Talk about fast. I signed up for WorkKamping News yesterday and got accepted today for a position at http://www.bigbearkentuckylake.com. This will be our our first workkamping position and really excited about it. Does anyone have any experience staying at or working at this campground.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ron & Laine,

Ron.......Lots of workcamping experience but not at this campground. Just wanted to say best of luck in your venture. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

The link didn’t work. Is this it?

http://www.bigbearkentuckylake.com/

D8WKND,

That that is the link.

Thanks Art and Bev. It sure looks great. Will follow up with results when we finish.

Hi Good Luck with in your new lifestyle. Don't forget to post your comments, Good or Bad in the WKN's forum. We all appreciate the info.

WOW, Ron & Laine, I went to the website & it sure looks like a fun place. What will your duties be & how many hours? Free campsite?

quote:

Originally posted by M&M:
WOW, Ron & Laine, I went to the website & it sure looks like a fun place. What will your duties be & how many hours? Free campsite?

M&M,

I will be doing regular maintance work, cutting grass etc.
Laine will be in office, marina sales office. Free FHU with 32 hours work, plus we get paid for all hours worked. Was told we can work as many hours as we like.

Thanks, have a great time!!!!

Would you know if the park has raised they rate of pay from $5.25 an hour???

Don't know much about it but when I was younger family went down almost every weekend to fish..left our Starcraft pop-up there all summer. Hoping to get back there sometime
Have fun

As of July 24th, 2007, the Federal Minimum Wage was raised to $5.85 and this is what the state of KY pays. Unless this park meets criteria to exempt them from it, this is the lowest hourly wage you can expect. Minimum wage for any state can be found by doing a google search for minimum wage laws.

Hello all,

Well we have been here just over 10 days and I must say is is the quietist campground I have ever been in. There are several permanent residents here and the rest is fisherman campers. This past weekend a bass tournment was held that brought in many fisherman. I have been busy cutting dead trees and cutting grass. DW has been working the marina, front office and running the cash register in the grill.

When we first got here we had good signal for the dish. Then when the leaves popped out we lost all. The owner went out and rented a large boom bucket and cut out the obstruction.

We are rally enjoying ourselves and I must say this is the most friendly place I have ever visited. This includes the town of Benton, Paducah, Draffenville and Murray.

Clearing the trees gave enough firewood for the summer. Our site has the lake to the rear of the RV, so when we look out our window we see trees and the lake.

The owners are very friendly and let you work at your own pace. I do get a task sheet on what she wants done but no timeframe in getting it done.

Oh, yes the pay is way over the minimum wage and we accepted 32 hours per week and a FHU site, with 30 amps only, but with the shade trees I don't think 50 amps will be needed. We do get Sun, Mon and Tue off to do our touring of the area on our new Yamaha 650 Classic.

As time progresses I will give more feed back.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ron & Laine,

Ron, we just got a Vstar 650 custom, new '07.

Well, we just completed our 4 month workkamping job. It wasn't your typical workkamper job. We had very little work in the campground other than cleaning a few fire rings and keeping the grass cut. Most of the work was done in the resort part. Here is a list of things that I did:

New shingles on roofs
Repaired shingles on restaurant
Cut trees in excess of 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
Removed tree stumps by digging below ground level and cut off with chainsaw.
Trimmed low hanging branches with chainsaw or loping shears
Split wood with log splitter
Backhoe operations digging broken water lines
Cutting grass/Weed eating approximately 50 acres (used 72 inch Zero turn John Deere)
Replaced broken lights, fixtures, etc.
Filled holes in blacktop with blacktop patch.
Raked leaves, pine needles.
Edged many many feet of streets and sidewalks with gas powered edger (first time it had been done).
Help recover a sunken boat from marina.
Repaired marina docks including welding up new brackets holding gas lines that ran to gas pumps.
Installed new vinyl fence approximately 60 feet and installed/wired lights to post.
Serviced all motorized vehicles/equipment which included 3 John Deere tractors/backhoe, 1 Zero turn lawn mower, dump truck, maintenance van, 2 push mowers, 1 ATV.
Repaired decks picnic tables with new boards.
I am sure I have missed many things that I did at the beginning, but gives you an idea how my summer went.

Laine work consisted of working in the office for a couple of days, the marina a couple of days, housekeeping for about a week and the rest was working in the restaurant.

The owners were very easy to work for, they never told me how to things or in what order. Basically I seen things that needed to be taken care of and did it.

It was very enjoyable although a lot of work. Would I return another season, NO.
Why:

1. The campground is approximately 60 years old. The wiring is 30 amp and wiring is WAY too light causing low voltage many times, circuit breakers were always popping. (Had to install a 50 amp Auto former to help with that).
2. Very little contact with campers/RVers most of slots were with homesteaders.
3. Too much to do in maintenance for the number of employees. (had 3 different high schools kids that well lets say they were allergic to work).