Wor Camping Options

[RLM]

There has not been much discussion on the website about work camping so I decided to start the topic. I am sure that there are members of the site who do work camping and some that would like to get into it. I suspect that both categories could improve the learning curve for each other.

Some ideas to respond to:

1- Who works for only a free site and who works for the money? Why do you do either?
2- What's the best way to get started?
3- Because of the lack of work camping experience and competition for jobs, does one have to accept the first offer even if it isn't suited for you?
4- How much effort and time does it take to get the idea work camper job? What is involved?
5- Is work camping in a commercial campground preferable to a public one like a national park or forest service?
6- What is your best and worst experience?
7- For those who have work camped, what is the one (one only) valuable piece of advise you could give someone considering it?
8- For those who are just getting into the work camping thing, what's the most annoying aspect of the process?

[westernrvparkowner]

Jerry has it pretty well covered. Also, an employer is required to report income paid to independent contractors on IRS form 1099 if the amount exceeds $500.00. This creates a situation where the employee would be responsible for paying income tax as well as self employment tax. This could be more expensive to the contract employee than it would be to a regular employee. The way some campgrounds get around this it to just plain break the law and pay cash under the table. This all works out fine until there is a dispute, and audit or an on the job injury. When those things happen it is bad for everyone. I just don't feel the risk justifies the savings so my work campers are employees. I don't like the extra costs and it would be great to pass the savings an under the table employment arrangement on to the employee, but it is just not worth it.