How Do You Run an RV Park Without Burning Out?
You answer the phone at 7 a.m., fix the dump station at noon, check in a late arrival at 10 p.m., and do the books on Sunday. That’s not a job. That’s a trap.
Seasonal staff are harder to find, and guests expect to book at all hours. This page shows an RV park owner how to build a park that doesn’t need them every minute.
Owners stretched this thin are who Dr. Paul Borosky, Business Consultant, works with most. He has helped 1,000+ small businesses get organized.
Talk to Dr. PaulCall or text (321) 948-9588.
Last Updated: November 2026
Real World Help From Dr. Paul
How This Guide Works
Five-minute version: Doctor Owl’s answer and the 3 steps below. Full version: Commander Colt, the horse who runs the campsites in Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series, hasn’t had a day off in two summers. Greta has a plan. The numbers follow.
- Write down every task you did last week and how long each took.
- Circle the tasks only you can do. Everything else gets a written how-to.
- Turn on online booking and payment so the phone isn’t the only way in.
When Did Colt Last Take a Day Off?
Commander Colt checked in every guest, fixed every leak, and answered every call himself. He was also the forest’s mayor. He hadn’t taken a day off in two summers.
Doctor Owl asked, “Fire or foundation?” Colt was running on fumes, and a tired owner makes costly mistakes. That’s a fire. They worked it with Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.
- Organize. Greta tracked a week of Colt’s time. Most of it went to check-ins and phone bookings, tasks someone else could do.
- Plan. Colt put booking and payment online and wrote a one-page how-to for check-in.
- Grow. Greta trained two seasonal helpers who camp for free in exchange for working the front desk part of each week.
Colt took his first Sunday off in two years. The park ran fine.
Why Is It So Hard to Step Back From an RV Park?
Firefly Reservations wrote in May 2026 that the seasonal labor shortage that started during the pandemic has become the new normal for campgrounds, with higher wages and smaller applicant pools.
Guests have changed too. Storable Newbook’s 2026 survey found a third of campers usually book outside business hours, and 47% go to another park after one unanswered call when there’s no way to book online. RoverPass’s 2026 report found 60% of bookings on its platform came online direct, with 29% by phone.
RoverPass platform data. Source: RoverPass 2026 Outdoor Hospitality Report.
What Does That Mean for You as an Owner?
If the phone is the only way to book, you’re on call around the clock and still losing guests. Every task only you know how to do is a task you can’t hand off.
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a risk to the park, and to what a buyer would pay for it someday.
How Do You Build a Park That Runs Without You?
- Track your own time. One week is enough to see the pattern.
- Move booking online. Let guests book and pay at 11 p.m. without you.
- Write it down. Check-in, closing, and emergency steps on one page each.
- Cross-train. Two people should know every key job.
- Use workampers. OHI says a full hookup site for 15 to 20 hours of work a week is a common trade.
What Is an Hour of Your Time Worth?
Illustration only. Round numbers, not a real company.
Say you spend 15 hours a week on phone bookings and check-ins during a 26-week season. That’s 390 hours. If a workamper covers those hours in exchange for a site you’d rent for $600 a month, you trade about $3,600 in site rent for six months of your evenings.
Illustration only.
Build staffing into your plan with the RV park business plan template, and see how good reviews follow a park that runs smoothly.
Doing Everything at Your Park Yourself?
Bring one week of your schedule to a free 15-minute call with Dr. Paul. You’ll leave knowing the first job to hand off.
Or call or text (321) 948-9588.
What Do Owners Ask About Burnout?
Can a small park afford staff?
Often, yes, if you trade sites for hours with workampers and move booking online.
Where do I find workampers?
Job boards built for work campers, and your own past guests. Post six months ahead.
What should I hand off first?
Whatever eats the most hours and needs the least judgment, usually check-ins and phone bookings.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, helps owners build businesses that run without them every minute.
Sources
- Firefly on campground staffing (May 2026).
- Storable Newbook camper survey, via RV PRO (September 2026).
- RoverPass 2026 Outdoor Hospitality Report.
- OHI on workampers.