Stay connected with the outside world while you travel. We all tend to think of “getting away from it all” as being part of vacation plans. However, in the case of RV travel and the sometimes extended time on the road, having the capability to connect to the internet can be important. You may need the capability to connect to your virtual office for work, communicated with clients or co-workers, or stay connected to the family via Facebook. In any case, it’s not difficult or expensive to stay connected on the road.
Create Your Own RV HotSpot
The first thing you’ll want to look into when planning a trip in your RV is to get a hotspot. Most travel blogs and seasoned RV travellers would concur with this, as well as claim that it is truly the only true option for the mobile internet option.
There are two ways to go about this: get a hotspot via your cell phone, of via a designated device. You choose. One isn’t necessarily better than the other; just having the hotspot is the goal here. Recommendations for carriers: Verizon and Millenicom are very common. If you want to do a little searching on your own for a carrier, make sure you take into account where you will be traveling versus coverage of that carrier. Verizon seems to be popular due to their great reach in coverage. However, they due require a contract – just FYI in case you dread that kind of thing.
Wi-Fi Access Booster
Once you have your hotspot lined up the next thing you’ll want to consider is a booster – because why have less when you could have more. The Wilson Sleek 4G comes as a very highly recommended booster. It is inexpensive and boosts both voice and data. If you need something more powerful consider purchasing the Mobile 4G Vehicle Cellular Signal Booster Kit. This booster will boost all carriers (within the U.S. anyway) excluding Clear Wire.
Now, how about that Wi-Fi? If you’re looking to boost this signal also you should definitely consider Wi-Fi Ranger Sky Wi-Fi Signal Booster W/Go2 Bundle. It mounts to the top of the RV for optimal vision and allows for extra security by way of a private network inside the RV.
Smaller Solutions for Internet Access
If you’re not all that jazzed about getting all this equipment, however, and you merely want to touch base with the world via email from time to time a Blackberry or internet-enabled smart phone would do just fine on the road. You can always tote around your laptop and search out Wi-Fi access as you go. Many RV parks are now adding Wi-Fi to their amenities list. Nowadays even state parks are offering Wi-Fi. Other places to hook-up to the internet would be cyber cafes, office supply stores, Flying J Truck Stops, public libraries, and the like.
Television and Streaming Movies
If you stream movies via the internet the above information will help you with your entertainment needs in that regard. However, if you are looking at alternatives to getting TV reception satellite is a very popular way to go for RVers. If this is your first satellite dish a small, simple, and relatively inexpensive one is a good way to start out. This way you can decide if satellite is fitting for you in an economical way.
When considering where to mount the satellite keep in mind that many prefer not to mount it the roof, but to have it free to mount to nearby trees and the like. This is because many times the RV will be given a spot under, or surrounded by trees, and having the satellite free to mount in a variety of ways helps get better reception. Both Dish Network and DirecTV have programs of equal and varying value, depending on your needs.