Author Topic: Anyone been a campground host before?  (Read 1939 times)

jjcamembert

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Anyone been a campground host before?
« on: June 13, 2016, 10:34:19 AM »
Just curious about the logistics and cost/benefit analysis from anyone who has experience living in an RV/camper. It seems like it would be a way to live pretty cheaply near FI, or just for a good long vacation.

What are the major downsides? What's the worst thing about living in a camper for months?

Does buying a camper and other outdoor equipment cancel out any financial upsides to this plan? Is it easy to lease it or sell it when you're done?

If you're going to do this year-round, what do you do in winter?

moosestache

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Re: Anyone been a campground host before?
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2016, 11:19:22 AM »
I haven't been a campground host but I worked in/near a national park one summer.  The campground hosts seemed to love it and they were not in super nice RVs just sturdy ones.  I think they spent a lot of their time reminding folks about trash and food regulations (bear area).  Other than that, checking permits and just doing walk arounds to be available for questions seemed to be the most of their duties.

Alternatively, I worked with several people who did the following: Alaska parks From May to September, Shanendoah or other fall leaf areas October to November,  ski resort jobs in the winter, then back to Alaska in early May.  Not sure that all of those areas need campground hosts but certainly they have a need for temporary full time seasonal employment every year.  Housing was provided at most of these locations as part of the gig, so maybe you could leave an RV in one location at a friends property then come back for it a few months later?

If you want a unique city experience, the city of Anchorage has a program to get campers to stay in school parking lots for free during the summer as a way to deter vandalism.  Some of the parking lots are in amazing spots with views and beautiful woods just next door.