Hello out there! My husband and I are planning on living the nomad life. We are a few years shy from retirement. My husband is a carpenter by trade and we are wanting to know if there is a demand for it on the road. Any information would be appreciated.
carpentry work is there a demand?
- Thread starter Nanak
- Start date
Help Support Van Living Forum:
Welcome to the CRVL forums Nanak! Sorry, I don't have any information on carpentry jobs. Hopefully, someone else will more knowledge chime in.
To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.
To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.
YES!
I am NOT a carpenter and did one small job of making a platform bed and actually declined another job, but she was able to arrange the job with another camper here.
If your husband has the tools for small jobs and willing to work with individuals to build beds, install paneling and build cabinetry, he will be able to work if he wants to.
I have heard that some of these 'nomad carpenters' are getting paid around $30-50 cash per hour or they get paid by the job.
I am NOT a carpenter and did one small job of making a platform bed and actually declined another job, but she was able to arrange the job with another camper here.
If your husband has the tools for small jobs and willing to work with individuals to build beds, install paneling and build cabinetry, he will be able to work if he wants to.
I have heard that some of these 'nomad carpenters' are getting paid around $30-50 cash per hour or they get paid by the job.
it is pretty easy to find carpentry work on the road, use craigslist to advertise your business. But you can also use it to find short term jobs.
In addition carpentry is one of the skills that the short term labor employment companies market. Quite a few of those companies have local offices in many areas of the country. So if your husband submitted his resume and was willing to travel he very well could have work lined up in advance in places you would like to travel to. This type of temp labor work via a national employment agency is done by a number of nomadics such as traveling nurses, electricians, plumbers, computer and cell technology and other skilled labor trades. Good help is hard to find!
In addition carpentry is one of the skills that the short term labor employment companies market. Quite a few of those companies have local offices in many areas of the country. So if your husband submitted his resume and was willing to travel he very well could have work lined up in advance in places you would like to travel to. This type of temp labor work via a national employment agency is done by a number of nomadics such as traveling nurses, electricians, plumbers, computer and cell technology and other skilled labor trades. Good help is hard to find!
mpruet
Well-known member
I suspect that a lot of folks would be willing to pay for a van conversion. It would be very useful if you could also cover basic electrical/solar work, plumbing, and insulation.
A class-B RV is nothing but a van conversion, but they are very expensive.
A class-B RV is nothing but a van conversion, but they are very expensive.
Nanak said:
After seeing my van build, I've had lots of people ask if I was interested in doing work on their van. But I'm really more interested in teaching them how to do it themselves. I really want my days of manual labor to be over.
Here's the thing: You may be able to frame out a house like nobody's business. But that doesn't mean you will be good at van building. It takes a combination of decent cabinet-making skills and lots of innovation. The space you will be building in is completely different from building a house. It is more like building a small kitchen with a built-in breakfast nook... all inside a steel cave with no even sides. You will need to have most of all hardware stores memorized so you can pull from that vast inventory of parts to solve all the weird problems that will come up.
So, if you do a nice build, have a decent set of tools with you, including some kind of tolerable work surface, you should be golden.
Just be sure to bring your router. I could not believe the number of people who where astonished (ASTONISHED I TELL YOU) that I actually rounded over the corners and edges of my cabinets. If you do that, people will think you are magical.
Im a carpenter - 34 years experience - you can find work if you look in the right places. Craigslist, local paper, etc. Its out there.
I am trying to start a van building business myself, but things are rough for me at the moment - I have most all the tools (except generator). I bought the .com and thats as far as I got. But thats my plan - from homes to van homes.
**update - I have a router
I am trying to start a van building business myself, but things are rough for me at the moment - I have most all the tools (except generator). I bought the .com and thats as far as I got. But thats my plan - from homes to van homes.
**update - I have a router
JohnnyPayne
Member
Yes! I pick up jobs doing light carpentry and painting quite frequently...I'm not even a professional carpenter I've just worked on a couple jobsites and have a lot of the tools you need to get a job done...
Craigslist gigs have kept me going!
Craigslist gigs have kept me going!
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2018
- Messages
- 2,920
- Reaction score
- 1,388
I ran a lumberyard my whole career & one of the biggest challenges was getting someone to do small jobs. I always did my own work but broke my back & have a few things to do in the ambo befoew leaving & can't get help. I'll pay a fair wage but not $80 per hour unless it's a one hour job. When I was working no one wanted to hang storm doors, put in windows, etc so many of the emplotees did it $100 a storm door, $50-100 a vynal replacement window. He'll do fine & I differ from the above poster in if he's a good carpenter worth his salt he'll do a fine jobe doing van builds. Look at the unskilled people building RVs. He'll keep busy & do fine.
Similar threads
