Cheap wifi

Dan sloan said:
That's my understanding, I told them I just wanted wifi and they offered 3 mos full service trial, said if I wanted to cancel at the end I could, or just continue with wifi only. I went ahead and kept it all.
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That might be worth it if I can pull off the same thing. Honestly, I’m able to cheat ever so slightly in that this becomes a business expense for me, but it still has to make me money. It’s about the same as I pay for my hotspot, but there’s a data cap (but I have yet to run into). I think the bigger selling point is the better antenna. Sticking the hotspot on the roof of a camper then forgetting it overnight is not something I’ve done less than once.
 
Sweeney said:
That might be worth it if I can pull off the same thing. Honestly, I’m able to cheat ever so slightly in that this becomes a business expense for me, but it still has to make me money. It’s about the same as I pay for my hotspot, but there’s a data cap (but I have yet to run into). I think the bigger selling point is the better antenna. Sticking the hotspot on the roof of a camper then forgetting it overnight is not something I’ve done less than once.
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I'd say get the free trial, if you dont like it you can always get starlink after. What do you have to lose?

I finally solved my battery issue. On my dc to dc charger the instructions called for pos starter battery on 1 lead, pos house battery on another and the middle grounded to the chassis. I wasn't sure if the camper battery needed to be grounded to the van to take advantage of the charging system so I also ran a neg lead from the front to the rear and then to the camper. For some reason the house battery would charge but wouldn't power a thing in the van. That's why the starter battery ran down on me at the cico. Online help was confusing at best and factory support wasn't any better. Some said the house battery needed to be connected to whatever I wanted to power. So I found a fuse box for the upfitter, and located the power wire, disconnected it and ran a new wire directly from the house battery, nothing, had 14v but nothing powered on which lead me to believe it was a grounding issue. I ran a ground wire from the house battery to the body and viola, now it worked. Im guessing the dc to dc charger uses the ground to kill the starter battery and charge the house. So I hooked it up with a permanent body ground in the rear and it's now working. Btw
I found out that there is hardly anyone who does rv wiring, in new England there's noone in nh, Massachusetts, vt, 1 guy in Maine. So if you want to branch out in your business might be a good side gig. They claim $120 per hr for a tech
 
$120 is cheap. I know techs who are charging $200 an hour plus 'mobile fees' which is crazy if you ask me.

Of course, the big camping stores are charging the same, PLUS they charge storage fees -- A friend of mine in Texas said they told him to bring his camper in on Monday where they charged him storage for 4 days --- becuase their service bay wasn't empty for him....crazy if you ask me.

Have you heard of rvhelp.com? This is a partnership with RVTAA, the certifying body I work under. It lists all of the techs near a geographic area --- just plug in a city and it will find mobile techs that come toyou. Granted, they may look at a van conversation sideways --- a lot of guys are scared of 'em. Our insurnace generally doesn't touch chassis, and particularly with the kind of stuff we're talking about --- no one is going to be excited to take it...but, worth a try.
 
Sweeney said:
$120 is cheap. I know techs who are charging $200 an hour plus 'mobile fees' which is crazy if you ask me.

Of course, the big camping stores are charging the same, PLUS they charge storage fees -- A friend of mine in Texas said they told him to bring his camper in on Monday where they charged him storage for 4 days --- becuase their service bay wasn't empty for him....crazy if you ask me.

Have you heard of rvhelp.com? This is a partnership with RVTAA, the certifying body I work under. It lists all of the techs near a geographic area --- just plug in a city and it will find mobile techs that come toyou. Granted, they may look at a van conversation sideways --- a lot of guys are scared of 'em. Our insurnace generally doesn't touch chassis, and particularly with the kind of stuff we're talking about --- no one is going to be excited to take it...but, worth a try.
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Y'all I cant speak highly enough of this resource at RVhelp, if only because Sweeney is on it now. He is too shy to brag himself up, so I will.

He, Cary and Craig patiently walked me thru a ghost short problem that I was too clueless/unskilled to find...on my own, using non-standard parts - that I was stubbornly trying but failing to figure out myself...

and in my defense, for which I paid nearly $1000 to a young tech at a Victron referred shop, since that was the gear in question.

Well meant effort, but one that I realized just in time; this shop also didnt know enough about troubleshooting wiring in RVs, beyond his own specific solar heavy background...and like Sweeney said about van conversions- there may be those who are intimidated or unclear about CampInns...the thought thats gone into CI engineering over the years is a "couple orders of magnitude" above the standard stuff out there...

and to be fair I may have not been clear enough too, so no finger pointing intended here.

The best part of this RVhelp is that it looks like a growing network of entrepreneurs- local to your area, of often very experienced people like Sweeney applying extra talent to RV fixes based on their industry certified recent training.

So you are not stuck with a CampingWorld experience...or you have a non-standard type of issue that not OEM enuff to resolve by reading the manual or a call to Cary/Craig, which is enough if you are handy, 90% of the time,
So its an alternative if you arent close enough to drop it at the Nest.
 
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Sweeney said:
$120 is cheap. I know techs who are charging $200 an hour plus 'mobile fees' which is crazy if you ask me.

Of course, the big camping stores are charging the same, PLUS they charge storage fees -- A friend of mine in Texas said they told him to bring his camper in on Monday where they charged him storage for 4 days --- becuase their service bay wasn't empty for him....crazy if you ask me.

Have you heard of rvhelp.com? This is a partnership with RVTAA, the certifying body I work under. It lists all of the techs near a geographic area --- just plug in a city and it will find mobile techs that come toyou. Granted, they may look at a van conversation sideways --- a lot of guys are scared of 'em. Our insurnace generally doesn't touch chassis, and particularly with the kind of stuff we're talking about --- no one is going to be excited to take it...but, worth a try.
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I agree that you would be difficult if not impossible to find a RV Tech in Florida for $120 per hour. In addition, most are charging a call-out fee of $150 in additional to their hourly fee.
 
TheSongDogHouse said:
Y'all I cant speak highly enough of this resource at RVhelp, if only because Sweeney is on it now. He is too shy to brag himself up, so I will.

He, Cary and Craig patiently walked me thru a ghost short problem that I was too clueless/unskilled to find...on my own, using non-standard parts - that I was stubbornly trying but failing to figure out myself...

and in my defense, for which I paid nearly $1000 to a young tech at a Victron referred shop, since that was the gear in question.

Well meant effort, but one that I realized just in time; this shop also didnt know enough about troubleshooting wiring in RVs, beyond his own specific solar heavy background...and like Sweeney said about van conversions- there may be those who are intimidated or unclear about CampInns...the thought thats gone into CI engineering over the years is a "couple orders of magnitude" above the standard stuff out there...

and to be fair I may have not been clear enough too, so no finger pointing intended here.

The best part of this RVhelp is that it looks like a growing network of entrepreneurs- local to your area, of often very experienced people like Sweeney applying extra talent to RV fixes based on their industry certified recent training.

So you are not stuck with a CampingWorld experience...or you have a non-standard type of issue that not OEM enuff to resolve by reading the manual or a call to Cary/Craig, which is enough if you are handy, 90% of the time,
So its an alternative if you arent close enough to drop it at the Nest.
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:blush:

My biggest problem is I love teaching so much that every service call takes twice as long as it should :)

You are very kind SongDog!
 
Van_and_Terri said:
I agree that you would be difficult if not impossible to find a RV Tech in Florida for $120 per hour. In addition, most are charging a call-out fee of $150 in additional to their hourly fee.
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I see $150 service fees plus $200 an hour not uncommon, and the worst part is most will drive through, fix the issue, and move on --- leaving the customer in situation where they have no clue what happened --- I like to make sure you understand what happened, or at least what is a best guess.

I love my job, and my customers....Enough about that though...

the nice part is, with the incredible workmanship of the crew in wisconsin --- there isn't much for me to do here ;)
 
The saga continues
Just got back from upstate NY, if you're looking for a tremendous campground , warm showers, grass fed beef and 12 miles of leaf blown mtn bike trails i highly recommend. Tilden Farm campground
Back to the wifi/ wiring
The new setup is , house battery to upfitter fusebox, that covers everything but the radio and onstar. Next a wireless rf on off switch , which is connected to the van fuse box under the seat ,specifically the radio fuse and the onstar fuse, just using a fuse jumper ( replaces existing fuse, has its own plus a wire ) so when the rf switch is off, everything is switched like factory, but when the van is off and the switch is on, the rear battery will supply the power, but, ill be able to turn it off from the comfort of my nice warm camper. With the dc to dc charger the starter battery will not go too low, shouldnt drop at all if it all works. Ill keep you posted
 
I've bit the bullet and ordered a starlink roam.
Not that the onstar wifi didn't work, it works great. My issue is that I cannot figure out an easy way to control it other than having the key on. As you've noticed, when you turn your key off, your radio continues to play for 20 to 30 mins unless you open the driver door. This is built into the bcm and I cant find a way to bypass it. I wanted to be able to turn it on or off from the camper. I got the radio doing it, but the onstar wont.
That said, the starlink roam is $50 a month for 50 gigs and you can pause it as needed by the month. So price wise it's pretty compatible with onstar wifi @ $25 a month . Realistically I will probably use the camper roughly 6 mos. So onstar would be $300 for the year while starlink would be the same for 6 Mos. From what I've heard the starlink can be finicky unless you have a clear view but I'll take my chances. I'll keep you posted
 
Dan sloan said:
I've bit the bullet and ordered a starlink roam.
Not that the onstar wifi didn't work, it works great. My issue is that I cannot figure out an easy way to control it other than having the key on. As you've noticed, when you turn your key off, your radio continues to play for 20 to 30 mins unless you open the driver door. This is built into the bcm and I cant find a way to bypass it. I wanted to be able to turn it on or off from the camper. I got the radio doing it, but the onstar wont.
That said, the starlink roam is $50 a month for 50 gigs and you can pause it as needed by the month. So price wise it's pretty compatible with onstar wifi @ $25 a month . Realistically I will probably use the camper roughly 6 mos. So onstar would be $300 for the year while starlink would be the same for 6 Mos. From what I've heard the starlink can be finicky unless you have a clear view but I'll take my chances. I'll keep you posted
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A friend mentioned you do need a clear view; but alignment of the antenna is not a big issue with the number of satellites that have been added.
 
Dan sloan said:
Has anyone tried running the antenna from inside the skylight? I see various suction cups but not sure on reception
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I haven't tried it --- but I would have severe doubts. The UV coating (if you have it) partially blocks both radio frequency and UV light. I think this would be highly dependent on your specific glass -- and how clear the sky is. All of these little signal inhibitors add up.

I see lots and lots of these little antennas on the ground, or pole-mounted as I travel through parks, and resorts today -- it's clear that 'free wifi' that is offered by most is not adequate, and still in many places mobile/cell coverage is still not good enough for mobile hot-spots.

I've seen the latest incarnation of Starlink used in some really dense tree cover. As in dappled sunlight, with just a few openings in the canopy (think looking up, with your arm extended --- holding a 10 inch frisby -- about that much 'blue') --- The people claimed they could carry on two streaming video calls at the same time, with only a few slowdowns and drop outs --- certainly very usable (in their own words)

The biggest problem I see with Starlink at this point is that it is still somewhat power hungry and probably not a great option for boondockers without solar panels, sunny days, and/or big batteries. Is it expensvie? That depends too --- if you're using it for entertainment, yup - spendy. But, if you are doing business on it, it's not that bad in terms of a deductible expense.
 
Recieved the starlink roam today. Sitting at home. Starlink dish in back yard. Cloudy day a few trees .the wifi is comparable to my home wifi. Speed test says 170 download 25 upload. Home wifi is 185 27. Watched some YouTube videos no problem. Then went to my van out front. Same results . Finally to my camper in the garage. Again same results. antenna in same place. Pretty impressed especially with the camper TV inside a metal shell. Inside a garage.
I'll keep you posted .
Btw the onstar wifi wont work inside the camper without using my phone as a link. And I've tried onstar. Gmc. And explorer van to try to figure out how to connect the secondary battery to the onstar. Nobody has a clue. Still looking but my patience is wearing thin. Onstar is factory installed and Noone seems to know where the module is. I've figured out that the circuit goes through the body control module and the rap system which allows it to run for 20 mins after you shut off the car or open the drivers door. Too bad the reception is decent but I dont want to run down the main battery to use it while not driving
 
Dan sloan said:
Recieved the starlink roam today…
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Starlink Roam is the service plan, correct? I recently watched a YouTube on the StarLink Mini dish and I’m now very interested in what services are offered, etc. It’s starting to look like the best option out there to ensure we can call (VOIP) if needed.
 
Midwest Duo said:
Starlink Roam is the service plan, correct? I recently watched a YouTube on the StarLink Mini dish and I’m now very interested in what services are offered, etc. It’s starting to look like the best option out there to ensure we can call (VOIP) if needed.
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Yes. For $300 you get the mini. Stand and both an ac power supply and a 12v cigarette port power. The roam service is $50 a month for 50 gig. Additional data is $1 per gig. . What is like is you can also pause the service. Monthly only but I'll only be using the service for 6 or 7 months a year. So I can pause it anytime
 
Good info on a YouTube channel called DISHYtech. In the past that channel has tested both the standard dish and the mini in motion with his Model Y. Using suction cups since the Model Y has a glass roof. Suctioned inside the car. The mini a bit easier to power than the standard, I think because it has a USB-C. Not sure on that going from memory right now. I have the standard dish and use it for camping/traveling. They now charge $5 a month if you do "Pause" the service. I've been thinking of switching out my home internet and using the standard dish, then get a mini for camping.
 
The biggest issue for starlink is obstructions and or congestion. You need a line of sight so heavily wooded will slow you down and if you're in a heavily congested area ( alot of users) you will see drop offs or slowing down . I could watch YouTube videos no problem. Haven't tried a full on HD movie yet.
 
dougbee said:
Good info on a YouTube channel called DISHYtech. In the past that channel has tested both the standard dish and the mini in motion with his Model Y. Using suction cups since the Model Y has a glass roof. Suctioned inside the car. The mini a bit easier to power than the standard, I think because it has a USB-C. Not sure on that going from memory right now. I have the standard dish and use it for camping/traveling. They now charge $5 a month if you do "Pause" the service. I've been thinking of switching out my home internet and using the standard dish, then get a mini for camping.
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From what I understand the home has a higher priority than the roam which is at the bottom.only a problem if you're in a congested are
 
Just discovered another option for the mini. It has a built in router. But thats a bit of a bottleneck. You can use the ether net port directly to your computer or to a better external router and get even better speeds. For my needs it's fine . But if you find it a bit too slow try using the ether net port
 
Sweeney said:
I haven't tried it --- but I would have severe doubts. The UV coating (if you have it) partially blocks both radio frequency and UV light. I think this would be highly dependent on your specific glass -- and how clear the sky is. All of these little signal inhibitors add up.

I see lots and lots of these little antennas on the ground, or pole-mounted as I travel through parks, and resorts today -- it's clear that 'free wifi' that is offered by most is not adequate, and still in many places mobile/cell coverage is still not good enough for mobile hot-spots.

I've seen the latest incarnation of Starlink used in some really dense tree cover. As in dappled sunlight, with just a few openings in the canopy (think looking up, with your arm extended --- holding a 10 inch frisby -- about that much 'blue') --- The people claimed they could carry on two streaming video calls at the same time, with only a few slowdowns and drop outs --- certainly very usable (in their own words)

The biggest problem I see with Starlink at this point is that it is still somewhat power hungry and probably not a great option for boondockers without solar panels, sunny days, and/or big batteries. Is it expensvie? That depends too --- if you're using it for entertainment, yup - spendy. But, if you are doing business on it, it's not that bad in terms of a deductible expense.
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the mini is averaging 20a but you can throtle down your videos to 720 or less to save power
 
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