by Debbie Robus

Created on: February 25, 2009   Last Updated: March 01, 2009

We may be in a recession, there are still jobs for those who are flexible and open to new adventures. Thousands of people are finding jobs across America as workampers. You may be asking, "What is A workamper?" A workamper is someone who lives full-time or part-time in an RV (motorhome or travel trailer) while doing some type of work. And now that people are losing their homes and jobs in record numbers, workamping makes even more sense!

Retirees Lee and Arline Smith left Arkansas in September, just as gasoline prices rose to over $4 a gallon. Driving their 40-foot diesel motorhome, the couple headed for Bar Harbor, Maine. They spent six weeks workamping in a canoe/kayak rental. Lee rented and maintained kayaks on the dock, while Arline rented bicycles and scooters in the store a block away. They received hourly wages and half of their campsite rental in a nearby village as compensation. On their days off, they were allowed to "borrow" bicycles, canoes and kayaks, and tour Acadia National Park. They enjoyed biking and hiking on the carriage roads, and eating their fill of lobster and other seafood at night. Workamping paid their way to Maine and through New England, and they were able to experience the beauty of the fall color and history of these states.

While not as glamorous, a stint at a fulfillment center for Amazon.com, located in Kansas, provided the Smiths with good hourly wages during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Along with dozens of other workampers, Lee and Arline worked 10-hour days on the shipment line, packing orders for Amazon.com and Target. They received hourly wages in the $10-11 range, as well as a full hookup campsite in a nearby campground. The work was hard, fast-paced, and challenging, but they knew the assignment was temporary and the pay was good. Other fulfillment centers across the country are now considering hiring workampers, as well.

As people face high mortgage payments and lost or reduced income, finding a less expensive place to live becomes a priority. Living in an RV can be a viable option. Many people have left the road and parked their rig because of high gas prices and lack of funds for affording travel, resulting in an abundance of good deals on RVs. While this can mean a chance for new RVers to get started RVing and workamping affordably, some of these RVers can afford to return to the road again as workampers.

People are traveling from coast to coast, finding great jobs that allow them to see America and get paid for

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