1. Is there a "Workamper Glossary" of frequently used terms and abbreviations?
2. I am a current Workamper Plus subscriber but I am unable to log-in to the Workamper Plus section of Workamper.com. What do I do?
3. What is Workamping?
4. Are there plenty of jobs to go around?
5. How do I find out about RV delivery jobs?
6. Who are Workampers?
7. We are thinking about retiring early and joining the Workamper team. Will our Workamper earnings over the next few years affect our social security benefits?
8. Can we go Workamping in a tent or pop-up camper?
9. What is the number one advantage of the Workamper lifestyle?
10. It seems that most Workamper jobs are for couples - - what about us singles?
11. What kinds of positions are available?
12. What categories of jobs are available?
13. How much do these jobs pay?
14. What kind of volunteer opportunities are available?
15. Can Canadians and other non-U.S. citizens Workamp in the U.S.?
16. Can Americans and other non-Canadian citizens Workamp in Canada?
17. What kind of resumé should I use?
18. What do Workampers do about health insurance?
19. When a Workamper is given an RV site as part of his or her compensation, is the value of the site taxable?
20. How many hours should a Workamper be expected to work for a site + hookups?
21. We live in Texas, but wonder if we worked in Michigan, Alaska, or any other state for a month or so, would it cause a tax problem for us? We've heard that in some instances, working for even a short time in one state would make your other income (even from your home state) taxable in the new state.
22. We are thinking of getting a fully contained, full sized cabover camper for a 1-ton truck. Is there a requirement on what type of rig you have for these positions?
23. When an ad says "15 hours per week", does that mean per person or per couple?
24. Where do we get training for jobs in campgrounds and RV parks?
25. Do employers have to cover me under Workers Compensation? Should I ask if I'll be covered?"
26. What does a Camp Host do?

First of all, not all Workampers are retired. In fact, less than half of all Workampers consider themselves retired. With the median age being 53, it is obvious that the majority of Workampers are not drawing a pension and cannot subsist on rent-free camping alone. Secondly, Workamping includes any activity that involves the exchange of man/woman hours for anything of value.

While you won’t find the word Workamper in Webster’s dictionary, you will find it in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The official definition goes as follows: Workampers are adventuresome individuals and couples who have chosen a wonderful lifestyle that combines any kind of part-time or full-time work with RV camping. “WorkCamper” with a “C”, also a registered trademark, denotes RVers who volunteer for charitable organizations such as Habitat For Humanity or the Christian Ministry in National Parks.

The definition says nothing about “retirement” or “campgrounds”. If you eat and sleep in an RV and you conduct any activity in exchange for anything of value, you are a Workamper! While this definition could technically include such wide-ranging occupations as construction workers and race-car drivers, you probably won’t hear Dale Earnhart, Jr. referred to as a Workamper! When we use the word Workamper, we are realistically referring to people whose activities relate primarily to the outdoor hospitality industry.

Regular readers of Workamper News know that the majority of Workampers share their talent and experience in campgrounds, resorts, guest ranches, theme parks, marinas, wildlife preserves, plus state, national and regional parks and forests. However, many other Workampers choose less traveled paths to Workamping bliss, via less stationary jobs such as utility inspectors, field reps, carnival/circus crew members, ad sales, NASCAR ushers, souvenir vendors, etc., etc., etc. And yet, other Workampers operate businesses on wheels, such as flea market/craft vendors, cell phone/satellite sales, mobile food service, mobile RV repair/service, you-name-it. Some Workampers are in the enviable position of managing their business back home, via cell phones and the internet, while they are traveling. Literally any kind of business can and is being conducted from the road. Because of their entrepreneurial spirit, we sometimes call these folks Workamprenuers.

Bottomline: Workamping can be anything you want it to be. The following list of job titles is a sampling of job titles pulled from past issues of Workamper News and Workamper.com. Maybe you’ll see something that intrigues you. If not, use your imagination, and consider taking advantage of our free “Situations Wanted” ads and Awesome Applicants™ to find the job that fits your particular needs.

Campgrounds & RV Parks (commercial & government): Activity Director/Entertainer, Camp Host, Assistant Manager, Manager, Off-season Caretaker, Maintenance Supervisor, Relief Manager, Membership Sales, Naturalist/Interpreter, Contract Gate Attendant, Volunteer Park Attendant.

Theme Parks/Amusement Parks/Tourist Attractions/Circuses/Carnivals: Retail Sales, Ride Operator, Tram Driver, Security, Food Service, Ticket Office, Actor/Performer, Musician, Groundskeeper, Petting Zoo Attendant.

Dude Ranches/Outdoor Outfitters/Lodges/Cabins/Motels/Retreats: River Guide, Canoe Livery Driver, Wrangler, Cooks, Food Service, Housekeeper, Reservations/Front Desk, Housekeeping Supervisor, Off-season Caretaker, Grounds Supervisor, Livestock Tender.

Motorsports: Usher, Ticket Stubber, Parking Attendant, Security, Concessions, Souvenir Sales, Campground Attendant.

Business & Income Opportunities: RV park snack bar for lease, Campgrounds For Sale/Lease, Map Sales, Souvenir/Award Sales, Power Tool Distributor, Aerial Photo Sales, Forwarding/Message Service Sales.

Career Opportunities: Association Director of Education, General Manager, Operations Manager, Park Management Team, Assistant Manager.

Other: RV Delivery Driver, Utility Inspector, Campground Inspector, Park Map Sales, Field Rep, Kiosk Sales, Gift Shop clerk, Golf Course Attendant, Tour Guide, Association Director of Education, RV Technician, RV Sales, Estate/Property Sitter, Airport Attendant.

Retirement benefits are calculated on earnings during a lifetime of work under the Social Security system. For most current and future retirees, we will average your 35 highest years of earnings. If you have less than 35 years of earnings, we do average in years of zero earnings to bring the number of years to 35. Your actual earnings are first adjusted or "indexed" to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then we calculate your average monthly indexed earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most. We apply a formula to these earnings and arrive at your basic benefit, or "primary insurance amount" (PIA). This is the amount you would receive at your full retirement age, for most people, age 65. However, beginning with people born in 1938 or later, that age will gradually increase until it reaches 67 for people born after 1959. For more information, see www.socialsecurity.gov

As of 9/24/2003, the Corps of Engineers reports that they are currently accepting volunteer applications from legal aliens. As of 10/17/2003, the National Park Service reports that they continue to accept applications from non-citizens through their International VIP program. The application process is explained on their web site at: http://www.nps.gov/oia/topics/ivipapplication.htm

To be legally "employed" by a for-profit business (regardless of whether you are paid in wages or services/materials) you will need a temporary work visa, which is very difficult to obtain for these types of positions. For more information, contact the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) at http://www.bcis.gov.

For Workamping opportunities in Canada, click on "Workamper Canada" at the top of this page.

There is good news, however, in that some forms of employment are exempt from this need for validation. There are two of interest to us. Exemptions apply to permit workers "to engage in approved educational, research and scientific projects and to permit workers to engage in volunteer projects." These types of employment are negotiated directly with the potential employer.

Group coverage is usually, but not always, cheaper than an individual policy. Also, even if you find an affordable plan, there is the problem that your rates can go up at any time. This makes it extremely difficult for a prospective Workamper to plan a budget.

As a self-employed person who has to pay for 100% of his health insurance, I can tell you that the cost of all health insurance (group & individual) is high and rising steadily. One thing we have done to reduce this expense is to select a very high deductible. We are covered for any major medical crisis but are basically "self-insured" for all the little things. We are basically healthy people who exercise, eat right and rarely go to the doctor. So far, this strategy has saved us a fair amount of money.

Bottom line: Shop around - - and if you find any "good deals" that our readers should know about, please let us know.

You might also find useful The New Health Insurance Solution: How to Get Cheaper, Better Coverage without a Traditional Employer Plan. Written by Paul Zane Pilzer (New York Times best-selling author). This book is available in the Workamper Bookstore for $16.95 (free U.S. shipping).

Just a few years ago, the average exchange was 15 to 20 hours per week for a FHU site plus minimum wage (current federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour) for any additional hours. However, in the last few years, the booming economy and a tight labor market have caused many employers to be more competitive. Right now the going rate is a full hookup site plus at least minimum wage for all hours worked. This results in an actual hourly wage of $7 to $12 per hour, depending on the value of the site, hookups, perks, etc. In situations where the Workamper may be responsible for operating the facility for an absentee owner/manager, the compensation should be increased accordingly.

When considering jobs that involve exchanges of hours worked for an RV site, hook-ups, etc., we recommend that Workampers use the following formula to determine if the exchange meets individual needs.

The difficult part of this formula is calculating the value of the perks. The employer's idea of what the perks are worth is not the issue. What matters is what they are worth to the individual applicant.

Bottom line: It is up to each Workamper to be selective and to only accept jobs that offer a compensation package that suits his/her needs.