Ah "workamping", the way of life for many full-time RVers. For those of us retired and/or not bringing along some lucrative telecommuting job, it's how we keep the dream going. But if you're about to hit the road, what sort of oppoprtunities are there?
The most obvious workamping job out there is at a campground. One will run the main office, while another will clean up the grounds. It's not too bad of a selling point if you own a campground, either. Who better to know about and sell a camping site than the campers themselves? First-hand insight into the needs of your guests is invaluable. Not to mention, if you're the one working, you're likely to pick up a tip or two about another place to visit, and if you just came from another great time, return the favor and pass that along. The full-timers are always on the lookout for wonderful sights and adventures.
Campgrounds aren't the only place for a workamping opportunity, though. People who own commercial investment properties have noticed the influx of full-time RVers, and are jumping on the bandwagon to get them to help with day-to-day management and security. Some full-timers have been found to watch over and maintain a plaza with a number of offices and shops. Others are taking care of customers at the multitude of storage facilities popping up. Even farms, which have a history of hiring migrant workers, are now bringing in full-time RVers to help out with their tasks. The possibilities are endless!
Maybe you own a few farms or investment properties and want to bring on some full-time RVers to manage them, so here's some tips from us, your clientele:
- First, you'll probably want to bring us on as a temporary contract. Full-time RVers aren't going to want to be pinned down to your place forever, as that defeats the purpose of our lifestyle. Try to keep the terms to no more than a year straight, give or take a few months. Think about offering something seasonal, especially if your property is in the south. Even a month or two off to travel works well if you're in the middle of the country. We probably already have our "benefits" taken care of, so we'll be happy to be "self-employed" in that regard. Maybe also consider spreading your "budding empire" across the country, because RVers love to travel, and if we like you as an owner, we'll want to work at all your different places.
- Second, include some form of flat site with full hook-ups as part of the deal. RVers bring their living quarters with them so we don't need you to give us an apartment (though we wouldn't be opposed to the extra space), but we still must have the basic electric, water, and sewage. Try to be accommodating with 50-amp electric, but 30-amp is just as good.
- Third, many RVers don't appreciate slave labor and still need to be able to eat, so consider paying us some sort of a salary beyond hook-ups, especially if you're a for-profit business. Commission on sales and rents is always a good choice to ensure we do the job well. Hourly or "per diem" is also a possibility, even if it's a couple of days covering the site and an option for more. You might not be able to do this if you're a non-profit such as a state park, so try to keep those term lengths shorter, though not having to spend cash staying somewhere is a good thing.
- Finally, keep the contracts simple and business focused. We've seen some owners go on and on about vices being done by people off-hours. It's OK if you want to mention it once, but every other paragraph is a bit of a turn-off if you're looking for serious workers, especially full-time RVers. We may be a bit nutty living on the road, but we aren't the type to make a partying ruckus, as we have mutual respect for others living this life. Yes, there may be the occasional new RVer that freaks out over the job and abandons it after a few hours, but most of the full-timers that have been doing this for a while, even if by passed generation, are honest and will make it work out to everyone's benefit.
So while you follow that internal compass, remember there are plenty of different ways to keep that journey going. Who knows what you'll end up doing while you join us on the road.
WRITTEN Jan 09, 2022 at 12:17 PM