working on the road

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by NorCal Dan on February 27, 2009 at 12:41pm

Thats the freedom of full-time RV'ing and workamping...you can work where you want to work. I don't know if any one place is better than another. If you plan to work for a wage then taxes come into the equation and that may have an impact on where you want to work.

Permalink Reply by Ron Story on March 1, 2009 at 10:34pm

NORCAL DAN:Hey Dan my name is RON STORY and im a member of this group and i have been wondering what kind of work you do out on the road and how you go about secureing it?Now do you tell the employer that you only need ajob for a short period of time and that your a seasonal worker.Would they rather have you or a full timer? I dont know your financial situation as to how much work is needed. All help you can give would be helpful..THANKS RON STORY

Permalink Reply by Nbar on April 1, 2009 at 3:48am

Ron, you might also try http://www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.com/. We found a great workamping job on their site.

Permalink Reply by NorCal Dan on March 3, 2009 at 7:13am

Hi Ron, we subscribe to the workamper.com site to find jobs. At present we do camp hosting. It's best to work out the details with the prospective employer. Some jobs advertised will require you to stay a certain length of time. And some offer a bonus if you stay to the end of the season.

We try to work a summer job up north and a winter job down south. We vary the locations so we can see the different parts of the country. We work for our site so there is no pay, and if you get a letter from the employer that says you are required to live on site then you don't have to claim anything for taxes.

As a general rule parks will require 20 hours a week per/RV. Your "pay" is usually a full hookup site. Some offer propane, wifi, and laundry. We do not take jobs that require more hours or if they offer money for hours worked over 20. And if they charge for electricity we won't take the job. It amazes me what some parks try to get away with when hiring workampers.

Here's an example. A park wants you to work 20 hours a week. 4 weeks in a month means your working 80 hours. If they charge $400/month for the site then your making $5/hr. Not even minimum wage. And if they charge for electricity or wifi or laundry or propane separately then your making even less. I saw a job listed yesterday that wanted 35 hours and charged for electricity. Sounds more like slave labor to me.

Anyways, just some ideas on what to watch out for when looking for work. Workamper.com has tons of jobs listed all over the country. Camp hosting, working on a ranch, property sitting, sales, cooks, gas line leak checkers, just about anything you can think of is out there.

If you have questions, post them here and I will try to answer...

Permalink Reply by robbins on May 27, 2009 at 12:13pm

hi we are a family of 4 wanting to look into fulltime on the road in a rv. we want to fing someone that can help us along the way on how other do this fulltime and make it with a family on the road. where to find work to feed your family and gas in the rv, places to stay all types of info anyone can help us with to help us see if we can make it or not. we have a child of 11 and one of 6. we want to sell our house and belongings and go on the road. if there is anyone that is doing this and can help us we will greatly appreciate any help (info) you can give. please email us at sunflower_bloomkimmy@yahoo.com or tjsfalcon18850@yahoo.com god bless thanks doug and kim

Permalink Reply by J Delaney Hansen on September 10, 2009 at 12:54pm

Hi All! I'm new to this site an in prepping stage to become a fulltimer along with my grown daughter. We are artist/crafter/writers who have decided to take it on the road. Yes 2 women can do it. I've camped since being a Brownie and love the freedom of being able to pick up and move to a new location at when things bottom out where you're at.

We were staying at a campground in the Smokies a bit over a year ago when a couple came through with two kids. They were fulltime RVers! The mom home schooled the kids and the dad was a crafter. He worked at the campsite while they were there and sold as many pieces as he could. After about a week of catching up on laundry, seeing a bit of the sights and visiting with other campers they made enough cash to move on.

There are many areas that are very seasonal and all but shut down in the off season, both in the north and in the south. Do some research on line. Network with others who have been to an area and know the ins and outs of the place.

The Smoky Mountains is a great place in the summer. The local businesses hire a lot of people in the spring and lay them off or cut hours to practically nothing in the fall. Most workers leave for other areas and return the next year. Locals attempt to make their yearly wages in 6 to 8 months and wait it out through winter. So if any one is interested in retail, restaurant or motel work in an absolutely beautiful area, check out East Tennessee. There are numerous campgrounds, many offer monthly rates in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Townsend. The scenery is extraordinary, but watch those curvy mountain roads with no guardrails!