Finding work while on the road or at a site?

[ouroutdoorfamil]

Very new to this idea of full time RV,ing, in fact we are still researching trailers and trucks, but a big question has come up about finding work on the road. I guess our initial plan would be to RVduring the summers at National Parks and find part-time seasonal work, but during the winter months to come back to TX where we have friends who can let us park our RV on their lands, I would then look for full time seasonal work during those months.

I do design and welding wor, and have been thinking about putting together a travel welding package for both MIG and TIG, just wondering if there is a need at campsites and RV parks for basic or fast repairs that would include steel or AL welding? How often do things break, and what is the experience in trying to get it fixed?

[ouroutdoorfamil]

Thanks again for the info, but again, I wasn't talking about "setting up shop", more like having a tool when a tool is needed, as a service to other RV's, but Fromm the feedback, it just sounds like it's not a good idea. We will be able to handle our own stuff, we probably shouldn't advertise it to others.

[BeckyIO]

As others have mentioned, a lot of RV parks are adverse to people even cleaning their RVs at their site so finding a campground that'll let you weld on site might be challenging, but that's not to say it's impossible. If your friends' place will let you do the work there it could be viable.

I know you could set up "shop" while boondocking in places like Quartzsite where there aren't as many rules, so you may want to think about that. Sadly I know little about welding myself so I can't give you specific tips.

As for the people who say full-timing can't be done before retirement, they're wrong. My first year of full-timing was funded entirely by work-camping. Now I bring in some money through writing, but the majority still comes from seasonal jobs. I work National Parks in the summer (Badlands, Zion, and most recently Yellowstone) and in Amazon's CamperForce program in the fall (one of the CamperForce sites is in Texas, something to think about).

As others have mentioned, Workamper News is a good place to find seasonal jobs, but that one does have a subscription fee. Coolworks.com is how I find my gigs, it's free (no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way). Not all jobs listed there are for RVers, but there's a filter you can turn on to make the RVing ones stand out.

Hope this helps, good luck!

[mmiille]

I think it would be easier than you might think to find enough jobs to keep busy. They may not want you to do work at the campground but you could do the work somewhere else. Many construction companies need welders for hire. Even better if you can do other things too. There are 5 guys at our campground that work construction and move around a lot. Good luck.

[westernrvparkow]

ouroutdoorfamily wrote:
Well I wasn't exactly taking about "setting up shop" at a camp site, lol, there,s a huge difference between having 10 guys out grinding all day long and performing light to medium fixes, a welder in and of itself doesn't make any noise.... I can actually TIG weld in the trailer or on the deck, no noise no sparks, no fumes. Anyways the power would be supplied by the on truck generator, quite diesel that would run the welder. But thanks for the info, most of my work is design work with CAD on a computer, again we are just trying to brain storm on ideas of work.... We are not independently wealthy, lol

I doubt you will find any RV Park willing to differentiate between "sort of running a welding shop" and running a welding shop. It will not be allowed most places for all sorts of legal and customer service reasons.

[Sprink-Fitter]

ouroutdoorfamily wrote:
Well I wasn't exactly taking about "setting up shop" at a camp site, lol, there,s a huge difference between having 10 guys out grinding all day long and performing light to medium fixes, a welder in and of itself doesn't make any noise.... I can actually TIG weld in the trailer or on the deck, no noise no sparks, no fumes. Anyways the power would be supplied by the on truck generator, quite diesel that would run the welder. But thanks for the info, most of my work is design work with CAD on a computer, again we are just trying to brain storm on ideas of work.... We are not independently wealthy, lol

You want to run a quite diesel generator in a campground. Assuming you mean quiet, I didn't think quiet and diesel would be used in the same sentence.

[ouroutdoorfamil]

Guess I'll just to find a rich relative...

[path1]

Used to be maybe 10 or 12 wielders in a park we stay in at Bakersfield CA. They worked in oil fields around the area. Some were independent and lived by the phone others regular employee somewhere.

Not any more with oil prices down. I think only 2 in park now. All their work was outside of park.

Good bunch of guys, usually Sundays big BBQ.

I've never "needed" any wielding on my RV to keep on road. Had some stainless brackets made one time but that was a "want" not a "need".

[DownTheAvenue]

It is a great dream for people of working age, who have not yet accumulated adequate funds to RV full time, to buy an RV, live in it full time, and work make a living while traveling. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to make enough money with part time, seasonal jobs to support a family, buy insurance, finance vehicles, and pay for a camp site.

[ouroutdoorfamil]

Good idea, trying to get my employer to let me work remotely, I have about 3 years to convince him that, lol

[JAXFL]

You might also look at some of the worldwide TEMP Employment companies. Once you get in their system, tell them where you will be next and see if they have something open there for a month or so you can do.

Here is the Jacksonville area there are a couple that do day hires and find transits jobs for a day or so while they pass through.

[2gypsies1]

I think scouring the Workamper News publication is recommended for you.

Even doing simple welding and using a generator in a park would most likely, be nixed.

You also might consider going to:

http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/workwithus.htm

and seeing what they need in the area of maintenance/repair on their equipment. Good luck!

[ouroutdoorfamil]

Well I wasn't exactly taking about "setting up shop" at a camp site, lol, there,s a huge difference between having 10 guys out grinding all day long and performing light to medium fixes, a welder in and of itself doesn't make any noise.... I can actually TIG weld in the trailer or on the deck, no noise no sparks, no fumes. Anyways the power would be supplied by the on truck generator, quite diesel that would run the welder. But thanks for the info, most of my work is design work with CAD on a computer, again we are just trying to brain storm on ideas of work.... We are not independently wealthy, lol

[K_Charles]

Too many people are taking the recreation of RV.

[arhayes]

I think Don was referring to Work Kamper News.... https://www.workamper.com/

In our 2 years on the road I have not seen anyone having welding repairs done on their rigs, at least not in the camp site.