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maki2 said:
... parks and campgrounds is starting  into layoff mode....
So true for Northern campgrounds, though I would be surprised if any laid off workers before the last blast on Labor Day weekend and subsequent cleanup. The northern ads I am seeing have an end of season sometime in October or November.

But looking at my feed, the news is that it's high time to be lining up your winter gig as snowbirds will be arriving. Winter season September thru June in the south.

Must be why they call it seasonal work.
-crofter
 
Commercial Agriculture is a coming Tech field and any Tech Nomad may want to look into this.  The large Farm Tractors & equipment are now being operated by GPS where before the one in the seat steered these vehicles, now they sit and monitor the computers in them as they operate in the fields.  But before long this may be changing as operators may be able to operate these vehicles from miles away if not states away.  The US Military has operated Drones in the middle east from buildings in St. Louis, Mo to fly missile strikes and so forth.  In time a Nomad may be able to operate farm equipment from their rigs when the software is on the Cloud
and the Nomad has adequate computer equipment to do it.

Here is an over view Link 1

There is free training to do this online and those who pursue this opportunity may then get on the job training in the big Farm Vehicles.  In time they may be able to operate them from their rigs remotely. (workforce opportunity)

Free courses for this Link 2


US . gov GPS on the Farm
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/GPS Tech will continue to transform Agriculture
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/https://www.gpsworld.com/gps-technology-will-continue-to-transform-agriculture/
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/https://www.gpsworld.com/gps-technology-will-continue-to-transform-agriculture/
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/https://www.gpsworld.com/gps-technology-will-continue-to-transform-agriculture/Workforce Opportunity & Training Act 101
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/https://www.gpsworld.com/gps-technology-will-continue-to-transform-agriculture/https://www.workforcegps.org/online-training
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/https://www.gpsworld.com/gps-technology-will-continue-to-transform-agriculture/https://www.workforcegps.org/online-trainingAgDay is a daily 1/2 hour Agriculture Report to learn more about GPS & Farming
https://www.gps.gov/applications/agriculture/
 
SALES JOB Quartzsite Gem Show Oct 1 thru Apr 30.
He is offering $15 while training, then $17 per hour. Also a discounted RV park space is offered. He wants experienced in sales. Call George 626-922-1258.
-crofter
 
Had a job 7 or 8 years ago that was perfect.
I managed the customer service inquiries, FAQ and online forum for a tech startup. Basically it was Dropbox with a couple extra features.
Only required 20 hours or so a week. paid good enough.
And I just went to a coffee shop for a few hours a day for internet.
Of course I wasn't taking calls or anything obnoxious like that.
My technical skills were only required to be able to translate engineer speak to users and vice versa. No programming or networking.

I'm probably going to try and hook up a similar job in the future, once my cushion starts shrinking.

Another kind of job I've done a lot in the past is called Relo work.
Basically it's a highly specialized kind of mover, tasked with relocating computer equipment.
Except we don't actually move the computers, we would just take them apart at location A.
Movers would put them in a truck.
Then we would go to location B and put it back together and test it.
Often these jobs take place outside of business hours. On evenings or weekends.
Pay is usually $15-25 hr depending on the company and how technical the work is.
When I started I was getting the low end. As I demonstrated my ability to troubleshoot and work independently my rate went up and I got more call backs.
As far as technical ability, if you can plug in a computer, with all it's peripherals without getting overwhelmed by the connectors it's pretty easy.
The hours can be wild. Many weekends I worked three 12 hour days back to back.
More than once worked for 20+ hours straight to tear down a server room and have it back up as soon as possible.
They often provided pizza, sandwiches or other food since you are working through the afternoon.
Met more than one van life person doing this work.
One retired HP engineer lived in a dually pickup with a pop top camper.

Tools required are usually just a multitool or 6 in 1 screwdriver for desktops and such.
If you get on a server relo team you will need to have a Makita or Dewalt drill/driver for the dozens of rack screws.
Really don't want to half ass with a Ryobi or Black and Decker.
 
Thanks for posting your story Calaverasgrande.   I wish more people would speak up.

20 years ago yesterday morning I was in Atlanta, GA attending a Fiber Optic Expo.  It ended abruptly needless to say.

Only a month before I had paid $1500 to go thru a "certification school" for central office (twisted pair copper wire) and optical fiber installation.  I was wanting to specialize in connector ends on multi mode cable  in buildings such as Universities, Civic/Government buildings, Business facilities, and Server Farms.
Thus the work environment would be heated & air conditioned and I was aiming to live in my rig and work south in the winter and north in the summer. 

I wasn't up to climbing poles or working in the heat outdoors.  One of the older instructors at the school tried to persuade me to consider just taking my rig and converting it to a "splicing rig" and getting a license to be a single proprietor contractor.  He told me I would be able to make pie in the sky money  doing that and stay in motels instead of the rig and eat at restaurants/cafeterias as I would have the tax advantage to write off those cost.  The rig would be more valuable as a "splicer" as I could get around $120 a day for it with the leased OTDR & Fusion Splicer, the cost of which are Tax write offs too.  Then I would get a base daily rate plus around $15 for each connector end I installed where I should get 10 of them per hour if not more. (these would have to pass inspection at .75/.75 db-dbr)

As a small biz contractor I would use "Quick Books" to do my bookkeeping for about 3 months (jolly numbers stuff) and archive all of my receipts for expenditures.  Then once every three months go to my accountant to prepare my quarterly taxes.  (again tax deductible)

The certification school had financing and placement at the time but after the 9/11 event and policy towards Fiber Optic the Govt had at the time, the school closed.  I'm still certified and could work in the field and am giving it thought.  I pressure washed my rig the other day and it looks like new.  Now that the thermometer is hovering in the 70's in the evenings I'm going to begin to work on the interior of it again and get it ready for the road.

Learning Central Office skills isn't that hard.  It can get you money quickly so you could return to a school and get the Fiber Optic training.  Usually takes a week if you already have the Central Office training.  And there is demand in the field now for both.
 
Small world.
21 years ago I had a union job with a long distance carrier.
When they outsourced our department the union won us a vocational re-training program.
Which I started 20 years and a month ago.
I was one of only a dozen people to take them up on it strangely enough.
That's how I got my A+, MCP and Cisco certifications.
The union guy at the training center was trying really hard to get me to do the fiber certification course.
I think it was called BCSI?
There was a lot of fiber infrastructure going in around the Bay Area in the early 2000's and I was quoted pretty attractive pay rates.
But I'd already started on CCNA and the whole Microsoft cert thing.
Though I eventually ended up getting more work as a Mac guy who also knows AD and Unix.
Funny how they sell you on certifications as a surefire way to get work. When what they really care about is experience and work ethic.
 
I know of one guy who did satellite TV antenna installs in rural areas. Pretty good fit for a van dweller as boondocking spots are easier to come by in rural locations. He just went to the companies warehouse location and used the company truck and gas to go to the job sites. He did not need his own tools. Training was provided.
 
A fiber Optic Splicing trailer can be purchased or built to tow behind one's rig. With one of these and your certification to work in fiber optic you can make a good living as a contractor while licensed as a small business you will have all the benefits of tax advantages to maintain your rig, trailer, and if weather is bad you can stay in motels or hotels and write the cost of that off. You may be able to deduct your fuel or mileage, tires, brakes, etc that you can show as being used in your work. There are actually companies you can rent your tires from (like a rent to own) and those rental cost deducted as a cost of business. When working in Fiber Optic you may need to lease an OTDR computer which measures the connections thru-put and a Fusion Splicer. These items beside the Trailer. But those familiar with Optical Fiber know how well it pays and will have an accountant to help them with their taxes & depreciation of their Capital Equipment.

trailerZ5f310cfc3.jpg
 
With the bottle neck as a result of Covid there are new things about to happen on America's waterways.  All 22,000 miles of  America's navigable waterways.
So much of the container shipping comes to the coastal ports of the USA and from there it goes off by motor freight (trucks) or by rail inland.  It is slow., expensive, and inefficient but now new developments will have barges carrying containers on the rivers to large cities and this pushed by Tow Boats.  It will vastly expand the need for river workers and even dock workers at the cities where containers will be off loaded (or loaded).  

The new company will be known as Float Freight and be a subsidiary of Crosby Tug LLC.  The story is in "The Waterways Journal" (which can be read a few times for free before they want you to buy an expensive subscription) 

Shipping Container Ports will begin to be built on the inland waterways and Sea going container ships could enter the Great Lakes region or off load near New Orleans  or other Gulf coastal Ports.  There trucks and rail freight could move the containers quickly into the heartland taking so much of the burden off the Pacific Coast Ports.

This could be great for those in the Nomadic lifestyle.  

You can see in the photo how containers would be shipped on specialized container barges.    ( see the link to the story below the photo )

FloatFreight.jpg




New Company Float Freight Expands Project Container Service
 
eDJ_ said:
Thanks for posting your story Calaverasgrande.   I wish more people would speak up.

I have a story to tell about making money as a person living full time on the road. Even though I came off the road to have some surgery, recuperate, and completely upgrade from a homebuilt popup trailer to my idea of a cheap van conversion with all the trimmings of a class B, in the style that I wanted. I will tell the story of living the nomadic lifestyle, not the actual knowledge required to do it. I'm a professional gambler as a hobby.  That means I'm going to do it my way, not to impress anyone.

I know that letting go of the self imposed expectations of what it means to be successful is a kind of true freedom. All that stuff is no longer in my backpack to carry around all day. I already knew what full timing in an RV was like. I also know what it is like to gamble a few times while staying in membership parks like Thousand Trails, Western Horizon, AOR, RPI, etc... You leave your trailer in the membership park and drive up to 50 miles away to find a casino. Then when you're done there you must drive back. It's not ideal. The membership park way costs a lot and the mileage and time costs energy. 

Many people make a living as professional gamblers and that is a skill set and subject for learning just like any artistic skill. Anybody can become expert at anything if they work hard enough for it. But combining that with living full time in a van is almost never heard of. Some casinos like the RV'rs to stay and come in and use their restaurants, and gaming facilities. Most offer free boondocking for a night or two. They encourage you to register. Some even demand you get a players card and show at least a little gambling activity. That's understandable. 

Now if you are a skilled gambler then you can do the same thing to the casinos that you are doing as a full time nomad to the banking and property tax world.  You have split from the daily grind. You can turn the tables on the expectation's placed on the assumptions of a professional gambler too. You can just gamble for your gas money for instance. The less you take from a casino the more likely it is that a skilled player will succeed every time they play. I'm trying to suggest freedom for professional gamblers. You get to stay in a guarded parking lot for a day or two. You can win enough gas money to go on to the next destination. 

It's just like professional Baseball. If it were easy then everybody would be doing it. It's possible to be inventive and creative when it comes to taking any demanding skill on the road. With a skill you can work when you want and where you want. I have converted all my power tools to battery operated and can do carpentry, wiring, plumbing, van conversion design, and helping people understand what they want before they build. I did this for decades as a custom home builder. I plan to help people that need help once I get back out there. My van will be fully self contained and my power tools are all set up for off grid remote locations. 

Just like eDJ__ posted his skills that are transferable, any skill that has transferability is perfect for nomads to make a little extra money. I won't let people tell me how much I must make. I was a sucker for that one already. If you want it bad enough then you will find a way to get it. All it takes is work. Being hired help at a National Park in the summer is good. For some it is good enough. But a transferable skill is better than good enough if you want something like that.  It all comes down to what you want.
 
Edj tell us more about the river life. How many days on how many days off, etc.
 
According to the Turnpike Troubadours song "Long Hot Summer Day" (), "For every day working on the Illinois River, get a half a day off with pay" ;) .
 
Working on the river is said to be as much a life style as a job by those involved in the various occupations related to river work. Some work on the Tow Boats & Barges but there is work in the ports as well.  These jobs may be related to repair of boats & barges, loading & unloading of bulk cargo's such as coal, grain, bulk liquids such as oil, kerosene, plastic resins, and so forth. There is also the support & supply of groceries & household products as the Tow Boat is not only the propulsion to push the barges but the housing for the crew with room and board providing anything a house would have to offer. 

In a port people may work set hours and days returning home at the end of the day.  But life on a "Line Haul" Tow Boat may be 28 days on and 28 days off.  Some may offer 28 days on and 14 days off.  It isn't unusual for companies to offer a choice.  This may be the case for the inland waterways.  But there are also Tug Boats along the coastal regions that may supply the offshore oil rigs taking supplies & men to and from those rigs. 

A river Tow Boat may have crews of various sizes depending on the size of the boat and task assigned to it.  On some of the rivers a Tow Boat may only shove a few barges.  On others like the lower Mississippi they may shove 40 barges.  On the Ohio 15 is a common number. The crew may number from 10 to 12 depending on the manifest.  There would be a Captain and a Pilot, a couple of Engineers, a half dozen deck hands, and a Cook.  A student Pilot (called a steersman) and a Tankerman (who tends to liquid hauling barges), and a "new Cook" (who will work with the primary Cook for orientation) may be extras from time to time.  

A day on a boat has half of the crew working and half asleep or at leisure.  The two shifts are known as the front watch and the back watch.  The Cook is the exception in this as his/her day will be structured differently.  But the watch is 6 hours on and 6 hours off thus working 12 hour days for 28 days.  Crew members tend to sleep 4 hours at a time and have 2 hours of leisure to exercise in the exercise room, watch TV, use their laptop and have Zoom meetings with folks back home using their cell as a WIFI hot spot. Some companies have installed WIFI boosters for the crew's benefit.  For the Cook, the day starts at 3 am and may expect to have breakfast on the table by 5 am.  The front watch coming on duty will eat at at 5 to 5:30 am and the back watch will eat from 5:30 am to 6 am.  Then it is clean up time and after that is complete the Cook may take a break/nap before getting Lunch prepared. (which tends to be a main meal of the day)  Then Lunch may be from 11:30 to 12:30.   Here the Cook may take a couple hour nap after the Galley is cleaned up.  Generally the Cook multi task and prepares some of the lunch & dinner items when the day begins at 3 am.  So dinner won't require as much work and clean up will be simple.  With any luck the Cook will retire for the day by 7 pm.  The Cook has his own room to himself.  The crew members share rooms where they have their own beds.  Each room houses two crew members.  The Captain & Pilot have rooms closest to the "wheel house".  The Captain is the Administrator/authority plus being a Pilot. The Pilot basically operates the boat just like the Captain would.

When crew members are off they may work as extras in duties such as driving Crew Vans to take mates from a central meeting point to a Port where they will be transported to the Tow Boat.  If the Boat is at a Locks & Dam the crew can step onto the Boat but if that isn't the case the Tow Boat has a "motor launch or tender boat" that will come to the shore to exchange the crew members.  

The Deck Hands may be hired and be trained on the job,  but there are schools they can attend to gain certification and the school will place them in jobs with major Towing Companies.  There are even such schools for Cooks but if one has experience in cooking and have worked in commercial kitchens such as restaurants the companies will often consider them. Most of these companies have small culinary orientation centers.

The pay on a River Boat is quite rewarding.  You will generally have 100% medical, dental, and visual coverage. Captains can make as much as 200K a year depending on what they do and on what rivers they are on.  Pilots over 100K.  crew members 65K and up.  Cooks from 35K and up.  The Tankerman (or tank barge specialist)  can make as much as a captain but he will have a lot of training to get that job.  Port jobs are another matter where there may be work for certified welders, machinist, painters, electricians, pipe fitters, mechanics, radio/radar specialist etc. 

The first most important person on the Boat is the Captain. It is said the second most important is the Cook.  The Cook and his/her cooking is the "morale" of the Boat.  If the food is good everyone is happy. Often crew members will pitch in and help the Cook. In the summer time they man the ice cream churn and take care of that detail after the Cook prepares the mix to be frozen.  Others may man the grill or smoker and attend the meat prep.  Some may chop vegetables.  The Cook may make cookies & brownies or other confections as bribes for their help or rewards for their having helped out.  The Cook may have a $5000 dollar + budget for food each month.  When the Boat takes on fuel it may have groceries delivered.  Imagine stocking $2500 worth of groceries by yourself twice on a trip ?  (the crew usually helps out with this when they can)  

When the Boat is under way (moving) the crew/deck hands may be busy with "house chores" just like at home. 

Here is a appetizer table from Thanksgiving & Table:

TG_Buffet_salad_dessets.jpg



TG_Crew_Table_Decor.jpg
 
[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]Working on the river is said to be as much a life style as a job by those involved in the various occupations related to river work. Some work on the Tow Boats & Barges but there is work in the ports as well.  These jobs may be related to repair of boats & barges, loading & unloading of bulk cargo's such as coal, grain, bulk liquids such as oil, kerosene, plastic resins, and so forth. There is also the support & supply of groceries & household products as the Tow Boat is not only the propulsion to push the barges but the housing for the crew with room and board providing anything a house would have to offer. [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]In a port people may work set hours and days returning home at the end of the day.  But life on a "Line Haul" Tow Boat may be 28 days on and 28 days off.  Some may offer 28 days on and 14 days off.  It isn't unusual for companies to offer a choice.  This may be the case for the inland waterways.  But there are also Tug Boats along the coastal regions that may supply the offshore oil rigs taking supplies & men to and from those rigs. [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]A river Tow Boat may have crews of various sizes depending on the size of the boat and task assigned to it.  On some of the rivers a Tow Boat may only shove a few barges.  On others like the lower Mississippi they may shove 40 barges.  On the Ohio 15 is a common number. The crew may number from 10 to 12 depending on the manifest.  There would be a Captain and a Pilot, a couple of Engineers, a half dozen deck hands, and a Cook.  A student Pilot (called a steersman) and a Tankerman (who tends to liquid hauling barges), and a "new Cook" (who will work with the primary Cook for orientation) may be extras from time to time.  [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]A day on a boat has half of the crew working and half asleep or at leisure.  The two shifts are known as the front watch and the back watch.  The Cook is the exception in this as his/her day will be structured differently.  But the watch is 6 hours on and 6 hours off thus working 12 hour days for 28 days.  Crew members tend to sleep 4 hours at a time and have 2 hours of leisure to exercise in the exercise room, watch TV, use their laptop and have Zoom meetings with folks back home using their cell as a WIFI hot spot. Some companies have installed WIFI boosters for the crew's benefit.  For the Cook, the day starts at 3 am and may expect to have breakfast on the table by 5 am.  The front watch coming on duty will eat at at 5 to 5:30 am and the back watch will eat from 5:30 am to 6 am.  Then it is clean up time and after that is complete the Cook may take a break/nap before getting Lunch prepared. (which tends to be a main meal of the day)  Then Lunch may be from 11:30 to 12:30.   Here the Cook may take a couple hour nap after the Galley is cleaned up.  Generally the Cook multi task and prepares some of the lunch & dinner items when the day begins at 3 am.  So dinner won't require as much work and clean up will be simple.  With any luck the Cook will retire for the day by 7 pm.  The Cook has his own room to himself.  The crew members share rooms where they have their own beds.  Each room houses two crew members.  The Captain & Pilot have rooms closest to the "wheel house".  The Captain is the Administrator/authority plus being a Pilot. The Pilot basically operates the boat just like the Captain would.[/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]When crew members are off they may work as extras in duties such as driving Crew Vans to take mates from a central meeting point to a Port where they will be transported to the Tow Boat.  If the Boat is at a Locks & Dam the crew can step onto the Boat but if that isn't the case the Tow Boat has a "motor launch or tender boat" that will come to the shore to exchange the crew members.  [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]The Deck Hands may be hired and be trained on the job,  but there are schools they can attend to gain certification and the school will place them in jobs with major Towing Companies.  There are even such schools for Cooks but if one has experience in cooking and have worked in commercial kitchens such as restaurants the companies will often consider them. Most of these companies have small culinary orientation centers.[/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]The pay on a River Boat is quite rewarding.  You will generally have 100% medical, dental, and visual coverage. Captains can make as much as 200K a year depending on what they do and on what rivers they are on.  Pilots over 100K.  crew members 65K and up.  Cooks from 35K and up.  The Tankerman (or tank barge specialist)  can make as much as a captain but he will have a lot of training to get that job.  Port jobs are another matter where there may be work for certified welders, machinist, painters, electricians, pipe fitters, mechanics, radio/radar specialist etc. [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]The first most important person on the Boat is the Captain. It is said the second most important is the Cook.  The Cook and his/her cooking is the "morale" of the Boat.  If the food is good everyone is happy. Often crew members will pitch in and help the Cook. In the summer time they man the ice cream churn and take care of that detail after the Cook prepares the mix to be frozen.  Others may man the grill or smoker and attend the meat prep.  Some may chop vegetables.  The Cook may make cookies & brownies or other confections as bribes for their help or rewards for their having helped out.  The Cook may have a $5000 dollar + budget for food each month.  When the Boat takes on fuel it may have groceries delivered.  Imagine stocking $2500 worth of groceries by yourself twice on a trip ?  (the crew usually helps out with this when they can)  [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]When the Boat is under way (moving) the crew/deck hands may be busy with "house chores" just like at home. [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]Here is a appetizer table from Thanksgiving & Table:[/font]



TG_Buffet_salad_dessets.jpg



TG_Crew_Table_Decor.jpg
 
Morgana,

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]There are all kinds of schedules.  The Line Haul Boats may be 28 on and various times off.  The boats that work in the Ports or the Tug's that service the Oil Rigs or Merchant Marine trade may have shorter duration trips.  Often the small boats that assemble the barges together at the ports only have a Captain & Engineer who doubles as a deck hand.  Since these are daytime operations mostly the Captain & Engineer bring their lunch from home and the Boats are called "Lunch Bucket Boats".  These Boats are quite small and usually push one barge at a time to put together the manifest of X number of barges for a larger Tow Boat to pick up and move on to their destination up or down river.  [/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]Yes, it can be hot work out there on the barges in the summer. I've talked with some deck hands who say they wish they could carry a baseball bat with them to swat some of the big mosquitoes they encounter.  But I'm sure reports of mosquitoes that large are exaggerated.[/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif]A lunch bucket boat:[/font]

[font=Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif][img=392x200]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p...NypHp4a9c5b3DlAe7SaDibGP4[/img][/font][/SIZE]
 

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