Introduction
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Introduce Yourself
Forum Discription: New Members - tell us about yourself and your r-pod
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12562
Printed Date: 28 Apr 2024 at 2:48am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Introduction
Posted By: Dave D.
Subject: Introduction
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2019 at 9:58pm
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I’m a retired Marine who manages and edits an online
national defense journal. I currently reside in the Tampa Bay area. Because my
job lets me work from wherever I want (as long as I have Internet) I decided to
purchase a travel trailer and spend as much time on the road as I can. I
will be traveling with my two dogs. I plan on purchasing one this summer / fall and
have pretty much decided on an R-Pod (the 179 or 195 floor-plans seem to work for me).
Have looked at many, many options but since I want to keep my 2015 Tacoma 4x4 (it has the tow package) my search eventually led me to R-Pod land. Before I pull the final plug on this adventure, I’m
researching my options for full-time Internet. I really need it 24/7
and the research seems daunting at times (campground WiFi, boosters, WiFi
hot spots off cellular service, and on and on). I would like to do a lot of boon-docking when I'm out west. Any recommendations along this line would be appreciated.
My current carrier is Verizon. All that said, looking forward to joining the R-Pod
community. I hope to be on the road late fall to early 2020. |
Replies:
Posted By: podrunner
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2019 at 10:53pm
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Here in the west, you may find that many areas where you might be boondocking may not have cell service. Cell service is often limited to cities, towns and major highways. Sounds like a fun adventure. Happy Trails. ------------- 2010 R Pod 151 2017 4runner 2006 Honda Metropolitan |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2019 at 11:57pm
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Yes, thanks. I gathered as much so far. Boon-docking really isn't number one on the priority list, Internet is. B-D would be a nice to have / do thing if an area has cell and seems worth the stay. Even so, it seems to be complicated even in areas of great cell service. That, or I am making it more complicated than it needs to be. On other R-Pod issues I have found John Marucci's YouTube videos of great value. They kind of sold me on the R-Pod over the Winnie Drop when I could not decide between the two. |
Posted By: Motor7
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 5:08am
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You are going to want a cell antenna/booster. Verizon sells their version with a rubber duck antenna but it actually works quite well. Wilson electronics makes several models and an exterior antenna is always better. Just make sure it operates on the current frequency Verizon is currently using( and that can change with each new generation of "G").
Oh, and if you are headed out West, consider a Hood River Edition R-Pod, 15" rims and 3.5" risers(lift above axle) for much needed ground clearance. ------------- 2016 R-Pod 176T |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 6:40am
| Thank you. |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 8:23am
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Welcome Dave,
You may find it difficult to locate a HRE in FL, any pod without risers and 15" wheels can be modified, all the new pods have 15" tires. As far as WIFI, several options available, major issue will be lack of service. You may need to stay out of those areas. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 8:50am
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Thanks, a 195 would do. I haven't contacted a dealer yet, but was assuming I could order a HRE 179, not find one as a walk-in. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 8:54am
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You cannot "order" an HRE. You live east of the Mississippi.. They are manufactured and sold in the west,not the east. Only FR knows why. To purchase an HRE, you will have to work with a western dealer.. BUT.. other then he knobby tires and some stickers, there isn't enough difference to warrant it. And anything from the HRE package can be added later to an eastern pod. WiFi and cell coverage is a crap shoot. My wife can also work from anywhere she has good internet, I am retired army.. we have experimented pretty strongly over the last couple years. With a wifi booster, a cell booster, and a verizon air card, we still find lots and lots of places with no, to not good enough, coverage. ------------- |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:07am
| Thanks. Yes, the more I research on mobile Internet and talk to more and more people the more I get answers like yours - 'crap shoot'. I'm leaning towards your 'solution' and maybe adding a second carrier as a backup / redundancy - if I can afford it. Thanks for answering the HRE thing - most important to me is the floor-plan and as long as I am in the ballpark I'll make do. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:09am
There is no difference in the floor plans.. a 195 is a 195, regardless of which plant builds it. 
------------- |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:35am
| Right, I understand that. Thanks. |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:39am
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Welcome from another retired military member (Army)!The 195 is not yet on dealer lots as it is not projected to be available until sometime this coming spring. We have the 179 and have enjoyed it very much, especially with the modifications I have made. As we get older though, the walk-around bed of the upcoming 195 is mighty attractive. However, I would want to see it before making any decision about trading. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:51am
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Thanks, I like the 195 for the reasons you mentioned. Anything close will do for me. |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 11:10am
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For cell boosters you might want to check this out.
https://youtu.be/3u47bXmgoIQ I purchased this hardware and it works quite well as long as there is actually a signal to boost. So If you’re in a flat area or in top of a mountain it works well, but if you’re down in a deep valley or hollow not so much. There have been some changes in the Wilson hardware since the video, if you’re interested PM me and I’ll let you know what I ended with. There are also several phone apps which give detailed maps of coverage for the various mobile carriers so you can determine in advance what will work in an area you want to camp in. I use one called “coverage?” On my iPhone. Also needless to say you’ll probably want an unlimited data plan.... ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 11:19am
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For cell boosters you might want to check this out.
https://youtu.be/3u47bXmgoIQ I purchased this hardware and it works quite well as long as there is actually a signal to boost. So If you’re in a flat area or in top of a mountain it works well, but if you’re down in a deep valley not so much. There have been some changes in the Wilson hardware since the video, if you’re interested PMe and I’ll let you know what I ended with. There are also several phone apps which give detailed maps of coverage for the various mobile carriers. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 12:04pm
| Thanks much offgrid, I'll be in contact as I get closer to actually purchasing the components. The phone apps sound great. I used to off-road years ago but this time around don't think I'll be getting too far into the boonies and will plan around cell coverage. I pretty much maintain my Internet site 24/7 (both as a job and as a hobby I love doing) and don't want to give that up beyond a day or two here and there. |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 3:30pm
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Realizing this is not your plan, many newer vehicles have built in WIFI, I have one that does (2016) and one that doesn't (2014). Just a consideration. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:12pm
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Thanks Mike. I considered a new vehicle but I love my 2015 Tacoma. One advantage is extremely low mileage. I haven't even broke 3k yet. I figured I could get WiFi installed - but if the trailer is with me I'd rather have it in there. |
Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:20pm
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Car wifi is very expensive. After the free trial we never used ours. Also many cars have not upgraded to 4G and are still 3G. For cell service I would go with Verizon. T mobile, Sprint are the worst for service. At&T is about in the middle. But I have been at campsites when only people with Verizon got a signal. A better deal is to go with Total Wirelss as they use the Verizon network but at prices that match Cricket, MetroPCS etc If you can get a package that allows use to your smartphone as a hotspotthat that is best. Otherwise you need to buy a separate unit that creates a hotspot. Most of the cheap companies that have unlimited data do not include hotspot use and charge $10 month extra. So thats it for cell coverage. If that is not optimal then I would buy a WiFi booster. For WiFi do not even wait get the best booster, you need it now as WiFi at campsites is mostly terrible and only works close to the office. We find we use cell 80% of the time and WiFi 20% ------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel |
Posted By: tcj
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:28pm
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I tow my 180 R-pod with a 2014 Tacoma. One of the big benefits of the R-pod...for me anyhow...is there is great rear visibility with the standard mirrors on the Tacoma. I would want to check that out before purchasing a 195. ------------- 2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:32pm
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Richand Cindy,
No argument there, it is expensive. Just an idea. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:41pm
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Good stuff, thanks - what you recommend is what I've been leaning towards based on all that I have researched so far. That said, I understand how quickly things can change when it comes to mobile Internet. |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 4:57pm
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If you have a recent (last few years) vintage smartphone and a mobile data plan then if should be a simple thing to turn the smartphone into a WiFi hotspot. On iPhones its settings>personal hotspot. Key the password you see there into your tablet, laptop, or other WiFi device and connect.
Not sure where it is on Android phones. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Dave D.
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 5:02pm
| Just got a new Android a week ago, will check it out (haven't activated it yet on Verizon). I read about the option you mentioned and the bottom line is I am going to have to experiment with the options before I head out and expect to be online 24/7 or even close to that. It's work related so I need to make sure I'm ready before heading off. Thanks to everyone for all the info - good stuff. |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 7:09pm
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Even with an RPod, visibility can be limited. For our Nissan Frontier, I purchased a set of heated power towing mirrors from 1A Auto. I looked and there are towing mirrors for the Tacoma as well in various configurations including some with turn signals and blind spot detection. They are not cheap, $159.95 and up depending on features, but the additional visibility is great since you can then see things behind the RPod better than with stock mirrors. https://www.1aauto.com/search?q=towing+mirror+pair+Tacoma - https://www.1aauto.com/search?q=towing+mirror+pair+Tacoma They make my little Frontier look all grown up.  ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 9:29pm
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Getting back to your internet access, you may want to check out Visible ( https://www.visible.com/ - link to their web site ). This is a new wireless service created by Verizon. From what I understand, it is the same as Verizon service, except that it is truly unlimited, and prepaid at $40/month. It hasn't gotten a lot of press, but the idea is to offer a simpler plans with no stores and other overhead (like maybe advertising). I know that Verizon is heads and shoulders above most other carriers, especially out west. There are huge areas of the country with not many people, and way too many mountains; both combine to make offering cell service a challenge. There are many places I've gone where Verizon is the only service available. I would also suggest caution with cell repeaters/boosters. If you can not keep the indoor and outdoor antennas far enough apart, all you get is self-interference. It helps if you have a metal roof, but that is not an R-pod. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 10:30pm
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Agree. The phone needs to be able to act as a hotspot. Newer Android phones have it. So you need to check to see if your phone is hotspot capable. That being said it is a feature that must be turned on by your cell carrier. But every company is different. We had Metro PCS and they did not allow the hotspot feature to be turned on at any price. But they gave away for free a hotspot device and then charged $10 month for 10gb. The device has its own phone number and after 1 0r 3 months (cannot remember) we were able to switch it to another carrier. So we were able to bring our own phone and our own hotspot device to another carrier.
------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel |
Posted By: Live2Camp
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2019 at 12:00am
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Welcome! Your plans sounds great, you're going to really enjoy your RPod. I'll add on re the usefulness of Verizon out here in the west with mountains, valleys, desert, etc. Just this past few days I was in the coast mountains of central California and the only phones working were on Verizon. My guy and I have had this same experience in many regions, including in the coast mountains where we live. Have fun doing your research and we'll look forward to hearing which one you choose. ------------- 2017 R-Pod 179 HRE (the green one) His:Ford F150 double cab 4WD; Hers/mine:Tacoma V6 double cab 4WD Still love rugged, diggin' comfy too |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2019 at 6:23am
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When I lived in CA I had Verizon. Much better most places on the West Coast. Now that I live in NC I’m on ATT. It’s better in a couple areas I camp in often. YMMV, check the coverage map app for the areas you plan to visit and then decide.
I’ve not had any issues with signal booster interference. The booster has an alarm light for that. I use the magnetic antenna that comes with the Wilson system on the TV roof which is steel. On the rpod I use the high gain directional antenna which is way up on top of a 20 ft extension pole. That also allows me to move the booster to the TV quickly when I’m set up at camp. I’ve had several times when I got a poor signal at the campsite which was down in a hollow but a couple miles away on higher ground I could pick it up. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2019 at 10:04am
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Signal boosters can really burn you. We had a client who hired another consultant to install a booster for a facility in the mountains. I think they spent a total of $15,000 on the system, and it didn't work worth a darn. I know the consultant very well, and he is sharp. The problem was the facility was just too far from any cell tower. We ended up switching them to a cluster of femtocells scattered around the facility which operated through the broadband system we had installed. They are still using the femtocells now 8 years later, although they will probably switch to a WiFi-based system now that that is becoming more common (and that still goes through their broadband service). ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2019 at 10:26am
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If WiFi is commonly available, Google Fi is another option as it will use the WiFi signal or cellular signal depending on which will give the best connection. Google Fi uses three cellular providers, switching between them, again depending on which signal will give the best connection. The carriers are Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. Unfortunately, no carrier covers the entire US. We travel out west to visit our daughters and families. The mountains have many places with no coverage regardless of carrier. The vast stretches of desert also are lacking in coverage. If you want close to 100% coverage, some form of satellite communications would be needed, and that would rely on having a clear view of the sky so a deep valley in the mountains would also likely be a dead zone. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2019 at 10:53am
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I looked at the mobile satellite broadband systems a year or so ago. They might be less spendy now but then they were really high. You can’t just use a residential system and move it around because the data systems are set up to access the satellites from relatively small spot-beams on the earth surface. The mobile sat providers charge a lot so you can access from multiple spots. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |