Get SMART about Camp Hosting--not STUNG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 WorkampingReviews.com Provides a Needed Resource for the Workamping Community

A Voice for the Thousands of U.S. Workampers

On the road, Wyoming – September 18, 2014

A new website has been launched giving workampers and traveling volunteers a voice. WorkampingReviews.com is an easy-to-use free website that allows workampers to share their experiences.  Users will help their fellows to avoid possible bad situations, and encourage the organizations that provide positive employment and service opportunities.  This website equips workampers and volunteers with information so they can determine which opportunities are best for them.

Each year, thousands of workampers and volunteers cris-cross the country filling vital roles in short term and seasonal positions. By all accounts, full-time RVing and workamping is a growing lifestyle.  “A website like this has been needed for sometime,” said Christian Dunn of WorkampingReviews.com. Who, along with his wife, is a full-time RVer and workamper.  “Most workamping and volunteer experiences are positive, but when a situation is bad, it can be a tremendous drain on time, money and emotions,” said Dunn.  “Prior to developing this website I had often wished there was such a resource.  A situation this past year prompted me and my wife to do it ourselves, in the spirit of community.”

The website relies on users to review and share their experiences.  “We wanted the website to be free, easy to use and allow users to post reviews anonymously.  Hopefully, people will come to the website regularly, and share honestly without concern of employer blow-back,” said Alayne Dunn of WorkampingReviews.com.  “So far there is not much in between, people either really enjoy their experiences or not,” said Dunn.  WorkampingReviews.com is the only website of its kind and is solely dedicated to the workamper with no other interests.  It is free, requires no registration, and users can begin posting and searching immediately.   

Christian & Alayne Dunn, also known as the TheRVNomads.com, are non-retired aged full-time RVers that have been traveling around the US with their two cats since March 2013. 

Contact:

Alayne Dunn

TheRVNomads@gmail.com

TheRVNomads.com

443 794 4596

JOB HUNT - Looking for the PERFECT JOB



Star Trek Enterprise Worm Hole w/Captain Kirk & Spock

  We took the Worm Hole escape route and immediately began our search for a new job. 

I had no problem landing a job with only one duty:  State the firm command, "Engage!"



Our next task was to find the perfect camp site for the night.  We did!... at Jetty Park for $32.  "Perfect" meant it was dry and the camper was free from flying black marsh fiends.  We slept like hibernating bears in the quiet, flood-free peace. 

Bob found the fishing more than adequate on the Jetty Pier.  He had the best time ever helping an old Korean man haul in 4-foot ribbon fish with teeth that could bite you to the bone!  I turned my attention to the cruise ships and their mobs of whooping, laughing, celebrating passengers.  They were offering $10 day cruises on the casino ships.  Should we join in?

Nah.  Being hard-core about finding a job, we went to Kennedy Space Center.  The Shuttle program has ended, so there's no jobs there....but we learned plans are still active for sending some of us on to Mars.  I signed up.



Camp Hosting on Mars....what have I gotten myself into!???

 

The newest rover.  This one has space suits attached to the back so you can slip in and out of them through a lock so you don't bring clinging space dust into your rover.  Clever.  Perhaps we should do that with our kids so their dirty clothes and muddy shoes never come inside. 

 Bob went for a more technical job...repairing the Hubble Space Telescope...yet another time...from the platform of the International Space Station.  Yes, even though the last Soyuz Rocket failed....(uh, blew up) we are still planning to send up more of our astronauts on these crowded Russian space ships.  We have too!  We have a 3-man crew stranded on the ISS and wanting to come home for Christmas... or sometime in their lives.

Well...we didn't enjoy living apart....so we agreed on a campground hosting position on the MOON.  If you've ever dealt with  Lunar Regolith  ...then you know you've got serious cleaning problems.  We already had enough cleaning problems back on earth.  Our camp site at Jetty Park (#91) had not been cleaned.  The grill was full of ashes and old charcoal and the ground was strewn with litter.  In fact, the entire park needed a lot of picking up and trimming.  I wrote to management and said we'd be happy to workamp for them and get the park in shape.     I got this reply from Ann Johnson within hours:  

Oct 28 - We did try campground hosts several years ago and it did not work out well at all. We will be doing some renovations this year and there are changes I think you will not only like but will enjoy.                                                                                                                               

Ann

WHAT??!!  We'd never heard anything negative about camp hosts before.  What happened?

We took the above litter-strewn path to the campground office.  We talked with the person who checked us into Jetty Park Campground and she knew nothing about problems with onery camp hosts, but she did say they had a job in maintenance for a free site.  Bob was not interested, as we'd heard so many bad/sad stories about "light maintenance".  It's a fact that any and everything can need fixing at any time, so the 20 hours for a site is really 24/7....you are full time.  Most camp hosts have mentally left behind full-time work and aren't suited to it anymore.  So let's keep looking for that perfect job!

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.]

Applying to American Land and Leisure

Silver Glen Springs, Florida

Our dream job for the winter was to continue with our present company, American Land & Leisure.  We loved the management and how well we'd been treated.  We called the Area Managers, Ken and Judy, in the only spot AL&L manages in Florida:  Ocala National Forest.  We learned we could probably work at a day-use area to cover the existing host when she needed time off.  We were excited!  Silver Glen is not just a beautiful spring, but a lovely boating and recreation area.  But the number of visitors from up north (snowbirds) had dwindled to the point that the company actually cut back on employees this season...and we were on our own to find a job in Florida.  Here we go...off into the unknown.  If you want to check AL&L's current openings in the U.S. just click here:  Current Job Openings  The application is simple to fill out.  When we turned ours in, I added a letter of recommendation from our former employers...which was not requested, but I think it helped.  Click here to see the Application for Employment  This company does supply everything you need to do your job, including some type of vehicle, nice shirts, caps, jackets, and work gloves.  You are even paid minimum wage for your hours. 

Networking - Job Search Contacts

We drove ourselves from Arizona right to the California Coast, landing at Leo Carillo State Park. Lovely!...but it was winter and the days were short. We thought by traveling south we'd find summer...but Southern California enjoyed their coldest and snowiest winter since the 40's. But we weren't there for the beach. We talked with every camp host we could. They all loved their jobs, and their happy faces showed it...especially when they zipped around on their electric carts! On February 25, 2011, it was raining like crazy...so instead of paying for a day at the park or the beach....we camped out at Walmart. Everyone has to try it. We asked if it was OK first, because it's not true that Walmart "doesn't care" if you stay overnight. We found the stores near tourist spots do not allow it at all. Even though we got permission, we were asked to move in the middle of the night...because only one spot was set aside for overnight use.