"Our contestants are really keen to impress and do a great job for them," he says. "They're not building for themselves or for the house to be sold. They've actually got the client in mind."
And of course the challenges are great - having previously competed against each other, the House Rules constants must now work together. On the other hand, The Block contestants all come from different seasons of the show and have no prior relationship.
"Amazingly the House Rules guys had some real challenges working together as a team," he says. "They'd be the first to admit it, that they weren't working together as a team too well."
The first episode sees the re-emergence of simmering resentment towards House Rules husband and wife duo Michelle and Steve Ball.
"There were some dramas there and some old blood that was being spilled," he says. "But they eventually got over that and moved forward - and they had to, or they'd be punished."
Despite the drama, Cam says he's impressed with the stamina of the contestants and the standard of work - and the clients involved are equally chuffed with the results.
"They've been ecstatic," he says. "You've got a rundown little cottage that needs a bit of work and it's a bit old and tired. You hand over your keys and then six days later you come back and you've got half a million bucks worth of work done."
It quickly became obvious to Cam that the experience gained on previous shows was essential for the full-on builds on Reno Rumble, due to the physical pressure and lack of sleep.
"I'm surprised that even the experienced ones survived, they hit the ground running and just got stuck into from day one," he says.
"It's an amazing effort from them and they did do a terrific job and the standard is incredible."
But despite the drama and all that hard work, the contestants and their host do enjoy some decent downtime with a few beers off camera.
"We've got the campsites for the caravans and we've got a big fire going in the middle there ... after judgments or mid-week meetings we get on the beers and everyone gets on famously, it's terrific," he says in his famous Aussie drawl.
Reno Rumble follows a back-to-basics approach that Cam is lauding in the face of falling ratings for home renovation shows and reality television in general.
Rather than focusing on luxury and making money through sales, Reno Rumble is more about helping people out - it's kind of like The Block crossed with House Rules, with a bit of Extreme Makeover Home Edition thrown in the mix. Contestants also have the opportunity to win $50,000 for their chosen charity.
"Reno Rumble is all about renos and what can be done to a small house ... a lot of Aussies and a lot of Kiwis live in that little three-bedroom cottage," he says. "I think we've just got to make honest television and get back to basics and get back to renovating."
Who: Scott Cam
When and where: Reno Rumble screens on TV2 Monday at 8pm and Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30pm
