The number one reason people feel like they can’t live the full-time RV life is the lack of portable work. Not only that, but many people who are already enjoying this lifestyle feel trapped in their current line of work because it’s what allows them to make money on the road.
Fortunately, neither of these situations needs to be permanent. In fact, if you find yourself in such a situation you can start taking steps to change that right now.
There are plenty of great ways to bring in money while RVing full-time. In this article, we will discuss every option known. Whether you’re stationary and looking for traveling work or already traveling fulltime and looking for a new source of income, you should find something here that suits you and your family, so you can seek out your next adventure and have the funds to pursue it.
Workamping
The term “Workamping” was created and defined by Workamper News back in 1987. The definition of a Workamper is a person who does any kind of part-time or full-time work while living in an RV, but many in the lifestyle have narrowed it down to mean working at a campground in trade for an RV site. Workampers share their talents and experience in campgrounds, resorts, guest ranches, theme parks, marinas, wildlife preserves, plus state, national and regional parks and forests. Workampers can choose less stationary jobs such as utility inspectors, field reps, carnival/circus crew members, ad sales, souvenir vendors, etc. Other Workampers operate businesses on wheels, such as flea market/craft vendors, RV delivery, creative freelance work, info-marketing, mobile RV repair/service, RV inspections, you-name-it. Compensation ranges from a simple work in trade for RV site all the way up to career-like benefits.
Find workamping jobs at:
Online Product Sales
Ever since eBay appeared on the scene, people have been purchasing items and reselling them online for a profit. Some people shop thrift stores to find rare or collectible items, while others shop box stores for steep discounts on brand new products. Doing this doesn’t require any special skills, just patience and a bit of luck.
Writing
There are several ways to make money writing. Some people choose to write and sell ebooks, while others choose to monetize their blogs using advertisem*nts, sponsors, and affiliate links. You can write blog posts for others, help people put together resumes and cover letters, or even keep it super simple by doing transcription work. If you enjoy writing, you will want to explore these options.
Some great places to begin a freelance blogging career include:
You can sell ebooks here:
Find freelance writing work at these websites:
Jump into transcription work on:
YouTube
Truly dedicated people can make some money shooting videos and putting them on YouTube. This is often done in conjunction with a blog or website, but it can be a standalone gig. This does take quite some time to grow into a paying gig, and doesn’t tend to bring in a fulltime income. However, it can be a nice source of additional income and has the potential to grow from there.
To learn more about making money through YouTube, check out the FTF Filmers Branch.
Amazon CamperForce
Amazon CamperForce is a pretty awesome gig for those who prefer to work hard for several months and travel freely the rest of the year. These jobs provide workers with a site and require each employee to stay and work for a season. Hours are plentiful and pay starts at $15 an hour. That said, earning more than that $15 base rate is very common, meaning those who choose to join the CamperForce can make enough money for the year in only a season or two.
Learn more here.
Harvest Work
Some RVers find great seasonal work helping with harvests. This work is relatively short-lived, but it tends to pay well and doesn’t require any special skills. It’s a great way to make quite a bit of money in a fairly short amount of time, and a great option to keep in your back pocket.
One of the most popular harvest gigs for RVers is the Sugar Beet Harvest. This harvest work is specifically geared toward people staying in RVs and ensures you’ll have a place to park your rig nearby. You can find more information on the Sugar Beet Harvest here.
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Traveling Trades
There are some lines of work that actually require travel. If you or your spouse has the skills to take on one of these jobs, you can live in an RV, travel from time to time, and in some cases, you’ll even have your travel paid for. That said, with these jobs you will not generally have a choice (or will have a limited number of choices) when it comes to where you will go. This is a big deal to some, but not others.
Some traveling trades you may consider include:
You can learn more about traveling trades by joining the FTF Traveling Trade branch. You can also click around to learn more about FTF Medical Nomads and FTF Artisans.
Teaching Lessons
Do you have a special skill? Why not share it with others by teaching lessons? You can teach in each campground you visit, teach online, or use a combination of both to grow your income.
If you’d like to teach online, consider using:
It’s also possible to work as an online tutor or English teacher. Tutoring jobs can be found on these sites:
If you’d like to teach English, try:
Sewing or Crafting
Selling any kind of craft can be a great way to make some extra money. Some people sell their knitting, sewing, handmade jewelry, and other items at festivals and craft fairs. Meanwhile, others choose to sell online. Using a combo of both could be a great way to build your business.
- Crafts can be sold online via Etsy and Amazon Handmade.
- Find a local craft fair or festival here or create your entire travel schedule around these events.
Photography
If you are a great photographer, you may be able to use this skill to make some money while you travel.
One way to do this is by offering photo sessions in each place you visit. That said, this can take quite a bit of time, so you will want to be prepared to stay in one place for a while. Try to speed up the process by advertising on the local Craigslist and Facebook groups before you arrive. You may also be able to advertise on the campground bulletin board. Just be sure to ask first.
You could also sell images online. Some platforms for doing this are:
Freelance Work
We already mentioned many of the jobs you might do as a freelancer. That said, we wanted to mention some sites where you might find freelance work. If you’re looking at building a business as a web designer, graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, videographer, etc, check out the following sites:
Child and Pet Care
Do you like children? What about pets? You might find that some babysitting or pet-sitting gigs are just perfect for you. Obviously, this is another of those jobs that works best when you’re in an area for a while. That said, it can be lots of fun!
Check out Care.com or Sittercity to find clients in the cities you’ll be visiting and be sure to post ads on Craigslist, Facebook, and in the campgrounds you visit if allowed.
Seasonal Work
Seasonal work can be an awesome choice if you don’t mind following work and visiting each place for a few months at a time. Amusem*nt parks, restaurants, and retail establishments all hire seasonal employees at various times throughout the year. If you play your cards right, you can have work year-round while still getting to travel.
Will you be in one place for a while? You might also try:
Network Marketing Product Sales
Network marketing sales are popular in the traveling community. By selling a useful product through one of these companies, you can work from home, avoid carrying too much inventory and have fun meeting new people as you travel.
Some of the most popular network marketing companies out there include:
Coaching
Are you super good at something that others wish they could be good at? Perhaps you love fitness and nutrition, or maybe you’re great at setting goals. Whatever your passion is, you might consider helping others through a coaching business. Coaching is a great traveling job as it can be done entirely (or almost entirely) online. It’s also great because it allows you to help others, something that can bring lots of joy.
Here are a few starting places for those who’d like to pursue coaching:
Telecommuting
Prefer to work a 9–5 as you travel the country? A telecommuting job is just what you need!
In some cases, you may be able to take your current job on the road. If this is something that seems like it might be possible, and if you want to hold onto your current job, try asking! It never hurts to ask, and you might just get a “yes” or at least a trial period.
Of course, if that doesn’t work out, you can always look for a new job that does allow you to telecommute.
Some of the most popular companies that are offer entry-level telecommuting jobs include:
Other telecommuting jobs (including those requiring experience) can be found on sites like Indeed and SkipTheDrive.
You could also choose to build your own business and become a life coach.
Investment Income
There’s nothing quite as wonderful as investment income. This money keeps on coming even when you aren’t working much at all.
Some of the most popular investments for fulltime RVers are real estate investments. By owning houses in popular areas, people are able to make a decent income renting their property out. Others choose to buy and flip houses, traveling between flips. This property valuation report in Melbourne shows just how popular this option is. It does help that Australia is has the perfect climate for full time Rvers.
Of course, there are plenty of other investment options out there. The stock market is always an option, and sites such as Lending Tree give users an opportunity to make investments in their peers. I like to regularly read the eToro trading platform review by business24-7, they update it often and it keeps my ear to ground, sort of speak.
If you do choose to invest, be sure to do so wisely. Diversify your portfolio and pay attention to what is happening with your investments.
Gig Work
Thanks to the popularity of the gig economy, it is now easier than ever to find quick jobs. Whether you want to make money driving people around, delivering food, fixing things, or helping people move heavy items, there is a company or person out there just waiting to give you some gigs.
That said, many sites do not allow workers to change states, or at least don’t make it easy to do so. This can cause problems for RVers. Below we’ve compiled a list of gig-sharing sites and apps that do allow you to switch states easily.
Will you be in one place for a while? You might also try:
Other Ideas
There are many other ways to make small amounts of money while traveling. These include mystery shopping, online surveys, and even testing websites. Add these to a larger source of income, and you’ll have even more money to play with.
Final Thoughts
Finally, we’d like to share is a simple bit of advice. Because freelancing, gig work, and remote jobs can sometimes be a bit unreliable, we highly recommend creating multiple streams of income before hitting the road. We also recommend building a decent savings account and always have enough on hand to get back to family or friends should something go wrong. These safety nets will make your travel much more enjoyable, as you’ll be better able to relax and enjoy the ride, even when things aren’t going exactly as planned.
Hopefully, this article inspired you to get out there and find a traveling job that is perfect for you. Now go and live your dream!
