The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

While currently doing our annual dog/house sitting in Woodinville, Washington my wife and I decided we wanted a Christmas tree. We stopped at a tree lot near the local Safeway to buy a suitable tree. We got 'Christmas tree sticker shock' big time, a tree the right size for our Airbnb apartment cost $70. A serious tree was in the $300 range.

A guy in cold weather gear approached and asked how he could help. We told him we were visiting from Montana and were looking for a reasonably priced tree. He laughed, then said, "My wife and I were just out to Sidney working the sugar beet harvest." That Montana connection got us talking. I worked a sugar beet harvest years ago in North Dakota and understood what they'd just experienced.

After some head scratching he said, " I have this pathetic little pine tree (all trees on display were Noble or Douglas firs) that I didn't even put on the lot." He walked to his nearby camper and brought a straggly 'Charlie Brown tree.' "How about this one," he asked, "for $20, no make that $15?" Sherry and I both exclaimed, "Sold!"

Steve and Michelle Anderson were running the tree lot told us the job was one of their two 'short term gigs' they did each year. They mentioned they lived exclusively in their 40-foot camper. They owned a 'summer spot' for the camper out at coastal Ocean Park, Washington for winter use and had 'memberships' for several favored campgrounds in Arizona and California. I recalled from my sugar beet job twenty years ago that many workers at that harvest season also lived the 'roving life' and were, like the Andersons, working their way south for the winter. I decided to learn more about this nomadic lifestyle and asked the Andersons for an interview. Here's some of what I learned.

First regular RV campers, then workampers

The Andersons started RV camping in 2003 and became "fulltimers" (folks who exclusively live and work from RVs) about four years ago. Asked why the move to fulltimer status, Steve said, "After we retired we wanted the ability to move around and choose the weather for our visits." The decision to start "workamping" (living in an RV and working temporary jobs) met a practical need. They explained, "We needed extra cash for unexpected expenses from time to time but didn't want to dip in to our retirement savings or take long term employment." Both worked in the printing business prior to retirement, he as a press operator and she handling customers and the business aspects of the operation.

They began talking to other campers, many who were already workamping (it's estimated one million Americans live in and work from RVs) and learned to find jobs for workampers. Steve added, "We learned about the sugar beet employment at a booth set up by Express Employment at an RV show down south in the winter. The big RV shows have more than just campers for sale. There are seminars about finding temporary jobs and programs about transitioning to fulltiming. I even took a class at a show to understand how electrical systems operate in campers." Steve and Michelle also mentioned several websites about living as a fulltimer and finding workamping employment.

This is their third year working for the Washington tree grower. Andersons arrive about a month before Christmas and help the tree farmer set up the display of trees. In a typical year they will sell about 500 trees. He said, "With the 18% commission and tips we'll earn better than $10,000 for the tree season. We finish up about a week before Christmas and start heading south." Asked about the rewards of the job, Steve said, "We enjoy working with the public. It's Christmas time and ninety-nine percent of our customers are in the 'holiday spirit.' There's the occasional grump, but not many."

This past October was their fourth year doing the sugar beet harvest. They arrive just before October 1, when the harvest typically begins, and are usually done by the end of October. Sydney Sugars provides a space at no cost to them for their camper in Sydney. They work at a piling station in Fairview where Michelle operates the piler and Steve directs unloading trucks. They've now established enough time with the company they choose their own crew, many of whom are fellow fulltimers.

Challenges at the beet harvest? Both mentioned the twelve-hour night shift they work and it can be dreary, dark, dirty and cold. With overtime and the "staying on bonus' they got for staying the entire harvest, they earned another $10,000 plus in about a month, then they move on west to sell Christmas trees.

I asked the Andersons what sorts of skills were useful to be a successful fulltimer. Though their responses were similar, there were some differences. Michelle opined, "You've got to be flexible and easy going. The unexpected will happen, you have to be able to deal with it and keep your cool." Steve added, "When someone passes us honking and pointing at the RV we know to stop and check things out." He explained, "To live on the road you need mechanical skills or really deep pockets. I've learned to fix just about everything on the RV that can go wrong." Michelle added, "I hate it when a pickup passes us and the driver starts honking and pointing at the RV."

I did not get to ask Steve and Michelle about medical issues. I recalled twenty years ago the fulltimers doing the beet harvest in North Dakota said moving around it was often hard to come up with their medical records when they needed medical attention. Maybe new technology has lessened that problem. Another new result of widespread access to the internet is a group of workampers/fulltimers called 'digital nomads.' They are fulltimers working remotely who use the internet to do their jobs no matter where they might be temporarily living.

Want more info about fulltimers/workamping?

The Andersons noted they learned a lot by talking to people already living as fulltimers. One of the ways to meet fulltimers is at RV shows. Many fulltimers have blogs, Facebook pages or websites. Search "www.weretherussos" to see schedules of RV shows in 2023 all over the country. The Russo's, a fulltimer couple, write extensively about the rewards and challenges of being a fulltimer/workamper.

"livecampwork.com" is a website that provides helpful information about short term and seasonal job opportunities. "workamper.com/employing" lists job possibilities. General web searches using 'fulltimers' or 'workamping' will yield a lot of informational sites.

Lest readers think Sherry and I are considering the fulltimer route...no way. The main deterrent is my being mechanically-impaired. The first breakdown would be the end of our adventure.