It’s one of the most common logistics decisions in the Bakken: when you need to house oil field workers for an extended rotation, do you go with a man camp or an RV park?
Both options have real advocates. Both have real limitations. And the honest answer — which most content on this topic avoids — is that it depends on specifics that vary by crew size, contract structure, job site location, and how long the assignment runs.
This post breaks down both options without a sales pitch for either. By the end, you should have a clearer sense of which fits your situation.
What Is a Man Camp?
A man camp (also called a workforce camp or crew camp) is a temporary or semi-permanent housing facility specifically built for large groups of workers. They range from basic modular units to more developed facilities with private rooms, cafeteria service, recreation areas, and laundry.
Man camps in the Bakken are typically operated by either the energy company itself, a third-party housing contractor, or an independent operator that leases capacity to multiple clients. They can house anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred workers.
What Is a Workforce RV Park?
A workforce RV park is an RV park with infrastructure, amenities, and rate structures specifically designed for workers on extended stays — typically at weekly or monthly rates. Workers bring or rent their own RV or trailer and stay on a designated site with full hookups (water, electric, sewer), shared facilities like laundry and showers, and often Wi-Fi.
The key distinction from a standard campground is that workforce-oriented parks run their operations around the realities of oil field scheduling — rotating crews, irregular hours, extended timelines, and the need for reliability over amenities.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Cost
Man camps: Costs vary widely depending on the operator and contract structure. Employer-sponsored camps may be partially or fully covered by the company. Third-party man camps typically run $80–$150+ per night per worker when paying market rate, which adds up quickly for extended stays.
RV parks: Monthly rates at workforce-oriented parks in the Bakken typically run $700–$1,200 per site depending on location and amenities. For a worker with their own RV, that’s the primary housing cost. Even factoring in RV ownership or rental costs, the per-month figure for longer stays usually comes in well below man camp rates.
Verdict: RV parks typically win on cost for stays beyond two to three weeks, especially when employer subsidies aren’t available.
Availability
Man camps: Capacity is fixed and tied to the operator’s infrastructure. When a camp is full, it’s full — and demand across the Bakken tends to spike simultaneously when drilling activity picks up. Getting into a man camp often requires advance booking through specific operators, and availability for independent contractors or small crews can be limited.
RV parks: Availability varies by park and season, but the broader inventory of workforce-oriented parks across the Bakken means more options to search. Parks can often accommodate both individual workers and crews with more scheduling flexibility than fixed-capacity camp facilities.
Verdict: RV parks generally offer more options and more booking flexibility, especially for smaller crews and independent workers.
Privacy and Space
Man camps: Accommodations range from shared bunk arrangements to private modular rooms. Higher-end facilities offer more privacy, but even private rooms are typically small and in close proximity to dozens or hundreds of other workers. Common areas, cafeterias, and shared spaces mean limited personal space.
RV parks: Workers have their own RV — their own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living space. After a 12-hour shift, having somewhere to decompress without shared walls makes a genuine difference in quality of life, particularly on longer rotations.
Verdict: RV parks offer significantly more privacy and personal space, which matters more the longer the rotation runs.
Flexibility
Man camps: Housing is typically tied to a specific employer contract or third-party arrangement. If the assignment ends early, extends, or shifts to a different operator, the housing situation may not follow. Workers on multiple contracts or with different operators in the same season may need to renegotiate housing arrangements repeatedly.
RV parks: Workers or crews manage their own housing independently of employer arrangements. If the assignment changes, the housing doesn’t have to. Month-to-month or weekly arrangements at most workforce parks allow for timeline adjustments without significant penalties.
Verdict: RV parks offer substantially more flexibility, especially for independent contractors and workers with variable or multi-operator assignments.
Amenities and Services
Man camps: Higher-end facilities include cafeteria service, housekeeping, recreation rooms, and organized social spaces. For workers who want a more managed experience — particularly on very remote job sites — this can be a genuine advantage.
RV parks: Workforce parks offer the practical basics: full hookups, laundry, showers, and Wi-Fi. Workers handle their own cooking and cleaning. The trade-off for services is independence and significantly lower cost.
Verdict: Man camps offer more managed services. RV parks offer more independence. Which one matters more depends heavily on the worker and the assignment.
Contract and Commitment Risk
Man camps: In employer-sponsored arrangements, housing is tied to employment. Termination, contract end, or job change means immediate loss of housing — a real vulnerability for workers, and a retention risk for employers who’ve made housing part of their compensation package.
RV parks: Housing is independent of employment. Workers maintain their own arrangement regardless of what happens on the employment side. This removes a significant source of uncertainty on both sides.
Verdict: RV parks carry lower risk around contract changes and employment transitions.
Suitability by Worker Type
Man camps work well for:
- Large crews (50+) on long-term, single-operator contracts
- Remote job sites with limited nearby infrastructure
- Workers who prefer managed services and don’t own or want to manage an RV
- Short-term assignments where the managed experience outweighs the cost
RV parks work well for:
- Individual workers and small crews (1–20) on rotating schedules
- Independent contractors working across multiple operators
- Workers on variable timelines who need housing flexibility
- Longer-term stays where cost becomes a primary factor
- Workers who value privacy and personal space
The Honest Bottom Line
Man camps made a lot of sense when Bakken infrastructure was being built out and there were no other options for large crews in remote locations. They still make sense for specific situations — particularly large, long-term, single-operator contracts at remote sites.
But for most workers in the current Bakken environment — independent contractors, small crews, workers on variable rotations, anyone working across multiple operators — an RV park with long-term rates offers a better combination of cost, flexibility, and quality of life.
The workers who’ve been around the basin for a few years tend to figure this out on their own. The ones who haven’t yet are usually still trying to get into man camps that are full or expensive, when a workforce park with availability would serve them better.
Neither option is right for everyone. But if you’re making this decision for yourself or your crew, now you know the actual tradeoffs.