On the Road

It’s finally here! Our “Working From the Road” special issue. In honor of US Tax Day, April 15^th, we’re going to open your eyes to all the opportunity out there. Are you tired of navigating cubicle mazes? Does your boss drive you crazy? Could you use a little more fresh air?  This issue is for you.

It’s really true. You can be a full-time RVer, traveling from place to place, living life on your own terms and still earn a great income. Thousands of people are already out there doing it. Maybe it’s time for you to join them.

Working from the road is a huge topic. We could write a book about it (in fact, we might do just that someday.) But for now, we thought we’d just give you a taste of all the wonderful, freeing possibilities out there. Whether you like working for yourself, or you prefer someone else handle the day-to-day business details, there’s a situation out there that’s perfect for you.

Let’s get to it!

Temporary Employment Agencies

Agencies that specialize in temporary assignments are probably the most obvious possibility for RVers. Positions can last a single day, a month or a season. You get paid the same week by the agency. And often you can even qualify for benefits like health insurance, if you stay with a particular agency for an extended period of time.  The agency is your employer, so you can move from location to location and still deal with the same company.

What kinds of workers do temp agencies hire? How about office workers, computer programmers, writers, editors, day labor, telemarketers, product marketers, engineers, accountants, hotel staff, the list goes on and on. Your best bet is to talk with an agency that specializes in finding temp work for your industry. Tell them about your plans and see what they can offer. If you plan to travel a lot, make sure the agency is large enough to help you wherever you are.

Healthcare Travel Agencies

If you work in the healthcare field as a nurse, physical therapist, speech pathologist, lab technician, or any other medical occupation, facilities all over the country are looking for you to fill their temporary positions. Healthcare travel is a huge field with many agencies that specialize in supplemental staffing for hospitals, assisted living centers, schools, and more. Contracts last 13 weeks, often with options for renewal. You choose the location, the hours, the days you need off. Best of all, healthcare travelers are paid a significantly higher salary than staffers in the same job, and they receive free housing. If you’re an RVer that means you’ll get a housing stipend on top of your regular paycheck.

Here’s what Justin C. has to say about healthcare travel.

My girlfriend is a Speech Language pathologist who works for a travel company that staffs all 50 states. We started dating about two years ago, and I decided to start traveling with her. We figured the best way to travel from assignment to assignment would be in an RV. So last year we purchased a 36′ Alpenlite 5th wheel for our travels. We started out in Olympia WA, for 6 months and made our way to Hilton Head, SC, for a 4 month assignment. Now we are looking at going back to Olympia and making lots of fun stops on the way. I am a Personal trainer, and a landscaper by trade. It has not been too difficult to find work thus far. We live simply so we can travel with minimal expense and enjoy this great nation. We travel with our two golden retrievers who provide plenty of fun and enjoyment for the two of us. It has been a great adventure so far, and we look forward to every new assignment that comes our way.

Here’s another story from Joan C.

Hello There!   My name is Joan, and I am a Respiratory Care Provider.  My husband is retired (former auto mechanic, real estate agent, entrepreneur) my dog is retired (a rescue greyhound.)  I, on the other hand, am not retired. Yet! We live in our motor home as long as I am on assignment (usually 13 weeks at a time) at different hospitals through-out the United States. We manage to find the most wonderful people at the various RV parks we have stayed at (or maybe it’s just that RVers are just flat out wonderful!) 

My job is to provide respiratory care to all ages. Traveling allows me to provide that care to lots of different types of patients. The joy of helping others transcends any uncomfortable moments in traveling from one area to the next. Being a “traveler” allows me to become an honorary native of a new area for a short period of time. My co-workers, patients, administrators, and physicians have enriched our lives more than they could ever know. We will travel as often & as long as our health & spirit hold out. We are far luckier than most people our age!

Working at an RV camp

Another option is to work where you live. RV camps, especially the larger ones, often have need of temporary help to keep things running smoothly. Do you have a special skill that other campers might find enjoyable or useful? (Like are you a yoga teacher or homeschool parent?)  You may be able to set up shop right there in camp. Even if you don’t need an actual paycheck, but want to help out the camp, you may be able to negotiate a free or reduced-rate for your own site while you’re there.

Building Your Own Business

The reason many people start RVing in the first place is because they’re independent. They enjoy running things themselves and that spirit extends to their work. Any business you can run out of a home office, you can run from an RV. Sales, freelance writing & photography, online businesses…you name it, it’s been done. One man even started a knife sharpening business out of his RV with just a simple bench grinder and some great sales skills. Wherever he traveled, he would call on restaurants to see if they could use his services. (Many eateries have to send their knives out to be sharpened, which is a huge inconvenience.) After a while, he built up a list of “regulars” in his favorite areas of travel (New England, and the South West). Every six months or so, he’d travel back and call his list for repeat business. After many years, he got tired of sharpening knives. But rather than just quitting, he sold the entire business (consisting of a sharpening stone and his list of regular clients) to another RVer for a profit.

Nancy C. started a business recently. Here’s what she has to say.

My husband and I are just starting a business. We are making tour guides and nature guides for use on ipods and other personal media devices.  I travel around in my RV to various National Parks seeking out the most qualified naturalists to author the audio guides. My objective is to meet face to face with folks who have a passion for their park and the expertise to educate others about it. I’ve found this is the best way to not only find the most experienced people to write these narratives, but to meet some fascinating folks.  Our RV is making all this possible.

Rachel P. started a mobile stress management program.

This past year I had my first experience working from an RV. My partner and I help people with stress management. For a short time, we rented an RV to see how to make our services work on the road. During the day I called people to meet us at our location for stress release sessions during the day and night.

Now we have moved out of the RV but someone still remembered us and asked us to be at the NBC 4 Health Expo this year, and we had a line of people needing our services. So now I’m planting the words out there about our goals to have our own RV to travel to different communities. We hope to gain a sponsor to help make this come true not for us but for the people who needs our services badly.
 

Resources

If you want to live the full-time RVer dream, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Others have walked this road before you and left wonderful guideposts along the way to help you along. Here are some good resources to get you started on your very own RV career path.

Jaimie H. sends this message about one such resource she created.

My late husband and I became full-time RVers at age 47. We had to work,

so we began job-hunting right away. We first subscribed to Workamper

News, a publication listing jobs for RVers that I highly recommend. After sorting through lots of offers, we eventually took jobs as seasonal maintenance workers at Grand Teton National Park. Between us we worked at seven different national parks with me working in maintenance and as an interpreter.

I found working on the road so fascinating, I wrote a book with all kinds of ideas for work and the how-tos. It’s called Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider’s Guide to Working on the Road.

There are so many ways to make money or get a free or reduced-price RV site. It is a fantastic way to lead a life with less stress and see this beautiful country of ours. Go for it!

Here are some other great resources for you.

Workamper.com—Job listings for RVers. Paid membership required.

Work for RVers and Campers—Free articles and information to get you on your way.

Healthcare Traveler Magazine—National Magazine dedicated to the healthcare traveler. Some free content. Paid subscription for the print magazine.

Workers on Wheels—Free e-zines about working on the road.

Net-Temps—Free online search engine for nationwide temporary jobs through various agencies. Search by industry or state. Post your resume or just search the listed jobs.

Go for it!

If you’ve ever thought about taking that RV out full-time, or just spending the summer traveling the country—there’s never been a better time than right now to get out there. The internet makes finding work while you travel a breeze, and best of all, you are in control of where you work, when you work, and who you work with.

Don’t wait for someday—it may never get here. Take some time to check out the resources and see if “someday” isn’t actually “Today!”

Got questions? Email us.

That’s it for now, friend. Next month we’ll return to our regular schedule of features and destinations. 

Until then, safe travels!