Solo woman Workamper

Solo RVers can find work on the road. Becky Reiger is a solo woman Workamper. She has had several paid and volunteer positions since she began full-time travel in 2001.

Her first position was volunteering at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu in New Mexico. She worked on the farm taking care of sheep and in the trading post. She came back the next fall for another two months.

Her next assignment was a paid job with the Forest Service concessionarie, Mountain Campground Management in Utah, working two days in the office and staying at the Strawberry Reservoir outside Heber City. After returning to Ghost Ranch, Becky was offered the position as assistant to the volunteer coordinator at Big Bend National Park. She missed the training but volunteered for three months. This was her first of several seasons there.

The next summer Becky worked for the Forest Service concessionaire American Land & Leisure, campground hosting at Yellow Creek Campground in Lassen National Rorest in California. She camphosted at a small, pack-in, pack-out campground at Yellow Creek, cleaning two pit toilets, campsites and keeping trash picked up. She collected fees from campers and emptied the iron ranger. The area was very remote, though beautiful and the campground primitive, which appealed to her. .

After a year off, she accepted an assignment with AL&L at a smaller park on Beauty Creek in the Coeur d’lene National Forest..

Becky has volunteered at Big Bend for three winters and is going back this February for another stint. She is assistant to the VIP (Volunteers in Park) co-ordinator. As assistant, Becky has a variety of duties. She keeps volunteer files and helps park personnel find a volunteer who matches their needs. She also organizes volunteer activities. She checks in VIPs, gets them uniforms and makes sure they have what they need.

Each month Becky writes and publishes a monthly newsletter for the VIPs. Becky’s love of hiking dovetails with producing the newsletter. Each issue features several volunteers so she spends the day with them, getting to know them and their duties, often hiking. She also writes an article for the park employee newsletter, The Big Bend Bull. In addition, she helps with special projects as needed. Most days off you’ll find her hiking the myriad trails in the park. .

Many solo women RVers drive motorhomes. Becky drives a truck and New Horizon 5th wheel. For her, safety has never been an issue. "I’ve never had any problems that couldn’t be dealt with," says Becky.

Becky found her paid positions through Workamper.com; one through the newsletter and one at a job fair. RV women friends brought volunteer opportunities at Big Bend to her attention.

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.