OpenVan.campβ World of motorhomes — here

Report a problem

What is the problem?

81-year-old American lives in RV and works seven days a week due to debt and insufficient pension

03.06.2026 18:52 1 min 2 sources
El Periódico SPA + 1 more
81-year-old American lives in RV and works seven days a week due to debt and insufficient pension
© El Periódico

In Brief

Richard Smith, 81, and his wife are forced to live in a 13-meter RV and work at campgrounds under the workamping system. Their debt is $350,000, and their pension fund is only $20,000.

81-year-old American Richard Smith and his wife live in a 13-meter RV and work seven days a week to make ends meet. They use the workamping system — working at campgrounds in exchange for a free site with electricity and water. In winter, the couple stays in Florida; in summer, in New Hampshire.

Reasons for financial hardship

According to sources, the couple has accumulated $350,000 in debt, and their pension fund is only $20,000. The reasons include early family obligations, failed investments, and limited savings due to family expenses. Richard works as a night watchman and DoorDash courier; his wife cleans cabins and the laundry.

Trend in the US

According to Pew Research Center, this is part of a growing trend among Americans over 75 who are forced to work due to insufficient pensions and rising cost of living.

This content was collected automatically from public sources. All images and content belong to their respective copyright holders. Copyright information

Story sources

81-year-old American lives in motorhome due to insufficient pension

03.06.2026 El Periódico SPA

81-year-old US retiree forced to live in motorhome due to debt

03.06.2026 El Debate SPA

🇺🇸 United States — fuel prices

Updated: 06.06.2026

Diesel

$1.48 /l

€1.28 · £1.11/l

59 of 132

cheaper than 56% of countries

Petrol

$1.15 /l

€1.00 · £0.86/l

37 of 133

cheaper than 73% of countries

Popular route

Distance

Fuel cost

~

Est. time

~

Quiz: test yourself
Guess the vanlife lingo — 3 quick questions
1 / 3
Q1 Why are "wild camping" and "boondocking" not always identical?
VanSky - weather index · United States

Best regions in the coming days

Utah +25°·25 km/h
96
California +19°·13 km/h
94
Colorado +24°·32 km/h
94
Idaho +22°·45 km/h
92
Connecticut +23°·46 km/h
90
Avoid now
Oklahoma +32°·54 km/h
65
Louisiana +30°·27 km/h
69

You May Be Interested

All News
ES Spain 3

Living in a motorhome in Spain: from forced measure to housing crisis

In Spain, a growing number of people are forced to live in motorhomes due to unaffordable rents. Among them are pensioners with minimum pensions, civil servants and teachers. A caravan breakdown cost French pensioners €145,000.

News from United States

All News
US United States

Woahink Lake in Oregon: RV Resort, Fishing, and Paddling

Woahink Lake, less than two hours from Eugene, Oregon, offers an RV resort, fishing, and water recreation. The 820-acre freshwater lake borders Jessie M. Honeymoon Memorial State Park and is one of the deepest in the state at 74 feet. The public northwest shore features a boat launch, swimming area, and group camping. Woahink Lake RV Resort has over 70 dog-friendly sites with full hookups, a private boat dock, and access to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Install OpenVan.camp

Get quick access and offline reading.

Install on iOS

  1. 1 Tap Share in Safari.
  2. 2 Choose "Add to Home Screen".
  3. 3 Confirm by tapping Add.

Already installed

The app is already installed on this device.

Install from browser menu

Use your browser menu to install or add to home screen.

→ Glossary