When Juanita Barker packs her RV, she makes sure to include her Karaoke equipment.  A singer and a DJ, she works on the road as an activity director at campgrounds across the country. “When we do Karaoke (and a lot of singing by me) we will have two hundred folks come and stay for the entire evening,” she smiles. Juanita is one of thousands who combines her love of the RV lifestyle with a desire to work.

There are many reasons RVers like to work while traveling. Some find the challenge stimulating. Others want the extra money. Then there are those who get a sense of accomplishment from a job well done. No matter what your motivation, there are plenty of ways to become employed while seeing the country from the comfort of your RV.

Many campgrounds offer “work-camping” where you work for the site in exchange for reduced or free camping fees. Some even hire and pay on a cash basis. Many campgrounds prefer to hire couples and even provide training to help them during the busier times of the year.  

Jim Chandler and his wife Yvette have been RVing full-time for five years and love the work-camp lifestyle. They started doing small jobs on the campgrounds where they stayed and recently spent six months managing a campsite in Minnesota. “If I didn’t have something to do, I’d go crazy,” says Jim. “If we really worked at it we could travel the entire country all year and never have to pay for a camp site. With the job we just completed, we’re able to travel the entire country and still have money left over.”  

Even if you’re not being paid, the benefits go beyond a free campsite. Local businesses often offer their services to you at no cost, knowing that if you have a good time, you’ll recommend them to other campers. Earlier this year, the Chandlers got a free Jeep tour of the rivers near their campgrounds in Utah. “You almost become an ambassador for the area,” Jim acknowledges. “People ask all the time for suggestions on places to go and things to do.”  

Another way to find work at a campground is to look at the map you receive when you check in. On the back are ads for local businesses. It’s likely that someone came into that park, stayed a week or so for free while selling advertising. Talk to the campground manager about helping to increase the advertising for the map and you may have yourself a regular gig.

Campground directories are also a great place to look for work. Most of them use a rating system and this means someone needs to evaluate the campgrounds and sell the advertising. Contact the number in the front of the directory to learn how you might work with them.

Caretaking is another way to earn extra money.  Plenty of people have second homes near popular vacation spots and need someone trustworthy to care for their home and yard. This kind of work can take you to some interesting and beautiful places you might not have visited to otherwise.

Check out seasonal work where you travel. From selling Christmas trees, collecting crawfish, boiling lobsters or working retail, there are plenty of opportunities available. Theme parks, casino towns, and tourist attractions like Disney World also hire workers during peak travel times for all types of work—you could be grilling sausages at a food kiosk or taking tickets for a roller coaster.  

Jim and Yvette also do seasonal work at Disney World and have more fun than the tourists. “It’s like getting paid to play with your grandkids,” Jim laughs. “We’ve demonstrated toys at the stores in downtown Disney. When the parents tell the kids not to touch something, I grab a light saber off the shelf and say, ‘En garde!’”
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If you prefer more cerebral work, why not train to prepare income taxes? H&R Block and many check cashing businesses, like Amscott, offer training in tax preparation for a nominal fee. Once you learn the basics, you can offer your services while on the road.

Whether you want to greet guests, wait tables, or prefer something a little more outrageous, like crewing for a car racing team, if you want to work on the road, there’s a job for you!


Resources for Working on the Road

workamper.com - helps RVers explore America “one job at a time.”

workersonwheels.com – RV jobs and resources for working RVers

Work-for-RVers-and-Campers.com – resources and ideas for RVers who want to work

seasonalemployment.com - job listings for seasonal work

blog.rvlifestyleexperts.com - RV lifestyle experts Jaimie Hall and Alice Zyetz meet RVers working on the road and blog about their experiences

housecarers.com – opportunities for caretaking homes

scca.com - Sports Car Club of America offers opportunities to crew races

hrblock.com - learn how to prepare taxes