Work and earn money while travelling in your RV

Explore how the pandemic reshaped work and travel, creating opportunities to earn money while travelling in your RV.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us many things. The greatest social change that emerged was that of how we live and work. We learned pretty quickly that we can work remotely and effectively without the need to attend a workplace between set hours on particular days.

Domestic travel skyrocketed and the caravan and RV industry boomed. New words entered our lexicon with more frequency — ‘bleisure’ and ‘digital nomads’.

Bleisure

Bleisure — mixing business and leisure travel — is an emerging trend in the caravan industry as many customers explore creative ways to customise the layout and features of their caravans and RVs that will enable them to work and earn a living on the road.

Sales of caravans and RVs have continued to rise in the years since COVID-19 and the industry says there has been an increase in customers looking to mix business and leisure, whether it is working remotely from a laptop or creating a (mobile) face-to-face business model.

Digital nomads

Being a digital nomad isn’t a new concept, but these kinds of travellers are growing in numbers. They are people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet — which is far more accessible than ever before. Whether it’s wi-fi, smartphone or mobile hotspot, the internet is pretty widely available across populated areas of Australia. If remote travel is your thing, Starlink provides access to the internet from anywhere in the country, no matter the location.

Most digital nomads tend to be programmers, content creators, designers or developers. Digital nomad jobs might include freelance writing, web design, virtual assistant work, social media consulting, or even day trading. You might start a blog that sells affiliate products and ad space.

Some digital nomads are permanent travellers, working their way around Australia or even overseas, while others only maintain the lifestyle for a short period of time.

Use your skills

But what if sitting at a keyboard and being ‘digital’ is not your thing?

Don’t worry — there’s plenty of opportunities for enterprising folks who have some skills and are prepared to give it a go. I saw some of these on a recent 10,000km trip from Melbourne to Far North Queensland. So, let’s dive into some options that might intrigue you.

Barista: Most people love a good coffee in the morning to kick start their day and if you haven’t packed your own coffee making equipment you’ll be yearning for a good brew while you’re on the road. In many campgrounds, showgrounds and free camps you’ll come across a coffee van — an enterprising barista providing a community need from a small caravan or the back of a van while they live on the road. On a recent trip north, we camped next to a couple at the showgrounds in Moree, NSW, who had a terrific set up in the canopy of their dual-cab ute and were doing a roaring trade.

Hairdresser: If you’ve been on the road for a few months, chances are you’ll need a trim at some stage. I’ve seen a few hairdressers offering cuts in local caravan parks — quite an easy way to make some money on the road if you’ve got the skills and qualifications.

Dog sitter: So many people travel with dogs these days, but your beloved pooches will restrict the places you can go (national parks, for example) and limit the number of touristy activities you can take part in while you’re out and about. Offer to sit and walk dogs in your campground so the owners can head off and see some sites, or even go out for dinner one night.

Mobile caravan repairs: Regardless of where you travel in your RV or caravan and how careful you are, at some point almost everyone will require some type of repair or fix — even if it’s very minor. And in many parts of Australia, it’s a very long way to the nearest repairer. If you have some trade skills or you’re an experienced caravanner, consider charging a fee for your services to earn a little pocket money.

Mobile caravan weighing: Overweight and overloaded RVs and caravans are among the biggest safety issues on the roads. Mobile caravan weighers will travel to you so you can be sure your rig is legal before you head off.

Caretakers: Caravan parks, showgrounds, motels, cattle stations, pubs — so many businesses look for caretakers to either help out during busy periods, or to give the permanent caretakers a break during the down time.

Crafts: Many crafty folks sell the goods they make while they’re travelling. Watch the knitted beanies get snapped up if the weather turns cold! If you’ve got a creative streak running through you, this might be an easy way to make a few extra dollars while you’re travelling.

Tradies: If you’re a current or retired tradie with some useful skills there will always be someone who can use your help around the place.

Before you set up any business at a caravan park or camping ground, first check in with the owners/managers to make sure it’s OK with them.

If you don’t want the hassle of setting up your own side-hustle, there are hundreds of jobs across the country that are targeted specifically at travellers, from fruit picking on the harvest trails, driving forklifts and equipment, helping out on remote stations, tutoring, cooking – the list goes on.