Chapter 3 Camp Host Jobs and NOT!

This is an on going site, that will keep up where I am as Camp Host, where I have been Camp Host, and places that did not work out as Camp Host. Yes, I will name names and places. Also what was expected and how it turned out. More, to let you know what you are getting into and what I did and did not get into! I will use first names for managers, but I will name the Parks and Companies. My disclaimer is: Each Park and Company can and does change managers, jobs, duties and money for work. I am only telling you, for the exact time, people, jobs and money, what I had experiance.

1) Jacob Lake AZ RRM Company. OPEN ONLY FOR SUMMER JOB Managers Pat and Marleen. This was my first experiance as Camp Host. Something should have tipped me off, when the other Camp Hosts told me, in less than a month, this place had gone through 4 sets of Camp Hosts. I took the job on anyways. They promised me about $600 a month, plus electric, water, sewer and propane. The other 2 sets of Camp Hosts and the mangers used the company vehicles for personal trips. Which being about 50 miles each way, from the nearest city would have helped me a lot. But I was not in that circle. Since I was the only person in our trailer, being Camp Host, they dropped my pay down to $50 a week. The managers and I went around about the job duties. I explained, if I was to do the work of 2 then I wanted the pay of 2 which was the full $600, which they had signed the contract at first to give me. But I don't think I could explain it plain enough to them. We came to a duty list that we both aggreed upon.

At first, when they had me take on the first 15 or so sites and the group area, I made it fun for me. Being at the front when people came in and asked what was a good space, I would direct them to any of the other ones that was not mine. Telling them, those sites 1 thru 15 where so close to the road and so close to the road noise. Hardly anyone parked there unless we were almost full. Finally the other Camp Host caught on a little. They asked me "Why aren't anyone parking up there in the front?" I told them "Do I Look Stupid? I would have to clean up after them!"

I would be at the front, where everyone came and stop at. The other 3 sets were hidden way in the back, in a circle with a sign on the road saying "Camp Hosts Please Respect". In other words, keep out! Campers right near the other Camp Hosts, would walk all the way up to our campsite to ask for help, than to bother the other Camp Hosts in that area. I would Meet and Greet each camper.

The past Camp Hosts would mark down 15 minutes for each person they had to talk to. I did not, if I would have, the company would have really owed me since I talked with each camper. Make sure the picnic people stayed in the picnic area and not the campsites. I would do the early morning 6 am, see if anyone came in without paying. The 10 pm generator, noise, quite time round. Check on height of fire in the fire pits and make sure the people knew the safety of fire. Sell firewood and give water jugs of water for putting out fire. Go around looking for trash. Check and maintain the bathrooms close by us. Give directions and help to all campers.

At first, I was to clean the first section of campgrounds and group areas. Which was changed once I said I was doing more than the rest of the higher paid Camp Hosts.

I really ended up liking this place. Right at the cross roads to the entrance for the N. Rim of the Grand Canyon. We had people from all over the world camping here. Many stories. Most campers thought I was the only Camp Host, mostly due to driving around and talking with all of them. They did give me an electric golf cart to use. The others only came out to clean the campsites (1 set barely did that, putting their duties on other Camp Host because they did not feel well about 4 days a week if that, out of the 5 days there were to work). One or two trips around a day to collect the money from the iron rangers and mark the sites.

At the end of the 60 days of the contract, we decided to move on. Due to the other Camp Host not working and all the bad talking behind each others back. When we went up to the mangers trailer to give back the shirts, jackets and explain that we would be moving on, we were told that the managers were going to go on vacation and put us in charge. We laughed and explained that would not work out. Already one set was about to quit because of the sick couple was getting to them and someone had to do their duties and not get paid. After being there 2 months, if I was in charged I would have to released the sick couple that could not due almost all of their duties. Did not matter to us or the other Camp Hosts, the sick couple was friends and owed the managers money. It just was not worth the problems they caused. But all in all, the place was beautiful and nice. You did need a lot of mice killer. They had them all over up there. The mice got into your trailer and did wire damage in your vehicles. We were there during the big forest fire, and learned so much.

By the way, did I tell you.. There is No Lake at Jacob Lake! Almost every question is "Where is the Lake?"
Click Link for the story coming from this adventure "Jacob The Mouse Adventure"
http://www.squidoo.com/JacobTheMouseAdventure/

2) Cuneo Creek Horse Campground Humboldt Redwoods CA. State of California Park and Campgrounds. OPEN FOR ONLY SUMMER JOB. We were there from the middle of July until Oct 15, 2006. Nice, RV spot, with electric, gravity feed water, which we had to use our pump to get any water pressure, and sewer. No pay.  At first we throught we were going to have problems due to a big chestnut tree right next to the Camp Host spot. But the satellite system of ours locked right on. The Rangers allowed us to use their washer and dryer, which helped the cost of laundry. Every Sunday, they had pancake breakfast get together, but we were so far away and busy we did not make a one. My wife cried as I closed and lock the gate for the season. This campground was in the middle of an old orchard. We had 4 bears that loved this campground and we loved them! Was able to write a number of stories about them. Also deer, turkeys, 3 different kinds of squirrles. A tree type squirrls, a ground type and after sunset, you barely could see the flying, soaring type of squirrels. Snakes, frogs and the flies were bad when there were no horses around. Also many different kinds of birds, butterflies. Apples and Pears trees, berry bushes. The campers would come up with their horses, mules and Jack Ass. No electric for them, but they would camp beside their horses, like the Old West and ride durning the day. Only one or two days out of the whole time we were there, we were alone. Very popular and busy. We did have a few locals, that did cause a little problems, seems that is where the problems always come from. Only had to call the rangers once. They give you a radio to call them, but I also had my satellite phone. There are showers there. You also sell firewood and maps. Inform the campers of the rules and gude them into following the rules. Clean the sites, they have people to clean the bathrooms. There is a plugger that you will need to know how to use. It takes the maintance people some time to get out to the campgrounds. This was one of the top places to be Camp Hosts at, in our book! Read about our Story that came from this adventure. Based On True Adventures for The Family and Children of All Ages. Don't forget to click onto each! "Cuneo The Breakfast Bear and Friends"&nbsp:
http://www.squidoo.com/CuneoTheBreakfastBearAndFriends/

3) Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa CA. YEAR ROUND JOB. At the time, this place paid pretty well, around $700 a month. I was the 2nd RV/Camp Host trying to set the RV Park up. When replacing myself, they found out they could go through the County and did not have to pay a RV/Camp Host and it took 3 sets to replace me. I think now I was underpaid. But I also heard since I left they were having problems getting good, nice RV/Camp Host. The place was a mess when we first arrived. No one knew how or what to really do. I first talked them into putting rocks down, so people would not track mud into their RV's. Then I got them to clean, sand blast and paint the mildrew bathrooms, which made a world of differeance. They did supply us with electric, water, sewer, an electric golf cart and Free Showers! Everyone was so nice there, that we ended up staying 6 months instead of our agreed limit of 3 months. There was so many places to see and do within 50 or so miles around. But you are in a city. Many things going on at the fairgrounds also. Slowly we got the RV Park turned around, from getting them to unlock the main gates for the RV Park, that was closed after 5 pm and on weekends to fixing the light above the entrance, to putting up signs and getting into RV Books. We went around to different visitor centers and talked with them telling them all about the RV Park. We only took a couple hours here and there as our days off and made sure the main office was open so the people could go over there to pay and get information, before we left the RV park to do anything. We put covers over the garbage barrels to make the place look nicer. Went around everyday to pick up garbage and even cigarettes butts. We were on duty 24 hours a day and made sure our RV looked like we were waiting to help by keeping our blinds open. We just loved our little baby and felt so much pride in everything and everyone we came in contact with. I think this was mostly due to our manager Julie, if you have a great person to work for it shows in your employees. At the end the park was taking in 3 times the money every month with the nice, big newer RV's. It was really a great place, but you are in a city! A Great Story Came Out of This Adventure,
P.S. We stopped by the Fairgrounds a few years later on our way to OR camp host job and was treated so badly. Julie the person over the fairgrounds then, we were told by the nasty new RV hosts, " The Fairgrounds RV Park was taken away from her" but she was still there. We stopped and talked with her and she was still as nice and bubbly and the ONLY BRIGHT THING OF THE PARK!! She wanted to pay for our site because the park would not let us stay for free or even a discount, after all the months and hard work we had done to turn the park around. But Julie is a single mother so we could not let her do that. But she insisted we use her discount card which also set the new RV Host into some nasty comments. As we were going to the office other employees that we worked with stopped and talked with us. Larry, one that we fought with all the time to get things done at the park, was even so happy to see us and thought we were coming back. We could see the disappointment on his face when we told him we were just on our way to another RV host job. He even said go to the office and they will take care of you. They all thought like we did, we could stay a couple of nights at no cost for all we did for the park. We ended up staying only one miserable night.
Now the park still had many nice newer type RV's but just the 2 sets (there had been 3 sets of RV Hosts a few weeks before) that fought non stop between each others. They did not skip a beat when a guest came close to them to make sure they also where treated rudely. Everywhere we looked there was small pieces of garbage and cigarette butts and we smoke but that still bothered us so much that my wife was on the edge of getting our garbage picker uppers to clean them up. The new RV Host thought they had a 9 to 5 job and closed up at the time when most RV people come in. People that had been on the road all day and toward sundown they are looking to come into a place for the night. If anything, I would have sent the people over to the Fairgrounds office durning the office hours then had the RV host cover the hours the office is not open. Not having the same hours as the office. I just know we were very upset and on our way back we stayed at NAPA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. It was about 20 miles out of our way, but the RV host there was so nice and helpful. We took Julie and her boyfriend out to dinner at a nice steak house and had a great time. We wanted to do that the first time, but spent most of our time either listening to the nasty things the host at Sonoma County Fairgrounds or being so upset we could not do or think about anything else. It was bad enough when we came back from visiting with my wife's cousin, to have yellow post note stuck to our trailer. We were only gone a couple of hours! When we first arrived we had our RV in backwards so we could look out to the fairgrounds. The host zipped over and sternly told us to turn it around. We could not see any reason for this but we turned the RV around. If it was such a problem, I would have told the RV people to park in a different row or at the end of a row. But when I asked why she would not tell me. The other host told me because we would walk out our tailer door and be too close to the next person's door. I said well maybe we could be friendly with the couple spaces down RV people. I still don't understand the reason when the park was so empty. We were not good company to be around. Like I said the RV host just did not aim their anger to just us, but people walking by us, she would stop and let into them also. Just unreal!! Almost all the other places we have hosted welcome us back to stay the night on the way to other camp host sites. We have had Rangers get us sites for a few days at other parks. For FREE! We even work with others by telling them about hosts that want to sign up at their parks. But the bottom line, we will never go back to Sonoma County Fairgrounds, and now I recommend others not to either! The cost is about the same at Napa County Fairgrounds and the people are like how Sonoma County Fairgrounds used to be, NICE! Sorry Sonoma County Fairgrounds, but I have to tell it like it is!!
Please Click All Links! Based On True Stories, leaning toward Mature Stories.
"Happy New Year's Eve Brain Dead Night!"
http://www.squidoo.com/CountDownToNewYearsEve/

4) Van Damme State Park by Ft. Bragg CA.  OPEN YEAR ROUND JOB. Done by the State of California, no pay, electric, water, sewer and a "Gator" to drive around the park in. I was unable to get the person in charge to answer me back about the Camp Host job. We kept going around in circle doing phone tags. I even drove over to the coast to talk in person, but was still unable to set a date. What I could see, the lower Camp Host site, the satellite dish had to be strung across a field almost into the road. Quite a distance. The upper Camp Host, was in a nice field. Seem to have no problems with big trees. The people I did meet was very nice. The campground was right across the street from the beach. What I was told, the campground was very foggy most of the day and wet. Very close to town with stores, laundry and almost everything you need. I was not able to be Camp Host at this park.

5) McHenry's Boat Campground Stanislaus River in California. ASKED FOR SUMMER JOB, DON'T KNOW IF IT IS YEAR ROUND. Run by USACE or Army Corp. No Pay. I was told, picture this, It is a boat campground, where people boat up and camp along the beach in campgrounds. I would be the only RV. They gave me the numbers for the lock to get in. We drove up, there was a gate across for us to unlock and drive in. We went past the campgrounds, which was empty. Pulled into the Camp Host spot, behind the bathrooms. Over on the other side of the bathrooms was a huge parking lot full with cars and trucks. A small grassy area in front of us and around our trailer where people Bar B Q, and drank beer all day. The gates did close around 9 pm and everyone was to leave. No campers, I was told they had to put the campgrounds in to get goverment money. The river, was barely thigh high and muddly. The only boats would be canoes and rafts. They did have electric, water, sewer at the Camp Host site. The bathroom was a mess with spray paint all over, and I was told by the maintance people they have given up keeping it clean or stocked. I am not a Bouncer and it seems with all the drinking and the type of people and the age range of people, they need a bouncer there! We expalined this to the lady who came out to give us all the things we would need to be Camp Host. I asked her if she wanted us to go now, or in the morning. This was not what I signed up for, that if they had explained what this park was, that I would have not expected jet skis, boats, water sking, babes in bikies and my wife expecting men in speedos. The Camp Host site, southern view was blocked by trees and I could not get a signal for my satellite system. So we did not stay.

6) N. & S. Juniper Campground Pine Valley UT Aud & Di Campground Services Inc. SUMMER JOB ONLY. Great Company to work for!  Pay about $100 a week. I was there toward the end of Winter from May 2 to June 10, 2007. To clean up all the pine needles from the roads, campsites, firepits and tables. Get the bathrooms ready to go. Red (Crash) and Sherry, managers were great to work for! They wanted us to stay, we had already said we would be at another campground in N.M. but we wished we had stayed. They do want the Camp Hosts to sit in their Entrance Booths a number of hours a day. I told them before I took the short term Camp Host job, I did not do sitting in building, Visitor Centers or Gift Shops. We came to an aggreement. I did 2 campgrounds, they were busy, instead of 1 like all the other Camp Host. I also checked and helped the other Camp Hosts with their campsites, sold firewood, collect the money, gave change, did the paperwork for both campgrounds, did the early morning and late night rounds, cleaned sites, firepits, marked posts sites. Cleaned all the bathrooms, 2 flush and 1 pit toilet. All Camp Hosts were very nice and mostly happy people! There is a stream running between both of the campgrounds I looked after and a pond for fishing up at the front of the park. Big shady trees. Check to make sure you get one of the Camp Host spots that has electric, water & sewer. All do not!  I had to move way forward to get my satellite system to work. The Camp Host next to us, had to run his across a field to have it work. The Reservation site Campground has no electric, you must use your own generator. Again, the Picnic Host does not have electric and the Pines only has water. There is a number of Camp Host sites at the front, in the direct sun, no shade, with electric, water and sewer. No wind block. Very hot! They do give you a gas golf cart to drive. You are some distance from St. George UT for stores. 4 Chapters Based On True Adventures at Pine Valley Utah.
http://www.squidoo.com/PineValley

http://www.squidoo.com/PineValley/

7) Bandelier National Monument N.M. SUMMER JOB ONLY, I THINK. Does pay about $7.00 a day. Does have electric, water and sewer. The main campground Camp Host spot, is in the sun, no real shade, hot. We were to stay there for about 2 weeks then to the group campground, which has trees too high to get satellite system to work. Very nice people, but without my satellite system, we could not stay. Quite a distance from any stores.

8) Bottomless Lake N.M. YEAR ROUND JOB. Done by the state of N.M. Outside Roswell N.M. No pay. You do not touch the money, mostly clean sites, Meet and Greet people, make sure people pay and follow the rules. Very hot in the summer. When it rains, the sites are mud pits. A lot of bugs and they bite!!  A swimming lake, boating and rafts. Very nice people. My uncle, many years ago, volunteer there for a number of years. Stayed a couple of days, not as Camp Hosts, they had 2 sets already.

9) Rose Canyon AZ. RRM Conession. Outside Tucson. SUMMER JOB ONLY. After being strung around for about 2 weeks by Larry the manager and paying from $28 to $49 plus a night, he finally told us to come up. I was told there would be electric, water & sewer. I forgot to ask, at the Camp Host site I would be in! They do pay about $700 a month. Only 1 Camp Host site has full hook up and a phone with a party line and phones for each spot, which was not the one we were placed in.  Was given a number of metal buckets to use for gray and black water, then hike up a hill to a pit toilet. The water pressure was bad! Everytime another Camp Host used any electric, our lights would dim! I was also told there would be a clear view of the southern sky. I tried for 5 hours to get my satellite system to work, moving the trailer a foot at a time. There is no way it would get through the 5 or so trees. There had been a big fire a few years before leaving very few trees, all the rest down around. I asked if I or they could trim a few branches so my system would work? Answer No!  Other Camp Hosts came up to us that night, as we worked on getting the satellite system to work, and told us how they had been written up 4 times, how bad they were treated and was looking to leave. That in the space we pulled into, there had been 4 Camp Hosts that had enough and left! Everyone seem to be very nice to us but very unhappy, even the manager with his teeth grin was very upset with all the Camp Hosts. We were willing to work with all the other problems, hiking up the hill with our black and gray water, to submitting our electronics to low voltage and may burn and destroy all our electronics. To using our pump for the water adding wear and tear on it. But there was no way around the satellite system not working, that was a must! I explained this to Larry the manager the next morning, even waited for him to come up to talk with him. By the time we packed up and made it to the entrance, one of the Camp Hosts stopped us. He said, Larry had talked to all the other Camp Hosts and told them "He was sure glad we left, we were a pain!" The other Camp Host told us he was going within a week or so also, he had enough. Thank God Our satellite system did not work either! The job duties, as we were told were: Collect money, do the paperwork, mark each site, clean sites firepits grills, clean bathrooms, along the lake shore. But it seems RRM has trained managers to make very unhappy Camp Hosts. The money helps but so does peace of mind and fun. I am into Camp Hosting for the fun and stories, but this company only seems to produce the stories!

10) Cottonwood Campground Navajo Dam N.M. State Park. SUMMER JOB BUT WAS TOLD WE COULD STAY AS LONG AS WE WANTED! Does not pay. After almost a month, almost 1,000 miles and $800 we finally found a great park. But, and I Repeat BUT There is Many Bugs That Bites, Eating You Up! Wear long sleeves and long pants even when it is 110! You don't handle the money here, no selling firewood or anything. You mostly clean the sites and the river front, and there is no shortage of garbage! Help people and give information. The state does have a reservation system. You do a early morning round and a 10 pm round. There is plenty of things to do and see around. They have maintance people to clean the bathrooms and all the people even the Rangers are so nice and friendly! The have water, electric, sewer at both Camp Hosts spots. A ramp and patio at one, also a little garage that house a "Gator" for you to drive, a riding lawn mower and many tools. Every morning they come out and check the money packets with what you write down and see if you need anything. A nice canyon with a river running down it. Most evenings, the rain clouds come in, cooling down the air to sleeping temperatures.

11) KOA Campground Weldon CA YEAR ROUND JOB. Does Not Pay. BUT the work you do for exchange for your site is very little. Mostly done cleaning the restrooms and 3 cabins in about a hour and 1/2. Nice people to work for. Near the Sequoia National Park and Lake Isabella. About 50 miles of twist and turns from Bakersfield. Full hookups, swimming pool, a little store and bar. Cell phones work great and so does the satellite TV and system! Full hookup park and showers.

12)Lake Kaweah Lemon Cove CA OPEN YEAR ROUND. Does Not Pay, done by the Army Corp. Would be a nice Camp Host job but many steep hills and they do not supply a vehicles. Near Exter CA. Went and looked at the campgrounds but passed due to the steep hills. Full hookups for the Camp Hosts Only. Bathroom with showers. Cell phone does not work and satellite system .. well I did not have my trailer with me when I checked it out, but they said it would work. There are large trees around the site, but I also think the satellite system would work.

13) Agua Caliente Hot Springs CA WINTER JOB ONLY. Does Not Pay, done by the San Diego County. Great place to be a Resident Volunteer! That is what they call their Camp Hosts. I clean the pools, open and close them and help cleaning the park. About 20 hours of week per trailer for the site. Quite, peaceful a great place to gather your wits after a busy summer. No cell systems work, the satellite system DOES work, no big or any trees that would cause a problem. You are out in the desert and 50 miles or more from a store. There are free hot showers down at the pools. No pay phones either. The sites have everything from tents to full hookups. Big sites! Story That Came From This Adventures, Please Click All Links to Different Chapters. "Is This Any Way To Spend Valentine's Day"
http://www.squidoo.com/ValentinesDayChapter1/

More Camp Hosting Jobs http://www.squidoo.com/CampHostJobs3B/

Where To Look for becoming Camp Host Chapter http://www.squidoo.com/Chapter4CampHosting/

After Reading The Section Below, Hit the link to go to other Stories

"Cuneo The Breakfast Bear and Friends"  http://www.squidoo.com/CuneoTheBreakfastBearandFriends/

"Happy New Year's Eve Brain Dead Night"  This is a mature story due to the things we think went on that night.

http://www.squidoo.com/CountDownToNewYearsEve  

Please check back often, I have many stories written and needs to be put on the site. Also many stories I am writing!

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