Seasonal labor is the number one operator complaint we hear, and nobody has written a useful guide on it. The workamper market in 2026 is tighter than it has been in a decade. The good ones get picked up in February for a June start. The ones available in May are usually available for a reason. Hiring well in this market is half timing, half documentation, and half pay structure. That math does not add up, which is the point.
Where the workampers actually live online
Stop posting in random Facebook groups. The serious candidates are in four places, and the closer to the top of this list, the more vetted the resume.
- Workamper News. The paid membership site that the experienced full-timers use. Higher floor on candidate quality, lower volume.
- CoolWorks Workamping. Cross-pollinated with national park and ski resort seasonal hiring. Younger demographic.
- Workers on Wheels. Older directory, smaller pool, but free to post.
- RV-Dreams and Escapees forums. Community boards that occasionally surface very strong candidates through word of mouth.
Facebook workamper groups are a distant fifth. They produce volume but the signal-to-noise ratio is brutal and the no-show rate after a verbal handshake is high.
The 1099-vs-W-2 question (this is where parks get audited)
The single fastest way to draw an IRS audit on your park is misclassifying workampers as 1099 contractors when they are functionally employees. The test is not what the agreement says. The test is the actual facts of the working relationship.
If the park sets the schedule, supplies the tools, supervises the work, and dictates how the job is done, the worker is a W-2 employee. The site exchange and any cash wages both count as compensation, both are subject to FICA, and the park is on the hook for workers' comp coverage. State minimum wage law still applies to the hours worked.
The 1099 lane is narrow. It works for true project-based contracts (a tree-service crew that comes in for a week to clear hazardous limbs and goes home). It does not work for a couple who lives on site, runs the office four days a week, and reports to the park manager. Calling that 1099 because both parties prefer the paperwork is the audit risk that ends a season.
Pay structures that survive an audit
| Structure | How it works | Audit risk |
|---|---|---|
| Pure site exchange | Free site + utilities, X hours per week, no cash. | High. The IRS values the site exchange as wages, the hourly works out to below minimum wage in most cases, and workers' comp is still required. |
| Site exchange + cash above threshold | Site covers first 20 hours per week. Hours above 20 paid hourly via W-2. | Low if documented correctly. Most common structure in the parks we work with. |
| Straight hourly W-2 | Worker pays site rent, park pays hourly wage with normal withholding. | Lowest. Cleanest paperwork. Worst optics with the workamper market. |
| Site exchange + 1099 cash | Site for in-kind work, plus a "stipend" labeled 1099. | Highest. This is the structure that gets audited. |
Field note: Background checks are not optional. We have seen parks skip the $40 check because the candidate "interviewed well," then discover three months in that the warrant from the previous state caught up with them on a Saturday afternoon. The check takes 24 hours, costs less than a tank of gas, and screens out the small percentage of resumes that should never be on park property.
The written agreement is non-negotiable
Verbal hires fall apart in week three when expectations turn out to have been different on both sides. The written agreement covers position, duties, schedule, compensation structure, what utilities are included, classification (W-2 or 1099), background check authorization, conduct standards, and termination terms. It also says exactly how many days the workamper has to vacate the site if the agreement ends, which is the question nobody thinks to negotiate until it is the question that matters most.
Free template: workamper agreement (PDF)
The template below covers all eight sections: worker info, position and duties, term and schedule, compensation (split into in-kind and cash), classification, background check authorization, conduct and termination, and signature blocks. View inline, download, and adjust the dollar amounts and duty list before signing anything.
Legal disclaimer
This article and the linked template are provided by Campground Management as an editable starting point. Neither is legal advice and neither is tax advice. Worker classification, wage and hour law, workers' compensation requirements, and tenancy rules around on-site housing vary by state. Confirm classification with your CPA and labor law with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before signing any agreement.
About the author
Sean Hakes is the founder of Campground Management. He has spent the last decade working with independent parks on hiring, paperwork, and the seasonal labor problem that is now everybody's problem. Send him a note if you want a hand adapting the agreement for your park.
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