Starting a new chapter

Share your experiences, good and bad. Ask questions about workamping.

Starting a new chapter

Postby NakedPupsAndMe » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:14 am

Hubby & I are starting a new chapter in our lives. Since he retired, about a year & a half ago we have not been very happy together. Retirement was a huge change for him & to say we didn't adapt well is putting it mildly! :lol: We have spent a lot of time talking this last week, and have made the decision to take a year to RV fulltime! I am sooo excited & DH is too! I've been reading him your posts on workamping, & we both want to do this. When we get home from this trip, we are going to start getting our house ready to rent & begin making all the preparations. I have already checked out the workamper.com site but can't join due to this stupid internet here. I plan to do that as soon as we get home. We would like to have workamp jobs & a place to go by next fall so that gives us a while to get it together. I'm sure I'll be driving you all nuts with questions, but you have already played a huge part in this decision. By my reading your posts to him, he sees it is possible & is more excited than I have seen him in years. So I send a huge Thank You to all!! We were going home today, b/c we are snowed in!! Crazy, huh? We could make it home I'm sure, but I've never seen it snow at the beach before so we are staying til Friday.

If any of you would care to share your experiences when you first made this decision, we would love some input. There are a million details to take care of so we'll need all the help we can get! :D
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby Bethers » Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:18 am

Let me know what I can share to help. I went full-time in June of 2005. Workamped the first time for the summer of 2006. Then again summer 2007. Then have been at the same workamp job now since last April (I stayed on for the winter season, too) and will take off again in April and not workamp this summer for my Alaska trip. I belong to workamper news, but haven't gotten any of my jobs through them. Don't get me wrong, I do use them, and look at many of the places who advertise to "file" for future reference. When I'm now an area I want to work in, I start checking out online all the campgrounds, rv parks, etc. Then I start contacting them. My wonderful summer of 2007 job in PA was because someone I workamped with in 2006 recommended the place.

I workamp both to help augment my continuing to travel this way, but also because I need the social life. And while I love where I'm at now, a year in the same place is too much for me - feels like a job LOL - some say that about 6 months, but I'm ok with the 6-7 month jobs. But don't know that I want to stay in one place a full year again. I will come back here though - split up it's fine. And I LOVE the beach.

Ask any questions you have - those of us who have been there will answer as we can.

Oh, I almost forgot - CONGRATULATIONS - I hope this is everything you expect it to be -
Beth
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby retiredhappy » Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:52 am

Congrats Micki - its a great life. I, too, subscribe to Workamper News but I've gotten all my jobs but one from KOA.com. You can check out state parks for any state you're interested in as well as federal parks.

When I decided to go fulltime I put any bill that was the same amount every month on autopay. For things like Verizon, Dish and credit cards I went paperless so I get my statements on line. I pay my insurance, credit card, etc on line. I got a personal mail box (not a P.O. Box). There are things like car registration and driver's license that won't send things to a P.O. box. The personal Mail box gives me an address (218 Quinlan St. #274,Kerrville) so it looks like an apartment. When I leave town I leave some money and they send me my mail about every two weeks. I rented a storage unit immediately and started packing up stuff and putting it in the unit. I got a realtor to manage my house - gives me peace of mind when I'm on the road. I changed my house insurance to "Landlord's insurance". I am lucky that the rent on my house pays the mortgage, the insurance, the realtor fee, the storage unit and puts a little in the bank for the property taxes. My realtor deposits my rent money in my checking account every month. Altho I pay for any repairs, my realtor takes care of getting it done and lets me know what it cost.

Most workamping jobs start April or May and go thru September so this is a good time to begin looking.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask anything.
Karen West
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby NakedPupsAndMe » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:08 am

Thanks for responding so quickly! :D We both love the Gulf & would love to be someplace warm for the winter. I've noticed a few ppl here are in TX. Could you recommend any areas in TX? We want to go to Northwest FL, back to the Destin area next fall then head to TX. I saw an old post from Sunseeker in this section re: workamping in Brownsville. Any advice or experience in the area from Panama City, FL to Brownsville TX would be very helpful. For next summer, I'm thinking somewhere cooler. But winter on the Gulf sounds good to us.

And Karen, is it cheaper to have your home owners insurance switched to landlord's insurance? We plan to rent it for at least a year. We do have separate storage bldgs on our property so we won't have to rent warehouse space but we are considering getting a realtor to handle it.
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby retiredhappy » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:25 am

Micki, I'm not sure about the insurance where you are. Here in Texas it was slightly more even tho it doesn't cover contents. I believe the liability is higher in case your rentor hurts themselves and sues. Do up a short resume keeping it pretty general; "good with computers, office experience, enjoy working with the public, husband willing to do maintenance, mowing, etc. Willing to do cleaning etc" My last job I worked in the office 3 days and cleaned laundry, bathrooms and cabins one day a week. I actually found I like cleaning. If the park usage is light you hardly have anything to do. The KOA cabins are a cinch - no linens, rugs, kitchen, etc.

Beware of Texas in the summer. It can be hot and really humid - that's why I head to New Mexico or???? Before I commit to any place I check out their summer highs and lows. I also check for a Walmart nearby if possible.

I use Verizon for my cell phone and also use the Verizon aircard. The two run me about $110 a month. Found it annoying to depend on a park's wifi because they were often not very dependable. I also got a product called Magic Jack. Its a thingy you can use if you're on a park's wifi that uses a regular phone. I found I used a lot of my cell minutes on local calls and the Magic Jack solves that. It costs about $50 the first year and $20 a YEAR after that. They have a website, check it out. I use Dish for a satellite system with a roof mounted dish. I've heard that Direct TV is better for RVers. Dish doesn't know I'm in an RV as I use my daughter's address.

Hope this helps.
Karen West
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby NakedPupsAndMe » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:32 pm

Thanks Karen. :D I'd love to do Texas in the winter, but yea it's way too hot & humid for the summer. I have lived on the Gulf before so I know the summers can be brutual. I would think New Mexico would be hot in the summer. Shows what I know! :lol: I have a lot to learn. We'll have to check around for the best summer place but I'm with you, don't think it would be Texas. ;) I'll check into the ins.
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby Cedar518 » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:37 pm

Mikki, and DH too!

Best of luck,.... I think you are going to have fun. Hang in there!
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby Bethers » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:49 pm

Actually, I didn't find the beach here in TX too warm in the summer. Now, as soon as you went inland, you got the heat - but on the beach, we had a nice breeze all summer. Of course, you have to love the beach and summer like I do :)

As to TX winter jobs, it will depend on your skills to find any in the parks I'd want to be at. I know the park I'm at now will be more likely to take on a winter workamper if they have spent a summer workamping here first. That's also true of many of the beach parks in FL. Now, there are exceptions, but I'm pretty picky on where I workamp and find that to be the case most of the places I've wanted to come to. That said, all of them have someone leave and then need to fill positions. And if your hubby is going to workamp also and is good at maintenance type things, you'll have a better chance to find the winter jobs in warm climates.

Now, that said - I'm also very particular how many hours I'll work for my site. The most I've worked for site and utilities so far is 16. If I were to volunteer for the state or fed parks, I'd have to be willing to do more. But while these jobs are not so much about the pay (it won't be high) some parks will really take advantage. If I was married I'd be willing to do the 20 hours between a couple for a site, and I would possibly do that many hours as a single - but would have to really, really want to be there - as I'm finding that I can find positions that pay me with less hours required, etc. So always look at the total picture. (And don't get suckered in by places that see a couple and make you put in 24-40 hours for site alone - couples working the same hours often think that's ok, but think about it - it's slave labor). I want to work for someone who's going to be fair to me upfront - and then I'll be more willing to do more for them, etc.

I have a park I'd love to workamp at - love the park and it's location, but they want 28 hours from me for the site and utilities, and I'm never going to be willing to do that. On the other hand, the park I'm at, I pay some of my site rental and utilities, but when I break it all down - I'm paying about 10-12 hours a week for my site. Perfectly reasonable. And if I come back here next time, my discounted site fee gets a deeper discount. Another beach park I intend to work at sometime (on the east coast) pays for all hours worked, and provided all your utilities.

My first workamp job - I worked 16 hours a week for my site with electricity (didn't cover propane). But it was actually less hours - as I was given a site for the cg's entire season - but only had to work 12 or 13 weeks of it.

I have an address in Alabama, but 99% of my stuff is done online, so only need mail forwarded 3 or 4 times a year. I couldn't live without my computer. In fact, when I got my scooter insurance last year, I didn't know if that could be done online. Just had that bill forwarded to me, and went online and paid it and changed over to all online notices, no more paper. The less paper I get the happier I am :)

Oh, and when you travel, go talk to the owners and managers of where you stay - like where you are now - tell them you might like to workamp there in the future (if you would like to) - you'd be surprised how often they'll take someone later who they've met before over someone they never have. But again, find out what they require and what they give first.
Beth
“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
"He who treasures the small things in life has found the path to true happiness"
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby avalen » Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:03 pm

I don't know anything about work kamping but just wanted to cheer you on and
wish you luck.
Somewhere with Ava and Maggie
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby Liz » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:16 pm

I wish you all the best as you start your "new" life on the road together. You'll have to bring DH to one of our gtgs so we can meet him. When my parents retired in NH, they sold the farm & business, bought a Volkswagon campervan (remember them?) and traveled the country for a year before buying property in Florida.
Liz
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby NakedPupsAndMe » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:49 pm

Thanks for all the tips & support! The first thing I'm doing is getting an air card on another form of internet service. The wifi at this CG has been out all day! So much stuff I wanted to look up, & no internet. We are both bouncing ideas off each other & are actually enjoying a project together again!

Just in case any of you hear of anything, I have experience in property mgmt. I did that for about 10 years before getting into interior design & faux finishing. I would prefer to do something more manual like groundskeeping or housekeeping just for a change, but I do have office exp, customer service, etc..and of course painting. I am a very good painter tho I might want to do a venetian plaster rather than paint a restroom! ;) :lol:

Hubby has been in sales for 25 years, but has construction, plumbing, HVAC & electrical experience. He would do any of that or maintenance, security, whatever was needed.

I am 48 & he is 63, both in reasonably good health. We do have dogs that will go with us, but they are used to camping & do really well. They don't bark, we never leave them tied out & always clean up after them.

Please feel free to PM me if there is something you'd rather not post on the public forum. We are working on getting our resumes together, so hopefully we will be able to start contacting prospective CG's soon.
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby LegalLady » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:17 am

This is very exciting and I wish you the best on your grand adventure!

On the homeowners vs. landlord insurance - you cannot have homeowners insurance unless the property is your principal residence, which, once you rent it, it won't be. If you don't notify your insurance and change to landlord insurance and there is a loss, the ins company can deny the claim. And you don't want that to happen. Also, make sure your tenants get tenants insurance to cover inside stuff not covered by landlord insurance and make them prove it to you.
Leslie
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby Liz » Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:23 pm

It's great to have a "legal Lady" on the forum!
Liz
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Re: Starting a new chapter

Postby Mollysmom » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:23 pm

YIPPEE !!!
Congratulations !!! I'm so happy you've found something to be excited about and something to bring you together !! I've heard that retirement can be hard on a couple - it's great you've talked about it and are happy again.
I'll be starting my first workamping job at a KOA in Wisconsin - I belong to workamper.com and did apply for a few jobs there but no one ever got back to me - kind of peeved me. It's a great source of info and I know people find jobs there.
I will alway suggest the Oregon coast as a wonderful spot to stay - I haven't been here in the summer months, but I've throughly enjoyed the Fall/Winter months I've been here !!! I don't think it gets too hot here in the Summer and the beaches are awesome :D
Enjoy !!!
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