Working and Living Fulltime in an RV
More than forty years ago when my sister was a baby, the folks who babysat her so my Mom could go to work lived fulltime in a motorhome. Ever since then, I have dreamed of living and traveling in an RV.
When I was a teenager, I daydreamed about traveling and all the exciting places I would visit in my home on wheels. Instead of thinking about dances and dates, I envisioned camping at Mt. Rushmore, or under the stars in Alaska.
Six years ago, I finally convinced my husband that living in a travel trailer would be fun. We sold our three-bedroom house and all our possessions and moved into our 32 ft Starcraft trailer. We have traveled to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia since then working in campgrounds and resorts to earn a living.
Finding a job at a campground is relatively easy. Most every place needs help during their busy season. Sometimes we just walk in and ask if they need help. Sometimes we decide where we want to go, and send letters and a resume to campgrounds in that area. Other times, we find an advertisement in Workamper News, a magazine that is published every other month that lists jobs in campgrounds, resorts, state parks, and other places for people who live in RV’s. Sometimes we volunteer at state parks. Wherever we are, we have the opportunity to see the surrounding area and meet new people while living and working in some of the most beautiful places in the country.
The compensation for working in a campground will vary from place to place, depending on what the particular place offers to their workers. One campground may only need someone to work 20 hours per week in exchange for a full hook-up site. The next one may offer a free site and wages for every hour worked. Just be sure that you and the campground owner or manager agree on what is expected.
Just as there are many forms of compensation, there are many types of work available in campgrounds. Some of the more common jobs include front desk clerk, store clerk, maintenance worker, housekeeping, landscaping, swimming pool maintenance, and pumping propane. There are also opportunities for activity directors, lifeguards, truck driver, cook, bartender, and security guards.
Campgrounds in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and southern California need more people in the winter months, when Winter Texans and Snowbirds from the north fill their campsites. Large resorts at the beaches, near lakes and in the mountains need more help in the summer. There are also lots of work camping opportunities in the western states during the summer. No matter where you want to travel, there is most likely a campground there that needs your help.
