WorkCamping - Montana Owners Club

Wiarton William · 08-19-2008, 01:06 AM

DW and I are considering the workamping role for this winter....it seems easy enough and have heard that its a fun time rather than work....I am not a "sitter" I have to be doing something so I thought I may try it for one winter and see.......Anyone else done it??? good/bad/wont do it again??..only downside I see immediately is the commitment to someone, and I havent had that responsiblity for a few years..

boylanag · 08-19-2008, 05:04 AM

I worked at Disneyworld last winter and never had so much fun on a job in my life as I did there. Disney even works it out so that you and your wife can work same place at same time. This means you can drive together to and from work. I am now workamping as a ranger in Michigan and it is good. The first 12 hours a week are paying for my site and any other time worked is paid.

richfaa · 08-19-2008, 05:43 AM

We are Disney workampers also.Helen worked there last winter and I will work there this winter. It is not work and you can prety much control your hours. We work enough to pay for the winter Florida stay and the perks are great.

Wiarton William · 08-19-2008, 06:18 AM

I will get this year under our belts and then decide if we want to continue on to bigger and better... thx

randye · 08-24-2008, 07:44 AM

My Dw and I have worked, last summer in a private gated park in the Olympia Wa. area. It was warm there I did Grounds Keeping and Maint. My wife worked in the office. Most the time it was enjoyable.
This summer season we took jobs at the North Rim Az, the Grand Canyon is awsome the views are fantastic. I work at the Gas Station, which is Sinclair, they have us dress up like the 1950's thats when the station was built Blue uniforms a Black Bow tie and I found a old style Police hat on ebay and bought it, Three weeks later the mang. liked the look so much, they bought them for the other two workers. They also do a camp cook out each night behind the Service Station. They use a Train on wheels with a 37 passenger Tram. About three weeks ago the gal that was driving it was having problems, it takes a CDL to drive it. They found out I have one and asked me to drive it. I work spit shifts now 7:00 am to 11:30 and 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Again most of the time its fun. Theres always something about having a set thing to do that is not as much fun and doing only what you want.My wife works at the gift shop. We are 122 miles one way from any Walmart and intertainment. There is shopping in Kanab Ut about 85 miles one way, but just small food stores. We hope to land a job for the winter months in either Lake Meade or Big Bend Texas. Any more questions about workamping let us know.

Dennis and Carol · 08-24-2008, 10:39 AM

Workamping is a KICK in the pants. Have only had one bad experience. This was working in a private campground in Texas. Learned a valuable lesion. Those black round things on the bottom of the Montana can roll out just as easily as they roll in. We are on our 4th year and are having a ball. This is our 3rd year in Grand Teton National Park working for the Grand Teton Association. Each National Park has an association and are great sources for jobs. Carol works in the bookstore at a small visitor center at Jenny Lake. This year, I work 1 day at the Discovery Center which is the main visitor center at Moose, WY. I then get to portray a turn of the century storekeeper for 3 days a week at Menor's Ferry and General Store. When this ends the end of September we will go to So. CA and run a Pumpkin and Christmas Tree lot. These 2 jobs has allowed us to "Fulltime" and not spend any of our savings or retirement except when we bought a washer and dryer and had to wrap a new 3400RL around them. There is no shortage of jobs. Check www.workamper.com.

Wiarton William · 08-25-2008, 01:36 AM

Personally,I have to have something to do... I cannot sit around and do nothing for very long..If I am going on vacation for 5 months I will be stuck in one spot I need to be active so the volunteering or workcamping will fit in nicely...besides doing nothing contributes greatly to the "XXL" measurements......

sdgwynn · 09-02-2008, 11:58 AM

The wife and i plan on two months at Daint George Island in Florida Oct 1st to end of November. This is a first for us workcamping

itaves · 09-03-2008, 04:29 AM

We are also hoping to workamp at Disney World. As a WDW visitor for many years, we are so looking forward to actually working there! (and my kids/grandkids are anxious for that, too - for the perks!!)

Wiarton William · 09-03-2008, 09:51 AM

The CG called today and we both are enrolled in housekeeping...we will be working together.....we dont do that well..... The oddcouple on TV (Oscar and Felix) learned everything they know from us.......

btswrkn · 09-09-2008, 07:47 AM

If your looking for work camping without pay try a state park we are working on our second park, going to our third in oct. especially now that the kiddies are back in school.we clean firerings, cleancampsites,count campers (twice a day) riding there golf cart and help out at the main gate when needed.
work depends onn the state you go to ,so be sure to check with the state coordinator to find out what you will be doing. most of them want you for at least 30 days but you can commit to 90 days,for that you get:your uniform, free camping with full hookup, and the park we are at now,for every 30 days you put in you get 1 wks free camping anywhere in the state! cant Beat those benies!!!!!!
If you go to a Koa they want you to commit to 40 hrs a week.you get paid ,plus your camping but we dont want to commit to 40hrs(been there did that!)
Crystal & Don Register
owners of montana mountaineer

sunshineduo · 09-10-2008, 06:49 AM

It was several months ago now, but a couple that are good friends of our invited us our to see their 5'er and talk about living full time. They have been full-time for six years and at a state park here in Colorado for the past ywo years. It was that visit and our long conversation about the lifestyle that convinced us we could/should/would go full timeing, even while we still have a few years of work ahead of us before we can pull the plug and roam free.
His comment that he wouldn't trade this lifestyle for anything now that he knew it was convincing and genuine.
They spend from several minutes to several hours (depending on occupancy) each day making the rounds, cleaning and prepping the campsites. From my perspective, I am pretty spoiled by a state park campsite that provides these services. Everything was maintained and clean and in working order and they offer a good degree of security to the park as well.
I'm looking forward to trying it as soon as we can get away from the 40hr grind and shiftwork.

hookman · 09-10-2008, 04:32 PM

Don if you don't have Green Card for working in the States and you are caught you will be deported and probably be bared from the States for awhile. The INS considers it as you are taking a job from a citizen. Our campground owner was having a membership meeting at his campground in Washington State. When he crossed the border he was asked where he was going and what he was going to do. He told them he was going to have a meeting with his members and then Barbecue them diner, he was told he could have his meeting but could not cook as he was taking a job away from a U.S. citizen. So watch your backside.

Wiarton William · 09-11-2008, 12:51 AM

I thank you for the info....the last thing I want to do is do something to get us kicked out.. I heard that it was OK, I was advised to check it out... I did so and I wont be taking part.... the rules even go so far as to limit our "volunteering" for ANYTHING AT ALL..Which is sad in a way...I would assume its the same in the states as it is here... Cant get the people to take some jobs so they import workers from other countries...lounging at the pool seems to be my destiny..

richfaa · 09-11-2008, 02:54 AM

There are folks from all over the world working at Disney. Don't know how that works..but it does.

hookman · 09-11-2008, 06:27 AM

They probably have a work visa. I don't know why they are so restrictive as on certain things U.S. citizens are allowed to do that type of work up here.

Wiarton William · 09-11-2008, 07:55 AM

I know many Canucks that do...I have never heard of anyone getting caught in a situation...I suppose all it would take is one hard nose by the book Border agent and one big mouth illegal workcamper to start that ball rolling downhill.....

Bill and Ann · 09-12-2008, 02:06 AM

Don: Glad to see that I am not alone in my PM to you on this subject. It is not worth getting banned from the States. By the way, the same applies to staying in the U.S.A. for more than 183 days per yr.

JLeach · 09-27-2008, 02:26 PM

We volunteered at the Grand Canyon this summer. We were at the South Rim from April through June and the North Rim from July 1 to Sept. 2. Very enriching and rewarding experience!

We read this thread about working at Disney World and thought that might be something we would be interested in doing next year.

For those of you who worked there, would you mind sharing the application process you had to go through? We are primarily interested in volunteering but would consider compensation. Thanks for any information you can provide.

dandt · 09-30-2008, 02:43 PM

We just finished hosting for Oregon State Parks and loved it. We are headed to our winter location where I work in the mail center 4 days a week. I like so many others can not sit around all day. Adding a little to our income and cutting costs a little enabled us to o full-time at theage of 50.

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