it rough on future volunteers, because we usually do way more than expected, but we like the sense of accomplishment and to look back at our results.
We recently camp hosted during July in IN at a state park that was to have 3 host for the 288 camp sites. Since we were the only host available, we cleaned all 288 fire pits and campsites weekly, monitored 4 bathroom/shower houses and even covered electrical pedestal repairs as needed. It was a lot of work, but it sure beats waxing the truck twice a week and being bored. Even local site seeing gets boring after a couple of days. There is no getting stuck in a rut with this life style and for vacations, we park the RV and jump on a cruise ship!
We learned to refuse jobs that require selling firewood/ice. It's a PITA keeping track of the $$ and when you come up short, I feel responsible to make up the difference. Not my cup of tea. You have the power to negotiate your job responsibilities and if it don't suit you, then move on. Another perk to full time volunteering is that our total expenses run around $20k/year.
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Old 09-23-2020, 03:45 PM   #14
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Do the Camp hosts get a percentage of the ice and firewood they sell or does it go the campground?
While they might if in one of the commercial RV parks, we have done that in several state parks where we are volunteer hosts and are not paid at all and in such cases the answer is no. The money all goes back to the park and they supply the wood/ice to sell.
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