TOPIC:

Why would someone would want to be a campground host ?

For a "free" (but not really free) space/stay?

But.....when you consider what you may be doing for a "free" space.... mmmm like:

- Is it worth one month's rent to put up with cry babies?
- In most cases have no backing from management/MWR?
- Have people knocking on your door day and night complaining?
- Not respecting "OFF DUTY" sign in front of your rig?
- Asking during OFF DUTY hours dumb questions that if they had read the info posted at the camp ground they would have the answer?
- Having to put up with rude people? (granted most of the campers on base are decent/nice)
- Having to tell Joe Blow ten times to don't dump on the ground, turn music down, shut mutt up, hold it down during quite hours, no generator running during certain hours, on and on... ?
- Having to defend the other host(s)? You know that host who retired as a E4 and wants to now be a E-9, or 06, as the host. Power crazy idiot. Who makes all the other hosts look bad. mmmm one of those at KW for sure.
- Having to tell dog owners to please pick up behind their mutt's behinds?
- Setteling disputes between campers. Seems some out there can not talk grown up to grown up and resolve issues without crying to the host, cops or base commander.
- In some camp grounds expected to clean the bath rooms.
- Cut grass and more


Monthly fees are not that much.

Now, on the plus side I can see....
- Do not have to rotate.
- Can stay beyond the "move out" date. (but someone needs to tell MRW at JAX NAS about the homesteaders there who ALWAYS exceed the 45 day limit...duhhh)
- Being able to help others and sharing your knowledge of the local area.

Another question to ask, what do you expect from a host? Here are my options:
-If available, greet new arrivals with rules and information about the site and surrounding communities and lead them to their site (if designated).
-Enforce rules. If kids are not complying, tell parents to deal with them or suffer consequences.
-Ensure bath house is clean and stocked.
-Police the grounds.
-Organize activities for adults and children.
-Provide a bulletin board to post daily activities and a place for campers to communicate with other campers for info and assistance.

My hats off to those whom choose to be camp host's. Without them things would not function well. I have never meet a camp host that really needs free rent. Most just want to make a difference and not be bored and help those who need help. I think its a great way to give something back to the folks you camp with. I will volunteer to be a camp host if I am ever in a location that needs one.


Just my thoughts,
Concerned Camper

I have considered hosting, as I am sure we all have at one time or another. My experiences with hosts and other campers have all been positive ones, which led me to believe it really wouldn't be that difficult. I would have thought that folks with a military background would have more respect for rules and such than the average Joe in public campgrounds. Additionally, it seems to me that the vast majority of military campers would (like myself) be older, retired folks, not really interested in late night parties and loud noises. It also seems to me that base security can and will escort trouble makers off the base.
Of course, I could be wrong about all that.
I guess a person (or couple) would become a camp host for the same reason they joined the military in the first place. After all, nobody joins to get rich, or for the snazzy clothes. And though I did enjoy many free cruises to exotic locations around the world, there were certainly easier ways to go about it than in the military!
I've always appreciated the camp hosts. While there have been some camp grounds that I didn't have direct interaction with the hosts, I still appreciate the work they do maintaining the facilities, and try to leave my campsite as clean, or cleaner, than I found it.
Whatever their reasons for doing the job, I hope they keep at it.

I started hosting last summer in NC. around 20 hours per week in exchange for my site. Now to the question why?
1) I'm not ready to completely retire yet, am only 58, and this gets me "out of the house."
2) Small investment of time in exchange for a site = no money paid to camp.
3) I enjoy meeting and talking to people.
4) it's fun!
5) Can't stand sitting around watching TV all day and not having to pay lot rent allows me to do things.

I've already got hosting positions set up for 13 of the next 14 months.

Thank you for being there for us. I just wish all the camp hosts had your attitude.

mkane wrote:

I started hosting last summer in NC. around 20 hours per week in exchange for my site. Now to the question why?
1) I'm not ready to completely retire yet, am only 58, and this gets me "out of the house."
2) Small investment of time in exchange for a site = no money paid to camp.
3) I enjoy meeting and talking to people.
4) it's fun!
5) Can't stand sitting around watching TV all day and not having to pay lot rent allows me to do things.

I've already got hosting positions set up for 13 of the next 14 months.

We will retire after 26 years this summer and have a campground host position waiting for us in a National Forest Service campground in northern Florida for the winter. I'm doing it for all the reasons you listed above, but I have one question. How did you deal with only working for 20 hrs a week? It may sound silly, but after working so hard and so long for so many years, I can't get my head around only working 20 hrs. How many hours per day did you work? What did you do in those hours? What did you do when your weren't "on duty"? I almost feel lost, like I don't know what to do. Thanks for your insight.

After camping in MCGs for something around fifteen years or more, I find most CG hosts to care about the service and the campground, and the campers. On occasion, like the former host nick-named the Nazi in San Francisco (now gone), and a few others in areas the most busy and full campgrounds (MacDill comes to mind), and those that have the most homesteaders, we find real jerks or uncaring hosts or maybe employees at some.

Those we try to stay away from, but most hosts on the less traveled routes seem to care about what they do and how they can help ... and truly want to assist the campers ...
Funny too, we hears a lot about the "jerk hosts" and not much about the good ones. But, it also seems the jerk hosts should notice the 'he's a jerk posts' too, and learn something about attitude from it.

DrillAgent we retired at age 52 and never hosted but began the RV life as well as keeping our home in Fl. and still RV and have the home after 17 years. You sound like you will be a great host and your non-hosting hours could be filled with exploring Northern Florida as there is much to see and do. You might find yourself at cookouts, games, and just good old chatting with other campers. Hiking, biking, bowling, movies and golfing are what many do when they retire and trying out new restaurants can be fun also. There are always volunteer opportunities in communities of a very broad spectrum for men and women. It does take some trial and error to see what you both will enjoy and spending time together is very precious and also with your family no matter where they live it is fun to visit them and if you have grandkids they might love spending time in your RV. Good luck to both of you and give yourself time to find out what you enjoy and maybe you will find hobby you never thought about before.

I worked 5 days a week, 4 hours a day as a gate guard. Then I was responsible for policing up from 20-30 campsites a week.

sounds like you need to sell your rig and move home. apparently you have had a really bad experience. I have never experienced what you are describing.

Just another way to "serve" folks and "country".
Most military are great to be around. A minority of the retired ones seem to remember being a jerk before they entered military and are trying to revived "the old days".
98% of our hosting has been a win-win.
JM2C

Since the paid guy at Lackland is never there except 4 hours a day and never when RVs come in, there needs to be one here. Fort Sam has volunteer host, so why not at Lackland? The bases are all together now. We would love to be one of the host at Lackland.

camphosting is just like seaduty "if you are aboard you'r on duty"

I didn't camp host, I did maintenance. Mostly cutting the grass and getting rid of downed branches after a storm. Easy peasey. My reasons...free living and keeps me active. Worked maybe 10 hrs/wk

...I'd never do it, I like being a guest not an employee!

What I've seen/experienced of campground hosts more than not seems in my experience to be those people who can't afford their RV lifestyle dreams are the ones wanting to be campground hosts or they have a control issues and wanna boss people around...
Wired they seemingly tend to be squatters/homesteaders so in debt financing a duelly-fifth wheel if not a bonafide class A pusher/tow dolly with a fancy mini SUV who can't afford to travel so they think they'll squat and save up which they don't, they spend the money somehow else and leave eventually worse off than when they showed up?

Not making this up...watched it at sigsbee key west last 4 yrs...

Swim-bike-run-1 wrote:

...I'd never do it, I like being a guest not an employee!

What I've seen/experienced of campground hosts more than not seems in my experience to be those people who can't afford their RV lifestyle dreams are the ones wanting to be campground hosts or they have a control issues and wanna boss people around...
Wired they seemingly tend to be squatters/homesteaders so in debt financing a duelly-fifth wheel if not a bonafide class A pusher/tow dolly with a fancy mini SUV who can't afford to travel so they think they'll squat and save up which they don't, they spend the money somehow else and leave eventually worse off than when they showed up?

Not making this up...watched it at sigsbee key west last 4 yrs...

This may be true at Sigsbee, but NOT at the 22+ USFS campgrounds that I manage and hire camp hosts for.

Geez, Thanks Larry. We would enjoy being camp hosts. Planning on full timing and we would do it. We like happy campers and hosts can help keep them happy. Who would know what we owe or do not? Must have been a kidder there.

besides the obvious answers above..
...living on base is quiet, men and women with guns walking the fence. It allows me to leave my wallet and keys on the dash of my truck and not think twice.

lastly,...What riot? What BLM "protesters" d-bag idiots looting! What revolt? We don't have that on base!
Yeah..now you are getting it. See you at the campfire enjoying the glow of safety and security as society is tearing itself a new one.