Full Time RVer

Not all fulltime RVers have the luxury of “taking it easy” all the time. Many have to work to supplement their social security or pension checks. But take heart, more and more, employers are recognizing what a real jewel older RVers can be.

A story appearing in Florida’s Saint Petersburg Times says that many employers are on the lookout for fulltime RVers.

The “Bible” of fulltime RVers looking for employment is probably Workamper News. The Times quotes Workamper’s Steve Anderson on the subject of the good reputation that older workers have developed. “A lot of it has to do with the maturity of the individual,” Anderson said. “They’ve worked in positions where they have longevity. They understand what it means to say, ‘If I tell you I’m going to be here for six months, I’ll stay for six months.’”

There’s a staple market for such a reputation brings. Vendors for the National Parks often look for fulltime RVers to take over duties from working concession stores to serving or cooking in restaurants in the park system–and that’s been going on for years. Now many commercial RV park and campground owners are jumping on the bandwagon. The Times quoted a spokesman for the campground franchise, KOA. “You’ve got a lot of Type A personalities, a lot of folks who have had successful careers, whose dream was to call it quits in their 50s,” said Mike Gast.

But as this blog has pointed out in the not-so-distant past, jobs for fulltimers aren’t limited to “non-professional” positions. Jobs in the medical field are pretty much recession-proof. If you’ve got a background in nursing or health-care technology, jobs are crying to be filled.

Taking advantage of your lifestyle and experiences as a full-time RVer also lends itself to other seasonal position. Down in the Southwest snowbird Mecca of Quartzsite, every year RVers are finding jobs with RV dealers. Some walk folks through the lot, helping them pick out their “dream rig,” while others may specialize, explaining the ins-and-outs of solar technology. And while the pay isn’t “super,” the local Bureau of Land Management folks fill plenty of slots with volunteers who receive a great place to stay, access to fresh water and RV dump privileges, all for free.

photo courtesy ewen and donabel on flickr.com

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