You gotta know when to hold 'em...know when to fold 'em...

Know when to walk away, and know when to run!  That's our RV in the photo, parked right by the covered hot tub we just enjoyed.  The latest information on our Colossal job [from an employee of the park]:  The maintenance manager is supposedly an alcoholic, along with his wife and brother, who are also on the payroll.  There is not a penny for improvement, due to mismanagement, it would seem, but we were told the manager has been tucking money into his own pocket.  Were any of these allegations true?  [Stay tuned.]  Martie kept saying there was no money, but we'd seen all kinds of people taking the cave tour and buying things in the park.  We believe Martie.  She is a kind, gracious, noble person...completely dedicated to the park.  So why is there no money for maintenance?

We needed to get away.  A week had gone by and our host site was still not accessible, so we needed to go somewhere to empty our tanks and fill up with water.   We decided to explore Benson, Arizona.  We checked out our competition, Kartchner Caverns State Park.  Then we checked out RV parks, thinking we might need to live in one if we didn't have a hosting job.  These pictures are of Chochise Terrace RV Resort from our site, #256.  We parked next to the camp host.  They usually make the best neighbors.  Below is our host, and his dutiful dog.

Business had seriously dropped off.  Competition is huge among the parks,  We paid $33.41 for the night...but there were less expensive places down the road.  But this is the only park far enough away from the railroad tracks to sleep undisturbed.

We thoroughly checked out a co-op with very individualized lots, like the one above (which is for sale).  We heard hosts complaining in this park--that either the management liked you or not.  If not, it was a tough haul. 

The co-op is considered boondocking because it's only $5 to dry camp on the above section.  It's like a Walmart parking lot...except you can join in on the planned activities.  Check this place out at SKP Saguaro.  You do have to join Escapees to get this price, though... we discovered after parking and starting to enjoy the park.   Ah, well.  We found out some fellow RVers settled in at Benson on 5 fenced acres with a like-new 2,000+ sf home with a wrap-around porch and a garage complete with workshop....for...get ready.... $111,000. 

No S&Bs, please.... I just want to be FREE....to run like a wild horse.     Thank you.

Our Job at Colossal Cave Mountain Park

We are still excited about our new job, even though they aren't ready for us...after a month??  So we were left waiting...and adrift.   Justin and Li (the doctor friends) fed us a delightful dinner, including the most flavorful and varied salad I'd ever had.  Since I think of a vegetable salad as dessert...it was the best treat possible for me.  They had about 5 acres that came with their gorgeous mountaintop home, and they invited us to park there overnight.

Their home is next to a preserve, and protective zoning has changed, so they will remain the only home at the top.  There were javelina and deer tracks among the cacti, so I hoped for visitors.

This is the sunrise the next morning.  Do Arizona skies behave like this often?

The Schmidt's home is steel frame with hay bale insulation--brilliant considering the climate... with no heating or air conditioning required.  The side of the home facing Tucson has a glass-walled family room with a grand piano and large, peaceful spaces that invite meditation.  The "official" family portrait is shown below...a fascinating holographic image.  It's the actual family that anyone would find ultimately fascinating...and gracious.  Tucson is so fortunate to have them!

Justin and Li told us the story of how they met in China and eventually married (in Tucson).  It was clear they should write a book.  We were so spellbound we missed church!

Can you tell we love Li and Justin?  We could stay forever, but on Monday we had an appointment with Martie and the park maintenance manager to figure out just what our duties would be.  This pic of the host site can be enlarged to see the nature of the road.  This is the only good section.  We learned in our meeting there were 3 maintenance people, but no work had been done.  The person who was to bring a grader in was "busy" and he'd need Martie to buy him a new blade, anyway  ???  Why would you have to buy a blade before renting equipment??

We had to wait some more, so I decided to unwrap this great gift of nature.  The canyon we were parked in led up to a wild campground called La Selvilla.  The road to it had been washed out, but instead of fixing it, they had posted signs directing you to drive up the dry river bed.  I picked up trash as I walked and threw bigger rocks out of the "road" just to feel useful.  I discovered the Arizona Trail crossing the campground and followed it for a while, delighting in the rock formations and plants it led me to. 

The next day we found La Posta Quemade Ranch, which is run separately, but Martie gets a percentage.  We saw two full wagons departing the ranch in the rain with the happiest passengers you'd could imagine.  They were all older, but as giddy as little kids getting a pony for a birthday.

I think I'm giddy, too, having always been horse crazy.  Living in a park with a real, working ranch was going to be great!  But what about getting busy with camp hosting?  There's signs posted (BIG ones) saying you can only camp one night.  Martie was not aware of that.  The bathrooms needed cleaning, but one of the maintenance people, Skip, said the boss told him there wasn't any money for cleaner.  ??

What me worry?  No, we just went on a tour of this dry maze cave they call Colossal.  I had already read so much about the cave that I'm sure I could have given the tour myself.  In fact I was so enamored by the Indian and robber history of the area as well as the flora and fauna that I was consuming information wholesale.

Meanwhile...no likelihood of the roads being fixed...and Bill, an arachnid researcher working in the cave, informed us of many things that were less than satisfactory in the operation of the cave...including a maintenance team "that did nothing".  I said I'd start working on the road if I could get a shovel and a wheel barrow, as I'd found a pile of road base...but that just brought chuckles.  We may be dry camping for quite a while, just dreaming of FHUs on those cold Arizona desert nights. 

P.S.  Dr. Bill Savary is not only the wild cave tour guide, but a good friend of Justin Schmidt (Bob's friend).  As a herpetologist, he has been allowed to go into the park's pristine caves and has discovered new species of critters.  These caves are so delicate they are even closed to researchers now.  You may contact Bill through tucsonherpsociety.org or if you'd like to know more about reptiles, email him at:  bsavary@mindspring.com

Mechanics Reveal ALL - Which RV is the Most Reliable?

I had to know which RV was best.  We talked with the closest expert available, who happened to be the person in charge of pulling out our slide and doing a 2-day repair-- Carlos Armando Alonso.  Carlos is the son of the owners of America Choice RV (repair) Armando and Miram Alonso.  They'd been in business since 1979, and Carlos has 18 years of working experience.  He summarized everything he'd learned after seeing and working on thousands of RVs over the years.  I was an eager listener, since all of my brain-files were empty on the subject.  (It had just never been a matter of interest since I'd never wanted to give up working...and certainly never wanted to live in an RV.)  Carlos explained that the answer to my question was online...for anyone to see.  You just type in the name of the model or manufacturer you are interested in and read as much as you want to, including reviews. I told him I'd seen more Winnebago products than any other type in his shop.  I had two hypotheses:  I figured they weren't as reliable as they used to be, or they were so popular that they make up a large percentage of units in use.  Carlos said it was the latter, that there are more faithful owners of Winnies than any other make.  

We had a sad-bad room during the repair

Carlos said there really isn't a problem in the industry with any company producing lemons.  "They are all moving houses with lots of mechanical parts, and they all need repair at some point."  He said the big mistake owners make is they tend to park them and forget them....not knowing that they are nullifying their warranty.  I knew that all Four Winds have a warning in the owner's manual that you have to do a maintenance check at least once every 6 months.   Carlos said if you don't go around your RV and check the seals and roof and the integrity of all of the parts, your warranty will not go beyond one year...even if it is a 6-year warranty (which is what we have): no maintenance = no guarantees.  I think he could see I was a bit upset.  I mentioned the fact that the back corner must have separated along the roof line of our RV because I could see light from the outside when I looked up to the roof from inside my clothes closet.  Ouch!  I wanted to know what kind of sealant to use, but instead of telling me, he said when we came back from our (wretched) motel stay (necessary since our RV was going to be on the rack for 2 days), that he'd walk around the 31K with me and give me maintenance suggestions.  Whew.  That did put me at ease....somewhat. 

Rv Earthquake Mess

Why does a brand-new RV need maintenance?  The major reason is each time you drive your home down the road it experiences at least a magnitude 5 earthquake.  I know if you lie down on our bed in the back while traveling, your tailbone is going to slam (hard) into the wooden bed platform.  Ouch!  And we all know how cans love to fall out of cupboards.  Bob is fearless when it comes to the type of roads we travel, so we've experienced some news-worthy earthquakes in our time.  Once he went straight up a dirt road that went over a mountain divide.  It was on an impulse, as we had no idea where it went.  The road had no switchbacks.  It just angled up into the sky!  Within minutes my bike had bounced up and off of the rack and was drug along until the tread was ground off of its tires.  I became a witch about "no more dirt roads"...and our manual for our new RV actually states:  "no unpaved roads".  So there's multiple ways you can void your warranty.  One way, that I'm still amazed at, was demonstrated by an owner of a nice RV who backed down a boat ramp, right into the water, over his tail pipe...just to get his boat in the water.      Crazy....          Crazy about fishing, that it.

Sunliner's Provincial

I still thought there was one RV manufacturer that was the best.  Carlos liked Thor and said he'd never seen the problems our own Four Winds was having... but then he took some time to sift through all of his experiences and admitted that the BEST manufacturer (of all time) had to be Sunliner.  He said he had looked and looked but had never found any weaknesses in it.  He raved about its reliability to the point that I had to ask another mechanic if he felt the same way, and he said Sunliner was the best.  All of the mechanics I've talked with say there is no perfect RV...but Sunliner comes close.  If you go to their site, they definitely have a different approach and novel construction techniques.  Leave it to the Aussies, but Carlos said they went out of business.  Quality perhaps hurts the bottom line too much.....???

I asked a mechanic if my conclusion might be correct:  "If all RVs were made by Sunliner, then repair garages would be out of business."  He didn't hesitate to say, "That would be true."

A REAL Job Offer on Nov 10, 2011

I wanted to share what an actual job offer looks like.  This is a great example, as it gives the expected duties you would perform.   A pitfall to avoid is jumping into a job without knowing what you are going to be asked to do!  We received the following offer via email:

Highlands Hammock Catwalk - a Favorite!

Thank you for requesting information about the camp host program at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida via the online system. I currently have three positions available.  [If you like what you see in an offer, you just have to shoot an email back...but make sure to make a phone contact first to get full job details.]


Our camp hosts primarily clean restrooms, [The fact that she bolded this item makes me think it has been a problem getting camp hosts to do this chore.  Bob and I don't mind it at all...which was a surprise to us.]   mow & trim grass, clean BBQ grills, pick up trash, trim trails, patrol the parks, perform minor maintenance (carpentry/plumbing/electrical), use a gas-powered log splitter for firewood, operate park vehicles (current driver's license required) and other campground-related duties.

Our hosts work five hours a day, four days a week (Sun/Mon/Tues/Weds or Weds/Thurs/Fri/Sat). Special events, heavy day use or camping attendance may require additional volunteer hours from our camp hosts, particularly on holiday weekends or during our high season (Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar). During high season, we also have ranger station support positions that are typically filled by the wives.

[Count on working weekends and holidays because, naturally, that's when you have almost all of your campground business.]


CCC Masonry Masterpiece at Highlands Hammock

Camp host positions can be strenuous at times, requiring the ability to walk over uneven terrain for several hours in duration as well as bend, stoop and twist to clean, mop large floor areas, pick up debris, etc. Moderate lifting of boxed materials, shoveling of heavy cinders from campfire rings, emptying of trash cans and loading firewood will require the ability to lift and carry. Several hours of work each day will expose hosts to high heat & humidity during the summer months and chilly, damp weather during winter cold snaps. Hosts work independently most days and thus these positions are best for self-starters and those that can identify and problem-solve situations. [This is a well-written disclosure.  You can't be sensitive to smoke and ash or temperature changes, or the job will be intolerable.]

We offer a free campsite with water & 30 amp power hookup for our camp hosts. We do not have sewer connections, but have a dump station on site. Hosts camp in the family campground with the general public and our campsites are very close together with little or no buffer between sites. Our lettered sites (A/B/C/D/E/F) are our camp host sites. We are pet-friendly and remain nearly full to capacity from November through May and then experience our low season June through September.

Our campground has 158 campsites and four large restroom buildings. Most campsites are shaded and have a dirt base. Our park is located four miles west of US Highway 27 in Sebring, Florida. Major shopping/dining facilities (Walmart/Publix/CVS/Walgreens/Lakeshore Mall) are within ten miles of the park as are two hospitals. [This is a BIG factor for me...what's close by?...especially whether there is a church.] 

If you are interested in serving as a camp host, please download the attached form and fill it out for both you and Bob and forward any letters of recommendation highlighting your previous host/campground experience with your application.

Please keep in mind that the months of January, February and March are most in demand and that I am holding a waiting list for possible openings for 2012. Any possible openings will be filled from this waiting list so if you are interested in that, please let me know. Our web address is listed below in the event that you would like to browse our site for additional information/photos.
Dorothy L. HarrisPark Services Specialist
Highlands Hammock State Park 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, Florida 33872
(863) 471-5324 Office





List of Jobs Currently Available

Ready to go to work?  Here's a list of jobs put out by "Work for RVers and Campers".
We responded to the following ad from this list....with enthusiasm....but received no reply whatsoever.  We couldn't get even an acknowledgement that our application was received:
FL: Winter Position on Citrus Ranch Near Disney World
Work campers needed. Work on a 2500-acre ranch close to Disney World. Job runs November through April. We have a U-pick citrus grove, old time country store, eco tours, and a camp ground. Please see our website showcaseofcitrus.com for more info about us.  Call Julie at 352-267-9903, if you are interested.

I like this list because it gives a posting date...so you have an idea if the job might already be filled...or so undesirable that no one has responded and the listing is still active. 

There's a free list by Cool Works of jobs you may have never considered...but could have a riot with.

There ARE many, many camp hosting positions that are paid (in real money).  One of the must varied lists of camp host jobs is found at http://www.simplyhired.com/ .  You can get your free spot without even being in a campground.  Another surprising site is jobsonline.net  with an easy search gadget.  You could be involved with anything from camp counseling to RV sales.

Then we checked the list of jobs posted by Happy Vagabonds.  Why not?  You have nothing to lose by applying.  We sent emails and made phone calls (no answers) and we left messages (with no replies).  We'll let you know if these are valuable lists or not....shortly.   [They are...but apply early and expect quite a bit of competition for the job.]

Here's a sample of a job posting that is supposedly available right now:
Workamper Needed at Fishermans Cove Resort
Needed immediately workamper 20 hrs a week in exchange for site and utilities. Duties are cleaning/general maintenance, friendly, relaxed atmosphere, ideal for retired couple, Come and experience our little fishing / resort. Contact Brenda at (941) 729-3685.

Bob called and left messages several times, and I wrote excited emails, because we used to live close to this resort and know (and love) a lot of people in the area.  After two weeks we gave up, as there was no acknowledgment whatsoever of the communications, resume and pictures we'd sent.  The "paradise" the owner of Fisherman's Cove described went up in vapors for us.  [Note:  We did follow up personally on this job lead, and it had been filled as we had supposed.]

Want to be paid Cash Money?

There ARE many, many camp hosting positions that are paid (in real money).  One of the must varied lists of camp host jobs is found at http://www.simplyhired.com/ .  You can get your free spot without even being in a campground.  Another surprising site is jobsonline.net  with an easy search gadget.  You could be involved with anything from camp counseling to RV sales.

We worked with a couple who had happily been employed by Hoodoo Recreation.  She had been an area manager, and he drove a nice truck around with a spray system mounted on the back.  He could clean outhouses in a whole forest in one quick run.  Word is they all smelled great, too.  The secret?  Jasmine air fresheners and biological agents which contain not only potent enzymes, but also bacteria to break down the mess.  Anyway, click on the following site for an excellent description of both host and attendant jobs... It also explains why some jobs pay more than others:  Hoodoo Campground Host Job Descriptions

Recreation Resource Management has contracts to staff many campgrounds throughout ten states. They hire about 500 seasonal employees per year to work at one of 175 different campgrounds.  You can apply with Recreation Resource Management in one of three ways; you can apply online, download an application from the website and mail it in, or receive a paper application by mail to mail back in.   Click here to learn more or go to CampHost.org .  One caveat:  Some hosts have complained area managers with RRM have given them such a hard time that they felt they had to quit.  We do not know if some situations have really been that bad, do you?

I was told ALL of the state parks in Texas pay their camp hosts.  See How to apply for Texas State Park jobs  It turns out SOME of the jobs are paid.  The State of California has had paid camp hosts in the past but is going toward using more and more volunteers.  Check out their jobs at California Host Positions .    Don't forget Older and Bolder for paid jobs.

Legacy RV Resorts hires for their RV resorts in eight states. Visit http://www.legacyrvresorts.com/ to learn more about the job opportunities available.  Their online application is very easy to fill out.

Are you interested in employment at a Jellystone Park™? Check out the parks who are looking to fill  positions by visiting http://www.campjellystone.com/.  Please contact the individual parks directly for detailed information.  Bob and I paid to stay in a Jellystone campground here in Florida, and it's a great place if you miss having kids around.

If you go to http://koa.com/community/ there's a list of KOAs you can contact for employment.  As always, it's best to go in person to the campground you are interested in.  You want to see what the job is, and the employer will feel so much more comfortable meeting you in person before offering you a position.

JOB APPLICATIONS - How? Why? Why not?

Why not apply?  Just as other hosts had told us, applications did not work for us (at first).  It was much better to call...and best to visit in person about openings.  We applied at Workamper.com over a year ago and never heard a whisper.   And it was a great application!  We did run into some of their employees in a rock shop just outside Bryce Canyon.  They said they loved being Workampers and said to join the mailing list online.  We did, and still nothing.   The same thing happened with our online ap to Recreation Resource Management at Host Jobs .  If you want to see the online ap click here.  But when Bob CALLED he was able to talk to the Area Manager in Florida and find out everything we wanted to know about working in the campgrounds they managed.  The problem was...they had no current openings.
Why apply?  We found applications (written just the right way) really DO work...if you make a friendly call first.  Take lots of notes, listening carefully to what the position requires, and then specifically, enthusiastically write on your ap how your qualifications match the requirements.  Leave out all of the details of your life and experiences that don't match the job so your comments will be concise and your message clear:  YOU are the best person for the job!
How?  The next posts will detail how we got each job offer...and were we ever surprised by the number of offers.  It's well advertised that we baby boomers are flooding the market with our efforts to get that wonderful spot for our rig in the out-of-doors.  And it's true...you almost have to "douse yourself in gasoline and set yourself on fire" to get the attention of those filling campground positions.  They are SWAMPED with applications.  If you ever want to hire me to apply for you, just let me know.  We've been told our applications garnered a job offer for every opening in Florida.  Funny.