As CampLife’s Customer Success Team Lead, Dan Benton takes his work on the road—literally. He and his wife, Nancy, spend most of the year living in their camper, but that doesn’t slow him down. Instead, living the RV lifestyle gives Dan a perspective that helps him better understand the needs of campground owners, far beyond the traditional sticks-and-bricks experience.
After 30 years in the restaurant business, Dan felt ready for something different. What he didn’t know is just how different things were about to get.
“In the winter of 2021, my wife Nancy, who’s a nurse, got a call from a recruiter asking if she was interested in being a travel nurse,” Dan recalled. “We immediately started talking about the ‘what ifs.’ We had just bought my mom’s camper. It was just a 22 footer, but we thought we’d try it out to see if we were camper people.”
They figured they’d ease into RV living, so Nancy took a nursing assignment in Knoxville, Tennessee, just an hour from their home. They spent the weekdays there, returning home on the weekends.
“Through that experience, we decided we were ready to do this full time,” Dan recalled. “Nancy continued taking travel nurse assignments, so we traded the 22 footer for a 37 foot travel trailer. That’s when I started looking for a remote job.”
And that’s when he discovered CampLife.
To get the ball rolling, Dan reached out to the CampLife team, and before long, he heard back from Vice President, Jackie Duffy. As Jackie shared CampLife’s vision, Dan shared why the vision resonated with him.
“I said, ‘Your company name fits. You’re CampLife, and I’m living the camp life,’ “ Dan said. “The more we talked, the more we connected. I wanted to be with a company where I could make an impact. I wanted to be a part of a company where I could help them to keep moving in the direction they were going.”
So what does Dan actually bring to the table? A lot more than just his favorite camp chair.
Dan spends the bulk of his day tending to customer requests via phone, email, and chat. That’s his first priority. But when he isn’t handling support tickets, he invests time in training CampLife users to get the most out of the system.
“I teach the General Training session every Thursday. That’s my fun time of the week,” Dan admitted. “I enjoy it. I never know who I’m going to get; whether it’s a new user or a new admin or even sometimes an existing park that just wants a refresher. Either way, it’s a chance to help them learn the system quickly and get them up and running.”
These sessions happen every Thursday at 11 am CST, making it easy for customers to join. Whether you’re new to CampLife or just need a refresher, all are welcome. Simply click on the support tab in Hub for the link to join.
However, as Customer Success’ Team Lead, Dan doesn’t keep all the fun to himself. When parks request individual training sessions, Dan encourages other team members to take point on topics where they believe they can provide the most help.
“We split the individual training sessions between all Customer Success team members depending on what the need is,” Dan explained. “We can help parks in all ways, but we each have our own strengths. If it’s accounting, we shuffle that over to Rebekah and Nicole. Robert works well with rates and reports.”
By tapping into each individual's expertise, Dan and his team make sure that parks receive the most relevant and effective support, leading to the ideal setup for each park.
But Dan isn’t just big on training. He’s into learning, too—and that may be where the biggest benefit to CampLife parks comes in.
Working from the road gives Dan a vantage point he’d never gain from behind a desk.
“I get the opportunity to visit our parks and see how they are using our system in the wild, so to speak,” Dan said. “I know that out in the field, parks use the software in totally different ways sometimes. When I see the shortcuts and workarounds that I learn from being with park staff, I am sure to share that when I’m doing training sessions.”
Dan added, “Seeing the parks in action and then seeing them in the system helps me understand their struggles. Now, when they do call in, I can visualize things better. For example, when Austin Lake calls and talks about Swan Cabin, I know what they’re talking about. And when you see it and see how they use it, you’re like, ‘Oh, I get it now.’ ”
Dan can’t always stay at parks that use CampLife’s reservation system, though. Yet, those visits also provide valuable insights.
“When I visit parks that are not on our system, I get to experience their setup as a guest,” Dan shared, “It lets me feel the pain—or ease—of the guests’ side.”
These experiences give Dan a broader understanding of what customers look for when booking reservations. Nancy, who also books reservations occasionally, appreciates how CampLife’s system makes travel planning simpler.
“The system is easy to use when I’m trying to find a park,” Nancy said. “It’s straightforward and convenient, which makes the whole process smooth and stress-free.”
“I am just so thankful for the opportunity to work here,” Dan confessed. “Yes, we have busy days, but even on those days I stop and think, look at how I get to live. I love our home in Cleveland, Tennessee. I love the Smokey Mountains. I used to tell everyone, I live in my vacation spot. But now, I’m living my dream of traveling, and it’s because of CampLife.”
Nancy, reflected on their journey, saying, “When we first started, we had no idea how much we’d love the freedom of being on the road. For anyone thinking about it, give it a try. Rent a camper. Take it out for a week or even a month even. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it.”
For the Bentons, every new location feels like home. While they keep their base in Cleveland, the road offers endless opportunities to explore new landscapes and embrace the flexibility that RV living brings.
“My office changes when we change location,” Dan said. “For the most part, if it’s not raining or freezing, I’m outside. Right now, I’m looking at the New Mexico desert on one side and a lake on the other. I’ve got cactus. I’ve got crazy little lizards. CampLife is all about getting people outside. So that’s the way we live.”
If Dan’s story resonates with you and you’re interested in being a part of a team that values and supports campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada, visit our website to explore current opportunities so you can make an impact in the outdoor hospitality industry with us!
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