Is birding your thing?

Did you know you can find volunteer opportunities where you are given an RV site and get to do birding as part of your job?

You can find many birding opportunities by state at the American Birding Association Web site. They include a diverse range of monitoring projects, bird surveys and hosting opportunities at refuges and prime birding spots.

Check under "Get Involved/Birder Opportunities" at American Birding Assoc. You could be getting "paid" for your hobby! Jaimie

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.

Workamping - it's also about saving money

Working on the RV road can be about making money. It's also about saving money. One of the biggest values is when you get to do things tourists don't get to do - or have to pay lots of money for. George is pictured at the left during his volunteer training at Big Bend. New staff and volunteers took a trip down the Rio Grande River. Equipment was provided and it was fully catered! The other photo is of Bill on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad in Skagway, Alaska. The railroad had a special trip for locals - an all day ride on the steam train up into Canada where we ate a box lunch (provided) and toured the gold rush site at Lake Bennett. We paid $30 each compared to almost $200 each.

You may be able to save also in the following ways:

• Free RV site
• Free or discounted propane or laundry
• Free Wi-Fi
• Save on fuel. Explore the local area getting better mileage in your "toad" or tow vehicle
• Take advantage of free activities and attractions
• You may get free or reduced admission to local attractions

Money saved is like money earned. Sometimes you get experiences you might otherwise never have had. Jaimie Hall

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.

Free employment newspapers - a gold mine of information

In larger cities and towns, you may be able to pick up a free employment newspaper. Grocery stores and others have racks of free newspapers on topics like real estate, local activities and employment. In some places you'll find clusters of free magazine and newspaper vending boxes. These weekly papers can lead to jobs and job ideas.

I picked up several free employment newspapers in Phoenix and Tucson recently. Here are a few ideas:

• temporary job delivering telephone books
• security gate hosts for gated communities ($11-$12/hr)
• construction site security
• substitute teaching
• construction clean up
• sign twirlers
• concessionaire workers for spring training

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.

It's all in the perks!

At the western Gypsy Journal rally where I was speaking, I got to talking to two fellows who have excellent perks with their jobs.

David Davin, author of RV Camping in State Parks (available at RVBookstore.com), is working two to three days a week at the Haven Golf Course in Green Valley, Arizona south of Tucson. He works at the desk in the pro shop, collecting fees and selling golf items. Those at the front desk run the first tee, keeping the flow of golfers running smoothly. At night he closes out the register. Haven Golf course is a public course with an 18 hole course plus a 9 hole pitch course. Dave’s perk? He gets free golf.

I also ran into Carroll Carter, who is mentioned in my book on working on the road. He goes to Branson each year around Veteran’s Day and stays for a month. A number of jobs are available in this tourist town. He has worked for Silver Dollar City as an usher. After two weeks of work, you can use your pay stub and I.D. to get into all the shows in town at no charge. Carroll attends two or three each day! Since each show normally costs about $30, he is getting quite a value while in Branson. Jaimie Hall

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.

Working on the RV road goes mainstream

All sorts of professionals have found they can conduct business while traveling in their RVs. Here's a recent article in Forbes about a commodity futures broker who travels in his Dameon Escaper. He meets clients, gives seminars and works from his RV using wireless cards from Verizon and T Mobile.

Also in the article is a slide show "Eight Vocations for Entrepreneurs with Wanderlust." Check it out! Jaimie Hall

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.

Working on their bus

Ron and Sharon Mead have been working on the road for a number of years. They've worked in the Wisconsin Dells, the Florida Keys, and sold Christmas trees and pumpkins. Their best paying job was for Portland General Electric in Oregon. Most of their jobs, however, have been in southern California at two different county parks, for two reasons: family and their bus.

It was their dream to do a bus conversion. Ron found a 1959 Flxible bus. Working near family, he has been able to have a place and tools to do the work and is slowly making progress on the conversion. When we saw it in Quartzsite, he had completed an inner shell. Several appliances, including a composting toilet, are waiting to be installed. Ron plans to make a concerted effort this spring to build cabinets and finish the inside so they can move in and get back to earning money.

Ron is not only fulfilling his dream but is also sharpening his woodworking and carpentry skills, which will make him more valuable to employers. And, he and Sharon will have a lovely, customized house on wheels. Jaimie Hall

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.

So how do you get your mail?

Today we drove to Bylthe, CA from Quartzsite to do shopping, laundry and pick up mail. I had it sent c/o General Delivery to the Blythe post office. Getting mail in Quartzsite can take forever, though this year they have a new annex for picking up G.D. mail. Sending your mail c/o general delivery works fine when traveling or in one place for a short time.

When you are working in one location for an extended time, how do you get your mail? After having a bad experience relying on an RV park owner in Skagway, Alaska for our mail, we now usually rent a box from the nearest post office. One Workamper used their employer's address and then reported that their employer got disgusted with getting lots of mail; he refused all mail that was not his and had it returned to sender. They did not receive an important piece of mail as a result.

Mail forwarding
When you begin traveling full-time, you'll probably get a mail forwarder. All your mail gets sent to this location and they then forward it to you in one envelope or box at your request. When you are in one location, you can set up a regular schedule for having your mail sent to that address while you are there.

We like being able to go down to the post office at our convenience. We can access our box after hours, if need be. Some rural post offices even have lockers where they will place mail that does not fit in your regular box, leaving the key in your mailbox so you can access it anytime. We have used General Delivery all season in some cases, but most post offices will not allow this unless there is a shortage of boxes at their location. Plus you have to pick up mail during business hours.

If you do have mail sent to an employer's, do not change your address to theirs. You will not be able to put in a change of address without causing their mail to be forwarded too. Jaimie Hall

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

Panama adventurer turns trip to dollars

Most writers don't support themselves with their writing, but it can be a way to earn a few extra dollars and perhaps deduct your travels. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting author Jim Jaillet in Quartzsite yesterday. He has successfully combined writing and travel.

Jim helped organize a 2004 RV trip through Mexico and Central America to the Panama Canal. People enjoyed his e-mails about his trip so much they kept saying, "You should write a book." So he did. Panama or Bust is the account of that trip. Then people wanted to know how he did it, so Central America The New RVing Frontier! How To Take An RV Into Mexico And Central America, Enjoy Countless Cultural Experiences And Return Alive! is the result.

Jim is a trained speaker so promoting his book comes naturally. Here in Quartzsite he gave a presentation at the library while being filmed by the Retirement Living Channel and was interviewed at the big RV show by RV Dream radio. Promotion does take time and work and Jim is planning a return trip to Central America in 2008. He may not get rich, but he is having fun! See his Web site, Panama or Bust for more about Jim and his books.

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

About cover letters

Update: George and I made it to Quartzsite finally. We missed the big RV show but are looking forward to seeing some of the swap meets at a more leisurely pace. We'll be here about a week.

Cover letters
Whenever you send a résumé, you should also send a cover letter. This applies to both résumés sent by e-mail and snail mail.

The purpose of the cover letter is to obtain an interview. While you can get create, a basic cover letter has these elements:

1. Identifies the position you are applying for. If you are a couple, you can include both in one letter.
2. Gives a sentence or two "sales pitch" on how your qualifications match the position.
3. Give additional pertinent information such as "I am a full-time RVer. We've been traveling for a year seeing the country and now I plan on working six months per year." Or, "Many of my jobs before hitting the road involved extensive customer service."
4. Contact information. If you are traveling, let the employer know how often you check e-mail or that if you are out of cell range, leave a message and you will return the call within a day or two.

Proofread your cover letter before sending and make sure it looks neat and clean. This, along with your résumé, is your first impression. Jaimie Hall

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