Has anyone here "workcamped"? Either working in the park or campground you live in or even working outside and moving on on occasion?

Campground hosting... is it doable without other income?

What type of work have you done and how did it work out financially for you? Were/are you able to do this and still retain medical insurance?

I have heard that Wal Mart is quite generous with the opportunities to move to different areas (Rotate stores) and this may be a viable option for those not in retirement mode yet. Any other ideas?

I don’t know if this counts, but when I travel, I stay connected via my EVDO air card and when possible Wi-Fi so I can take care of my Internet customers.

Don’tcha just love cell phones and laptops?

There’s lots of people working like that from home and on the road. I believe its going to be the thing of the future.

From conversations I have had with hosts, it can be hard to get the "good" campgrounds. They all seem to have different requirements and responsibilites. A lot have told me that you have to work your way up within their respective system. When I camped up in the Trinity a couple of years ago, a single woman was the host of the small campground I was in and she loved it, and she did not have to clean the bathrooms . I think she said that she had another job in town too.
Like I have said before, when I was on the road I supported myself on my art work. I think that, now, with the abilities to communicate better via internet and cell phones, you can even make a better go at it. You could easily increase sales by having a website and using the shows as advertisement, altho direct sales are always better. It just gives those "be backs" a reason
BTW Gina, went past your house the other day when we were in the neighborhood. Wanted to show Jackie your trailer. She loved it . We had errands to run and you were at work.
Bob

Some fulltimers in Grande Cache this weekend selling there wares Due to The Canadian Death Race.They get free camping in public spots.

Just a after thought my Wife spent $42.00 on items from the fulltimers.

What was it she couldn’t live with out?

Pot holders--Pot scrubbers---Tea pot warmers---Things of that nature.All home made. Some she bought for gifts for later on.

Hi Gina

I am presently workamping at the Parry Lodge (parrylodge.com) in Kanab, UT doing grounds work. I had posted a resume up on workamper.com and a perspective employer read it, gave me a call, interviewed me on the phone, and offered me the job. It use to be just RV parks and campground type jobs but more and more businesses are finding that workampers are generally pretty dependable, seasonal workers. The Lodge had four workampers last year and have thirteen this year. There are numerous sites on the web that offer seasonal jobs that I can post if anyone is interested. It helps if you are a couple. There are not as many openings for singles but they are out there. Many campgrounds want a host there all the time so it is hard to make a grocery/laundry/whatever run to town.

Sebastian

Hello there everyone I am new. My name is Chase. My plan is to buy a F-150 in the next few months. Shortly afterward, I will be buying a Scamp 5th wheel. I will be working on the road per say. I am a pipefitter. I can make big money on the road and I can save a lot of money on hotels by living in a camper. Will an F-150 be sufficient for a Scamp Fifth wheel and what problems do you think I would encounter? Living at campgrounds, campsites, and working? Will I be saving a lot of money compared to hotels? The other choice would be to room with someone else in a hotel and cut costs in half. But i enjoy living alone and not having anyone bother me when I come home from work. Any advice would be helpful thank you.

I think you might encounter problems with bed height, and you may have to have the trailer "Lifted".
The Scamp 5er was designed with smaller V6 Pickup Trucks in mind, like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Canyon, Nissan Frontier.

If you will be LIVING in your rig, then yes, spread out over time, you will save significantly over hotels.

If you are here 2 or 3 days, then back for two weeks, then out for another couple of days, probably not. The cost of owning and maintenance of a trailer and tow vehicle is quite high by comparison for the few days spent in a hotel.

It's a great idea, and I am envious if you do steady work all over to make it worth it!

By the way, although this is an RV group, I would be remiss not to mention this here. In Florida, I met many folks who worked loooong contracts in different areas of the country, wanted to live in larger RVs but didn't want the investment or upkeep of a monster hauling machine for the RV. What they did instead was just hire a company to tow their RV to the next RV park near the next job site.

When you stop and look at it from the right perspective, that's not a lot different from snowbirds with motorhomes and a towed car. They only move it twice a year and the car is their prime vehicle at each location.

Like a lot of these decisions, a lot depends on how often one will be moving.

I own a 97 F150 with a Scamp 5th wheel. 4x4, It barely fits, I tow with a slightly elevated front end of 5er. The new f150 have higher side rails. A lift is a must for a new F150, I will buy a Toyota Tacoma when the time comes and I will have to lift my 5er.

Scamp is really good about working with you if you buy new from them. I have camped for extended periods on the Oregon Coast in the winter and For the Money I would put in a dehumidifier. We used our Portable one from the house and it really helped to dry things out. It also helps it stay warmer. If I was going to live in one full time A/C is a must the little egg can really get a cooking. Our A/C keeps it pleasant when summer ever returns.

Towing A Scamp 5er is great you hardly know it is there. It is really easy to jack it in and out of tight spots. The new Escape 5th wheel would seem a better fit for a F150. It will hurt a bit with the rate of exchange at the moment but it may be a better fit.

Greetings from Soggy Bottom Oregon

Hi Sebastian -

Yes, please do post the list of seasonal jobs that you have! We're always dreaming of getting away.

Mike & Lori

Work Kamper dot Com

Mike and Lori

It depends on what type of work one is looking for. workamper.com is a very popular source and I would bet it's how most RVers fiind a job. Their listings are extensive and one also gets a daily email with openings. They also cover pumpkin and christmas tree lots (notice there is frequently an RV parked behind the lot?). I used the site to get a stellar job for last summer. I let my membership lapse, however, since I am looking more towards primitive campgrounds. I used another source for the host job I have lined up for this summer. I lucked out and also have a job teaching silversmithing for a few weeks prior to host job. There must be gods.

Here's some other ideas and I can dig out others if I go through my laptop files:

Workamping at Lake Mead, NV. Callville Bay Marina & Resort 702-565-8958

Check into Southern Cross, gasline inspectors and Medora, ND, suppose to have a lot of seasonal jobs

Contact employers even if you don't find a help wanted advertisement.

Artspan – if you are an artist and sell your work > Artspan is the leader in artist websites and in search rankings by the top search engines. Artspan sites: low cost, high visibility, ease of site management. www.artspan.com

summer camps

Many Alaskan public schools hire RVers to park on their property and watch it in the summers

California Land Management http://www.clm-services.com

http://www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.com
http://www.coolworks.com
http://www.yellowstonejobs.com
http://www.seasonalemployment.com/index.htm
http://www.workersonwheels.com/
http://backdoorjobs.com/environment.html
http://www.fabjob.com/default.asp?affiliate=447
http://www.caretaker.org
http://www.housesit.org
http://www.housecarers.com/?hop=wowrvers
http://roadrat.com

Sebastian

Super List!!! Best I have seen

Wow! Thanks for the input! This will definitely go in the "to do someday" file!

Lori

Sasbastain's list and links look like something to put into the helpful links area.

Gina is already on it.

Yes, there is now an entirely new section under the links for Fulltiming Resources. HERE

This section is devoted to employment.

seasonalworkers appears to be defunct.