| Working
on a Roll Fun and Fascinating Jobs for RVers by Jaimie Hall |
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Would you wear a silly crab hat or dress like a clown? Can you imagine getting paid to kayak? How would you like to be right down with the cars on a race track? Working on the road, known as Workamping, is more than just campground hosting - it encompasses a wide range of ways to earn money. Some are downright fun!
ENTERTAINERS
Juanita "Neetsy " Barker is more than a singer-she is an entertainer. She has her own professional Karaoke equipment. "With my crazy hats, we have a great time. I also have music for DJ-ing. I just want to have fun and get my audience involved. When we do Karaoke (and a lot of singing by me) we will have two hundred folks come and stay for the entire evening." Neetsy has as much fun as her audience. Neetsy has used her skills as activity director at parks in Colorado and Texas, as well as picking up gigs in other areas wherever she is.
Keith and Eileen Reynolds like nothing more than to make people laugh. They, too, have worked as activities directors for three different KOAs. Keith's clown outfit, in KOA yellow, sure caught people's attention. They have also worked at Disney World in Florida and Adventureland in Iowa, and had a ball at each place. They'll be working at an RV park in Texas this winter as activity directors - their favorite position - and returning to Adventureland next summer. Says Keith, "We enjoy people and having a good time. I for one hope we can continue for a long time and continue seeing the country at the same time.
CREW FOR A RACING TEAM
Jack and Sylvia Dohollow have worked at several different types of jobs. One of the hardest--but most fun--jobs Jack had was working on a crew for a racing team at SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) Pro races. He was a crew chief in the 1980s, and in 1999 contacted a fellow he knew and worked races through early 2005. The team repaid expenses to fly or drive to the race and paid a per diem. He'd usually work Thursday through Sunday. Sylvia helped out with timing and scoring in the tower once and could attend two races a year in addition to the races that Jack drove to.
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VOLUNTEER KAYAKERS
Chuck Flanigan and Elaine Brogden volunteer. They enjoy the outdoors and particularly kayaking. One of their tasks at Deschutes National Forest in Bend, Oregon was to paddle Sparks Lake looking for paddle-in campsites. They documented each site by recording GPS coordinates and taking digital photos. They received an RV site and stipend.
Chuck and Elaine are currently at Starkey Experimental Forest, a joint wildlife research project conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the USDA Forest Service. It measures the population response of deer and elk to the intensively managed forests and rangelands of the future. Chuck and Elaine are monitoring the archery elk hunt, taking pictures, and pulling elk teeth. They may get to hand-feed some of the experimental elk!
Workamping has given these RVers an income (or
saved money in the case of Chuck and Elaine) while traveling
on the road. They are doing what they love to do and having
fun too. What more could you ask?
Jaimie Hall
9/10/06
