Easy RV Mod -> Better WiFi & Internet Control With The WiFiRanger Elite Pack
I’m finally getting around to writing an Easy RV Mod post that I’ve had on the back-burner for several months! Earlier this year we were offered a WiFiRanger Elite Pack by the folks over at WiFiRanger in return for an evaluation. It’s a product we’ve been eyeing on and off over the years, but just have never gotten around to buying. We installed the product while we were in Eugene, OR in May and we’ve now had ~3 months of use on it so I feel I’m finally ready to write about it. Also, just to make it all fun we did a final (post-installation) video review too.
So, if you’ve ever been curious about WiFi enhancement or WiFiRanger feel free to view the video and/or read the written overview & step-by-step installation below. Here goes….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laGuUflDcik
Discount Code: If you decide to buy anything from the WiFiRanger website you’re welcome to use coupon code ‘WHEELING5′ for a 5% discount at checkout. We don’t make any money from the sale, but it’ll let the WiFiRanger folks know the recommendation came from us.
What Is The WiFiRanger Elite Pack?
The WiFiRanger Elite Pack is a combo pack that contains two devices -> an external WiFi device (called the “Elite”) that you mount outside your RV and an internal device (called the “Go2”) that you put inside your RV. The package comes with 30-ft of Ethernet cable, metal installation brackets, a “quick start” guide and includes both 110VAC Power Adapter & 12V wire harness for the router.
What Does It DO?
The WiFiRanger Elite Pack is a combo WiFi enhancer + snazzy central control station for all your internet signals.
The Elite is a powerful little antenna** (1000 mW adjustable power) that is installed on the outside of your RV and will scan for WiFi signals up to 2 miles away (with direct line of sight). It basically helps to “suck in” weak WiFi signals outside your RV and send them inside to your Go2.
The Go2 is a smart router** that you place inside your RV. On the input side the Elite connects to it, and if you have a compatible cellular data device (e.g. a Verizon MiFi), you can tether (= connect w/ a wire) that to it too. The Go2 accepts all these signals and is able to monitor, track and prioritze whichever signal you want to use (WiFi or cellular). That’s the “smart” part. Then it creates a single, private wireless signal on the output side that all your home-use devices (phone/computer/pads etc.) can connect to. It has several other cool features too (e.g. secure surfing, guest sharing, bandwidth monitoring etc.), but basically it’s just a really snazzy central control station for everything to do with the internet = all your various internet source signals go into it, all your devices connect to it and you’re able to control & monitor exactly what signals you’re using through the Go2 control panel in your browser.
**NOTE/ You can actually use either the Elite or the Go2 by themselves (the Elite has it’s own integrated router and the Go2 has it’s own internal antenna), but the combo package (= using the Elite as the “antenna” & the Go2 as the “router”) provides the best combination of WiFi signal sucking power plus centralized control. The Go2 can also be paired with other WiFiRanger antennas. For details on stand-alone use or alternate pairings refer to WiFiRanger website.
What Does the Elite Pack NOT DO?
It’s not a cellular booster so it won’t help you to improve your cellular signal (you need a separate cellular booster for that). Also it can’t help improve WiFi that’s bad by design. For example if you’re in a campground that is overloaded (e.g. it doesn’t have not enough bandwidth for the number of people logging on) your WiFiRanger can’t do anything to improve that and your speeds will be poor no matter what you do. The Elite Pack can help you get a stronger connection to the campground WiFi, but it can’t create fast internet when there is none available.
Do You NEED One?
This is a nifty product for some folks and not as useful for others.
If you rarely or never use campground or free WiFi signals (say, you’re always out in the boonies or camping in spots without access to WiFi) then there’s not much point spending big $$ on a device that looks for WiFi signals.
If, on the other hand you regularly switch between WiFi & cellular, or you’re on a limited cellular plan and need to rely on WiFi the rest of the time, or you have a bunch of devices (and people) all using internet and you want more central control about where all your data is being used then a WiFiRanger can be a really nice solution. The WiFi range and central control features are both outstanding.
WiFi Elite Pack Installation Equipment
NOTE/ For our installation & step-by-step we simply did an exact copy of the RV Geeks WiFiRanger installation process. The RV Geeks have the absolute best installation video for this product, so I definitely encourage you to click on the link and view their detailed step-by-step video. Everything below comes from them….
Some of what you need to install the WiFiRanger Elite Pack comes in the pack when you buy it, but you will require a few additional items to complete the process.
1/ Socket wrench or Philips head screw driver (to tighten the metal brackets for the antenna)
2/ Self-Adhesive Cable Tie Mounts and Nylon Cable Zip Ties (to secure the cable run on your roof)
3/ Wire cutter
4/ Electrical Tape
5/ Putty knife
6/ Dicor Self-Leveling Sealant and Caulking Gun (to fill any holes you make in the roof)
NOT SHOWN -> If you have a MiFi that you plan to connect to your Go2, make sure you have a USB cable that can do BOTH charge and data (a charge-only cable will not work).
Step By Step Installation
Once again, as I mentioned above this is an exact copy of the RV Geeks installation process. Here’s the installation process in pics and words:
Step 1 -> Secure The Elite Antenna Onto Your Rooftop TV Batwing
NOTE/ We have a crank-up Batwing TV antenna on our RV, so we chose to install our Elite onto that. You can also install your Elite onto an RV ladder, a flagpole or even directly onto your roof (using a flat-mount bracket). It just needs to be somewhere on the outside of your RV and preferably as high up as possible in the air (for better line of sight).
1/ Decide where to place the Elite on your TV Batwing so that nothing snags and the top part of the antenna is able to completely clear the Batwing when cranked up. Do a few “test cranks” (cranking Batwing up/down) to make sure you have the position just right before you go onto the next step.
2/ Once you have your antenna position fixed, crank up the Batwing slightly so that you can easily slip in the circular metal brackets (included in the Elite Pack) between the sliding arms of the Batwing and around the base of the Elite. Insert your brackets.
3/ Tighten down the 2 metal brackets, one on each end of the antenna base. They should fit nicely into the two small indentations of your Elite antenna base.
4/ Your antenna should now be secure on your Batwing.
Step 2: Secure The Elite Cable Onto Your Batwing & RV Roof
1/ With your TV Batwing still slightly raised, slip a zip tie between the Batwing arms so that you can tie down the top of your Elite cable to the outside of the Batwing arm.
2/ Cinch tie and cut off the excess with a wire cutter.
3/ Place one more tie towards bottom of Batwing so that cable is secure along the entire length of the arm and doesn’t move during crank up/down of the Batwing. Do a few “test cranks” to make sure everything is secure and there are no snags.
4/ Prepare a roof mount (= self-adhesive cable tie mount with a zip tie through it)
5/ IMPORTANT STEP = BEFORE securing the cable to your roof make sure you leave enough slack at the bottom (between Batwing & roof) so that the RV Batwing can fully raise, lower and rotate without straining the Elite cable. Several inches of slack are needed! Secure the cable onto your roof with a self-adhesive roof-mount making sure to preserve the necessary slack.
6/ You can add one or two more roof mounts if you wish, but don’t completely fasten the whole cable onto the roof yet. Leave some cable free for the next step.
Step 3 -> Feed The Cable Through The Roof
NOTE/ We already had a hole and some old (unused) cable on our roof from the time we removed our satellite dish. So we used both of these for our cable run. If you don’t have any holes you’ll obviously need to create one or find some other way to run your Elite cable into your RV.
1/ Prepare your roof hole for the cable run. In our case all we needed to do was remove a cable entry plate and some old Dicor (using our putty knife) from an existing hole near our Batwing antenna.
2/ Your roof hole should now be clear to run your Elite cable.
3/ Wrap the end of your Elite cable with the plastic bag that your metal brackets came in. This will protect the fragile ethernet plug while you run the cable through the roof hole.
4/ Use electrical tape to tape your wrapped Elite cable to whatever you will use to pull it through the hole in your RV roof. In our case we used some old satellite cable that we’d kept on the roof after we removed our satellite dish last year.
5/ Pull the cable through the hole. Once it is completely through and taught, secure it to the roof with a roof mount and start to Dicor the hole.
6/ Re-install the cable entry cover over your Dicor’d hole and screw it in place. Once it is secure seal & cover the entire thing with more Dicor.
7/ Your Elite antenna installation is now complete!
Step 4 -> Connect Everything To Your Go2 & Use Your System!
1/ Connect Elite cable and power into the bottom of your Go2 router inside your RV. Your Elite antenna cable will plug into the yellow ethernet port on right and your power cable will plug into the black power port on left. The other (blue) ethernet ports are open ports that you can use for other things (e.g. external hard drive, direct connect devices etc.) if you wish.
2/ Connect your MiFi (if you have one) to the USB port on right-hand side of the Go2. Make sure you use a USB cable that can handle both data & power (a “charging only” cable won’t work). Once your Go2 shows a SOLID red light (on #5) you are good to go.
The installation of the Elite Pack is now complete! From here you all you need to do is find the Go2 wireless signal on your computer and connect using the temp password included in your Elite Pack. Then you will go into mywifiranger.com (the browser control panel) to change your password, set-up your priorities and start monitoring & prioritizing your network.
Our Results?
When we got the Elite Pack I honestly wasn’t sure how useful we’d find it. We do a lot of boondocking and public park camping so in the 7+ years we’ve been on the road we haven’t used a lot of campground or public WiFi. Plus, as those of you who travel a lot know, campground WiFi mostly sucks. This also delayed my blog post about the product since we needed to stay several places with WiFi before I could really say anything concrete about the product.
Since we installed the Elite Pack we’ve stayed at 4 parks with accessible WiFi (either through the campground or nearby sources) and I have to admit we’ve been impressed. Here’s what we’ve seen:
The Pro’s
- Many More accessible WiFi Points -> The Elite is definitely a powerful little antenna and picks up waaaay more WiFi signals that any of home devices are able to see. As an example in our current location (Ketchum, ID) I can only “see” around 6 WiFi connections on my personal computer, but through the Elite/Go2 we can “see” 25 WiFi networks. Now, in most places the majority of connections are private (password protected), but in bigger metropolitan areas we will often catch a few “open” ones too.
We see many more WiFi connections through our Elite antenna - Stronger WiFi Connection -> There’s no doubt the Elite creates a stronger connection to WiFi than our individual devices are able to, and when that WiFi is decent (i.e. it isn’t overloaded) this leads to very significant stability and speed improvements. Again, as an example here in Ketchum, ID we have a pretty weak connection to the campground WiFi through our computers (when we try to connect directly we get speed tests around 1.5-3 Mbps down, 0.05-1 Mbps up), but if we go through the Go2/Elite we get a strong, stable connection good enough to stream video (5-9 Mbps down, 1.5-3 Mbps up). It’s a HUGE improvement!
Screen shots of speed tests done here in Ketchum, ID. We were able to reproduce these many times. - Great Internal Network -> One bonus I didn’t expect was that the Go2 creates an internal network that is far more powerful that our MiFi did on it’s own. Before the Go2 we had to move our MiFi wherever we needed the signal (need it in the front, take it to the front…need it in the back, take it to the back). Now, we don’t have to move anything. The Go2 signal is powerful enough to reach all corners of our RV, even from inside our “tech cabinet”. It’s a minor bonus, but a rather nice one.
- Easy, Central Control (Once You Figure It Out) -> The WiFiRanger Control Panel is somewhat complicated to figure out at first (TIP: watch the training videos on the WiFiRanger website), but once you get the hang of it, it’s a really snazzy, central way to control all your internet signals. I can easily set priorities (between WiFi and cellular), I’m able to switch signals at the click of a button and I can see exactly how much data each device that is connected to the network is using. Plus I love that I only ever have to connect my computer/pad/phone to one signal (the Go2) no matter where we go. For control freaks, this thing is a frikkin’ dream.
LOTS of cool, detailed info in the Go2 control panel. Here you see our data usage by type for last 24 hours.
The Con’s
- It’s Not Magical -> I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating so that folks who buy the product don’t get needlessly disappointed. A lot of campground WiFi sucks by design and the WiFiRanger won’t magically improve that. As an example, when we were in Portland, OR we didn’t see any improvement in the campground WiFi using the Elite Pack. This is basically because the campground WiFi there is always heavily overloaded and horrible no matter how strong a connection you have to it. So, the Elite Pack was not able to help us. Magic, it cannot do.
- Safe Surf Degrades Speed -> I really, really like the idea of the safe surf feature (= the ability to create a secure connection over public WiFi), but we’ve found it hard to use due to speed degradation. Here at the campground it reduced download speeds pretty significantly from ~5-9 Mbps to below 1.5 Mbps with moderate reductions in upload speeds. The extra encryption seems to just slow things down quite a bit all-around. For the time being we’re not using this feature much, but we’ll keep testing it.
- It’s Pricey -> At $599, this is a pretty significant investment.
Overall the pro’s have been a nice bump for us. We really like the improved internal network, ease of use and ability to control/monitor all our connections. Plus the times we have been able to get a good campground WiFi connection (like here in Ketchum, ID), we’ve really been able to take advantage of the extra stability and speed. It’s two thumbs up from us!
Related External Links:
- WiFiRanger Official Website -> Click HERE
- RV Geeks WiFi Ranger Installation Video -> Click HERE
- RV Mobile Internet Resource Center. Want to learn more about mobile internet? Cellular boosters? Other WiFi enhances? This website, run by our friends Chris & Cherie is the place to find out -> Click HERE
- There are LOTS of other installation & WiFiRanger overview videos & blogs on the web. Just Google & enjoy….
Awesome first product review video, Nina & Paul! And we’re not just saying that because you (very kindly) mentioned us. 😉 Thanks so much for sharing this and for the mention. We give our WiFi Ranger two thumbs up, too.
Thank you much for your wonderful installation video. Top notch work as usual.
Nina
Nina,
We have tried some cheap alternatives and I suggested to a friend who was buying a Foretravel he should install one. He did and I helped him configure the process afterward. After going through the process we have decided we want to put one in as well. Thanks for the detail instructions of the process of the install….
If Wifi Ranger Was smart they would provide a discount for all your readers They would sell a lot more units… 🙂
Feel much better about doing this myself
Great article….
Good idea…I’ve sent WiFiRanger a note to ask them if they want to extend a discount coupon to my readers. I’ll report back if I get more info.
Nina
Got the discount code! You’ll get 5% if you use the code WHEELING5 on your order. I’ve updated the blog with the code for others reading.
Nina
Awesome overview of your WiFiRanger. We’ve been playing around with them for years, and they’re a fabulous company with great customer support too. We honestly don’t use the WiFi extending features all that often, as like you, we just don’t go places where it’s an option.
And thanks a bunch for the link to RV Mobile Internet!
Very good point on the good customer service and support. It’s a “pro” that I totally forgot to add in the blog post. We hit a couple of snags/questions during our installation that required us to call WiFiRanger. They were prompt and extremely helpful both times. I was very happy with the support.
Nina
This is an excellent presentation and will be very valuable to both potential customers and those planning an installation of their own.
The only quibble I have with your writeup is that the WiFiRange Elite is much more than just an “antenna”. It is a fully functional router quite capable of being used by itself without the Go2 router. There are reasons why a two-radio solution is a better one than a single-radio system, but those are more technical than are necessary to discuss here. I simply wanted to correct the facts since I periodically encounter people who don’t understand that the WiFiRanger system with a Go2 and Elite is a true 2-radio solution.
True…the antenna can be used on its own (I mentioned that in the note under “What does it DO?”) and will produce a WiFi network on its own. However you can’t do any MiFi tethering or connect any Ethernet devices to it. Plus if you have a solid metal roof (say, you live in a vintage bus) you might not be able to connect to it from inside the RV. But if all you need is WiFi enhancement and you’re able to “see” the antenna from inside your RV it can certainly be used as a stand-alone solution.
Nina
Actually, you can use the single Ethernet port on the Elite with a Power Over Ethernet (POE) adapter and can connect it to a wired Ethernet LAN. You are correct that it doesn’t have the ability to tether a device since it doesn’t have a USB port.
All I was really asking you to consider doing is to not refer to it as an antenna since that is, strictly speaking, not correct. All of our rooftop devices, Mobile, Sky, and Elite are complete, full up routers that happen to have antennas.
Fair enough, but for the sake of simplicity of the blog post (and since I’m reviewing the Elite Pack and not just the Elite) I’m going to leave the terminology I’ve used in the post as is. If I start presenting the solution as 2 routers and 2 antennas it could get confusing to a lot of folks.
Essentially for the people who buy the Elite Pack the Elite acts as the “antenna” while the Go2 acts as the “router”. At least that’s the configuration we’re using it in. For the folks who buy the individual solutions they can act as stand-alone on their own.
However, I understand what you’re saying so I’ll let the comments stand so that the more techie folks can benefit when they read through.
Nina
P.S. Didn’t notice the Elite had an Ethernet port so that’s good info.
P.P.S UPDATE EDIT – I’ve added a small edit to the “NOTE” under “What does it DO?” to clarify that both items can be used stand-alone and point folks to the WiFiRanger website if they chose to go that direction. Hopefully that should clarify things, while still retaining the simplicity of the post.
I had plans to do something more extensive for roof wire tie downs (and avoid holes), small brackets with 3m vhb. Did you just use the adhesive on those, or did you do anything special with them. How confident are you with the adhesive on them?
For this installation we just used the adhesive that came with the mounts. Since they’re only holding down a bit of cable I’m not too worried about them. If you’re securing bigger cables or need something with more sticking power I’d recommend the 3M VHB tape. We used that to secure our solar panel feet to our roof (no holes, just the tape), and we’ve never had any issues. Our first panels (6 years ago) were secured the same way. It’s seriously sticky stuff!
Nina
What did you end up securing the solar cables with?
For the solar cables we just used the regular mounts. No special adhesive. It’s worked fine for us.
Nina
We’re on a holding pattern for the GO3:)! Our GO2 and old “Mobile” Ubiquity antenna is treating us well. Though, we find that 75-80% of the time, we use the Verizon Phone’s Hot Spot.
We added a ‘2nd’ AM Solar Combiner Box, so that we can just feed and change cables around as needed, to avoid the cleaning and re-caulking of the ‘hole thru the roof’ :)!
We have the WiFi Ranger 18″ RV Antenna, to add to our “Mobile” and mount to our raising mast antenna – but just have not got around to it yet… So we’re on the same page as far as ‘hight is best’ when it comes to park WiFi.
Great pictures, and descriptions of this install – thanks for sharing!!!
Best, and may the signal be with you,
Smitty
What a great idea to use a 2nd AM Solar box as a general cable conduit! I love that! You can run cables anytime you feel like it and don’t have to re-do the entire caulking process anytime you decide to switch tech and upgrade antennas. Excellent tip!
Nina
Nice write up on the WiFi Ranger. I’ve been looking at buying this unit so it’s great to hear that you guys like it. I don’t have a jet pack or a mifi, but I do have a pretty good plan with my iPhone. I can use it as a hot spot, and I was wondering if it can be connected (bluetooth?) to the Go2 router. That would be a nice way to provide internet when we’re out of wifi range yet still have cell service.
Well you might be in luck. According to our friends over at RV Mobile Internet, iPhone tethering has *just* been added to the newest WiFiRanger firmware release. It’s tethering via USB, not Bluetooth though. You can read more here:
https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/challenge-accepted-wifiranger-adds-ios-usb-tethering-support/
Nina
Nice thorough write up Nina
The trick is in the antenna and power output. There is always 2 sides to any radio system. Transmit and receive.
This system helps with the amplification of weaker receive signals from the wifi internet source (campground transmit/camper receive), using the external antenna with better reception by installing at the highest point available (there is a reason we put all antennas As high up as we can get them), and stronger output power on camper transmit improves upload speeds. This function is built into the Elite antenna/router.
The router function of the Go2 can be eliminated with the router function of the Elite “antenna/router” and Power over Ethernet adapter. That would really work well if you don’t want the secure functions of the Go2. However, I don’t see that the standalone elite comes with the PoE adapter but I may have missed it. Also, As you said, it probably wouldnt work well to enhance your LAN (internal wireless connectivity) as a standalone. You would need other equipment like a switch or other router for internal hardwiring and wifi (which is the function of the GO2 along with firewall/security functionality).
The Go2 improves your internal LAN by allowing hard wired devices for televisions or other devices without wireless capabilities and improves wifi connectivity internally as a wifi extender. The secure connection / firewall / encryption by design slows everything right back down as it inspects and encrypts your traffic / connections on a packet-by-packet basis. There are a lot of reasons to use this feature in public connections but it really impacts throughput.
The Elite “antenna/router” should help you with external connectivity to your LAN as well (taking your laptop outside), but wifi connectivity to the Elite wifi router/antenna would need testing for reception inside and out along with compatibility/conflicts with your existing equipment.
With space in an RV being at a premium, the whole idea is to reduce equipment and improve reception/connectivity to the campground host system and your internal LAN, I would probably use the Go2 and Elite package, then eliminate all the other equipment. If you aren’t using the secure functions of the GO2 then you can find cheaper wifi extender options for internal LAN connectivity.
There are some other issues with having multiple routers and switches active at the same time. Duplicate IP address assignments through DHCP functions of each router for example. This can get highly technical which is not what most are looking for. Simplicity is key. The router function of the Elite is always on, because it is actually the device handling the connection to the campground host, so when not in use it will have a battery draw unless you unplug it every time it’s not in use (which I would do when on battery/solar). But my experience is that equipment has the most stress during power up/shutdown. Longevity of equipment would need to be tested in that environment over a longer period. You have the same issue with the GO2 (more power draw) added to any other equipment you have.
All-in-all, I like the package for RV’ers, but it is pricey. You get what you pay for though and the long term testing on this will bear out the truth.
Not that it matters what I think, but I would look for:
1) testing of equipment longevity in the RV environment
2) power consumption analysis of the pair and stand alone Elite
3) speed testing each component separately both internal and external
4) Host systems analysis – some will have good internet bandwidth, but that is a MAJOR expense for the RV parks – which is why it is usually not very good. Their remoteness draws RV’ers, but prevents good connections between the park and the Internet provider (they usually are wireless or satellite with their own bandwidth limitations).
Sorry for sticking my nose in
Jim
4) compatibility with other equipment over the long term (Miri, tv’s, switches, etc…)
Sorry #4 beneath my name should have been #5) compatibility/conflicts or other problems with interactions between equipment (locking up, reboots needed, duplicate ip addresses, tv or other wired device operation, mifi / IPhone hotspot issues, ease of firmware upgrades, heat / cold exposures etc…
The extra routing functions of the Go2 was definitely one of the main reasons we wanted the “combo pack” rather than just the antenna alone. Being able to tether our MiFi and connect additional ethernet devices was a feature we really wanted. And so far it’s been one of our favorite things about the Elite Pack. For folks who “only” want a WiFi enhancer I suspect there may be cheaper/simpler solutions out there.
By the way once the Elite/Go2 is paired you no longer “see” the separate Elite WiFi signal. At least we don’t in our set-up. We only “see” the Go2 signal now. I’m not sure if that’s something about the way we set up the Elite Pack, but it does simplify how we connect. So, when we take our laptops outside we still connect to the internal Go2 signal, not the external Elite signal. The Go2 signal is powerful enough to reach outside (for our rig, at least), so it hasn’t been a problem. I’m sure there’s a way to un-couple the signals and get the Elite to broadcast again, but we haven’t seen a need to use it.
Nina
Sounds like they did a good job with the software integration. It should shift you to the outside antenna seamlessly and give you better LAN / wifi connectivity at greater distances from your Rig Being that the Elite can stand on its own, I would think that to be the case. Maybe they will clarify.
Nice job on the review. I am looking to scoop up one but like you say they are pricey. I am hoping they will be discounted at some point, maybe, a little, just a tiny bit?
Thanks for sharing the info.
I’ve not seen the price come down much in the time we’ve watched them, but you never know. Sometimes they do offer special sales and sometimes folks will sell units they’re not using too, so that’s another option (I believe there is a proto version for sale at half price over on the MIA forums right now). Lastly, I think Go3 may be coming out soon, so that may push down the price of the Go2. Keep watching out for it….
Nina
Our MIA members also get a nice discount on WFR equipment as well 🙂
I did enjoy the Sawtooth Mountain photos.
Thanks for the write up on the Wifi product. However, it would have been nice to see your solar panels are on the roof in relationship to where the Wifi is located. The antenna seems to be big in the video so just wondering if that casts any shadows on the solar panels.
Speaking of solar panels, I read that you now get 96 or so amp hours per day. Was that additional or total? With 1500 watts from solar panels I was expecting more. So I guess that I will have to re-read your solar panel upgrade articles again.
On the refrigerator, it will come down to numbers. The one I originally wanted was bigger than the Splendide that weights 148 pounds. The Splendide doesn’t seem to wash a lot at one time based on the Gone With the Wynns video. So I was wondering if it is worth the amps hours and producing the gray water to do it that way.
I did start calculating out the travel trailer’s CCC. One person had 11 categories. Immediately I noticed that he was missing dealer upgrades/upgrades, fresh water, solar panels, and LP gas. Then, a day or two later I noticed that the person didn’t have a parts category. I did 8 out of the 16 categories so far. Some of the person’s numbers are either too low or too high compared to what I came up with. EG. the computer and equipment was suppose to be 112 pounds, but I came up with less than 80. For food he was really low with9o0ut me running the numbers yet. I am up to over 2,900 pounds using the person’s numbers on the other 8 items so far and using the Splendide as the washer/dryer.
I read to cedar line the closets. Based on an internet link it seems to be pretty heavy to do so and was included in my 2,900 number above.
This was done at the library again. I run Microsoft Security Essential and Malwarebytes daily and picking up nothing at home. So not sure why Word Press won’t work from home. I still come here on the home computer so I can still learn a lot.
Our TV Batwing is at the very front passenger-side end of our RV. We only installed 2 solar panels up there, and they’re on the other side (drivers side) of the RV so there’s not much solar interference. In fact if we park the RV with our front end facing West we don’t get any shadow cast at all. Most of the time when we’re boondocking we probably won’t be using WiFi anyway (very rare to find free WiFi signals in the boonies) and we only rarely use our Batwing for over-the-air TV. So, I don’t think we’ll have the antenna raised much when we’re boondocking. The WiFi is much more applicable to urban areas and RV parks.
As for the Splendide washer dryer, it’s definitely smaller than a regular household, but we don’t mind doing smaller (more frequent) loads. We’ve only occasionally used it while boondocking (due to water usage), but we use it constantly whenever we have hookups.
Nina
This is great! May be our next purchase.
And thanks for the routing tip for Oregon next week Nina!
We managed to get a greatish spot at Harris, B loop full hookup, just one night, then on to Umpqua and then up to Ainsworth. Via Florence so we can get some groceries.
Thanks for all your inspiration!
These folks were mentioned in the new issue of Overland Journal. I thought you might enjoy their blog.
http://www.freshoffthegrid.com/
Obviously I had a mistake on the last comment. It should have read “About the washer/dryer” instead of refrigerator, but you made it out since I mentioned the product. So I decided to do my blog comments from home using the word processor file plus the thumb drive. This way I can re-read my comments at home before posting as well. So all I have to do it copy and paste it to your blog when I am at the library.
“On the panel side, using the example from the AM Solar website = “a typical 100 watt solar panel produces an average of about 6 amps per peak sun hour, or about 30 amp-hours per day”.” Nina, this is a quote from “The Big “Beastly” Solar/Battery Upgrade Part 2 Component Details” where the comments are (March 15, 2016 comment). With 1,500 watts you should be getting 15 times 30 amp hours equals 450 amp hours per day. I know that Oregon and Washington might be poor solar states, but to get less than 25% was surprising when you said that you were getting roughly only 96 amp hours per day. When do you expect it to get closer to the 450 amp hours? Please note that I can’t find the post whereby you said that you are getting roughly 96 amp hours and I looked at a quite a few blog posts (it would be appreciated if you could post the blog link that I am talking about or did I read wrong., but thought that you had a comment about solar power since your BBSBU posts).
About the washer/dryer, that space would be a great place for the lithium batteries, sine wave inverter, Blue Sky charge controllers, fan to cool the batteries, the router, and anything else solar wise or computer wise that would be installed on the inside if I didn’t go the washer/dryer route. So I have developed another option for that particular space. I was hoping that I can find the algebra graph paper that my younger daughter used in junior high to see how big of a travel trailer my dream travel trailer would be. I want to stay between 27 – 30 feet if possible. I just realized from my campground information below that I could be using the washer/dryer more than I thought at a full hook up campground. I could wait until the full hook up campground to do the laundry and then in the days before we move on to the next campground to do the laundry again.
I forgot to answer your question on camping. This is my best recollection when I wanted to domicile in Florida in year one before finding out that Arctic Fox has no RV dealership in Florida plus Travel Units is located in Indiana. Marvin is located in Arizona during the winter as well and I want the solar panels put on right away so I don’t have to pay for full hook ups all the time. In some spots one can’t get wifi from where I wanted to camp even if I am at a full hook up campground (would have to go to town unless I had the satellite internet service). I had 40 campgrounds picked out for year one. This is based off my campground price spreadsheet list that I developed, not my campground features spreadsheet. Some are based on my memory of what the campground was. I was sort of surprised at the number of times for full hook ups, but considering some of the locations not that surprised.
• Boondocking = 9 times for year one
• Dry camping = 20 times for year one
• Full hook ups = 11 times for year one
I think you’re referring to the snapshot pic I took of the Blue Sky remote panel in Part IV of my solar series where I showed we were generating ~94 amps. That was an instantaneous reading of the controller which meant we were pumping in ~94 amps to our batteries at that exact time (= 94 amps per HOUR, if it sustains). We obviously don’t get that kind of output throughout the whole day, but that’s a good upper end for our production.
By the way, if you have solar-related comments I’d prefer if you place them on my solar posts. That keeps the topic together and means folks coming in later to read on that topic can benefit from reading the comments too.
Nina
question the weBoost antenna plate. Did you just use drops of Dicor to hold the plate to the roof?
We actually used 3M Marine Adhesive Glue (5200) for that. That stuff is solid and there’s no way that plate is going anywhere.
Nina
Thanks!!!
I noticed Cradlepoint PHS 300 Personal Hotspot and C. Crane Super USB Wifi antenna 3 on a link. Are these any good and do or can they replace the Wilson 4G cell booster or the WifFi Elite Ranger pack?
For a less expensive alternative to the Elite I’d suggest looking at Pepwave set of products (e.g. Pepwave Surf SOHO). I’ve heard good reviews from others.
Nina
With Respect, when this product does not work, you are dead in the water. I bought a Go2 and Elite for $600 7 months ago and it has been a nightmare of defective products and terribly ineffective technical support. They replaced the Elite once, but the unit still does not provide a stable LAN and the mifi cannot be connected to the USB port because it does not recognise it anymore. After 7 months I told them I was frustrated that it is not fixed and they called me aggressive after sending this:
“Hi AJ,
So when I plug my mifi into the go2, it says “insert USB Modem”. I havent been about to get the mifi to connect by wired connection for weeks.
I am beyond frustrated with these devices.”
If the device works then you are safe, but you are toast if you run into problems.
Really sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, especially as it has not matched our own. We’re still using our device everyday and so far have not run into any issues. In light of fairness and balance however, I’m approving this comment so others can get the benefit of reading both sides for their own decision.
Nina
Jim N Kathy Grossi here just starting our new (Adventure B-4 Dementia) camping experience. Were 64&63 yrs. old and bought a brand new Winnebago 2500 RL and have joined Thousand Trails. I am not experienced at all in this wifi BUT I do know I need it. I have been looking at as many options as I can to pick up wifi much better in campgrounds than I do now. And apparently this wifi ranger elite is one of the best out there if not the best. But OMG the price??? I try to read as much as I can but I am just not savvy in that area so I have to rely on good smart people like you to trust on making my decision as to what the best thing there is to buy. So far nothing I have found compares to the ELITE so I guess I will take the plunge when I can save enough money. Also wanted your opinion on the weBoost 4G-X cell booster does it work? Is it worth the Price?? Sorry but Retired on a fixed income
If you’re just starting out and on a limited budget I’d probably suggest a few other cheaper options:
1/ For boosting cellphone signal – if you have a good cellphone data plan I’d focus here first. Many campgrounds do not have very good WiFi, and if you end up camping in public parks (e.g. state parks, national parks etc.) they typically have no WiFi at all. So we actually end up using our cellphone data plan most of the time. We have the 4G-X and it is a great booster, but if you’re on a limited budget I’d actually suggest trying the weBoost Drive 4G-S (cradle booster ~$150-180) instead. We’ve travelled with it for the last ~4 years and found it to be a perfectly fine booster. Once you start using the cradle, if you find you need more boosting power you can always upgrade it by buying a better antenna (~$60). That’s exactly what we did.
You can see what the cradle set-up looks like here:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2015/05/28/the-2015-wheelingit-internet-phone-set-up/
And more on the cradle and the 4G-X here:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2016/11/28/easy-rv-mod-the-weboost-drive-4g-x-otr-cellular-booster-kit/
2/ For boosting WiFi – As I mentioned above I would actually focus on cellphone boosting first and put WiFi boosting in second place. If you still decide you need to have something you can ways look at the Pepwave range of products. They’re not as fancy as the WifiRanger stuff, but do a decent job for less $$.
Hope that helps!
Nina
Thank you so much for your reply with the great advice. I will check that all out
You guys are the best➡️THANKS
Nina,
Thanks for providing alternatives on this issue. I did find a different internet book to read than our friends, but still intend to purchase that one in 2019.
I installed the Skypro Pack this year with an attached Verizon MIFI. We spent over a month at a campground in NW Montana and I couldn’t have been happier with the overall solution. I worked most of the time and as my mobile phone didn’t have any service in the area (T-Mobile) I had to make all of my phone calls via the internet. As well all of my work conference calls are via Lync. Granted the campground wifi would occasionally become overloaded but I had a very stable connection (vs when I tried to just connect via my laptop). As well once it became overloaded and the throughput dropped the router would then switch over to the hot standby MIFI. Great solution for sure.
It is rather expensive though. To deal with that I just called WifiRanger’s office and told them it was too expensive and they gave me a code for a 25% discount.