Living in vans, cars, RVs, etc

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We're not homeless, we're houseless! By choice or by circumstance we are living in our vehicles. Don't worry about us -- it can be a very good life.

Anything that affects us as vehicle-dwellers is probably on topic.

external resources

emergency guide to suddenly living in a vehicle <-- start here if you don't have a choice in the matter
vanlife FAQ
introduction to power in the vehicle
gentle introduction to solar power
overview of charging by alternator
guides to hygiene and toilet

fedi resources

rules of engagement

be civil
use descriptive thread titles. Pro tip: "Help" or "Question" are not descriptive titles.
old-timers: assume people are different and have different needs, preferences, budgets, and use cases
newbies: demonstrate effort and willingness to learn; you'll need it on the road anyhow. Links have been added below to help get you started. When asking question state your "use case" (what you are trying to accomplish); we are terrible guessers.
tire-kickers: yes, we've heard that "in a van down by the river" joke. It was hi-larious in 1993.

vandwellers vandwelling vanlife urbancarliving

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July 2024 I'll finally be freed from my extortionate Verizon contract, have been aiming for Starlink but... (lemmy.world)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

(Me= vanlife.)

If you have your starlink satellite thing mounted on top of your vehicle, the only time you can get internet is when you are within range of your vehicle, right?

In case there's no Wi-Fi available, and you're away from your vehicle, which is a situation that is pretty constant in my life.

I presume there's no starlink hotspot to carry around(?)

Like it's been nice to have my Verizon hotspot "Orbic" shitty little thing when my phone's unlimited data service is slow or spotty but even the Orbic has shitty service sometimes.

I definitely want to abandon evil extortionate Verizon. Please tell me if I become a starlink customer, I won't be able to use my phone indoors at work which doesn't allow us to use their Wi-Fi, And when I'm walking around town, what to do for internet?

Please tell me your most highly recommended ISP that isn't extortionate & manipulative.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Starlink dishes need an open unobstructed view of the sky to communicate with the satellites. You'd need the dish to be outside and then be in range of the wifi from the dish's router (or other routers or mesh system you set up).

IMHO Starlink is best when living or boondocking in remote area without other options and with enough open sky view to get a decent connection. I have a Starlink dish on my van to get internet access when 5G coverage is not available.

The new Starlink Mini dish might be of interest - a small dish, power-able by 12-48V DC or USB-C PD. In the US it is $600, then $30 a month but only 50GB per month before extra charges,

FMCA TechConnect+ has some plans including an unlimited but speed capped AT&T plan for around $60 a month.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

I have Visible (Verizon MVNO) for $25/month. I put the SIM in an LTE router I got off amazon (open box) for $42.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I've had a hotspot from Calyx Institute for van living before and it worked great. It's been a while but I remember their price was great with a payment once per year.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

Thank you!! It looks good.