The Workamper Show Podcast

The Workamper Show Podcast


Episode 005 — Dana Ticknor describes her RV-based business

October 15, 2019

We’re going to talk about a different way to Workamp today. A lot of people think that workamping means you work at a campground just to get a free RV site. That is not always the case.

If you work or run a business while in an RV, then you’re workamping.

When you’re living the RV dream, every day is a weekend. That’s especially the case when you own your own business and can set your own hours.

Dana Ticknor and her husband, Vaughn, have been full-time RVing for 10 years. What makes their situation so unique is that they’ve been full-timing with 12 children – seven boys and five girls.

In the past, they worked construction jobs to finance their travel adventures.

With a base in Helena, Mont., the family would return home every spring. They’d work on construction projects and save their pennies so they could take off and play all winter in warm climates.

A few years ago, one of Dana’s daughters wanted to sell hair accessories at campground shows, so Dana signed up to become a distributor for Lilla Rose products.

What started as a part-time venture for her kids to make money has morphed into a big business that now fully funds the family’s lifestyle.

Now, they’re no longer tied to summer construction projects. So, they can use their construction skills in pursuit of a new passion to help people recover from disasters.

Whenever a tornado, flood, hurricane or other natural disaster impacts a community, the family packs up the RV and races to scene. They’ll help clean up the area, and then begin rebuilding the lives of others.

In this episode, Dana Ticknor explains how the family makes money running a small business affiliated with Lilla Rose, a direct sales company providing hair accessories.

She also describes some of the challenges they have faced as a large family on the road.

The Ticknor Tribe, as they like to be called, will inspire you to venture out on your own to live the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of enjoying.

Dana’s story just fascinates me. I’ve been following their adventures for many years. I have had the opportunity to meet up with them several times along their journey.

The Ticknor Tribe is a fabulous, wholesome family. Those 12 kids have done more, seen more and experienced more in 10 years than most adults will ever do in their entire lives.

We’ll probably need to have Dana back again with her husband, Vaughn, to provide more details about how they actually make RVing work for a family of that size.

You should see their RV. They pretty much gut a new toy hauler and remodel it to fit their family’s needs. The kids sleep in elevated bunks, leaving the rest of the space for family living.

They are a closely-bonded family with big hearts to serve others.

When they spend money, they opt to spend it on experiences that create a lifetime of memories.

The kids are roadschooled, and some of the smartest, most polite children I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

You can meet the family at www.ourtravelingtribe.com.

In this interview, we sort of jump right in talking about her business. However, she covers a lot of material in about 35 minutes.

I like this episode because it shows that it is possible for a family of any size to enjoy this lifestyle.

It also shows that workamping doesn’t always involve a job, it involves a business.

Workamper News can help you plan a course to live your own dream and get you on the road faster than you thought possible.

For more information about opportunities to live, work and play in your RV, visit