Finding work where you'd like to play
We are currently in Paw Paw, West Virgina, right across the border from Allegany County, Maryland. A mile or so up Hwy 51 is a spot where you can park and hike or bike the C&O Canal. You can also access the Potomac River for canoeing, floating or kayaking. We hiked and biked a bit of the C&O canal. You can bike 184.5 miles from Georgetown (D.C.) to Cumberland, MD. Several other hiking/biking trails can be accessed off the canal. In fact, there are many recreational opportunities in Allegany Country. It would be fun to spend several months in this area. If you find a nice area to play, being proactive can net you a job or volunteer opportunity. It not only gives you time to explore an area, but you'll make new friends and locals will tell you all the special places to visit and good restaurants.
Workamping® is one way to spend time in this area, have a free or low-cost RV site and have days off to explore. Check Workamper News ® for ads, and here are some other ideas for finding a work or volunteer postion for the season.
Jaimie's book, Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., will give you all kinds of ideas for finding work as you travel as well as the how-to's and legal issues. See RVHometown for details.
I am an rv wannabe(rvwannabe.blogspot.com), meaning my dream is to travel full-time. I just wanted to say how inspired websites like yours are to me. Maybe I really can do it someday. But, I am wondering where RVer's spend their winters? I am from PA and all our campgrounds close between Labor day and Memorial day. How do you find the ones that are open year round? And is there still work available then.
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So glad you find our website and blog helpful! The RV lifestyle is an adventure. In my opinion, working and volunteering add to your travels.
I'm assuming from your comment you want to go somewhere warmer. Florida, Texas and Arizona are popular winter destinations for RVers or "snowbirds." Work opportunities are not as plentiful as in the summer. Because of the demand, many RV parks want you to exchange a lot of hours just for a site- I've seen as high as 24 hrs/each/week in Florida. That said, there are paid work opportunities. They take more digging. I recommend a Plus subscription to Workamper News. You'll find ads for jobs in the magazine and on the daily hotline plus a community of Workampers who can make suggestions.
Besides working in RV parks, consider finding a low-cost RV spot, perhaps in a mobile home park, and then working outside the park. Home Depot is an employer that hires seasonal help or go to a temporary agency. You might also find work for one of the concessionaires at a larger national park: Death Valley, Everglades are two.
Use a campground directory to find campgrounds that are open all year round. Or, do a search for RV parks in a specific area you are interested in.
Good luck!
Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak
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Dear Stephanie,
As Jaimie mentioned, most full-time RVers head for the southern warmer states in the winter months: Florida, Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and southern Arizona and California. One of the great advantages in the southwestern deserts is the location of public lands administered by BLM (Bureau of Land Management). The costs are minimal to none but so are the amenities.
Many full-timers will outfit their rigs with solar panels, more batteries, and larger fresh water and holding tanks so they can camp without hookups for lengthy periods. Working RVers will often save their money so they can afford to live cheaply without income during the winter months. When you trim down your needs, you can live comfortably and use the solar power of the desert to fire your use of tv, computer, charging cell phone, etc. Jaimie and I both have lived successfullly in boondocking (no hookups) situations. Go to http://www.blm.gov/nhp/index.htm for more information about BLM campgrounds.
An excellent all-purpose site for information about public and private campgrounds is http://www.rvnetlinx.com.
There are several reciprocal campground organizations that enable you to park at campgrounds for modest fees with a relatively small initial investment. Check out http://coastresorts.com and http://www.resortparks.com.
I have gathered many of these links on a 2-page handout for a seminar I gave at Life on Wheels. Send me an email at youshoulda @ aol.com (remove spaces) to request the handout.
You are on the right track, Stephanie, doing your research now. Stay in touch with us.
Alice Zyetz
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