40+ Ways to Make Money on the Road from your Campervan or RV

When you’re transitioning to the nomad lifestyle, it can be really hard to figure out how to make money on the road.

Luckily, there are tons of options out there to make an income from your campervan.

Whether you are into computer work, or prefer something hands-on, there is something for everyone. I prefer computer work as I can do it anywhere, and it’s more relaxing and lucrative than showing up in person to something like the Sugar Beet Harvest.

In this post, I hope to give some ideas for anyone looking to make money on the road.

How I Make Money on the Road from my Campervan

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20 Ways to Make Money on the Road via Computer

If you already have online or digital skills, there are plenty of ways to get a van life job on your computer.

All you need is a wifi connection, which isn’t too hard if you’re traveling by van. Here are some of the best remote van life jobs you can do from anywhere you have a cell signal.

Sell your services on Fiverr

If you’re just getting into the world of online work, you can start by selling your services cheaply on Fiverr.

You can offer anything from graphics and digital design, to writing, to video and animation, to digital marketing. You set your own rates and get your own clients.

I’ve hired plenty of people from Fiverr to help with my website!

Start a profitable blog

Starting a blog isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, but if you love everything about writing, digital marketing, email marketing, and being your own boss, this could be a great way to get started making money remotely.

My blogging hero, Michelle Shroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents started out making $0 from her blog but is now up to over $100,000…per month.

She lived in an RV for years and is now on a sailboat.

Now, after several years of blogging, I am currently making a full-time income, which amounts to over 6-figures. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought this possible!

• How to drive thousands of readers to your website each day on autopilot
• How to convert your blog readers into consistent passive income
• How to take your travel blog to six figures and beyond

Become a certified bookkeeper

If you’re into crunching numbers, you may want to think about starting your own virtual bookkeeping business.

There is an incredibly high demand for bookkeepers, and the best part is that you don’t need to be in any specific location to do the job. You are able to work virtually from your computer from your campervan or RV.

As long as you have a reliable internet connection to work with, your bookkeeping business goes where you go! 

This business is obviously for a very specific type of person. In order to find out if you fit the criteria, I invite you to watch this FREE video webinar, presented by the Founder of Bookkeeper Launch, Ben Robinson. 

During this FREE class about starting a virtual bookkeeping business, you will discover:

1. Exactly what the business is (and is NOT),
2. What you need to know (and have) before you start…are YOU a good fit, and
3. The 3 step system to launch your own business.

Become a freelance writer

There are so many opportunities out there for freelance writing now that more businesses are moving online.

I’ve written articles that have been published in Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Fodors and Canadian Traveller, among others.

Freelance writing is a great way to make money on the road because you can travel, then write about your experiences.

Plus, bloggers often hire freelance writers to help with content, so you could end up writing about a topic you’re really passionate about.

When I was doing freelance travel writing, I followed a woman named Lindy Alexander. Lindy has come up with TONS of cool trainings and resources for aspiring freelance writers. Check some out below:

• 5 Ways to Get Featured in a Magazine
• 9 Markets for Food Writers
• 10 Successful Magazine Pitches
• How to Break into Travel Writing Online Course

Work from your campervan as a virtual assistant

Being a virtual assistant while living the van life allows you to offer any service you want, at any price.

Many bloggers and online businesses are farming out work to virtual assistants, which can be anything from scheduling phone calls, to writing emails, to managing someone’s social media accounts, to creating graphics.

In fact, I have a virtual assistant who helps me with a lot of things on The Wayward Home, and she’s grown a business where she has a lot of different blogging clients.

Proofread right from your van

Are you really good with grammar and have an eye for detail? Being a proofreader might be just up your alley. There plenty of writers out there who need someone to go over their work with a fine-toothed comb.

If you’re not sure a proofreading is the right way for you to make money on the road, proofreader Caitlin Pyle offers a free webinar for people interested in proofreading. 

To check out the free webinar, go here: Webinar: Learn the Skills you need for a career in proofreading.

Become a transcriptionist

If you don’t mind listening and typing away on your computer, transcription might be just the gig for you.

Plus, you could listen to audio and transcribe anywhere from your campervan or RV to make extra money – you don’t even need an internet connection!

There are two types of transcription services you could offer – legal and general.

Just recently, I interviewed a full-time transcriptionist about how she finds remote work and why she loves being a transcriptionist: How to get transcription jobs and work from anywhere

You can take a free transcription mini-course to learn more about transcription.

Or, check out this free ebook: The Truth about Transcription

Sign up for Rakuten to make money shopping online

This isn’t really a career, but a way to bring in some extra money for doing no work at all. I think it’s a great way to make money. With Rakuten, you install an extension on your browser that finds and applies coupons and gets you cashback when you shop online.

I use Rakuten all the time. Just recently, I saved $13 on a Groupon because the browser extension found a coupon, and I got $4 cashback!

Sell handmade products through online stores

Love making jewelry, art or wallets? Maybe your jam is designing T-shirts. Whatever it is, there’s plenty of room for everyone to sell online when living on the road. Here are a few examples of full-time travelers who are currently selling products online

• The Frugal RVers sell handmade soap and lotions
• Melody sold handmade jewelry when she lived on her sailboat
• Callie Ackland, who has been traveling in her Ram Promaster since November 2017, sells eco-friendly self-care products online
• Madison Hampton makes craft jewelry out of the back of her truck camper

Create Printables and sell them on Etsy

Printables are a good business idea if you’re into creating graphics. In fact, RVer Emily Baldwin has a bustling Etsy printable business, which she combines with other business ventures to make money while RVing.

Interested in learning more about the online printables business?

Check out this free ebook about capturing seasonal trends with Etsy printables.

Sell essential oils

Essential oils are becoming more popular, so it’s a great time to jump in and become a rep for an essential oils company. Joni Zander travelers in her custom Sprinter van and thinks selling oils for Doterra is a great way to make extra money.

I spoke to Joni at length about her business, which you can read about here:

• How one van lifer makes money selling essential oils

Teach English online as a van life job

Teaching English online is a great way to earn up to $22/hour – but you need a bachelor’s degree to apply.

The company TeachPartTime.com accepts English speakers from the U.S., Canada and U.K. who have bachelor’s degrees. However, you can sometimes get work if you’re currently enrolled in university.

Teaching English is a great choice as you can typically choose your own schedule and how many hours per week you want to work. You do need a reliable internet connection to teach English as a van life job.

Click here to sign up with TeachPartTime.com

Become an Online Education Tutor

If you’re an expert in your field, you can become an online tutor for high school and college students online from a campervan or RV.

You can offer tutoring in fields as diverse as accounting, biology, chemistry, psychology, US History or Calculus.

So how can you get a tutoring job?

Sign up with a company like Course Hero, which connects educators with students. 

Course Hero requires that you have a Bachelor’s Degree from a U.S. or Canadian university and that you currently reside in the U.S., U.K, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

You don’t have to be a professor or teacher in your field, but you must be able to show expertise.

Sign up to tutor with Course Hero now.

Start an Amazon FBA business from your van or RV

An Amazon FBA business done while living on the road takes a bit of time to get started, but eventually, with the right product and support, it’s a great way to make money. One full-time RVing family, The Roving Foleys, makes over $100,000 with their Amazon FBA business.

If you’re curious about starting an Amazon FBA business, you can take a this FREE Amazon Starter Course by The Selling Family, who also makes $100,000 per year on Amazon:

Enroll in the FREE Amazon FBA Starter Course!

Learn Graphic Design

Mak of Bound for Nowhere is a graphic designer living in a truck camper. Follow her on Instagram.

Graphic design is a great remote job, as many small businesses need someone to do their visuals! Even small businesses like me need graphic designers to create logos and Pinterest pins.

Graphic designers can work in marketing, technology and commercial industries.

They create posters, pamphlets, marketing materials and billboards, edit photos and choose fonts. 

If you don’t know anything about graphic design, that’s okay. There are tons of affordable online courses:

• Graphic Design Bootcamp: Part One
• Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Great Design
• The complete graphic design for beginners’ course

Get into online marketing

A digital marketer can do a variety of jobs meant to help market a business. Some of the tasks include email marketing, social media marketing and search engine optimization.

One idea is to create Facebook ads to drive traffic and interest to a small businesses’ website.

To learn how to become a digital marketer, check out these cheap courses:

• The complete digital marketing course
• The ultimate Google ads and Adwords training
• Google analytics certification course
• Social media marketing mastery

Design Websites from your campervan

A web designer designs websites for businesses and sole proprietors. They decide on styling, colors, fonts and images that appear on the homepage and any other pages. This is a lucrative business that’s a great van life job.

Usually, a web designer uses a combination of HTML, CSS and existing themes to create a stylish and informative website.

Web designers are in high demand, and its a job you can do with simply a computer and an internet connection.

Check out these resources for becoming a web designer:

• WordPress Theme Development with Bootstrap
• Web Design for Beginners: Coding in HTML and CSS
• Master Web Design in Photoshop
• Learn Photoshop, Web Design and Profitable Freelancing

Create your own online courses

Online course creation can be a lucrative van life job if done right. Think about your expertise and what you can teach people.

Other people have courses in subjects as diverse as RV Maintenance, calligraphy, and even cookie design.

Think about your strengths and what type of course you could create.

A popular online course creation software is Teachable, which is what I use.

Invest in Real Estate from your Smartphone

I just signed up for Happy Nest, and think you might like it, too. This real estate investing app lets you invest in as little as $10 per month – right from your smartphone. Happy Nest invests in commercial real estate and collects rent from companies like FedEx, CVS and AutoZone.

Happy Nest then funds distributions quarterly to shareholders like me and you.

Investing in real estate is by no means a “get rich quick” solution, but if you’re into investing and watching your money grow over time, you might like the concept.

Become a Tax Preparer

Everyone needs their taxes done, right? As a tax preparer, you can work from anywhere as long as you have a computer and an internet connection.

You can learn to prepare both individual and business tax returns, and business will be booming.

Want to know if becoming a tax preparer is right for you?

Take the FREE course on tax preparation!

20+ side hustles as ways to make money from a campervan or RV

1. Get a workamping job

There are so many campgrounds and resorts out there looking for people to do workamping jobs. These can range from anything to raking leaves, to managing a gift shop, to answering the office phone. 

Sharee Collier is a workamping expert, and she talks about how to find workamping jobs in this post: How to make money and RV with workamping jobs.

You can also download Sharee’s ebook:

2. Scour Craiglist

One time, when I was in college, I looked for odd jobs on Craiglist for ways to make money. Over a few days, I helped a woman sort through boxes and organize her house! It was a strange experience, but I needed the spending money.

If you’re living the van life on the road, get on that city’s Craiglist site and look under the gigs section to find people hiring for random jobs.

This could be anything from helping someone move, to packing boxes, to organizing paperwork, to participating in a random video shoot.

Check out how full-time RVer Camille Attell found work on Craiglist: 6 ways I’ve found remote work while full-time RVing.

3. Rent out your campervan or RV for a few days

I know its hard for many of you to part with your beloved camper van or RV, but there are several ways to rent your vehicle out for a few days and make some extra money on RV Share or Outdoorsy. 

Amazingly, some people have turned this line of work into a full-time job!

Check this out for more information on renting out your van or RV: How to make thousands renting out your RV.

Petsitting and dog walking is a great way to make extra money when you’re living the van life.

I petsit often in the San Francisco Bay area and sometimes, am able to stay in very fancy homes and get paid for it, which is amazing.

You could start your own dog sitting website or use a service like Rover, where you make a profile that’s shown to homeowners in a particular area. To learn more about how to make money petsitting: How to make 800+ per month with pet sitting jobs 

You can also start your own pet sitting business like Kelly Manis, whose business is called AirBnBeast.

5. Find seasonal retail work

Back when I was in college, I worked at Gap over the winter break. It was just one month of work and an easy job to boot. All I had to do was go in after hours and stock shelves, fold clothes, pull items out of the back storage room.

Finding a seasonal job is a great way to make money on the road. In winter, many retail stores hire seasonal workers, but if you’d rather be outside, ski resorts hire seasonal workers as well.

6. Manage properties for people with Airbnb

A lot of busy homeowners don’t want to deal with managing their Airbnb properties. That’s exactly what Elin Rose does, a sailing woman who does a variety of odd jobs to fund her travels.

She coordinates with the handymen, the house cleaners, and the renters to make sure everything runs smoothly with the Airbnb rental.

7. Sell plasma to make money while living in a van

This isn’t a good odd job for the squeamish, but you can definitely make extra money selling plasma. According to WalletHacks, you can make $20-$50 for every donation.

Donating plasma is more of a hassle than simply donating blood. First, the blood is taken from your body, the plasma is sorted out, and the blood is funneled back in.

It’s a time-consuming, not-so-fun process, which is why you’ll get paid.

8. Work at a dude ranch

Maybe you love the open air plains of the wild west. Maybe you’re into horses and cows. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of jobs available at dude ranches across the United States.

Here are some of the jobs you could get at a dude ranch: line cook, office coordinator, wrangler, waitstaff, maintenance worker, ranch hand, you name it.

To find a job on a dude ranch, go to the Dude Ranchers Association website, which represents well over 100 ranches.

9. Work at a national park

Many national parks all around the United States hire workers for temporary or seasonal jobs. These jobs can run the gamut from mechanics, to museum curators, to data analysts to landscape architects.

There really is a job for anyone, plus, you get to be at a gorgeous national park!

Seasonal jobs are either for the summer months or the winter months. This might be one of the best van life jobs out there.

Imagine waking up in a national park, and making money while you’re at it!

10. Run errands with Task Rabbit

The gig economy means there’s plenty of random tasks being hired out in cities across the United States.

You can join Task Rabbit and become a Tasker, which means doing anything from helping someone move, to assembling furniture, to home improvement, to heavy lifting. There are plenty of ways to make money here.

Click here to check out Task Rabbit.

11. Make deliveries with Postmates

Postmates is a team of couriers who deliver anything from a store or restaurant.

If you sign up to do deliveries, it’s on your time and your watch, and you can pick where you work and what you’ll deliver. The app allows people in many cities across the United States to order from restaurants, grocery stores and personal items for delivery in under an hour.

You can read more about being a Postmate in this article: What it’s like being a Postmates delivery guy

12. Offer tutoring services

If you find yourself living the van life near a certain city for awhile, you might want to offer up services as a tutor, especially if you’re good at math, science, a foreign language, or writing.

You could post an ad on Craigslist, or call schools you’re close to and ask how to get involved as a tutor.

I know at least two people who make $100 per hour tutoring. One lives in San Francisco and another is in Houston, so you never know when you might get a lucky break tutoring.

13. Work as a bartender

When my sister was traveling and living on the road for a year, she and her boyfriend were always looking for ways to make extra money.

They decided to stop at an RV park in south Florida for several months, and she got a job working at a bartender at the beach.

She said it was a good experience, mostly serving snowbirds, and she was able to make a decent income. If you’re planning on hanging out in one place for awhile, this could be a good option.

14. Become a flea market flipper

If you’re driving around in your van or RV, why not stop and look through a thrift store or a flea market here and there. You could then mark those items up and sell them via eBay.

Melissa of FleaMarketFlipper.com made $40,000 in a year just flipping items.

She and her husband have a FREE webinar on flipping flea market items.

15. Become a campground host

If you’re flexible in your traveling and love people and management, you might want to consider becoming a campground host.

These are not high-paid van life jobs, but could keep you busy for a few months out of the year. Plus, you’ll get a free place to park your rig.

Check out this article: 8 tips to help you land a job as a campground host.  

You can also search for campground jobs through this website: Work for RVers and campers

16. Do harvesting and farm work

There are several websites where you can look for harvesting and farm work, much of which is done seasonally. The Sugar Beet Harvest is wildly popular, with some people banking thousands of dollars in just a few weeks.

According to Sugar Beet Harvest’s website: “American Crystal Sugar and Sidney Sugars hires over 1300 workers stationed at 45 sugar beet receiving stations. These seasonal employees are an integral part of making yearly sugar production a great success. These short-term positions offer excellent compensation and attract applicants from all over the United States and Canada. Locals and travelers alike come to make a hefty paycheck while being able to enjoy various outdoor attractions and campsites.”

17. Become a marijuana trimmer in northern California

Every year, thousands of backpackers and nomads flock to California to get jobs trimming marijuana. You can earn hundreds of dollars per day doing this type of work in the Emerald Triangle, where pot is a billion dollar industry.

Most of this work happens up in Mendocino County in the fall. Check out the job boards 420Careers , Weed Hire or CannaRecruiter for opportunities.

18. Become a mobile mechanic

If you’re living in a campervan or RV, there’s no doubt you’re going to come across people who need help with their rig.

Whether that’s providing oil changes or more advanced work, this could be a great little business to start on the road. First, you’d need to brush up on your mechanic skills, or learn how to be a mechanic in the first place.

Set up a website and connect with other RVers and van dwellers to find work on the road.

19. Offer your trade to other fellow travelers

Are you an electrician, a woodworker, or a metalworker? Think of ways you can use these skills on the road to make extra money.

My boyfriend is an electrical contractor and a general handyman, and when we start cruising on the sailboat, I know he’ll find ways to fix other people’s boats.

This can be done through networking, social media, services you offer on your website, etc. I know if I were out traveling in a van, I’d love to find a mobile mechanic if I had an issue!

20. Offer help with van conversions

Joni Zander is traveling full-time in a converted Sprinter van and offers van conversions with a team of two other people. The team at UpRiver Upfitters helps design and implement layouts for Sprinter van conversions.

This is a great way to make money on the road due to the demand of so many people interested in van life who need help with their build.

21. Work at a restaurant

Oftentimes, you’ll be able to find a restaurant to work at for a while when you’re driving through a town. This could be anything from hosting, to washing dishes, to bussing tables, to becoming a server.

Of course, this all depends on how long you’re going to be in a particular place, but could be a good way to bring in some much-needed cash.

22. Join the Amazon Camperforce

Amazon’s Camperforce is a group of seasonal workers who take positions in Amazon’s warehouse, doing anything from picking, packing, stowing and receiving.

Camperforce has gotten some mixed reviews, but might be good for some people. You can read all about it in the book Nomadland, which followed RV dwelling retirees to their jobs in Amazon warehouses.

23. Grocery shop with Instacart 

Instacart is a service that lets people farm out their grocery shopping to personal shoppers. I’ve seen this growing in popularity in San Francisco, where people think its too much of a pain to navigate driving and parking to get their own groceries.

Becoming an Instacart shopper means you fulfill orders by shopping at stores like Safeway and Whole Foods, then deliver those goods.

24. Try busking on the side of the road

If you’re a good musician, you may want to try busking to bring in some money. It may not sound glamorous, but if you’re good, and in the right town, it could be a good way to bring in extra cash while you’re living on the road and have fun while you’re at it!

25. Sell roadside assistance 

Sean Donovan travels in a 1994 GMC Vandura 2500, and sells unlimited roadside assistance for Motor Club Company. He makes $2,500 per week selling roadside assistance!

“I love this job,” said Sean. “It gives me the freedom to travel wherever and whenever I want. I can work from anywhere a long as I have my laptop or smartphone.”

He says this type of roadside assistance is really popular amongst van lifers because you also get prescription discounts, dental, vision, and health discounts. Also, for every day you’re in the emergency room they give you $150 to cover a loss of wages.

If you want to try your hand at selling roadside assistance, go to this company, which is through TVC Marketing.

26. Work as a day laborer

Have you ever been to Home Depot or a similar store and seen all those workers milling around on the corner? They are day laborers, waiting to get pick up to work on a job.

If you have any construction skills, you could easily work as a day laborer in any city, and in some places, they are paid well.

Is there anything I missed? How do you make money while living on the road?

Check out these other remote work stories!

• How to start a bookkeeping business and travel
• How to make money with workamping jobs