Rewarding a server with a generous tip is common practice when they enhance your dining experience. However, is it any different to tip your campground host when they enhance your camping experience?
Today we’ll look at tipping campground hosts and whether it’s acceptable (or, worse, expected).
Let’s get started!
What Does an RV Park Campground Host Do?
The duties of a campground host will differ from campground to campground. However, there are a few things you can generally expect from a camp host. Enforcing the campground rules and regulations is often one major part of a campground host’s job.
This could mean asking guests to quiet down during quiet hours or getting them to put out their fires during a burn ban. Nobody likes to be the bad guy, but a campground host enforcing the rules helps ensure everyone is a happy camper.
Campground hosts are also responsible for ensuring sites are clean and ready for the next guest. If someone leaves a mess behind, they must ensure it’s cleaned up before the next guest arrives. This may even include scooping out ashes from fire pits.
Some campground hosts take care of other odds and ends around the campground. This could include electrical work, plumbing, or administration.
It may surprise you, but campground hosts often wear many hats when it comes to their jobs at a campground.
Pro Tip: Being a campground host is just one way people make money in the RV community. We talked to four couples and this is how they Get Paid To Travel in Their RV Camper.
Should You Tip Your Campground Host?
While a host may help increase your camping experience, tipping them isn’t necessary. Campgrounds often pay hosts in some fashion. This may be in the form of a free campsite and amenities or cash.
You don’t have to tip your campground host, but who doesn’t love a handsome reward for their hard work?
How Else Can You Show Your Appreciation to Your Hosts?
While you could tip your campground host with cash, there are some better ways to show your appreciation. Let’s take a look at what might be a better option than cash.
Write to the Campground Management
It doesn’t matter the industry; management always loves to hear when their employees exceed customer expectations. Campground management is no different. Spend a few minutes and write a thoughtful note to the campground management giving specific examples of how the campground host did a great job.
This may increase the chance of the campground inviting the host back for future opportunities far beyond a tip.
Bring Them a Meal
A campground host is often incredibly busy during peak camping season. One of the best ways to say thank you is by making them a meal or a special homemade treat.
You may want to give them a heads up to adjust for any allergies or food restrictions, but it’s a great sentiment.
Say Thank You
Many camp hosts are doing their jobs because they genuinely love hosting. They’re not expecting a big salary or much praise. You’d be surprised how much a simple “thank you” can mean.
Some of the best campground hosts do their jobs so well that you aren’t aware of what they’re doing. Telling them thanks can keep them motivated during the tough times when they have to deal with difficult or unruly campers.
Give a Good Review
Many people turn to campground reviews when booking their sites. If a campground host has gone above and beyond to make you feel welcome, be sure to mention it in the review.
Knowing that a campground has excellent camp hosts can incentivize other campers to stay at the campground. There’s also a good chance campground management will see your review and reward the camp host for their excellent work.
If You Do Decide to Tip, How Much Is Appropriate?
Maybe you’re still set on giving a monetary tip to your campground host but need help deciding how much. Because there’s no expectation of a monetary tip, this is completely up to you.
The campground host will likely reject any form of monetary payment, but they’ll appreciate the gesture. You can never be too generous when it comes to tipping, so go for whatever you feel is appropriate.
Keep in Mind: Budgeting, monetary tip included or not, is a necessity to full time RVing success. Make budgeting easy by reading more about What’s the Average Cost of RV Camping this Summer?
Is Tipping Your Campground Host a Good Move?
Campground hosts likely won’t expect a tip from a camper. However, it can be a great way to show the host you appreciate them. While tipping the valet can help ensure good treatment for your vehicle, tipping your campground host likely won’t get you that dream pull-thru site that gets booked up right away.
There are times in life where people go above and beyond what you expect from them, and you want to reward them. The more you camp, the more you’ll recognize the campground hosts who go above and beyond their duties.
Do you have any stories of a campground host going above and beyond to make your camping experience even better?
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Like this site a lot. But sometime could address how to get your mail while traveling . I find rule of USPS very difficult to navigate.
I have been a campground host in a SC State Park for a few months. I enjoy meeting the campers and answering any questions the have. Mu duties include cleaning the bathhouses, placing reservation tags on the campsites, cleaning the campsites and firepits, selling firewood & ice, and reminding campers of the rules when they are violating them. We call the Ranger to enforce the rules if the camper doesn’t comply. I am expected to do 20 to 25 hours of work per week in return for a free full hookup campsite. I don’t expect gratuity from the campers, but a compliment about me to the Ranger is always nice.
In my years of camping around the country, I’ve only had one conversation with a campground host when they stop by to see how things were going.
NO, do you see how fast I answered your question?
Look, you’re paying for a service and in some cases you’re paying between $50 and $100 per night to park your rig and plug into shore power….some state parks don’t even have power……tip them for what??? This is the most asinine thing I have ever heard of……
Her people that don’t tip their campost are just nothing but greedy people camp hosts being one myself don’t get paid very well and tips are always welcome to help supplement our income $700 for 2 weeks and that’s $350 per person every two weeks so $1,400 for a couple that is Cam posting is slave wages for the hard work and you’re wondering about tipping you greedy sobs
Why in the world would you want to start tipping camp ground host. 98% of the host I’ve talked to make pretty good money and or benefits for being a host. All you are doing is starting a way for some people getting better treatment then others. Wrong and Unnecessary. People are going RV ING to enjoy, not to start having to worry that the site they get is the worst at camp grounds because people with extra money in pocket are buying off the better sites, especially at a first come first camp ground.
You bring up the that people wait on you in restaurants get tips, but for pretty well most of them that is the biggest part of there pay check
Most states have laws that allow restaurant owners to pay there employees way below minimum wage. So tips is how they make up the difference.
So in my opinion and others I have talked too agree that tipping a camp ground host is a bad idea. The only people it’s going to benefit is people with a lot of cash in there pocket while the rest of us get the leftovers.
I’m not saying my income is at a lower end of the scale, me and the wife live a comfortable lifestyle. From life experience I can see where this is going. So now that you brought up ithe idea, you have only opened up a can of worms.
Your just making it more expensive for the everyday camper and possibly a bad experience for someone that can’t afford the extra money. Most campers are just want a weekend of fun with family and friends, not have to worry about did I bring cash for the host tip……
No.
We have never tipped a campground host, however we have cooked a meal for them and took one couple to lunch on their day off. This couple made our camping experience very enjoyable….they even delivered firewood purchased by campers…..and after they retired, we have remained friends.
Most campground hosts are given a free or reduced rate on the site they occupy to maintain the rules of the park and to clean out vacated campsites of trash and fire pits. However, there are very nice hosts and also some very grumpy hosts. I leave reviews accordingly and I also try to thank them in person. That being said, I have not considered leaving a tip or meal, etc. as I feel they are already being compensated either monetarily. or with a free site to do the job they do. No one forced them to accept the compensation they get. No to tipping! Yes to good manners!
Ridiculous! Many campgrounds are being bought up by corporations. Then they
Call it a resort (no additional amenities are there from the year before when it was just a campground). The price is often 2 and 3x what you paid before; and sometimes, even more. The gouging has gotten so ridiculous that we no longer stay in a private RV Park. County, state, or federal for now. Besides, most private places have no hanicapped accessible facilities anyway. We enjoyed supporting the small businessman or woman. Sadly, they too sold out… what happens when everyone is sold out?
As a former host, I would be very uncomfortable with someone tipping with cash. A treat of some sort, a card or note, an acknowledgment to management would be much more appreciated.
No tip for campground host other than a thank you. Tipping has gotten out of hand. Would you tip the gas pump jockey that just filled your rv tank, I think not.
As a camp host I never expect anything, but a nice gesture is alway appreciative. We have to deal with a lot, from cleaning up your dirty bathroom, cleaning sites, lots of hard work. A camp host does not own the property, we don’t see any of the money you spent to stay, so a nice gesture like a tip is always a kind, nice thing to do.
Tips in most all fields is appreciated, it shows someone cares and respects you. Kindness goes a long way!