Amazon Camperforce - Carlisle, Pa?

[Grizzly Stardust]

Sheesh, this has got to be the easiest job to get. I spent 20 minutes filling out their application and speeding through their little personality test. A week later I got a stock email from Amazon saying "We are interested in you! Click on the link to learn more about Amazon and keep an eye out for more messages". Something like that. Another week goes by and today I get a message saying I am hired, assuming I can pass their background check and drug test. No interview or anything. No checking references or previous work history. They just want warm bodies, apparently.

The email didn't specify which shift I was hired for but the pay is 13.25 per hour so I'm assuming that is the graveyard shift with the shift differential pay. The email said another message would come in a week with more info.

I would be camping out of a small SUV. Would this be frowned upon? Or even allowed? And I wonder if it snows in that part of PA in the months leading up to Christmas.

Anyway, any of you headed to this site for the season?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Oh, yeah.  You can definitely see snow in that part of PA in Nov and Dec.  Even the occasional once-in-a-blue-moon freak Oct snowstorm.

 

[SoulRaven]

This site has weather history, snow doesn't look that bad, but it gets COLD! Looking at November, several nights were below freezing.

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/carlisle/pennsylvania/united-states/uspa2741/2015/11

 

[BradKW]

I'm not sure that camping out of a small SUV in the wintery weather would classify as an Adventure or an Ordeal. I guess if you don't die, it's an adventure...but then again, if it sux and you'd never do it again, it mighta been an Ordeal

 

[Grizzly Stardust]

Hm.. I've lived in AZ all my life. The idea of a cold, snowy winter seems fun on paper. But maybe I'll consider getting a cheap class C or a van.

 

[WriterMs]

And PA will be a "wetter" cold than you are used to. Did Amazon not have openings at other, warmer locations? Maybe they don't since there are tons of Camperforce folks who have worked for them in snowbird locations for years.

I could not handle Montana nights in early October without my Mr. Heater Buddy... and I don't know how well any sort of space heater could work in a space as small as an SUV. Others on the forum will likely have experience with that.

And I have to remark about your rather unusual handle. It raised my curiosity for sure. LOL

 

[Canine]

I don't know.I've read a lot of horror stories about working in these giant warehouses.I think I would look for a better job in a warmer climate.You might want to try the beet harvest.The work is easy,the pay isn't bad,but the hrs are long.Still it's only for a few weeks.If you go to work at either place,top quality,comfortable footwear is essential.

 

[LadyJo]

PA has wet, cold snow. I have lived in Az for 50+yrs. No way would I winter in PA. (lived in upstate NY as a kid - too cold)
(lived one winter in Idaho - car froze to the street)

 

[rvwandering]

We lived in Pittsburgh for almost 40 years. It's on the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains and gets pretty cold in November but rarely snows. It may snow in December but it will probably melt during the day. I'm guessing that the weather in Carlisle will be about the same, maybe a bit warmer due to a lower elevation and the location on the other side of the mountains.

The dampness is the thing that will make you the most uncomfortable. Does Camperforce set you up in a campground with free electricity? If they do getting a van would be a good idea. Do a quick insulation job with foam board and moving blankets. Use an electric heater during the day to keep the van at a comfortable temperature while you're awake but for safety reasons turn it off while you're sleeping. With a good sleeping bag and fleece sleepwear and maybe a hat you'll be comfortable. Working graveyard shift will get you through the coldest part of each day.

I think a RV will be more trouble than it's worth unless you really want a RV and are planning to keep it when the job is done. Most do not have enclosed holding tanks or good insulation which means you will not be able to use the water because of the chance of freezing and pipes breaking. Older ones often leak so they may have mold problems.

Spending the winter in Carlisle may be more of an endurance challenge than anything else but you'll never know unless you try. Let us know how it goes!