By Bob Difley
Caretaking takes many forms, from simply camping at a remote location to deter theft or vandalism, to staying on someone else’s property while they are away. This can often entail watering plants, feeding pets, or gardening.
Usually you will stay in your own rig but have access to electrical and water connections and the use of a bathroom facility or sewer hookup. Each caretaking position is different and usually involves trading your services for free living and sometimes, depending on the work and responsibility, also a small stipend.
To find caretaking positions, check with local realtors for house sitting positions, in the classified sections of local newspapers, word-of-mouth at federal agencies like the BLM, NFS, Fish & Wildlife Service, etc.
However, the best source may be in the listings in the Caretaker Gazette, which specializes in finding property caretaking and house sitting positions. It’s published quarterly and includes descriptions of the position, whether pay is included, and details of duties.
If you find a listing of interest, act on it quickly — the choicest ones go first. Have letters of referral and references ready to email or print and send to those seeking caretakers. The easier you make their decision of who to hire, the more likely you are to get the position.
You can find Bob Difley’s RVing e-books on Amazon Kindle.
