Episodes

Finding convenient places to stop while traveling in an RV can be challenging, especially when you’re driving a large motorhome or towing a trailer. Today’s guest will tell us about an app he personally designed to make it easier to find important stops. Stephen Ayers is a longtime RVer and software developer who created an iPhone app called RV Trip Pilot to make traveling easier, safer and more enjoyable. The app helps RVers locate fuel stations, restaurants, rest areas, campgrounds and overn...

This week I am talking with a recently-retired couple who traded a fast-paced career transporting classic automobiles for a slower lifestyle exploring America. After years of seasonal employment, including four seasons working in Alaska, Skip and Lisa Durbin recently completed their first Workamping assignment as campground hosts at Rainbow Point, which is located near Yellowstone National Park. They spent the summer maintaining campsites, helping guests and enjoying the great outdoors while w...

Today I will be speaking with a couple who actually met while he was RVing and she retired to join him on the road after getting married. Matt and Kiersten Buote traded conventional careers for the freedom of traveling the country in their RV. Matt started RVing in 2019 after owning a commercial fitness equipment business in New England. Kiersten worked in the golf industry and was an assistant general manager at a club in Sedona, Ariz., before deciding she was ready for a change. After gett...

Today I’ll be talking with a woman who has been RVing and Workamping with her husband and three children for nearly five years. Hailey Warner got the idea to start RVing after she saw a video reminding parents they get only 18 summers with their children. She decided she wanted to make the most of those years by selling nearly everything, buying an RV and hitting the road. Workamping helped to make the adventure possible by making it more affordable. Since then, Hailey and her family have wo...

Today I am speaking with the director of operations for a small investment group that owns and manages campgrounds in Indiana and Pennsylvania. Pinecone Resorts manages Manapogo RV Campground in Orland, Ind., which is a 302-site park on a lake with a marina, boat slips and plenty of activities. The company also operates Benner’s Meadow Run Campground in Farmington, Penn., which is a 168-site RV park with 12 deluxe cabins, a pool, mini golf and access to plenty of outdoor recreation. Operation...

Today, I am speaking with a retired couple who have spent about 11 years Workamping as a way to explore the country while enjoying extended stays in some pretty spectacular places. Liz and Mike Cress started their Workamping adventure with a big leap. For their very first assignment, they drove their RV all the way to Alaska, where they spent more than four months working at a hotel and campground. The couple wanted the freedom to travel throughout the United States, explore cities, states and...

Today, I am speaking with a couple who decided they didn’t want to keep waiting for “someday” to begin traveling. They have been fulltime RVing for five years. Donny Benedict spent his career in furniture retail management, while his wife, Tammy, was a teacher. They started RVing about eight years ago and even lived in their RV for three years while Tammy was still teaching. When she retired, they were finally free to embrace full-time travel and Workamping. Because they retired in their 50s,...

Today, I’m talking with a couple who made a remarkably quick transition from a conventional life in Missouri to living and traveling full time in a converted school bus. Susan Savage worked 29 years as a social worker, while Tad Mayfield worked primarily in the printing industry. Susan had already retired, but Tad was still working long hours to maintain their lifestyle when they realized they wanted something different. The inspiration came while they were driving down a highway in Missouri a...

This week, I will be talking with a couple who have been Workamping for several years while enjoying some rather unusual adventures. They are gold miners and rockhounds, off-grid specialists and experienced Workampers who have traveled throughout much of the United States, as well as Canada and Alaska. Rebel and Wendy Miner are currently working at a KM Resorts property in Washington, where Wendy handles many office and guest-service responsibilities and Rebel puts his extensive maintenance ski...

Today, I’m talking with a full-time RVer and van lifer who has spent nearly six years traveling the country as an entrepreneur and business owner before she discovered Workamping a few years ago. Cami Baker loved being a business owner, but when she discovered Workamping about three years ago, she found a lifestyle that better matched the freedom she has always valued. Her first Workamping job took her to the redwoods of Northern California, where she worked as a housekeeper. Since then, Cami...

Today, I am speaking with an experienced Workamper who traveled the country with her husband and six children for many years. During that time, they bought an RV roofing business and just purchased an established website to help teach others how to get started in the RV lifestyle. Jennifer Schillaci has spent more than a decade raising a family on the road while building businesses that serve the RV community. What began as a lifestyle she never imagined embracing has evolved into a career cen...

If you’ve been looking for a high-paying seasonal job that includes lodging and could lead to even more opportunities, you are going to like this episode. Today I’m joined by Project Manager Trish Parker and Employment Specialist Jaedyn Kelly, who both work for Express Employment Professionals in Grand Forks, N.D. They’re recruiting Workampers for assembly and paint positions with Arctic Cat in nearby Thief River Falls, Minn, where employees help build ATVs, side-by-sides and snowmobiles. Duri...

Finding steady Workamping jobs with competitive pay can sometimes be a challenge, especially for RV couples who want to earn enough to fund their travels. Today, I am talking with Sharon Flynn, with Guard 1 Services, about an opportunity that offers year-round work in the oil and gas industry. Best of all, couples earn $1,400 per week, but they need to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many Workampers serve as gate guards for a month or two and use the money to finance the rest of their...

Today, I am speaking with a woman whose family just starting RVing a little over a year ago and now she manages a KOA campground in Michigan. Brigette Patton discovered the Workamping lifestyle almost by accident and it completely changed the direction of her family’s life. After her husband lost his job, they took a leap of faith, bought an RV that happened to be for sale in their front yard and landed their first Workamping job just days later. That decision quickly opened doors from season...

One of the biggest decisions aspiring Workampers make is choosing the right RV. Since it becomes your home and, for many people, your office, today’s episode addresses finding a coach designed for extended living that can make all the difference. Today’s guest is Doug Miller, the director of sales for Fleetwood RV. Doug has spent more than 25 years with the company and has helped to shape many of the features that today’s full-time RVers appreciate. In this episode, Doug explains how Fleetwoo...

Whether you’re boondocking between jobs, staying in remote locations or simply preparing for unexpected power outages, the right generator can make all the difference. This week, I am talking with Chris O’Connor, a representative from an RVMP, a company which manufactures and sells portable and permanently-installed generators for RV use. He explains how RVMP has focused on making generators smaller and lighter without sacrificing power. He also addresses why dual-fuel capability gives RVers ...

Today I am interviewing a business owner from Maine about an incredible Workamping opportunity right outside the front door to one of America’s most scenic national parks. Glenn Tucker is the owner of several tourism businesses in Bar Harbor, Maine, that serve visitors to Acadia National Park. He explains why his company has relied on Workampers for 25 years. Glenn describes the wide variety of positions available, and how cross-training keeps every day interesting for Workampers. He also sha...

Today, I am speaking with a woman who is on her second stint of Workamping in Alaska with her family and enjoying an amazing experience. Jessie Watters is a full-time RVing mom of three who traded a traditional suburban lifestyle for a life of adventure, family travel and Workamping opportunities across the country. Just over a year ago, Jessie and her husband packed up their family, hit the road and began a journey that has already taken them from Alaska to Arizona and back again. In this ep...

Today I am speaking with a solo RVer who has been on the road for many years, but completed one year of traveling that really broke her open so much so that she wrote a book about the experience. Kristy Halvorsen is a solo traveler whose journey has taken her across every state in the nation, nearly every Canadian province and into some of the most remote places in North America. She made an appearance earlier on this show in December 2022. Kristy spent almost nine years living and traveling f...

Today I am joined by a Workamper who served as a camp host for many years, and wrote a book about his experiences. Many people dream about Workamping, but few get to see what really happens behind the scenes. Today’s guest, Steven Erkman, pulls back the curtain in a fun and entertaining way through his book titled, “Not The Brochure.” Steven and his girlfriend have spent years traveling full time across the United States and Workamping in campgrounds and RV resorts. Along the way, he collected...

Today I am speaking with a woman from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about volunteering at a fish hatchery in Kentucky. Marsha Hart is from Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, Ky. The hatchery raises nearly a million trout each year and serves as a popular attraction for campers, anglers, school groups and families. Marsha explains how Workampers help operate the visitor center, assist guests, care for educational animals and support special events throughout the year. She al...

In today’s episode, I’m visiting with the founder of Cliff Valley Astronomy and Canada’s only astro-tourism consultant. Stéphane Picard is helping travelers rediscover something many of us have lost in modern life, which is a true connection to the night sky. If you’ve ever parked your RV far from city lights and looked up in amazement at the stars overhead, you’re going to love this conversation. Stéphane explains why dark sky tourism is growing so quickly and how RVers are uniquely position...

Today I am speaking with an RVer who redesigned his entire life after a brutal fall required him to learn to  walk, write, speak and even swallow all over again. But, it opened the door for him to become a Workamper for a family-owned RV dealership working as a service advisor. Jim Bartleman thought he had life figured out. He was working as a service advisor in the automotive industry, planning for the future and preparing to eventually hit the road in an RV. But, everything changed in an ins...

This week, I will be speaking with a couple who traded in a traditional lifestyle in Tennessee for life on the road and never looked back. RB and Trish Lipker have been Workamping across the country since 2023. They have accepted jobs in Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Nebraska and now Northern California. For nearly two years, they have been working at Costanoa, which is an RV park and resort along the California coast. RB and Trish share how they got started in Workamping after discovering th...