Have you used the internet today? Many people do on a daily basis, checking their email, or social media, or even their bank account. And they do it through a variety of routes, home internet, cellular service, or WiFi. But all of those make some basic assumptions, don’t they?
They assume you have a home, a normal house. And you live in an area with good cell phone coverage. And you frequent places that provide WiFi. But if you are traveling in your RV, whether for a weekend or a lifestyle, none of these things necessarily apply to you. So you go without internet, right?
Wrong.
Here are some of the reasons you still need internet in your RV.
Travel Plus Work Equals Freedom
Many people dream of retiring and setting out to travel all across the country, or perhaps the world. But some feel that waiting for retirement will take too long. They want to have a lifestyle where they can travel now, so they need work that can be done remotely. Perfectly possible today, but the key component to remote work today is the internet. Being able to make phone calls is somewhat important, but if you can’t reach the data that people send you, or send your own to them, you just aren’t connected enough.
So having internet access changes from a convenience to a necessity. If you are a blogger and you can’t connect to your domain, you can’t work. If you can’t work, you can’t earn enough to travel. And then you are tied down to somewhere you can work, waiting for retirement to free you and let you resume your journey. For you, the internet means freedom.
Maps and Local Information
Getting from place to place has never been simpler. No more learning to fold and unfold maps, or checking the year your road atlas was published. Just get online and pull up your favorite map site and tell it your destination. If you are on a cell phone or other GPS equipped device it will determine where you are and show you the route, or a selection of them, to get where you are going. Provided you have an internet connection.
If you plan ahead, you can visit the Chamber of Commerce site, or State Tourism Board, or any of dozens of other travel-related sites, for things to do and see. If you have internet. You can even look at pictures of other people’s travels or read about the best places to visit as found by your favorite travel bloggers. Yes, you guessed it, as long as you can connect to the internet.
Remote Learning/Homeschooling
Are you travelling alone? Perhaps you have some youngsters along. Maybe you are taking some college courses, or the kids are doing homeschool. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of online college courses available, including entire degree programs. With a good internet connection, you can attend from practically anywhere. And most homeschool programs have a strong online component.
At the very least, they let you download the coursework rather than having to ship it to you or buy it from a brick and mortar store. But if you are traveling when the next class starts or you need new materials, you’ll need a good connection with you. Preferably right in the RV.
Entertainment
While travel is typically the high point, even the most dedicated travelers will like to kick back and relax at ‘home’ some evenings. Make some popcorn and watch a movie, maybe that new show on your streaming service. As long as you have a solid internet connection. But maybe you don’t watch many movies.
Do you listen to much music? Want to connect to your streaming music service? Or maybe one of your hometown radio stations that broadcasts on the internet? Music videos? Maybe music isn’t your thing, but you just love those interactive video games you play with other people around the world. Gaming requires some of the best internet connectivity of them all. But if none of that appeals to you a quick chat with family or friends, letting them know where you are, what you’ve seen, post some pictures you’ve taken. Oh, that’s on the internet too.
Unreliable WiFi
So you are convinced that you do need a connection to the internet while you travel. But that just means you’ll choose campgrounds and RV parks that provide WiFi. You park and hook up to the system, no problem! Then you realize that every other person in the park is doing the same thing. The park promised WiFi would be available, but they never said how usable it would be.
Are you close to the router? Can you even get the signal where you are? Once you get signal and connect, is there any bandwidth left for you? How many of those other campers are watching their favorite movie streamed over the internet? Maybe it’s a slow night, or maybe you need a separate system to switch to if the park WiFi isn’t going to work for you.
Unplugging for a few days to take a quick RV trip can be very relaxing but being cut off from the internet these days can cause stress all by itself. Making sure you have access in your RV, with some alternatives in case your first choice doesn’t work out, can relieve that stress, even if you never use it. So be a good Boy Scout and Be Prepared. Then put your feet up and enjoy yourself. You can connect if you need to, maybe after a nap, or a hike, or a few hours of fishing. It’s up to you.