Off-Grid Internet Setup: Bringing Our RV Online
Starlink on the C-Stand
The Seed
When I was younger, I partook in the age old practice of meticulously curating a list to bestow upon Santa. Every December, I’d craft my letter like a professional negotiator - carefully ranking toys, calculating “good behavior ROI,” and hoping to move up in the nice list algorithm.
But there was always one dream gift that topped the list: a Recreational Vehicle. Not the kind adults used for road trips - I wanted the kid-sized version that surely must have been on the verge of existence. After all, Barbie had her Corvette, there were Power Wheels Jeeps for boys, and there were playhouses with kitchens, couches, and TVs. Naturally, the next evolution had to be a mini RV - maybe with a Fisher-Price kitchenette, a Nickelodeon TV/VCR combo, and a Little Tikes couch for good measure.
That dream never made it under the tree. Years later, when Step2 and Little Tikes did release their own camper playsets, they didn’t come close to what I’d imagined.
The Catalyst
Fast-forward to adulthood - and adult money.
After years of thinking RV life was out of reach, I met my wife, whose drive (pun intended) to explore was even stronger than mine. Once our kids graduated high school, we decided it was finally time to make it happen.
The only problem? We’re remote workers, gamers, and creatives. Internet connectivity isn’t optional for us - it’s the backbone of our work and play. So the biggest obstacle between us and the open road wasn’t finding the right RV… it was finding reliable internet.
We knew that true freedom wasn’t just about the wind in our hair - it was about bringing our digital lives with us. The challenge was figuring out how to power and connect that lifestyle without the traditional grid.
The Solution
We quickly learned that “off-grid” doesn’t mean “off-power.” Even with a lithium battery and solar setup, our 50-amp rig demanded more. So we dove into research (shoutout to https://generatorbible.com/) and landed on the Champion Power Equipment 9000-Watt Electric Start Tri Fuel Open Frame Inverter Generator with a cover for inclement weather. It gave us the versatility and quiet performance we needed, plus the ability to run on multiple fuel types.
But power was only half the equation.
When it came to connectivity, we discovered just how limited the options were. Hotspots couldn’t reach the places we loved. Verizon looked promising until we realized its coverage mirrored our cell plan. OneWeb - recently bought by Eutelsat - doesn’t even offer U.S. service.
That left one real contender: Starlink.
Epilogue
After four months with Starlink, I can honestly say it’s been transformative. As someone who enjoys fast-paced first-person shooters and the occasional battle royale, I notice latency immediately - and Starlink delivers. We’ve experienced only two outages total during internet usage, which was probably the best surprise compared to the frequent ones we used to get with Xfinity back home.
Our Starlink setup now travels with us everywhere, and we’ve developed a few tricks for optimizing performance - from using a C-stand to lift the dish above foliage, to adjusting DNS settings for lower latency, to prioritizing wired connections for gaming.
Those details deserve their own deep dive - and that’s exactly what I shared in the next post.
Until then…
Unhitch, share love, and live a life worth examining.
- JuJuLaroo
