CHIP AND VAL'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES
Workamping For Fun and Profit
Definition: Exchanging the skills that you have acquired in life from the job and home with an employer for campground/resort privileges, services and or dollars.
Why: After working for 30 plus years punching a clock and answering to someone else, why would I want to voluntary do it again. The answer for me is that I get to chose where I work, what I am willing to do, what hours I will expend and to have fun. Valorie and I entered this RV lifestyle to enjoy it. We still have kids in college at this time and have chosen to support them to a certain degree. For us this means making my retirement income stretch by lessoning our daily cost of living. So we chose to travel to the fun/family areas that we want to be in and select job opportunities that will allow us to exchange our labor for a full-hookup site and other amenities/ perks that resort manager is willing to offer like reduced propane and store discounts.
Our minimal workamping experience to date has shown us that this is not a way to get rich financially. Normally you will make about minimum wage. But it can significantly reduce the draw on your existing income. For example in our current workamping adventure the monthly site rental is $400 with all utilities except for propane which is $2.40/ gal. Exchanging our labor for these fees is a bonus for our budget.
Our task involve stocking and cleaning the store, pumping propane, cooking for the pancake breakfast, raking sites, maintaining the pool, leading campers to their sites, water and sewer line maintained, answering questions about the area, showing movies to kids and maintaining the restrooms. Compared to what we use to do in our 9-5 jobs, this is no stress. For this particular location we switch off with other great workampers and do 6 hr shifts. The days that you work and the hours will vary from location to another and so could the duties. The key is to be up front with management prior to your hiring and make sure you and them understand the work needs and its benefits.
Valorie and I have been accepted for our next workamping experience in Washington State for 2001. We applied to several locations and have a few tips that worked for us.
Workamping Tips
Decide first that you are willing and physically able to do light to moderate work.
Select the climate and area that would be Fun to be in.
Determine if you have any limitations on the type of work you will do, and the # of hours per day or per week you are willing to devote.
Use reference resources like www.workamper.com and www.workersonwheels.com to check out opportunities.
While traveling check out possible workamping opportunities to include meeting with the managers and the current workamper staff.
Clarify your duties, work hours, days off and benefits before accepting the offer.
Show up when expected. Make it work. Have Fun and Profit.
