There are lots of different positions out there. We are currently working at Crazy Horse Memorial in Custer SD for the summer. I man the front entrance gate selling tickets and Rudee works in the gift shop. We are paid for all hours and get a site for $6.00 per day. Rudee rode a desk in her prior career and I am a retired LEO and insurance appraiser. We have also worked in a campground where I mowed grass, help pour cement patios, did dry wall work (neither of which I had ever done before) as well as more normal work camping duties (camper escort, selling firewood etc.). This job was less hours and part of our hours were traded for our site.
I guess my point is, we have found it really does not matter a whole lot on your past work experience to get a job. However, the 40 hour, pay for all hours worked jobs are a little harder to find. Many folks work at Amazon during the Christmas season (Sept/Oct - Dec) and they pay well and you get your camp site provided too.
During the past 2 winters we have worked as oil field gate guards in South Texas. The work is not hard, you are just checking people in and out of the gate. The draw back is you are out in the boonies living off a company provided generator and portable water supply. Someone has to be "on duty" 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week although you don't really work all those hours, you just have to be there in case someone shows up at the gate. The money is good (minimum $125 per day) and we save a ton of $$'s not going out to eat or traveling around a lot. Plus the weather is pleasant most of the time.
I'm sure others have more experiences to share but don't feel like you need to limit your possibilities to work you have experience in. Most employers just want someone who is healthy, dependable and treats their customers and coworkers with respect.
Phil
-- Edited by Workinrvers on Wednesday 26th of June 2013 10:40:29 AM
Dino said
05:06 PM Jun 26, 2013
So Happy i Finally registered to this forum! took me a few years I really appreciate the question and answers but i need a few more i never see. My Wife is a hair dresser which i think between that and workcamping she will be fine, but i have been a logger all my life, just wondering if there would be anything that will fit for me? Do have handyman skills,carpentry, and of course a chainsaw is my 3rd arm also i do like lawn care, and i aint afraid to get my hands dirty, or i should say my whole body! So if it means cleaning pit toilets not a problem! I will Have 20,000-25,000 as supplement money to get us rolling, Will i find something more than likely that will fit me to pay all the bills? and supplement money for backup? Plus wife working? Would like to be at 80 hrs a week for both of us combined. Think that would be sufficient? And can my qualifications work? Hoping to cover all our expenses thru workcamping and not touch backup money, at least not without replacing it. Thank you for answers
Ckerr said
02:12 AM Jun 27, 2013
Ditto what Phil said.
BTW, Amazon in Coffeyville, KS hired workkampers this year April through July also. Same terms... wages plus site paid. Not sure if they will go this route again, but who know.
PIEERE said
07:39 PM Jun 27, 2013
I don't know if i would want to work in a warehouse with no Air conditioning in the Summer heat and humidity. I done The KY facility in the fall of 2010-11. Not without AC as i seen the Temperature in Mid October reach 106 on the fourth floor when it was 65 on the ground floor.
Ckerr said
09:44 PM Jun 27, 2013
PIEERE wrote:
I don't know if i would want to work in a warehouse with no Air conditioning in the Summer heat and humidity. I done The KY facility in the fall of 2010-11. Not without AC as i seen the Temperature in Mid October reach 106 on the fourth floor when it was 65 on the ground floor.
They installed AC last summer in Kansas. But they seem to be challenged with regards to closing the loading dock doors so sometimes it still got warm.
More disturbing than the heat in the warehouse was the rash of tornadoes and severe storms through May and early June.
WestWardHo said
11:43 PM Jun 27, 2013
Dino,
It's the money you referred to as total savings or annual income that you want to supplement?
The campground we're currently working at is managed by a former logger with his wife kind of being the boss, business agent and he's in charge of maintenance, propane, etc. But they get a salary plus the benefits. If its total money you might want to listen closely to workinrvers because they seem to have a lot of experience and gate guarding seems to be the highest paying jobs out there.
One thing I thought of today as we went to our storage place which is also RV Storage is that they haves full time manager there with full hook ups and we're guessing a salary as they do a lot of work keeping it clean and tidy. We've seen other RV storage places that seem to have someone living on site as well but I don't know if those positions are advertised nationally but occasionally have seen ads for those types of positions in local Arizona papers.
Good luck to you.
Sherry
Dino said
02:29 AM Jun 28, 2013
Thanks for all the answers everyone. Sherry, the 20,000 or so is gonna be my supplement money only(Savings) Iam really hoping me and my wife can pay all our bills and the campsite fees for what we do workcamping, hoping i wont have to dig into savings much. Hardest part is were gonna have an Rv payment and truck payment to, rest of bills will be only the norms sattelite tv,internet,cell phone etc, we are still young iam 40 and wife is 43 so we can still work hours, iam thinkin 3,000 a month earnings should cover everything, if not this could get tough! Maybe we could be comfortable with less? Either way i am not gonna let nutin get in my way of this dream! If i have to i will throw a topper on my truck and call it good!
Terry and Jo said
04:42 AM Jun 28, 2013
Dean,
Your might go into the other parts of Howard and Linda's website and look for their financials pages. I think they can be found under "Site Map" on the home page. By reading their financials, you can get a good idea from their experiences as to what they, and thus you, may be needing for this lifestyle.
Terry
Technomadia said
06:02 AM Jun 28, 2013
If you already have 20-25k of income.. I think you'll find that quite a nice base for living on the road, especially if you slow down the pace of travel to reduce fuel costs and save by taking monthly spots. Even with our health insurance, lots of mobile internet costs, fuel, campground fees, RV/car insurance, storage unit fees, etc. - our living costs are not all that much more than that. And we don't aim for 'frugal' one bit.
I would imagine that with your interests & skillsets, you'll easily be able to find workamping positions that help you make a very thrivable lifestyle on the road.
Have fun out there!
- Cherie
SnowGypsy said
12:46 PM Jun 28, 2013
My impression is that the $20,000 to $25,000 is the "nest egg". We have been looking at workamping from afar for a few years and one would need to make a budget for the expenses and look hard at the money needed. Most workamping jobs do not pay that well and don't offer full-time hours and yes, some do. I have also seen an issue with reduction in hours when business is slow. Now, my husband has been doing temp jobs while looking for something permanent and there are numerous employers hiring temp help now so that is another option as we are thinking, well if you are working temp jobs anyway, why not do it in a nice surrounding of your choosing? Earning $3,000 a month will be a challenge but perhaps you can look at decreasing your other expenses.
WestWardHo said
01:22 PM Jun 29, 2013
Dean,
You're doing the right thing by planning ahead and asking questions. So glad Cherie popped in with their budgets as did Terry with Howard and Linda's budget suggestion. Not to scare you but health insurance could be a major cost as well and Cherie and Chris are facing a $20,000 overhaul on their bus engine at the moment plus air conditioning issues and if I recall the numbers correctly H $ L had an $18,000 engine overhaul on their truck last year. Know those numbers scared the daylights outof us even though we're fortunate to have a great regular income and Medicare and TriCare and a healthy savings account.
So don't give up your dream but do keep researching and planning and do your best to make informed decisions. As many on this forum live all kinds of lives with all kinds of rigs and budgets and all kinds of lifestyles it can be done. It just hurts my heart when I see folks at various public CG's living full-time on meager budgets or state aid because their money ran out.
Sherry
Dino said
01:36 PM Jun 29, 2013
Thank you for the great answers everyone! I need to do some more tweaking on the budget, its still not quite right yet, Crazy how it adds up so quickly for just basic things!
Terry and Jo said
02:31 PM Jun 29, 2013
Dean,
While it is sometimes difficult to imagine it, we occasionally find that what we thought we needed wasn't needed at all. Obviously, there are areas where that doesn't apply, other times we find that we can easily do without certain "basic" needs. Just the process of weeding out all the "stuff" that populated our home (and its 3-car garage) taught us that not everything we thought we "had" to have wasn't needed at all.
It may be that what we think are basic necessities are nothing more than "crutches" in our life. Keep looking and considering.
Terry
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
04:19 PM Jun 29, 2013
I looked thru alot of other budgets that people have posted and looked at ours in the S&B, figured out what would changed etc. What I found is that most can travel on a daily budget of $100 - $125 a day. This covers everything but assumes that you don't have a RV payment. Having a nest egg and gaurented income does help but isn't required as there are some that wander getting by from place to place.
Technomadia said
10:48 PM Jun 29, 2013
WestWardHo wrote:
Not to scare you but health insurance could be a major cost as well and Cherie and Chris are facing a $20,000 overhaul on their bus engine at the moment plus air conditioning issues and if I recall the numbers correctly H $ L had an $18,000 engine overhaul on their truck last year. Know those numbers scared the daylights outof us even though we're fortunate to have a great regular income and Medicare and TriCare and a healthy savings account.
For sure.. living on the road doesn't exempt anyone from maintenance and failure costs. If we still lived in a regular house, we could just as easily face needing a new roof, a new A/C (much more expensive than a roof air) or several major appliances replaced as well. A nest egg, and planning for such things, is just part of life.
But don't let our $20k engine repair bill scare ya off.. you have to keep the whole picture in mind. We bought our bus 2 years ago for $8k with a mystery history, and had put these funds away then for exactly doing this. We consider it part of the acquisition cost.
Dino,
There are lots of different positions out there. We are currently working at Crazy Horse Memorial in Custer SD for the summer. I man the front entrance gate selling tickets and Rudee works in the gift shop. We are paid for all hours and get a site for $6.00 per day. Rudee rode a desk in her prior career and I am a retired LEO and insurance appraiser.
We have also worked in a campground where I mowed grass, help pour cement patios, did dry wall work (neither of which I had ever done before) as well as more normal work camping duties (camper escort, selling firewood etc.). This job was less hours and part of our hours were traded for our site.
I guess my point is, we have found it really does not matter a whole lot on your past work experience to get a job. However, the 40 hour, pay for all hours worked jobs are a little harder to find. Many folks work at Amazon during the Christmas season (Sept/Oct - Dec) and they pay well and you get your camp site provided too.
During the past 2 winters we have worked as oil field gate guards in South Texas. The work is not hard, you are just checking people in and out of the gate. The draw back is you are out in the boonies living off a company provided generator and portable water supply. Someone has to be "on duty" 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week although you don't really work all those hours, you just have to be there in case someone shows up at the gate. The money is good (minimum $125 per day) and we save a ton of $$'s not going out to eat or traveling around a lot. Plus the weather is pleasant most of the time.
I'm sure others have more experiences to share but don't feel like you need to limit your possibilities to work you have experience in. Most employers just want someone who is healthy, dependable and treats their customers and coworkers with respect.
Phil
-- Edited by Workinrvers on Wednesday 26th of June 2013 10:40:29 AM
So Happy i Finally registered to this forum! took me a few years
I really appreciate the question and answers but i need a few more i never see. My Wife is a hair dresser which i think between that and workcamping she will be fine, but i have been a logger all my life, just wondering if there would be anything that will fit for me? Do have handyman skills,carpentry, and of course a chainsaw is my 3rd arm 
also i do like lawn care, and i aint afraid to get my hands dirty, or i should say my whole body! 
So if it means cleaning pit toilets not a problem! I will Have 20,000-25,000 as supplement money to get us rolling, Will i find something more than likely that will fit me to pay all the bills? and supplement money for backup? Plus wife working? Would like to be at 80 hrs a week for both of us combined. Think that would be sufficient? And can my qualifications work? Hoping to cover all our expenses thru workcamping and not touch backup money, at least not without replacing it. Thank you for answers
BTW, Amazon in Coffeyville, KS hired workkampers this year April through July also. Same terms... wages plus site paid. Not sure if they will go this route again, but who know.
They installed AC last summer in Kansas. But they seem to be challenged with regards to closing the loading dock doors so sometimes it still got warm.
More disturbing than the heat in the warehouse was the rash of tornadoes and severe storms through May and early June.
It's the money you referred to as total savings or annual income that you want to supplement?
The campground we're currently working at is managed by a former logger with his wife kind of being the boss, business agent and he's in charge of maintenance, propane, etc. But they get a salary plus the benefits. If its total money you might want to listen closely to workinrvers because they seem to have a lot of experience and gate guarding seems to be the highest paying jobs out there.
One thing I thought of today as we went to our storage place which is also RV Storage is that they haves full time manager there with full hook ups and we're guessing a salary as they do a lot of work keeping it clean and tidy. We've seen other RV storage places that seem to have someone living on site as well but I don't know if those positions are advertised nationally but occasionally have seen ads for those types of positions in local Arizona papers.
Good luck to you.
Sherry
Thanks for all the answers everyone. Sherry, the 20,000 or so is gonna be my supplement money only(Savings) Iam really hoping me and my wife can pay all our bills and the campsite fees for what we do workcamping, hoping i wont have to dig into savings much. Hardest part is were gonna have an Rv payment and truck payment to, rest of bills will be only the norms sattelite tv,internet,cell phone etc, we are still young iam 40 and wife is 43 so we can still work hours, iam thinkin 3,000 a month earnings should cover everything, if not this could get tough! Maybe we could be comfortable with less? Either way i am not gonna let nutin get in my way of this dream! If i have to i will throw a topper on my truck and call it good!
Dean,
Your might go into the other parts of Howard and Linda's website and look for their financials pages. I think they can be found under "Site Map" on the home page. By reading their financials, you can get a good idea from their experiences as to what they, and thus you, may be needing for this lifestyle.
Terry
If you already have 20-25k of income.. I think you'll find that quite a nice base for living on the road, especially if you slow down the pace of travel to reduce fuel costs and save by taking monthly spots. Even with our health insurance, lots of mobile internet costs, fuel, campground fees, RV/car insurance, storage unit fees, etc. - our living costs are not all that much more than that. And we don't aim for 'frugal' one bit.
Here's our monthly expense log for the past several years: http://www.technomadia.com/the-finances-how-to-afford-it/
I would imagine that with your interests & skillsets, you'll easily be able to find workamping positions that help you make a very thrivable lifestyle on the road.
Have fun out there!
- Cherie
You're doing the right thing by planning ahead and asking questions. So glad Cherie popped in with their budgets as did Terry with Howard and Linda's budget suggestion. Not to scare you but health insurance could be a major cost as well and Cherie and Chris are facing a $20,000 overhaul on their bus engine at the moment plus air conditioning issues and if I recall the numbers correctly H $ L had an $18,000 engine overhaul on their truck last year. Know those numbers scared the daylights outof us even though we're fortunate to have a great regular income and Medicare and TriCare and a healthy savings account.
So don't give up your dream but do keep researching and planning and do your best to make informed decisions. As many on this forum live all kinds of lives with all kinds of rigs and budgets and all kinds of lifestyles it can be done. It just hurts my heart when I see folks at various public CG's living full-time on meager budgets or state aid because their money ran out.
Sherry
Dean,
While it is sometimes difficult to imagine it, we occasionally find that what we thought we needed wasn't needed at all. Obviously, there are areas where that doesn't apply, other times we find that we can easily do without certain "basic" needs. Just the process of weeding out all the "stuff" that populated our home (and its 3-car garage) taught us that not everything we thought we "had" to have wasn't needed at all.
It may be that what we think are basic necessities are nothing more than "crutches" in our life. Keep looking and considering.
Terry
I looked thru alot of other budgets that people have posted and looked at ours in the S&B, figured out what would changed etc. What I found is that most can travel on a daily budget of $100 - $125 a day. This covers everything but assumes that you don't have a RV payment. Having a nest egg and gaurented income does help but isn't required as there are some that wander getting by from place to place.
For sure.. living on the road doesn't exempt anyone from maintenance and failure costs. If we still lived in a regular house, we could just as easily face needing a new roof, a new A/C (much more expensive than a roof air) or several major appliances replaced as well. A nest egg, and planning for such things, is just part of life.
But don't let our $20k engine repair bill scare ya off.. you have to keep the whole picture in mind. We bought our bus 2 years ago for $8k with a mystery history, and had put these funds away then for exactly doing this. We consider it part of the acquisition cost.
- Cherie