Writers note: If you're looking for a Camp Host horror story, this isn't it. We work at a great RV Park with wonderful owners who run an excellent program. If that puts you off, I apologize but there are plenty of horror stories to be found if that's what you're looking for.
I'm sitting here drinking my morning coffee, looking at the clock that reads 6:05am, and listening to Free Range Adventure Dog snore. It's bloody early but I usually wake up around 5:00am anyway. The wind in South Texas is blasting away at our toy hauler with sustained winds of 35-40mph with gusts to 55mph and it's not the first time this has happened. The last time it blew like this, the golf cart batteries died because it was struggling to go into the wind.
This job is a husband and wife team type of gig with Gina working the office as I patrol grounds, escort campers to their sites, and clean the facilities. What I like to call "The Shift" starts the night before when the previous workampers drop off the cash bag, clipboard, and walkie talkie shortly after 6:00pm. I make a final round at 8:00pm looking for people who came in after closing and making sure the restrooms and laundry are clean and we'll stocked. That's pretty much the summation of the first night unless something goes wrong and sometimes it does.
One night, and not on my shift, an older man was found on the ground laying next to the van he was camping in. The ambulance was called and most of the workampers, including myself, walked over to make sure the situation was in hand. It was and the gentleman was taken to the hospital and it was later determined that alcohol was not a contributing factor. It was the only factor. Things do happen and we just need to be ready for it.
I like to keep my schedule somewhat precise so at 7:30am sharp I'm back on the golf cart to make another round and check for the same things as the night before. If there's any kind of mess in the restroom or laundry, I clean it up so the first impressions of the campers day aren't negative. We take pride in the facilities here and I like to think that it shows. After that it's back to the camper for a spot of breakfast, get my wife rolling (she's usually up after I leave), walk the dog, and head for the office to arrive promptly at 8:30am.
Gina gets the office rolling and prints a list of departing campers, monthly electrical meter reads, and expected arrivals. I'll put the flags out if the wind isn't too strong (I can assure you, the flags are staying in today) and then it's off to see if any of the departures left early. Whenever a site is vacated, it's inspected to make sure the breakers are off in the power box, the water is turned off, sewer cap placed back, and the site is scouted for trash and debris. After this, it's off to the laundry room.
Trying to get the laundry room cleaned is sometimes a bit trying simply because many people get up early to get laundry done. This park is a jumping off point and a landing point for Big Bend National Park so, a lot of times, people who have been boondocking for extended periods of time without facilities come here to catch up.
All six of the washers and dryers are cleaned and wiped out with a pine solution every day. Every day. The tops of the dryers are cleaned with a lint brush, the floor is vacuumed with a shop vac, and mopped with the same pine solution. Again, every day. This usually takes less than an hour. After that, there's a bit of a rest period before cleaning the bathhouses.
If the bathhouses are empty, cleaning begins at 10:30am precisely and cleaning them isn't so much a job to be done but a ritual to be performed. Every surface that can be touched by a human being, meaning sinks, faucets, shower walls and benches, toilets, etc., Are wiped with pine solution and dried with a fresh towel to eliminate water spots. Then the real work begins.
I will splash some of the pine solution in every toilet and shower stall and on the floor by the sinks then take a scrub brush and scrub every inch of floor including the grout lines. Then the tile walls of the showers are scrubbed about four feet up from the floor. When this is complete, there is a garden hose that we put a PVC pipe attachment on and rinse the floor toward the showers. Then, a squeegee is employed to force most of the water to the showers to aid in drying the floor. At this point, one might be asking why we don't use a mop. We do use a mop. A bone dry mop and we dry the floor with it to eliminate water spots and because we are on a well here and the iron content is a little high and will stain the tiles of left to evaporate. The final act is to polish the brass legs of the sinks so that they shine. Then it's off to the Ladies Room.
It's worth noting that this cleaning ritual is so sacred that when I first arrived, the owner demonstrated on the men's room and completed every task described and then oversaw me doing the ladies room. The next day, his manager oversaw me cleaning again, just to make sure it was done correctly. They take pride in the bathhouses so we take pride in them as well and it shows. The ritual is usually complete by 12:30pm at the latest.
There's always a chance that I'll get a call on the radio for an escort in the middle of cleaning and I will have to stop and get that done as we are committed to excellent customer service. It's rare but it does happen.
After that, the day is spent picking up trash and coordinating with my wife in the office and escorting RV's to their sites. There is a chore sheet with one chore to be accomplished per day which is not strenuous but adds to the overall appearance and wellness of the park. Without a doubt, the best part of the day is the campers and hearing their stories about where they are from, where they are going, and their experiences in the RV life. When I get them to their site, there's a brief tour of their site then usually a casual conversation regarding the above.
At the end of the day, Gina closes the office down which includes counting the cash drawer, clearing the credit card machine, and printing the list of people to arrive the following day. We will drop the cash bag off to the owners and have a brief conversation about the day and anything they need to be aware of. We return to the camper and I wait for the 8:00pm rounds.
The next day is pretty much wash, rinse, and repeat until we drop off the cart and cash bag to the next workampers and talk about the last 48 hours.
It's worth mentioning that when I say "I" complete tasks, I truly mean "We". The workampers here are awesome and in the short time we've been here, they have become friends who share the same level of commitment that we have to make the campers experience as enjoyable as ours. Also, the schedule here cannot be beat since we work two days on and six days off and our compensation is to live here for free and since we can't completely retire yet, we have time to go into town and get part time jobs and we are lucky enough to work at the same place and on the same schedule.
I cannot honestly use the term "The Worst Part of this Job Is..." Because there really isn't a worst aspect. The guests can be a bit trying sometimes but it is my policy to kill them with kindness and by the time their stays have ended, it usually works.
Hopefully this has given some a bit of insight into what we do as camp hosts. I realize that there are other RV parks where people have had horrendous experiences with guest and owners. My advice would be to do a great deal of research on where you're looking to work as Gina did before we called about the job. The reviews on travel websites were five star and the comments on social media were nothing but rave reviews. If something seems a bit off about the reviews or there are more than a few negative reviews, especially about the owners, it's probably best to look for another gig. Remember that you will be many miles away from any kind of home base and switching gigs in the middle of the commitment could be difficult and make you look suspect on your Workamping resume.
If you're looking for a great experience and can commit to three to four months and live rent free contact The Lost Alaskan RV Park in Alpine, Texas.
Have a great day!
