Working on the road

[American_Roadtr]

I am curious how many full timers out there work on the road for yourselves and what you do? I am a barber by trade, but also do a lot of writing(mostly on the blog now)and have a lot of experience in the arts over the years. I am looking for some insight because like a lot of people I am looking for my niche. My wife is a graphic designer and is able to do her job anywhere. I know there is a lot of workcamp opportunities, but I am looking to be more independent. I am also just interested to hear what others do to support themselves.

[BeckyIO]

I had no skills or experience that would easily translate into a mobile friendly job and what I'd gone to school for (vet tech) wasn't something I could do from the road either.

So my first year on the road I paid my way exclusively through work-camping jobs. Yes, the majority of them are at or near minimum wage but it's certainly doable if you're frugal, and if you're wife is bringing in income it could work - just make sure you're staying places that have good internet access for her work. I did National Parks in the summer (Badlands first year, Zion second year, Yellowstone last year) and Amazon.com's CamperForce program in the fall, which is hard physical labor and long hours but I grossed $6,100 in just shy of 10 weeks last year.

Building mobile income streams is something you can work on as you go. Between work-camping jobs I got serious with my writing, released an e-book last spring (second one is almost done now) and have a blog and now in my fourth year on the road I shouldn't have to work a seasonal job this summer because the income from my writing is finally getting to the point where I can live on it.

It takes time to build a business from scratch. But if you pick something and stick with it it's certainly doable. Good luck!

[American_Roadtr]

TANDDRIGGSNFLA wrote:
Network marketing works for us. We have lived full time in our unit for more than two years now and love it. You basically run an online store. Think about all the corner convenient stores, online network marketing is similar except you can live in any corner of the world and do it.

Thanks! I'll look into it. My wife was able to keep her job and do it from the computer. I am just considering doing something completely different than what I have been doing for the past decade. We are moving to a different state every week now, but next year we are just going to be spending a lot more time at a few places. We are even planning on gutting and customizing an old airstream next year.

[missourijan]

Start reading the daily blog of Nick Russell, who has the Gypsy Journal website and blog. www.gypsyjournalrv.com. He used to own a newspaper in Show Lo, AZ, then decided to go fulltime. They have made their living by publishing a bimonthly newsletter about their travels and a few years ago started publishing novels. He doesn't make enough to live on from the blog. It would be great if we could all be independent and travel, unfortunately few people have found a way to do it.

[TANDDRIGGSNFLA]

Network marketing works for us. We have lived full time in our unit for more than two years now and love it. You basically run an online store. Think about all the corner convenient stores, online network marketing is similar except you can live in any corner of the world and do it.

[American_Roadtr]

the bear II wrote:
Your barber skills will be useful. Many fulltimers will go into town and find a barber. You could advertise in the rv park office and have people come to your site for a trim (need to check park rules, local and state laws). And you would need liability insurance.

Lots of folks have blogs and some are making money with them...rv-dreams.com, http://gypsyjournalrv.com/

Thanks! I am planning on using the barber skills in fl. I am working on a blog now. We are 6 months into full time on the road, and plan to do more with the blog. I want to learn how folks are making money with theirs. Ours is avlovamericanroadtrip.blogspot.com.

[valhalla360]

I'm a traffic engineer and the DW is a travel agent. We do almost exactly the same as before we left, mostly with the same clients.

I not sure the barber skills will translate into the full time lifestyle. If you are going to get a place in Arizona for 6 months in the winter (or other snowbird local), you could probably get a part time job at a local hair place. You could certainly try doing it in the park but a lot of parks may have an issue plus are you going to take your barber chair? Worth a try but wouldn't count on it for much. Unless it was a friend, I knew, I would be inclined to go to a local hair place rather than some random guys RV for a haircut.

What type of writing do you do? General travel blogs are a dime a dozen. Unless you are making money off it now, I wouldn't expect to do so in the future.

Work camping is an option to help control costs but calculate the per hour effective earnings. We looked into it in a couple of places and it was well below minimum wage.

If you are mechanically inclined, building up RV tech skills would translate well. While it's still better to have at least some locational stability (ie: spend 3-6months in the same park to build up a client base each winter), you will always come across the stray person in need of work and no one is available to take care of it.

My Dad had his CDL so he used to work as an airport shuttle driver in the winters. Similarly, we've thought to go up to Mackinaw for the summer as they are always desperate for help in the summer as they have to let most of the staff go come fall. That might be something for after we are done with our regular careers.

Being totally free to move at will makes a lot of these options harder if you don't already have work that is done remotely.

[the_bear_II]

Your barber skills will be useful. Many fulltimers will go into town and find a barber. You could advertise in the rv park office and have people come to your site for a trim (need to check park rules, local and state laws). And you would need liability insurance.

Lots of folks have blogs and some are making money with them...rv-dreams.com, http://gypsyjournalrv.com/

[donn0128]

Work camper. Either as a volunteer or paid position. Both usually give you a full hookup site for free. Great way to expand your income.

[Jayco-noslide]

We workamped for 10 summer seasons. Great experience and helpful to supplement our income but poor pay with no benefits. You might be suited to just finding regular jobs appropriate to your skills and just live in your RV rather than true "workamping"?