The Workamper Show Podcast

Dan and Patty Harrison feel Workamping gives them a purpose for getting up in the morning. Like Patty said, people can fill their time with crafts, playing cards and activities like that. But, for the Harrisons, that lifestyle quickly got boring. Workamping allows them to use their brains while keeping busy and active. They also wanted a greater sense of purpose, so Dan and Patty started looking for ways to volunteer to help others in some way. That’s when they discovered Workamping as an ideal way to blend tourism with jobs.

Tracy and Lee Perkins have been crisscrossing the country a number of times and funding their travels by Workamping along the way. They have sold Christmas trees, harvested sugar beets, shipped products in an Amazon warehouse, guarded gates at Texas oilfields, and worked at several campgrounds in paid and volunteer positions. They constantly feel the tug to go see some place new. In fact, Lee said that whenever he wears a path from his RV to the pond, he knows it is time to move on.

Ranger Tyler Marye is looking for paid gate attendants, and that involves greeting guests on arrival, opening and closing the gates, issuing permits, collecting fees, and educating people about park rules. There are also a few volunteer positions open this summer.

Gerry and Ron Bays love Workamping at campgrounds. It saves them money and, more importantly, allows them to remain active in retirement and visit a number of places they’d dreamed about seeing. They share what attracted them to Workamping in the first place and describe some of the fun adventures they’ve enjoyed as well as lessons they learned along the way.

This week’s show features an interview with a dog trainer who is planning to use his RV to travel throughout his market area to put on training seminars for pet owners. Dan Ross is a professional dog trainer from southern California who has been in business for six years. He has developed a way to communicate with dogs that has become second nature to him, and he shares that knowledge with other pet owners in hopes they’ll bond more closely with their own dogs.

Kyle Henson is a full-time RVer who has traveled with his wife and 13-year-old daughter since 2011. He had already been working online in the insurance industry when they decided to take their first RV trip.
However, while on the road, Kyle discovered a pressing need among RVers, especially those who traded in a sticks-and-bricks home for one on wheels. The couple formed Nomad Insurance Group to connect RVers to insurance companies that realize the challenges RVers face in finding healthcare on the road. The company focuses exclusively on health insurance programs that provide nationwide coverage that is not location-dependent in confining people to specific doctors in specific areas.

Workampers are needed at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project at Lake Sonoma in central California. They serve as camp hosts and to help out in the visitor centers by selling merchandise and leading people on tours of the hatchery. The volunteers also provide maintenance and landscaping services as well as serve as gate monitors by interacting with guests and ensuring fees are being paid. They generally work three days on with four days off to explore wineries and the San Fransisco area.

As we start a new year, today’s show will feature interviews with two Workamper employers. They are The Golf Club at Devil’s Tower and Geode Yoga Fitness. Todd Coover is the general manager of what he describes as a destination golf facility. Because the course is located in a remote section of Wyoming, Todd relies upon Workampers to help out in the pro shop, golf course and range, as well as serve as housekeepers, cooks, waiters and bartenders. Marci Hedderson-Carroll is the founder of Geode Yoga Fitness, and she’s looking for help planting gardens around the property and maintaining the facility. Workampers will also help blaze a walking trail around the property.

Early in their adventure, Mike and Donna Bender stumbled upon an opportunity to work for a natural gas company inspecting gas lines throughout the country. When they learned of the opportunity to make money repairing RVs, they opted to take the training and attain their certification. But, while taking the RV Fundamentals class, their eyes were opened to opportunities to make money inspecting RVs. So, after they completed the first week of training together, Donna continued along a path to become an RV inspector and Mike completed five weeks of training to become a certified technician.

This week’s show is rather special. In honor of our 100th podcast, Workamper News Editor Jody Anderson Duquette and her husband, Luke, opted to record a special show to commemorate the milestone. Jody and Luke recall the key historical highlights of Workamper News that took place during the past 33 years since its founding in 1987 by Greg and Debbie Robus in the tiny town of Heber Springs, Ark. Many things have changed over the years, but one thing remains consistent — Workamper News’ commitment to connecting employers needing short-term workers and RVers looking to help finance their travel dreams.

Jason Weiner and his wife, Amanda, were at a crossroads after their daughter grew up and ventured out on her own. They were just going through the motions of going to work and coming back to a quiet house day after day.  That time period also coincided with a realization that Jason had hit a career wall in the tech industry and he either needed to find something else to do or start over. They had been thinking about the RV lifestyle for a while, and had even attended the Workamper Rendezvous. They bought a 42-foot fifth wheel in March 2019 and started their adventure.

Saco River Camping Area is a full-service campground featuring more than 240 mostly full-hookup RV sites. The family-oriented campground offers tubing, kayak and canoe rentals as well as bikes, golf carts, laser tag and even wagon rides. During a typical season, more than 60,000 people use the campground as a base camp for a variety of adventures. Up to 14 Workampers are needed to help with maintenance, guest services and housekeeping. Workampers are paid $11 per hour for all hours worked. They also receive a free full hook-up site with cable television, Wi-Fi, free use of the laundry and a 30 percent discount at the camp store.