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Comment by MIKarlsen | Hacker News Reader

I'm not from the US, so I don't know about that "RV Culture". But if I'm cynical, it sounds like Amazon is looking for people who can't afford to say no (which is why they live in a camper van for starters...), which is unethical in my opinion.

If I'm being optimistic, they're engaging with a community, who actually loves the RV lifestyle, and wants opportunities like this for limited periods, so they can save up for their "next adventure". I just don't know how working 12 hour shifts while living in an RV is called an "adventure". But hey, that's marketing these days - everything should be (over)sold.

My gutfeeling tells me, that the first is more likely to be the case than the latter, which is just another bad mark in the book for Amazon...

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> I'm not from the US, so I don't know about that "RV Culture". But if I'm cynical, it sounds like Amazon is looking for people who can't afford to say no.

Plenty of people outside the US, too, live in caravans for a considerable portion of the year. Go to southern Morocco or Western Sahara in the winter, and you will see many hundreds of camping cars owned by German, French, and Italian pensioners who want to spend the cold months in warm, sunny weather. If there actually were seasonal work down there, I would totally expect some portion of them to take it, since some people do feel the need to make some extra money or to do something "productive" during the day.

I don't think it's a sinister as you are assuming it to be. They are engaging with people who are simply nomadic by decision, like gypsy/travelers in europe. Many of these people can afford to drift around if they work hard for those 3 months. Or they may go help with some farm harvests in the summer to make a little more.

The people doing it mostly feel it's a good deal for them. They get a free place to set up, with full hook-ups (water/sewer/power) that would normally cost $300-500 a month at a RV park. And they're earning enough that they can go on the road for the rest of the year with money in the bank.

Some full-time RV owners publish their costs. The Russos spent about $3000 a month in fixed + variable costs when in their Class-A, but only $1200 a month when they traded it for a Class-B (RAM Pro-Master van). They seldom stay at a campground.

https://weretherussos.com/rv-living-costs-full-time-class-a-...

https://weretherussos.com/camper-van-life-costs-september-20...

Most the RV's and trailers you see at these shipping centers cost well into the $30k range. It not dudes living out of vans that's for sure.

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