First off, thanks everyone for your kind messages after Jim’s recent health scare. Good news is he’s doing fantastic and getting back to his old self! It’s hard to believe that he almost died from something and doctors don’t know why, especially in these high tech times we live in.
But for now, back to our programming . . . I’d like to share this list of campground host pet peeves we ranted about while tooling around in our golf cart during our shifts.
The Top Ten Pet Peeves Campground Hosts Wish Campers Would Not Do
I know I can’t speak for all campground host experiences out there. Overall it’s a pretty good gig if you have great management like we did, and co-workers who aren’t slackers (which they weren’t at our gig). Those workamping jobs are out there, but you just have to screen employers really carefully when interviewing for them.
Based on Jim’s Workampers Scenario Survey about Camp Host Pet Peeves, bad behavior at campgrounds is pretty common. Any aspiring camp host should expect it.
Keep in mind that the majority of campers are respectful, good guests who don’t do any of these things.
But it’s the inconsiderate dickheads who don’t care, and the newly minted outdoor adventurer who can really test your patience as a host.
So if you’re considering this kind of workamping arrangement, it’s good to prepare yourself for guest behaviors we encountered, such as:
1. Campers being really sloppy in the restrooms.
So many people spit toothpaste all over the bathroom sinks, counters, and mirrors, and don’t clean it up. They leave hair all over the place, TP on the floor and don’t even get me started on the other far more disgusting gastrointestinal distress explosions we stumbled into.
2. Insisting on a campfire, no matter what.
It was hard to believe so many campers would light up a campfire, even when wildfire smoke was suffocating the Estes valley with toxic smoke. I’m so completely turned off of campfires after this hosting gig.
3. Showing up at the camp store a minute after closing time.
Arriving guests would sometimes ignore the “Campground Full” sign and then bang on the camp store door while we were closing out the registers to ask if we have a campsite available. Some people even did that on July 4th weekend. In Colorado.
4. Throwing trash in the dumpster, without tying trash bags.
You would not believe how full dumpsters get at campgrounds! Hosts have to smash it down to make it all fit until the dump truck arrives. What fun we have when a bag explodes and spills out all over the ground first thing in the morning!
5. Being bad pet parents.
Lots of people feel it’s OK to leave their dog tied up outside the RV while they go out sightseeing, or stay inside and pretend to be completely oblivious to the poor pup’s barking in the hot afternoon sun. They don’t deserve dogs and should be arrested for cruelty.
6. Cutting through campsites.
It feels like more people than ever are cutting through campsites. Are they? Or am I just getting cranky?
Why don’t campers seem to understand that when a guest pays for a campsite, it’s their little slice of real estate for the time they are visiting, and they don’t appreciate strangers and unsupervised kids trapsing through their yard?
7. Leaving campfires unattended or smoldering.
Even with wildfires sparking up all over Colorado during summer, it was stunning to see how many people would leave their campsite for the day, or drive away for good, without drowning their campfire.
8. Lying about the length of their RV just to reserve a campsite.
When it comes to campsites, size really does matter. It’s astonishing how many RVers think that a few feet doesn’t make a difference. “I can make it fit!” we were often told when calling someone out on the size of their RV. They didn’t seem to understand that campsites have length restrictions for a reason.
9. Letting their demon spawn children run wild.
It’s a free-for-all for many kids in the great outdoors. We even stopped one evil little brat from using a slingshot to kill birds in the trees! And the best part? He was spraying rocks everywhere while his dad sat outside, totally ignoring him.
10. Leaving trash in the firepit, bear box, or around the campsite.
I’ll never understand why some people come to the outdoors only to leave trash behind. I guess they think that campground hosts are their housekeeper for the weekend. Before we even started working, our managers told us we would be “Housekeepers for the Great Outdoors,” so that didn’t come as too much of a surprise. It still wasn’t fun to pick up other people’s garbage, but we did.
Yes, there was a lot of bad behavior we saw while camp hosting. But we saw more good behavior than terrible.
And like any workcamping arrangement, having to educate ignoramus guests about outdoor etiquette was the trade-off for working in a totally gorgeous location, enjoying free rent and cool perks for four months, and being around some pretty great co-workers.
If you’re curious at all about camp hosting you really should give workamping a try just for the experience. Now that you’re prepped with these campground host pet peeves, at least you know what to expect. You’ll be glad you gave it a go, and learn so much about human behavior!
As a fulltimer and a Workamper since 2015 I’d say you hit the nail on the head with this list.
Another change I have noticed over the years is the sense of entitlement in some guests that has evolved with other changes in our society that are making me seriously consider full time retirement ILO workamping 6 months and retirement 6 months.