Digital nomad in RV

[ableyes]

Anybody practices this full time while on the road with RV? Meaning you make a living via internet and PC. What do you do and how does it combine with RV lifestyle?

 

[WILDEBILL308]

Seriously?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzyWyH9r-To
Bill

 

[NY_Dutch]

When I retired from full time working life as a systems administrator/analyst, I kept my side work writing, proof reading, and editing technical manuals. It's not a full time living though, because we don't want it to be. The income is nice for those little extras that we occasionally want but couldn't otherwise fit in the budget right away. For us, the work and our RV life mesh perfectly, since I set my own schedule and can decline any jobs that don't appeal to me. We have unlimited data plans for our AT&T and Verizon hotspots that have kept us online everywhere we've been so far. For really weak signal areas, we use a Maximum Signal Max Amp RV cell booster system that has given us usable signals even in areas where the coverage maps show "no signal". I'm sure there are areas where that's still not enough, but we haven't hit one yet. A few RV parks have usable WiFi signals, but most are way too slow and overcrowded for our needs.

 

[Kmancewicz]

My husband currently works from home and when we jump into full timing at the end of the summer he plans to continue working with his current company. I will be working as a travel speech language pathologist so we will be in locations for about 3 months at a time. We plan to just pay for an RV site to ensure that my husband has access to the internet. If it weren't for that we would probably boondock, but that would be pretty hard for full time remote work. Might work out ok if you were more of a freelancer and could take jobs when you felt like.

 

[Kmancewicz]

When I retired from full time working life as a systems administrator/analyst, I kept my side work writing, proof reading, and editing technical manuals. It's not a full time living though, because we don't want it to be. The income is nice for those little extras that we occasionally want but couldn't otherwise fit in the budget right away. For us, the work and our RV life mesh perfectly, since I set my own schedule and can decline any jobs that don't appeal to me. We have unlimited data plans for our AT&T and Verizon hotspots that have kept us online everywhere we've been so far. For really weak signal areas, we use a Maximum Signal Max Amp RV cell booster system that has given us usable signals even in areas where the coverage maps show "no signal". I'm sure there are areas where that's still not enough, but we haven't hit one yet. A few RV parks have usable WiFi signals, but most are way too slow and overcrowded for our needs.

Good to know that RV park signals may be too slow for reliable internet access. Shoot, that will be something to figure out. About how much does your unlimited verizon hotspot cost you a month?

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Kmancewicz said:

"Good to know that RV park signals may be too slow for reliable internet access. Shoot, that will be something to figure out. About how much does your unlimited verizon hotspot cost you a month?"

I don't know the cost of  a Verizon Hotspot but I do know that 98% of the RV parks we've stayed at all over the west have very poor Wifi.  We increase our data with Verizon on the months we travel. 

Oddly enough the two fastest RV parks for Wifi were both Elks Lodges.  Probably because there were only about a dozen RV's.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Good to know that RV park signals may be too slow for reliable internet access. Shoot, that will be something to figure out. About how much does your unlimited verizon hotspot cost you a month?

Our Verizon hotspot is on their prepaid $65 (w/$5 autopay discount) per month unlimited 4G/LTE Jetpack plan. There is no throttling, although we can be "network managed" that may slow us down briefly on congested towers. This is a month to month plan with no contract, so it can be dropped at any time if something better comes along. Our AT&T unlimited 4G/LTE hotspot is on their Connected Car Plan at $20/mo plus taxes and fees, and can also be subject to management after 22 GB. Unfortunately, that plan is not currently available to the general public, and I have no idea if it will be back again.

 

[Kmancewicz]

Our Verizon hotspot is on their prepaid $65 (w/$5 autopay discount) per month unlimited 4G/LTE Jetpack plan. There is no throttling, although we can be "network managed" that may slow us down briefly on congested towers. This is a month to month plan with no contract, so it can be dropped at any time if something better comes along. Our AT&T unlimited 4G/LTE hotspot is on their Connected Car Plan at $20/mo plus taxes and fees, and can also be subject to management after 22 GB. Unfortunately, that plan is not currently available to the general public, and I have no idea if it will be back again.

Thank you for the information! Is the verizon one available to the general public? Nice that there is no contract so we could add it on if needed if/when the RV park internet doesn't cut it.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Thank you for the information! Is the verizon one available to the general public? Nice that there is no contract so we could add it on if needed if/when the RV park internet doesn't cut it.

Yes, the Verizon prepaid Jetpack plan is still available to all. Scroll down at the link below to the "Tablets & Jetpack Plans" section:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid/

If you already have a Jetpack or other hotspot, you can see if it's eligible at this link:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/od/prepaid/bring-your-own-device/#/checkDevice

 

[Kmancewicz]

Thank you!!  Appreciate the help!