I’m constantly asked which vehicle or trailer to choose when making a decision to take your camera and life on the road. My answer never varies. Here it is.
There are a lot of articles out there with one view or the other on what type of recreational vehicle you should choose for travel. I’ve found a lot of them very bias.
I take a more open approach. The key is to choose one that works for you. Seriously.
We planned to live in our 30 foot fifth wheel for two years. We retired it 16 years later after many repairs, fixes, replacements, and hard work.
First, the differences. A motor home has an engine and is open from the front to the back. A Class C is a motor home open from the front to the back with a van or truck cab “combined” into the RV. A camper is carried on the back of a truck and there is rarely an access point between the truck and the camper. A trailer has no engine and is pulled by any vehicle. A fifth wheel trailer has no engine and is towed by a truck. Below those you have a variety of vans and sleep-in-the-car configurations.
If you need to travel with a lot of stuff and you like luxuries, then motor home or big trailer.
If you want to travel lightly and feel the road closely, motorcycle or bicycle with a tent.
If you are physically fit, go with trailer (5th wheel or otherwise) or truck and camper.
If you aren’t physically fit, go with Class C or A motor home.
If you want to stay high in the mountains, backwoods, BLMs, rugged terrain, and off road, then tent, small trailer, class C, anything under 26 feet in total length is the only way to go.
If you are traveling to big parks, then anything goes but if you are in big campgrounds and trailer parks, they don’t like crap vehicles. Some won’t take trailers only motor homes.
If you are staying on the road for weekends, go cheap. If you only travel during summer, go cheap.
If you wish to plant yourself somewhere and explore from there, a motor home or Class C with a toad (tow vehicle) is essential.
If you are only going to go with friends and family for short trips during good weather and not long distance, go light, small, and easy on everyone.
If you travel with animals, buy with room for them in mind.
Can you sleep and walk in it? If you are tall, a bed across the width won’t work without a slide-out. If ceiling, door frames, and lights are low, tall people will need to stoop.
How much time will you spend inside as opposed to out? The more time you spend inside, the more luxurious, roomy, and comfortable it should be.
Traveling with small children? Remember they grow up fast. Plan for them.
How many bodies will travel with you? The more the merrier and the more the larger.
If you need to make frequent “pit stops,” buy a motor home or Class C for quick pull overs to use your own pit without leaving the vehicle.
If you are going to cross the continent a few times, choose a strong heavy axle RV made for hauling, pulling, or towing. Engine and tires will matter most.
If you are living in this full-time, makes sure it is durable, weatherproof, all season, and comfortable.
If you have a hobby or job you are taking with you, make sure there is room enough for you and the tasks, and the RV is secure enough to protect your investments.
How long are you going to actively use it? A year, two, eight, twenty? We got sixteen years plus out of our 2-year expected usage with a lot of time spent fixing it up and maintaining it, so look long not short and buy accordingly.
NEVER under-buy or underestimate the pulling capacity or weight bearing capabilities of whatever you are considering. Buy a tow vehicle that exceeds the need to pull the trailer. Buy a trailer or motor home to carry at least double your anticipated weight needs (you always add more than you should).
That’s all you need to know. Answer those questions and you will narrow down your choices quickly.
With the right attitude, the life as a temporary worker is exciting and refreshing. It is filled with new things and challenges every day. You have control over where and when you work. You can stay for as long as you want and leave when you want, depending upon your contract. On the flip side, the employer can dismiss you in an instant, usually without warning or consequences.
Above all else, a temporary worker must be flexible. One company may have a strict dress code and the next not. One company may use state of the art computer equipment and the next do the same job with a pencil and paper. The temporary worker must be up-to-date on the latest technology but still current on how to use the old versions. If the work area is too cold or too hot, odds are it is for a reason, so the worker must be ready to accommodate both, flexing with the myriad ways each company does the same thing.
Avoid bringing personal items to work such as photos and knickknacks. If you bring personal items, you have to quickly pack them up when you leave and something is bound to be forgotten or left behind.
When temporarily replacing another worker, don’t mess up their work space. People are nervous about their “space” and feel invaded when they know someone else has been opening their drawers and using their equipment. Keep everything as it is. Cleaning around things is usually appreciated. Put everything back where you found it.
Keep up-to-date on the advancements in your industry and skills. Learn the latest versions of the software and equipment you work with, but keep your skills sharp for older versions. Take classes, do your homework, read the magazines, check the web. Research your field of expertise and keep current so you are ready for whatever the job has to offer.
As a temporary employee, you often work for a recruiting or temporary assignment company. It is their business to match you to the company, with your personality and skills, and to keep the customer and you happy. They need to know who you are, how you work, and what your capabilities are. They need more than a resume. There are often a battery of tests the worker must pass before eligibility. Who and what you are is just as important to them as what you can do because they have to trust you to walk into their client’s offices looking professional and capable to get the job done efficiently and accurately.
Depending upon the duration of the job, and the turnover at your recruiter’s office, you can lose touch with your job recruiter. Make sure they remember who you are and what you are capable of.
Making the decision to take your business on the road isn’t an easy one. It is filled with complications, red tape, life changes, and major and minor decisions which can overwhelm you unless you are prepared. First, you must decide if your business qualifies as a mobile one, then think of all the things your business is dependent upon and consider how to bring those into your mobile package.
In planning to take your business on the road, consider how to separate home and work inside the trailer so you also have a place to escape and relax. Put your organizational skills to work to set up an area that maximizes the space, fitting everything in a small area. Carefully 
There are many businesses that are very mobile. Some multi-level marketing businesses work well from the road, bringing you and your product to the customer wherever they are. Selling household products, makeup, tools, and any product you can sell through mail or the Internet keeps the inventory low and is great for travelers as they can reach a wider range of customers. Service-oriented businesses, like web page designers or computer programers, are great for traveling, including office equipment repair and maintenance, public speaking and teaching, consulting, and insurance. Businesses working with products and services which don’t require physical storage space, massive inventories, or cumbersome specialized tools are excellent for the traveling business like web page designer, developing computer programs.
With today’s modern technology, all it takes is a cell phone and laptop and you can stay in touch with work from almost anywhere. Employees can work at home, from the road, or anywhere they are needed. If your business allows you to work from home, why not consider making home mobile? Is there a requirement to come into the office frequently? That can be worked around. With the advance in video telephones and conferencing, these face-to-face visits are changing.
The traveling employee often works long hours, coming back to the hotel or RV just to sleep and shower and return to work. Living in an RV, returning to a familiar bed, bathroom, and living space can be more relaxing and comfortable for many than returning to a strange hotel room.
Temporary jobs are available in every field, with a high demand right now in construction and communications maintenance, installation and repair. There is work available as a bookkeeper, secretary, receptionist, pharmacist, caretaker, cook, bottle washer, pet groomer, baker, dentist, doctor, medical technician, engineer, law assistant, court reporter, satellite dish installer, sales clerk, ticket taker, bus driver, computer programmer, fruit picker, mechanic, graphic designer, teacher, carpenter, nurse, gardener, writer, pizza delivery person, tour guide, product demonstrator, product tester, magazine subscription seller, landscaper, Santa, waitress, security guard, seamstress, public speaker, catalog salesperson, laundry machine maintenance technician, auto shop stocker, grocery delivery person, political campaigner, door knocker, you name it, there is a need for a temporary position or fill-in for a sick employee.
The traveling worker moves from job to job, independent of a corporate boss and the weight of running a business. They can work in one industry and in one job position but work for a variety of companies, changing when the job is up or when they feel like it. They can work in a variety of job positions, changing their interests within the industry to accommodate changes in the business or their own interests. Or they can take on any job they find as it comes along. They are the most versatile workers on the road.
The more flexible you are regarding the work and working conditions, the easier it is to find a job. Some people are happy enough to be near relatives or the warmth of the sun so they will scrub floors and toilets for 20 hours a week to be there. Others work because they need the money and the rest is unimportant. If you just want to take your life on the road and find whatever job finds you, consider the following questions:
What do you want to do?
Job hunting from the road can be difficult. There are many temporary job recruitment agencies, but it’s a challenge to stay in contact with them when you don’t know where you will be from week to week. The Internet makes it easier to find a job before arriving in a community, but not always. Looking for a job, whether long or short term, is the same. You need to have access to a telephone with an answering machine. You need to keep your resume up-to-date and ready to fax or email upon request. Many agencies require a battery of tests before consideration. Many require face-to-face interviews, but others will work from telephone interviews. If you work with a national or international recruitment agency, you only need to go through this process once and they will forward your records from location to location. Most temporary job agencies do not charge the worker but pass the fees directly to the hiring company.
