So you want to hit the road in your RV, but need income along the way? Perhaps a workamping job is the thing for you! In this week’s Location Independent Lifestyle Series, we will discuss workamping.
Workamping is defined as a form of RV camping where singles or couples do part-time or full-time work in exchange for a free RV site (including utilities) and/or wages. These positions can be located in private RV resorts, campgrounds, state or national parks, Christmas tree lots, amusement parks, retail stores, food service, and many more locations.
This time of year, a very popular place for workampers is with Amazon’s CamperForce. Amazon hires nomads to pick/pack Christmas orders for their Christmas rush this time of year. The pay is good and they will even give you a completion bonus after the season is over on December 23rd. The season starts in early Fall, so it’s a little too late for this year, but something to keep in mind for next year. From what I understand, the work is not easy but the pay is great. Many Amazon CamperForce workers go back year after year. You can find more information at the Amazon Camperforce webpage.
Another yearly workamping job that is very popular is the sugar beet harvest. The sugar beet harvest begins October 1 and generally runs for about 3 weeks, depending on the weather. You work in 12-hour shifts, collecting beets or operating the machinery. The pay is $12/hour for the first 8 hours, then time and a half for the other 4 hours each day, with Saturdays all day at time and a half, and Sundays at either time and a half or double time. Your campsite of course is provided for free. Many people boast making upwards of $2000 or more in the 3 weeks they are there. More information can be found at www.sugarbeetharvest.com.
Another popular career choice for nomads is to work on the pipeline. You are required to follow the pipeline as it is being built. Jobs range from laborers to engineers, and every job in between. The jobs seem to be located in many different states. There are many job listings at www.rigzone.com.
Many workampers choose to work for private campgrounds, either as hosts, groundskeepers, office workers or any other jobs that the owners of the campgrounds need. There are several websites that list workamping jobs for campgrounds such as www.workamper.com (they actually trademarked the term “workamping”), www.workampingjobs.com, or www.camphost.org. Many of these are paid positions, as well as providing your campsite free of charge. Depending upon the amount of hours worked, some campgrounds do not pay an hourly wage, but rather just provide your site. Most of these positions require that you send them a simple resume detailing your past experience, and including a photo of you and your RV. Many of these jobs are seasonal, depending on their location, so many workampers move around to the northern states in the summer and the southern states in the winter.
As you can see, there are many ways to make money as a workamper while you travel. I have met people who work construction jobs, as well as sales, while they travel in their RV. The possibilities are pretty much limitless! I hope that I have been able to give you a few good ideas for workamping positions and where to find them. For a look at our other articles in the work from anywhere series, follow these links to our other 2 articles on Freelancing and Avoiding Scams when looking for jobs. And remember to tune in next Monday as we continue our series on The Location Independent Lifestyle – Working From Anywhere.