Unique Road Businesses for Full-Time RVers

[GoneGirl]

I'm talking, making quilts, jellies, woodworking. not jewelry making as everyone does that. I'm interested in the unique creativity of our fellow travelers - probably full timers. Ones that actually make money, not for charity. Have you seen anybody with a unique business?

 

[Martian]

The only thing we produce on our trips is wonderful memories. We are in this as a hobby and could not imagine bringing a quilting table, wood working shop or canning equipment in a trailer. On the other hand, sometimes our dogs produce short term artwork that has to be removed afterwards.

 

[Kirk]

Have you seen anybody with a unique business?

Over the years I have known several people who have had very successful businesses that they started in their RVs. Some very large businesses began that way and then migrated into large businesses that still exist but not so much from the RV due to size. None of the most successful businesses were making a product in the RV as they traveled. I have also known many folks who had a hobby that was self-supporting. from the RV, but none made enough from the business to support their lifestyle.

If you need a reliable income as you travel, you would probably be better off to find places that use work-campers and supply a site with pay. If you are only looking to supplement what income you already have, then you may want to consider RV volunteer for a free site locations. We did that for 12 years and it made RV living very inexpensive and we loved the kind of things that we were doing. Had it not been for health issues, we would probably still be doing that.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Some people travel with a motorhome and pull a cargo trailer they set up as a store and workshop at shows, and fairs. They will make stuff such as wooden plaques with your name on it, custom crafts, usually customized with your name or other wording, or machine embroidery, again, easily done on the spot, customized with a name or image (your dog, cat, etc).

Charles

 

[JudyJB]

I taught college classes online half-time for the first nine years of my full-timing, but that is not exactly unique. It did help me pay off my motorhome and travel without having to dig into savings. However, I have met people on the road who wrote romance novels, run a marketing or consulting business, or travel to craft shows selling homemade signs and other crafts and arts. I make a lot of jam but end up giving most of it away.

 

[bigbAZ]

Mostly just You Tubers, I recently met a lady who full times in a van and has a very active You Tube channel. I've seen one or two traveling knife sharpeners and I've heard about a traveling barber/hairdresser.

A good business for a full timer would be RV repairs though. Or marketing a certain product like RV sun shades.

 

[Rene T]

I’ll bet sharpening knives would keep someone busy. Everyone has dull knives

 

[Old_Crow]

I’ll bet sharpening knives would keep someone busy. Everyone has dull knives

My wife used to make stained glass wind chimes and we sold them at various craft shows. Every spring I'd load my knife collection in the RV when we'd go to one particular show because someone there had a knife sharpening booth. So that might, indeed be a nice option.

 

[rjshiflet]

For years my wife did a monthly show (at the same location each month) and made quite a good living at it. She had a house rented nearby for the week she was there, and since I was still working I'd join her on the weekends. Once my job was able to be done remotely, we'd take the RV and she gave up the rent house. For the last 8 or so years we spent 7 to 10 days a month living in the RV while she sold home decor and seasonal items. At one time she had three storage rooms full of merchandise and two cargo trailers (as well as three pallets of booth walls) that she stored near her booth. What started as a 10x10 booth grew over the years to be 1,400 square feet of sales space.

She had a knee that kept giving her trouble so she scheduled knee replacement surgery and thankfully she planned ahead with her inventory. She closed her business down with the final month being January 2020...followed by COVID the next month and the monthly market show completely shut down for several months.

Previously being a school teacher - that was a pretty unique change in professions.

 

[ernieekberg]

I used to install engineered wood flooring in class A coaches on the road

 

[Kittykamper]

I'm talking, making quilts, jellies, woodworking. not jewelry making as everyone does that. I'm interested in the unique creativity of our fellow travelers - probably full timers. Ones that actually make money, not for charity. Have you seen anybody with a unique business?

This is actually a really good question. I have often wondered about this too.

 

[CamperAL]

I have a unique business I do but can't talk about it at this time. It would identify me and too much info could cause problems while we are away. In a couple of years when we stop heading south for winter, I'll chime in and talk about it. It isn't something the average person can do without educating themselves or having a background in the field.

I don't think I am special but sort of like taking the time to learn all the ropes of RV'n so you don't run into problems (and lets face it you still do) it required a great amount of time to have done what I did. I'm amazed now the road I have been down.

 

[Kirk]

I have often wondered about this too.

Some examples of businesses that were started by RV people on the road and which are very successful today with steady growth the Escapees RV Club, BoonDocker's Welcome, Camp Scanner, and Harvest Hosts, which now owns the first three. The RV Water Filter Store is another as was The Gypsy Journal. But none of those were easy and all of them worked just as much or more than they did when they were living in a fixed location with a regular job. There are many other small business operations that pay part of all of the expenses of the owners. One that is fairly common is to become an RV repair person or an RV pre-purchase inspector. There have been people who bought a pair of portable scales and would weigh RVs by each wheel(rvweigh.com), but I don't know if they still exist. I have also seen mobile dog grooming, and a mobile beautician. Another did pet sitting. The key is to find a way to provide some needed service or product and supply it.

 

[Tom]

Long time RV Forum staffer ran his software programming business while fulltiming in his RV.

Another RV Forum staffer made and sold "wooden pens" as a part time thing.

 

[UTTransplant]

Some examples of businesses that were started by RV people on the road and which are very successful today with steady growth the Escapees RV Club, BoonDocker's Welcome, Camp Scanner, and Harvest Hosts, which now owns the first three. The RV Water Filter Store is another as was The Gypsy Journal. But none of those were easy and all of them worked just as much or more than they did when they were living in a fixed location with a regular job. There are many other small business operations that pay part of all of the expenses of the owners. One that is fairly common is to become an RV repair person or an RV pre-purchase inspector. There have been people who bought a pair of portable scales and would weigh RVs by each wheel(rvweigh.com), but I don't know if they still exist. I have also seen mobile dog grooming, and a mobile beautician. Another did pet sitting. The key is to find a way to provide some needed service or product and supply it.

The owners of Harvest Hosts are NOT RVers. They were programmers looking for a niche. They managed to destroy Boondockers Welcome. Still to be seen is what they do to Escapees.

 

[Kirk]

The owners of Harvest Hosts are NOT RVers.

You are wrong. Joel Holland was in computer programming and software development, which is how he made most of his money. He sold his company, Storyblocks, in 2016 and retired but was bored and bought Harvest Hosts in 2018 from Don and Kim Greene started Harvest Hosts in 2010. I don't know how much they still travel, but I met Joel at the 2017 Escapees Escapade on the Pima County Fairgrounds in AZ.

Joel Holland is indeed a full-time RVer. He transitioned from corporate life to full-time RVing in 2016, after buying a fifth wheel and a truck camper and spending time traveling through the continental U.S. Over the years, he and his wife, Mary Ashley, have owned various RVs and adapted them to their changing needs, embracing the spontaneity and adventure of life on the road. (from Wikipedia)

 

[weighit]

I met a couple when we were full time traveling (weighing Rv's) that pulled a wood working trailer behind his motorhome. He would set up in a rv park and rebuild the picnic tables. He got a free site and was paid per table, and the park paid for all materials. They had a open site next to the one they were on and kind of had a assemble line of fixing those tables. He went from park to park in the areas he wanted to be in. Thought that was pretty neat to be able to work as he wanted to.

 

[Kirk]

I saw one similar to the one above, but his woodwork was mostly making signs for RV folks and he was often a vendor at RV rallies and shows.

 

[weighit]

I saw one similar to the one above, but his woodwork was mostly making signs for RV folks and he was often a vendor at RV rallies and shows.

Yes, ran into a few of them over the years. Always thought that they were doing OK creating income and getting to travel the USA as they did.