Should You Work Camp and Why?
Our first arrival, a cold, bitter day in May!
Why should I work camp when I can take my time and explore this great country without being bound by a working schedule, I asked myself when we took the plunge. Work camping was a thought in the back of my head, something distant, without really wanting to do it. After all, my husband was retiring and it was time to ease away from demanding work schedules and grown up kids, and plan the rest of our lives together with nothing but the best of the best in destinations to visit and mark it off on our check list.
Or so I thought.
Our first work camping gig: Durango, Colorado!
You know that distant thought I had about work camping? Well, it is here and here to stay, at least until the economy gets better. More and more people are turning to work camping to help fund their vacation or fulltime adventures as we see soaring prices at the gas pump and raising food prices. It is not a dreamy type of job, but in reality it is work and could be fun, depending on your attitude and what you do.
If we want to see these destinations we only dreamed of once upon a time, like national parks, far off places from where we lived in our sticks and bricks, places to enjoy the water, and places to relax, put up our feet, have a glass of wine and not worry about anything, but do not have the money, how can you afford this type of lifestyle? This is where work camping comes in: to help us get to those places without giving up on this fulltime adventure.
There are many ways to work camp, from gate guarding, working a sugar beet harvest, to working at a campground, state park or a national park. Would you like to work in the summer or winter, or even both? How about earning money as you work camp, or just work for your site with no monetary compensation?
Yes, there is a difference, and you have many choices to choose from!
But for us fulltime rvers, it is a great time to visit a part of the country we have not been to before. In order to be financially savvy, there are many opportunities to work camp at amazing destinations and create beautiful memories.
Our winter work camping gig: Apache Junction, Arizona!
Here are some reasons why you should work camp:
Free site! A lot of RV parks and camp hosting sites will offer you a free site for your RV in exchange for work. The work can be up to 20 hours a week, depending on the park and the responsibilities involved. The site is usually the manager’s choice, but it will be a good site with all hookups included. It is a safe place to stay for a certain amount of time, where you do not have to keep moving around, paying campgrounds a lot of money for your stay. This is FREE!
Money! Money! Money! For those of us that need a little extra boost with that green dollar, not only campgrounds offer a FREE RV site, but you will get paid for the work you do. Usually the hours are between 30 and 40 hours, but sometimes they could be less depending on the park size and the management discretion.
Discounts on laundry, propane and even in the store! Who does not like to save money on a basic need like laundry?
More hours for work! If you need moola, working more than 20 hours a week might be the way for you. Your site may be free or a fee for your site (less than non-work campers), but you will need to work more hours, maybe around 30-40 a week.
A great place to meet friends! Yes, you can meet friends and form lifelong friendships and meet along the road in the future. Sometimes you might work at the same place, season after season, and really have bonding time with those friends!
And I think, most importantly, the spectacular places to see and visit! When we look for our next work camp gig, we look at the area and see what it has to offer. We love to travel and and be active in the area where we work camp, so the destination is very important.
Easy access to mundane things, but necessary, like a grocery store, gas stations, decent internet service. These are almost as important as the destination and I like the convenience of a grocery store in town, like Walmart, where I do not have to drive 50 miles one way to get to! Closeness is important and there are plenty of work camp jobs that will accommodate.
Arizona has such amazing sunsets!
This is not a limited list of suggestions, but some we have come across since we started work camping. There is a down side and I will write something about that in a future blog. But for today, lets keep this positive and help others to try work camping! Creating those beautiful memories is a huge part, but also learning a new skill and helping others out will go a long way in your work camping career!
Here are some links to websites to help you find that oh-so-fabulous work camping job:
Happy Vagabonds. This is my number one place to go. They have work camping jobs listed by state which makes it easier if you are seeking to visit a certain state for a season. Lots of choices on this site!
Workamping jobs. Also a great site to visit for work camping jobs. They have filters such as by state, salaried or non salaried, a certain position you are looking for, such as office or housekeeping and more!
Coolworks. This is a unique website as you do not need a RV! Some of the places provide housing, like dorms and some do require a RV. This website offers a lot of jobs in national and state parks, marinas, places where it is busy with activities. If you want something different or need housing, check this website out!
Did I tell you these websites are free???
There is one more website I have joined: Workcamper.com. This is NOT a free website, although they will give you up to 30 days for a free trial and cancel anytime. They have a “Job Hotline” where you can have emails sent to you with the latest job offerings. You can make a resume, read past issues of their magazine, plus these magazines have job offerings as well. They have a TON of work camping opportunities!!!!
What step today are you going to take to seek your next work camping adventure?
