How 25 RVers Make Money While Living On the Road

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Do you dream of living in an RV full time and living a nomadic life but wonder how to make money while traveling or full time RVing?  Have you heard of people working from their RV as they travel across the country but don’t know where to find jobs, or what kinds of jobs are even available to people traveling in an RV?

In this article, I’ll introduce you to 24 RVers who opened up about exactly how they make money while living in an RV, including where they found their jobs or how they started their businesses, and their advice on how others can do it to!

Head’s up!  This blog post is super long (and hopefully that’s a GOOD thing)!  If you don’t want to read it all in order, use the Table of Contents at the top of the page to jump to the remote jobs that most interest you!  Also, be sure to pin this article to refer to later!

Ashley and Josiah Mann

Blogger / Content marketer, Web / software developer

Ashley and Josiah Mann | rvinspiration.com
Ashley, Josiah, and Kitty Mann

I decided to kick off this list by talking about what my husband, Josiah Mann, and I do for work.

First, a little bit about us–Josiah and I (Ashley) bought and moved into our fifth wheel RV in summer of 2016, planning to be stationary until we were both earning remote income, at which point we would buy a truck and hit the road.  You can read more about this story in my article Why I Quit My Job and Moved Into an RV.

Two years later, we had both built businesses that were earning full time income…and we discovered we actually liked being stationary, city-dwelling RVers with the ability to relocate whenever we wanted, so instead of taking on a costly truck payment, we decided to pay someone on UShip.com to move our RV to our chosen destination…which turned out to be our hometown of Springfield, MO!  Not the really the “full time RV life” most people dream of, I know, but it’s perfect for us for right now!

How we earn remote income:

My business centers around this website, rvinspiration.com, which I started in spring of 2017.  In May of 2018 my monthly blogging income surpassed what I had earned as a middle school English teacher. 

Josiah’s career began in 2013, when he taught himself to code using websites like TeamTreehouse.com and CodeAcademy.com and started learning to build websites and selling website design services locally.  In 2014 he wrote a Udemy course about how to develop WordPress themes and also started getting freelance and short-term web development jobs on Upwork.com and later through TopTal.com.  While we lived in Kansas City, he landed a job working for a marketing agency called VML, where he worked on a website development team building websites for Sprint and Ford Motor Company.

At the beginning of 2018, Josiah quit his job in order to pursue his dream of owning his own company, and started his software company, InvestorDealRoom.com, which provides software for commercial real estate and private equity companies. 

Our advice to others interested in doing what we do:

Obviously my first advice is to read the rest of this article! 🙂 

I’ll also recommend a couple of websites that helped me a lot in figuring out my vision for rvinspiration.com: NichePursuits.com and DigitalMarketer.com.  Both of these websites contain tons of articles about content marketing, which is the technical term for what I do by writing, promoting, and monetizing blog articles.

Becoming a web developer involves two steps: 1) Learning the skills. 2) Finding a job.

by Ashley Mann of rvinspiration.com
Our fifth wheel RV (and my car)

For learning web development skills, Josiah recommends the websites he used (which I already linked to above), but the majority of Josiah’s skills were learned on the job.

From my perspective as a non-coder, if you start with resources like Team Treehouse, you’ll be able to figure out pretty quickly if coding is something you like and have a knack for, and then if you look you’ll find other ways to learn it.  I actually started going through the basic HTML and CSS courses on Team Treehouse at one point a few years back and quickly decided coding was not for me, haha.

As far as finding a web development job once you have the skills, the biggest piece of advice Josiah offers is to specialize.  “Web developer” is a very broad category.

By Googling and looking on Glassdoor.com to figure out which kinds of web development jobs paid the best and what skills they required, Josiah was able to target his learning and tailor his resume to the types of jobs he wanted, and he ended up specializing in front-end web development languages like CSS, HTML5, and Javascript.

Additionally, Josiah found it much easier to land jobs with the help of recruiters.  By connecting on LinkedIn with recruiters in major cities (people who make money solely by helping companies find good employees!), you may be able to find a job with a company that allows its employees to work remotely.

Even though Josiah’s job at VML in Kansas City was not advertised as remote, the company allowed many of their employees to work remotely after they had proven their worth. 

Melinda and Eryk Collings

Remote business intelligence developer, National park mechanic

Melinda and Eryk, known to their followers and subscribers as “Pookie and the Bear”, are living “the RV dream” most people imagine: they live and travel wherever and whenever they want in their 2019 Keystone Cougar fifth wheel, usually following mild temperatures and sunshine.  Together they’ve visited 27 states in the two year’s they’ve been full time RVing, and in their free time you can usually find them at a craft brewery or snuggling with Pepper, their pit bull.

Eryk and Melinda Collings of PookieAndTheBear.com
Eryk and Melinda Collings

How they make money while full time RVing:

Melinda works a “corporate, 9 to 5 job” from the RV (usually in her pajamas!).  She has a degree in IT Management and Cyber Security and first spent time building her resume with skills and work experience.

Once she and Eryk decided to RV full time, she began researching and applying to numerous companies that fit her ideal criteria and finally landed a remote position as a business intelligence developer.

Eryk is a skilled mechanic and finds summer work through Workampernews.com as a mechanic in national parks.  His most recent job was as a mechanic for Glacier National Park.  Since Melinda can work from anywhere, they travel to wherever Eryk is working and stay for 3-6 months.

Their advice for people interested in doing what they do:

“Learn a skill and either find a remote job or workamp style gigs. Plan ahead and be prepared. Winging it usually results in failure.”

Joy Kelley

Lettering artist, Digital designer, Drop shipper, Blogger

Joy Kelley of BarefootDetour.com
Joy Kelley

In 2018, Joy and her husband Ken renovated a 1991 Fleetwood Wilderness travel trailer to use for camping and traveling with their three little boys and their dog.  Although they don’t live in their RV full time, Joy’s fully remote business gives her the freedom and flexibility to be able to spend time with her family.

“I love the freedom I have with my time,” Joy says.  “My time with my boys is the greatest reward I have when it comes to working remotely; we get to play outside and do things I would not be able to do if I had to go to an office without the time flexibility.”  As long as she has her laptop and iPad and access to Internet, Joy can create and sell her art from anywhere in the world!

How she earns passive income while RVing:

Joy is a lettering artist; she creates hand draws designs on her iPad which she sells as digital files (printable artwork, fonts, cut files, etc.) as well as printed on physical products, some of which she keeps in stock and ships herself and some which she produces through drop-shipping companies.

Joy is also a blogger: on her blog HowJoyful.com she teaches about hand lettering, calligraphy, and crafts.  Recently, Joy also launched a second blog about RV decor and adventures called BarefootDetour.com (stay tuned for her new line of adventure/travel themed drinkware!).

You can read about Joy’s business journey in her blog post “Passive Income for Lettering Artist: Make Money While You Sleep“.  Her income streams, which she says are “about 90% passive,” include ads and affiliate marketing through her blogs as well as sales of her digital and physical products, which she promotes through her blogs.

Joy’s advice to people interested in doing what she does:

Barefootdetour.com | HowJoyful.com
One of Joy’s designs with her RV in the background! Source: Instagram.com/HowJoyful

Creating her digital artwork requires some knowledge graphic design software as well as artistic talent.  Joy sketches all her designs by hand, but she points out that many people create designs by combining fonts and clipart purchased from websites such as Creative Market or Etsy using design programs like Canva and then selling the resulting images as digital files or printed on mugs, blankets, paper goods, etc. through Zazzle or similar drop shopping companies.

Of course, creating designs is only one part Joy’s business; her blog is the key component to her success at marketing and selling her artwork.  Joy learned about blogging through DareToConquer.com, an online business community which she says opened her eyes to the possibilities of earning income as a blogger and online business owner.  She says, “I recommend taking that course to anyone that wants to make money online; it’s amazing!”

Joy’s advice to anyone wanting to run an online business is to find a niche that works for you and start building an audience as soon as possible, whether through Instagram, a blog, YouTube, or wherever your audience gathers.  You want to connect to people,” she says.  The next step, she says, is to figure out how you can serve your audience by asking them questions, which she says often leads to them telling you what products they would like you to make.  “And bring them to your newsletter!” she adds.  “Start a newsletter as soon as possible!”

Although Joy has a degree in Industrial Design that gave her knowledge and experience that she carries into her business, her business education was centered around the business practices in her home country of Chile, so when she moved to the United States she had to learn how to conduct business in a new country “from ground zero”.  Joy believes the only thing a person really needs in order to be successful is drive and willingness to learn.  “There’s tools and skills that will make the path easier, but with determination, you can learn anything.”

Melanie of “Life’s Sweet Journey”

Online English Teacher

Melanie of LifesSweetWords.com
Melanie and Andrew, a.k.a. “Babe”

Melanie lives full time in an RV along with her husband Andrew, a.k.a. “Babe.”  Together they traveled in their Keystone Cougar from Florida all the way to Washington state and back.  She blogs about their travels on her website Life’s Sweet Journey.

How she makes money on the road:

Melanie teaches English through online video calls to kids in China through a company called VIPKid.  The kids she teaches one-on-one range in age from 6 to 14, and each class last 25 minutes and is conducted entirely in English. 

Melanie enjoys her job because she loves her students and seeing their progress as well as learning more about Chinese culture.  Although the time difference requires her to work odd hours, the schedule is flexible, and the benefit of the time difference is that it leaves her afternoons free for exploring or blogging.

Those interested in working for VIPKid need to have a bachelor’s degree (in any subject) and can find more information and read about how Melanie prepared for the process in her blog post titled VIPKid: Finding a Job That Allows Me to Work and Travel.

Melanie’s advice for people interested in doing what she does:

“Looking to fund full time RV travel can be hard, but if you are willing to be creative and think outside the box there are great options out there! There is no quick fix, but finding the avenue that works for you and ‘rolling with it’ can really pay off.”

Frank and Gráinne Foley

Amazon seller, Blogger

Since 2015, Frank and Gráinne Foley have been a full time RVers traveling all over the U.S. in an Open Range Fifth Wheel with their two kids and their dog, Gypsy.  They’ve been to most of the famous national parks, and his family’s destinations are Yellowstone National Park, the Smokey Mountains, and northern Georgia.  Frank says the only region they haven’t yet visited is the Northeast: “We were headed up there a couple of years ago but never got that far North–we were having too much fun crabbing in the Outer Banks and the summer got away from us.” 

Usually the Foleys spend winters in their home state of Florida, but this year they decided to spend the winter in Michigan to let their kids experience a “real” winter!  “We can’t think of a better way to live,” Frank says.  “Seeing the country is fantastic and the people you meet really restore your faith.”

The Foley Family of TheRovingFoleys.com
The Foley Family

How they fund their RV travels:

Frank and Gráinne run a successful Private Label Amazon business that they built in order to travel full time.  They manufacture, import and market products through Amazon FBA.  In Amazon store generated almost $500,000 in gross revenue.

The Foleys also have an RVing and camping blog called “The Roving Foleys”.

Frank’s advice to people interested in doing what they do:

“We have worked with a number of different training programs- there are a lot out there depending on what type of seller you are.  [Selling on] Amazon is not as easy as it used to be, so it is pretty easy to lose money if you don’t know what you are doing.”  Frank recommends Northbound Academy and The Selling Family for learning to run a profitable Amazon business.

Editor’s Note: I also highly recommend YourSellingGuide.com for getting started in Amazon FBA.

Frank offers encouragement to anyone dreaming of full time RV life: “There is a way for every traveler. Match your skills to what is needed.  There are just so many types of work on the road that anyone can find a way if they really want it.  If you are considering this life and worried about income, don’t worry–you are in good company.  We ALL had the same worries in the beginning.  But learning how to economize and finding an income are well within your grasp and the rewards are simply wonderful.  We have been able to discover much of America right along with our kids and these past four years have been the best of our lives.”

Craig and Bryanna Royal

Virtual marketing business owner, Travel blogger

CrazyFamilyAdventure.com
The Royal Family at Bandelier National Monument

Bryanna and Craig Royal travel full time in a 21-foot Micro Minnie Travel Trailer with their four kids and their dog.  (Believe it or not, they actually chose to downsize from a bigger RV!) 

During the five years they’ve been RVing, they’ve traveled all across the United States as well as in Canada and Mexico.  You can read more about their family travels in this post on their blog, 11 Things We Have Learned after 3 Years of Full Time RVing.

How they make money while traveling full time:

Bryanna and Craig fund their travel lifestyle from two main streams of income: Virtual Powerhouse, which is a virtual business where they support small businesses with Pinterest, social media and email marketing, and their travel blog, Crazy Family Adventure, which they monetize with ads and affiliate links.

One thing that Bryanna said about her business that really stood out to me was this: “I purposely built the businesses the way I wanted to so that I can enjoy them.” 

When building a remote business, you get to choose what you want it to be.  For example, if you love blogging but hate using Pinterest, then figure out a way to promote your blog that doesn’t require you to use Pinterest…or hire someone else to manage your Pinterest account (like Bryanna, perhaps!).  Of course building your dream business takes work, but with consistent effort over time, it’s definitely doable.

Bryanna’s advice to people who want to start a virtual business:

When asked what kind of skills, education, or work experience a person would need to start a virtual business, Bryanna said, “You don’t need any of these. Just a desire to do something, the follow through, networking, great customer service, and always delivering what you say you will on time and well done.”

To those wondering how to find a remote job or build a remote business, Bryanna says, “I would recommend finding someone that is doing what you want to do and following them and learning from what they have done or what courses they taken and recommend….Find a direction you want to take and learn everything you can but also get started! Find your first client and go for it!”

Bryanna has written lots of articles about how to make money living on the road which you can find here.

Kelsey Henry

Musician, Amazon seller, Etsy seller, Guest blogger, Podcast producer, Pinterest consultant

Kelsey Henry actually grew up on the road!  When she was 11 years old, her parents decided to become full time RVers and she traveled all over the U.S. with them as as “Roadschooled Kid“.  Now she lives her own nomadic life, though she’s currently between RV’s and living in a 2005 Honda CR-V turned “glamper”.

Kelsey Henry of PositivelyDelighted.com
Kelsey Henry

How she’s made money on the road:

Since she got a head start at RV life, Kelsey has already developed quite the remote work resume: her diverse income streams have included Amazon FBA sales, guest blogging, and selling printables and adult coloring books, and writing a memoir about her childhood as a full time RVer.

Kelsey currently works as a Pinterest consultant and podcast producer.  On her personal blog, PositivelyDelighted.com, she blogs about topics like mental health and positivity.

Kelsey’s advice to others on how to make money while full time RVing:

“Diversify! Follow your passions to create income streams (you’ll be most excited about these tasks) AND follow your skills. Start with skills you are already good at OR very interested in. Try to monetize the skills from your current job and build from there. Get involved in online courses with Facebook communities to find clients. Also, build up savings as much as possible before hitting the road and working on your own. The more you have in the bank, the more peace of mind you’ll have.”

Kelsey’s advice for those looking to get into her specific fields of expertise: “Podcast editing and Pinterest management can both be learned through online courses or through specific people online with trusted courses. I have a Master’s in Marketing, but none of my clients have ever asked about my degree credentials. All of my work has come through referrals. Udemy is a fantastic place to find courses. For Pinterest, I recommend the course from Moms Make Cents.

Kelsey shares her business experience in her eBook, How to Create an Etsy Printable Business.

How to Create an Etsy Printable Business eBook cover
How to Create an Etsy Printable Business, an eBook by Kelsey Henry

Ed Wilcox

Mobile RV Mechanic

Ed Wilcox, mobile RV repair technician
Ed Wilcox

Ed Wilcox started RVing with his wife Liz and their preschool-aged daughter Chelsea in 2016.  After several months parked stationary in Alabama, they traded their first RV, a fifth wheel, for a 2007 Jayco Class C motorhome and hit the road for a year, traveling across 15 states.

How Ed has earned money on the road:

Ed prefers a job that lets him work with his hands instead of behind a desk, so when he and Liz decided to become full time RVers, he researched becoming an RV mechanic and ended up attending the RV Service Academy in Palmetto, FL, which taught him the skills necessary to fix his own RV as well as start a “very profitable” business on the road, Ed’s RV Repair.  Since Ed served for 12 years in the U.S. Army, he was able to pay for his RVSA tuition through the GI Bill.

Ed runs his repair business from wherever he and Liz happen to be parked.  He currently charges $100/hour for his services, and he advertises by leaving business cards in the park office and putting a sign out in front of his RV.

In addition to repairing RV’s, Ed has created an online course called “Fix It Yourself” aimed at teaching RV owners how to do their own basic maintenance and repairs.  Through the course, Ed’s goal is to help RV owners save thousands of dollars on repair costs by learning how to fix some of the most common RV problems on their own…and prevent them from happening in the first place. 

Ed loves that his business includes educating RV owners in addition to the mechanical work.  “I love that I get to teach others stuff they didn’t know about their own system,” he says.  “Seeing people’s ‘lightbulb’ moments after talking through their problems is awesome. I know RVing is a dream to a lot of people, but not every moment is a dream. I like that I can come in and make a really scary and stressful time much calmer. And help them know what to do the next time something goes wrong.”

Ed’s advice to people interested in doing what he does:

Ed strongly recommends the RV Service Academy he attended in Florida: “If you’re looking to start an RV mobile repair business, it’s the only option. Those courses that are only a week or weekend long are really not enough hands-on training to be a proper business in my opinion.”

Ed’s general advice to those looking for remote work is to find answers within the RVing community:  “Ask other RVers! Get on The RV Entrepreneur Facebook group. Read blogs like this one. Make friends. Take a course on remote work or starting a business. Chances are you have more skills than you think.”

Carrie Fay

Workcamper, Social media virtual assistant, Freelance writer

Carrie Fay of MakingMoneyAndTraveling.com
Carrie Fay

Carrie Fay is a cat mom who started full time RVing in June of 2017.  Though she’s currently between vehicles as she prepares for the next leg of her journey, she’s already traveled from coast, to gulf, to coast, through 23 states, in her first motorhome, a 1999 Rexall Rexair.

How she’s made money on the road:

When Carrie first embarked on her journey as a full-time RVer, she lived off savings and worked at a campground in exchange for a campsite and laundry money. This gave her three months’ runway before she would need to be earning some kind of remote income.  While she says she “definitely wouldn’t recommend that for everyone,” putting herself in a position where failure wasn’t an option forced her to rise to the occasion, which she did!

Since then, Carrie has been supporting herself by working as a social media virtual assistant and freelance writer.  She loves the flexible schedule she has working as a virtual assistant, and that she can work from wherever she wants.  “I would definitely recommend virtual assisting to anyone looking to transition into a remote work/freelancing type of situation,” she says.  “Almost everyone has skills that they can use as a virtual assistant to help businesses with tasks, and if you don’t have the skills, they’re very easy to learn.”

Carrie’s advice to people wanting to work remotely as a virtual assistant:

Carrie says the only thing necessary to do the work she does is determination and a willingness to learn new skills on your own as a “self-starter”.  She points out that virtual assistant and social Media Management skills can be learned for free anywhere on the internet or for a low price on platforms like Udemy, as well as “The University of YouTube”. 😉

Carrie also has a blog where she teaches people how to earn money to fund a nomadic lifestyle (including how to become a virtual assistant) called MakingMoneyAndTraveling.com.

For finding virtual assistant jobs, Carrie recommends Facebook rather than the well-known job boards.  “Facebook groups where entrepreneurs and small business owners gather are wonderful for finding people who need help with admin tasks in their business,” she says. “Job boards like Upwork and Flexjobs can be lucrative but can sometimes feel like a shark tank.  Facebook groups are a great place to not only find clients, but build your network as well!  Networking is super important and a really great way to start building a client base – and it’s perfect for introverts.”

To anyone thinking about pursuing remote work, Carrie advises, “Go into it with an attitude of ‘I can do this!’  If you don’t feel like you have the skills necessary right now, then identify which ones you lack…and learn them!  With the internet, you can learn ANYTHING.  Don’t feel discouraged by your lack of certifications or ‘qualifications’–if you can do it, flaunt it.  Your knowledge IS your certification.  Always be learning and improving and you will go far.”

And to those contemplating the full time RV life in general, Carrie says, “Jump into this lifestyle! If you don’t like it or change your mind later, that’s totally fine. You can always do something else (but most likely you’re going to love it :D) Just don’t let fear keep you from hitting the road or working for yourself. All the knowledge you need is already out there; get out there and find it!”

Katy Kortegast

Life coach, Speaker, Blogger, Virtual Assistant, Copywriter

Katy Kortegast - development coach, speaker, and writer
Katy Kortegast

Katy Kortegast travels lives full time in a Keystone Outback travel trailer with her son and two dogs.  Although they stay stationary most of the time, in the past two years they have spent time in eight different states.

How she makes money on the road:

Katy is passionate about helping people achieve their potential.  She is a certified life coach, and through her coaching business, articles on her website discoveryofjoy.com, and speaking events, she teaches about personal development in areas ranging from budgeting and time management to letting go of fears and rediscovering a sense of curiosity and wonder.  To supplement her coaching business, Kate also works as a copywriter and virtual assistant.

Katy’s advice to people interested in doing what she does:

Katy recommends Grant Baldwin’s “The Speaker Lab” for learning to build a speaking business, and for people interested in working as a virtual assistant, Katy’s recommends Gina Horkey’s website.

Katy tells people, “There is no magic bullet or overnight money maker. It takes time, effort, and hard work on your part. But when you set your mind to it, you can do it.”

Cortni “The Flipping Nomad”

RV Renovator

Cortni Armstrong, RV renovator, TheFlippingNomad.com
Cortni Armstrong, a.k.a. “The Flipping Nomad”

Cortni is a full time RVer traveling solo with her dog Rizzo in her fifth wheel toy hauler (though she often meets up with other RVing friends so she’s rarely alone!).  She started out stationary in Boise, Idaho, but now travels all over the West Coast.

How she makes money as a full time RVer:

After gutting and rebuilding her own toy hauler entirely on her own, she decided to go into the RV renovation business, and now she renovates RV’s for other RVers.  You can see some of her incredible RV makeovers on her Instagram page or on her website, TheFlippingNomad.com.  Even though Cortni says it’s been challenging to turn a sticks-and-bricks renovation business into a mobile business, she loves having a job that lets her be creative and “build tiny dream homes for other RVers.”

Cortni’s advice to people interested in doing what she does:

by Cortni of TheFlippingNomad.com
One of Cortni’s RV renovations – visit her Instagram page to see more!

I would definitely recommend that people own an RV of their own first before they try to renovate/flip one. They also need to have a strong work ethic. Just because these spaces are tiny doesn’t mean they are easy.”

She points out that there are lots of YouTube channels and blogs about how to renovate for anyone wanting to learn how.

To those who dream of traveling full time but aren’t sure how to do it, Cortni says, “I wish more people would stop making excuses for why they cant travel and just figure out a way to make it happen! It is such a beautiful life out here and it breaks my heart that more people won’t sacrifice enough to be able to experience this.

“Sculpt your job/career to fit your travels. I hear a lot of people say they cant travel because of their job. To that I say ‘Get a different job!’  Even if you can find a mobile job that you don’t really love, the chances are you don’t really love your current job either. So would you rather work a job you sorta, kind of like and get to travel? Or work a job you sorta, kinda like and be stationary? Put yourself and your travels first, then sculpt the rest of your life to fit that.”

Sharee Collier

Workamping Expert, Blogger

Sharee Collier RVs full time with her husband, their four kids, and their chihuahua.  They’ve been RVing since 2014, and so far they’ve traveled to 30 states: all along the East coast from Florida to New York, then across the U.S. from Georgia to California, and then up the West Coast.

Sharee Collier of LiveCampWork.com
Sharee Collier with her kids

How the Colliers fund their full time RV travel:

When the Colliers first started traveling, they worked seasonal jobs at various places on the east coast where they were provided a free campsite plus wages of about $10-$14/hour.  This allowed them to hit the road prior to having any other income streams they could rely on.

Eventually, Sharee started freelance writing RV articles for additional income. She is now building passive income streams through a book she’s written on the topic of workamping and also publishes information and resources through her website, LiveCampWork.com.

Sharee’s advice for people who want to Workamp:

“Try Workamping! Grab a job in a new location every 3-6 months and travel slowly while earning cash along the way.  I recommend Workamping to everyone who wants to travel now rather than wait for later, as it has the ability to be anyone’s ticket to travel!”  To anyone thinking about going full time in an RV, Sharee says, “Go small and go now!”

Ross and Jamie Feinberg

Online music teacher, Performing musician & Theater artist, Workcamper, Blogger, Freelance writer, Virtual assistant

Ross and Jamie are nomadic artists who travel full time in a 2005 “Minnie Winnie” Class C motorhome.  Together with cat who adopted them along the way, they have traveled up and down the East Coast as well as the southern and southwestern parts of the U.S.

Ross and Jamie Feinberg, musicians and virtual music teachers
Ross and Jamie Feinberg

How they earn money while RVing full time:

Ross and Jamie started out with traditional Workamping, including two summers in full-time positions, but gradually they’ve been able to build online businesses that provide them with passive income and allow them to purse their passions.

These businesses include a blog about their travels called RossAndJamieAdventure.com, as well as a travel blog all about ice cream called InSearchOfAScoop.com (if only I’d known as a kid that Ice Cream Blogger was a career option! :D)

They also teach music lessons online via Skype (perfect for traveling families whose kids want music lessons!) and are developing an online course for learning the Ukulele.  They also do paid performances as musicians or theater artists.

In addition to their artistic careers, they also do some freelance writing and virtual assistance.

Their advice to people interested in doing what they do:

Jamie says they are always looking for online music teachers, so if you’re a musician and would like to make money on the road teaching music lessons, definitely contact them!

Even though she and Ross figured out how to earn an income along the way, Jamie recommends figuring it out before setting out if possible.  “And leave with as little debt as you can,” she adds. “We’ve got more than we’d prefer.”

“The constant hustle of being an entrepreneur is tough, but we love what we do. If you’ve always wanted your own business, go for it! The freedom is incredible.”

Heather Perkins

NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Online Fitness Coach

Heather Perkins | HeatherPerkins.com
Heather Perkins

Heather Perkins is a “half-time RVer”–she and her husband still own a house, but they spend half of each year traveling throughout the Pacific Northwest in their Winnebago motorhome with their two daughters, who they homeschool, and their doberman, Atlas.

Heather says, “We are a close-knit family that does just about everything together. We seem to really thrive when we are on the road. We focus on one another and have to work together to keep our small living space clean and tidy.”

How Heather earns money while RVing:

Heather has been a personal trainer for almost ten years and virtual health and fitness coach as part of the Beachbody program for almost twelve years.

She works with her clients not only in person but also over the internet via social media, email, text messaging, and phone calls, which gives her the freedom to spend much of the year traveling.  Heather’s business website is HeatherPerkins.com, and she also has a blog about maintaining health and fitness while RVing called TheHealthyRV.com.

Heather says, “I absolutely love what I do as a health coach and the freedom it’s brought me to be able to work wherever I am, as well as be able to stay home with my kids and homeschool them without worrying about going without.”

Heather’s advice to people interested in doing what she does:

Heather says the only prerequisite for becoming a health and fitness coach is to have a love for being healthy and have the desire to help other people. “That’s it,” she says.  “You hold people accountable and keep them motivated.”  That was how she herself started: “In 2007, I had no idea what I was doing.  I took this “coaching” thing on for a discount on my own purchases and it led me to find my passion in life and on to getting certified to work with people more one-on-one, truly understanding the body, how it works, and how to simply thrive.

Heather offers information on her website about how to get started in Beachbody coaching, and she recommends NASM or another personal training certification for those interested in offering one-on-one training.

Sean and Julie Chickery

Remote corporate employee, Freelance writer, Public speaker, Author, Blogger, YouTuber, Podcaster

Julie and Sean Chickery are an empty-nester couple who live and travel full time in a Heartland Cyclone toy hauler.  In nearly five years they’ve been on the road, they’ve traveled extensively down the East Coast from Maryland to Florida and across the southern US from Florida to California.

How they fund their RV lifestyle:

ChickerysTravels.com
Sean and Julie Chickery

Both Sean and Julie served full careers in the U.S. Air Force.  When they made the decision to go full time in their RV, Julie had a full-time corporate job as a proposal manager which she was able to negotiate with her employer to be a remote position, starting out with telecommuting a few days per week.

Sean researched online to find a remote job within his field and ended landing a job as part of a medical research study that he was able to negotiate to be remote as well.  (You can read the full story of how they started working remotely in an article on their blog titled, “How We Earn a Living While Traveling Full Time”.)

Over the course of their travels, the Chickerys have built businesses around RVing which have allowed Julie to leave her corporate job.  They have a blog and YouTube channel called Chickery’s Travels which, in addition to ad and affiliate revenue, has also brought them related earning opportunities.

Julie earns income as a freelance writer, and together they’ve written a book about financing full-time RV travel.  They also do paid speaking engagements (I recently met up with them at an RV show where they were the featured speakers!) and last year, Sean and another business partner launched an RV podcast where they interview professionals in the RV industry.

Julie admits it is a lot of work to get a business running and says she actually works more hours as an entrepreneur than she did in her corporate position, but she loves it, and within the next year she expects her business income to replace her corporate salary.

Julie’s advice to people interested in working remotely while traveling in an RV:

For corporate remote work, the best websites are those of the company you hope to work for. Every large corporation has a job board where they post positions. For freelance writing, I have also gone directly to the source and pitched the content manager for the companies.

“While my corporate position required an MBA and several years of work experience, I believe anyone can be a successful entrepreneur if they are self motivated. You just have to find your niche.”

Plan ahead and don’t give up. There are opportunities out there for anyone. If you need more training, don’t be afraid to get it.

Jessica and Robert Meinhofer

Remote government contractor (Jessica), Aircraft Dispatcher (Robert), Blogger, YouTuber

The Meinhofer Family | ExploringTheLocalLife.com
The Meinhofer Family

Jessica Meinhofer has been traveling all over the United States with her husband Robert, their two school-aged kids, and their cat since October of 2015.  They live in a 2016 Forest River Travel Trailer, and they spend about half their time traveling and half their time parked stationary.  Their RV life has been, in Jessica’s words, “an amazing adventure.”

How they fund their RV adventures:

Jessica’s degree is in Biology, and she has a job as a government contractor which she was able to transition to remote-only when she and her husband decided to RV full time. 

Robert works full time as an aircraft dispatcher.  He flies (for free) to work for four-day shifts, then flies back to meet up with his family for 2-4 days of RV adventuring.  (Check out this article for more information about this career.)

Together the Meinhofers also run a blog and YouTube channel called “Exploring the Local Life”, which they monetize through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and paid memberships.

Their advice to others looking for a way to make money while living on the road:

“Be flexible and think outside the box. There are a lot of ways to make money remotely or as a contractor employer traveling from job to job. Keeping costs down also helps: skipping the tourist areas, eating at home, finding free camping, and camphosting (free site in exchange for volunteering at a campground).  I would also recommend Camille Attell’s online course “Remote Work 101”.

Camille Attell

Remote work specialist, Career coach, Speaker, Blogger

Camille Attell | MoreThanAWheelin.com
Camille Attell

Camille Attell and her husband Bryce quit their jobs and became full time RVers after realizing corporate success wasn’t bringing them the fulfillment they wanted.  Now they’ve traveled over 20,000 miles and visited 27 states, exploring, hiking, and meeting new friends, and have no regrets of leaving behind their successful, stable careers.

How Camille earns a remote income:

Camille has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, and in her “past life” worked as a corporate trainer and career coach, helping people find jobs, develop skills, and advance their careers.

She loved her job, but hated the corporate work environment–so she started her own business.  That way, she could continue to help people unearth their talents and use them to find jobs they love without having to sacrifice her own freedom.

Camille now earns a remote income by teaching other people how to earn a remote income. 🙂 She educates people about finding remote work through her website, MoreThanAWheelin.com, through her online course, and by speaking on the topic.

Camille’s advice to people who want to be able to earn remote income:

Camille encourages people interested in finding remote work to focus on their skills and interests as opposed to their current or past job titles or degrees.  “Focus on what you bring to the table, because that will open up your thinking to other job options, many of them remote,” she advises.  “Be open, don’t disqualify yourself, and know that remote work is possible and plentiful!”

Find out exactly how other RVers are making money on the road - and how you can too! | rvinspiration.com

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10 Comments

  1. Great article, Ashley! We always love to see how our fellow RV’ers make their living. It’s like we always tell people- there as many ways to make money on the road as there are people on the road. Whatever your passion, interests, skills, they can be applied to work while traveling. Love it-well done!

  2. Thank you for including me in this round up and for sharing about the course. This is a fantastic article!

  3. It’s was really fun to see how so many have been able to enjoy this lifestyle with less than conventional jobs. Super inspiring for anyone considering RV’ing or looking for ways to create remote type work!

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