Working from the road

[LizAnn]

Hi All,

My husband and I are looking at Airstreams with the idea of me continuing to work remotely for a software company as I have for almost 20 years. I work from a home office now and all I need is the internet and a good cell phone. Both are critical to my job. If he retires and drives, do you experienced guys see any reason this plan won't work? We would stay put in one place for the week and then move on and drive over the weekend. That way I would have stability of internet and phone for my working hours. A new view for each week sounds like heaven. Comments?

[Lily&Me]

Well, I'll tell ya, there are a LOT of people out there doing what you are dreaming of.

One of the enormous advantages of the Internet, for people just like you.

Go for it, I say!!!


Maggie

[murreywalker]

I have telecommuted for 25 years.

You'll never look back!

[karenjude]

My husband and I are doing that right now. We both telecommute for our companies and we left Atlanta on Friday to go to Houghton Michigan (UP) to see our son at college and go to parent's weekend this coming weekend. We're working from the trailer during the day - took our son to dinner last night.

We worked from MA this summer (at a site right on the ocean). We were able to get toghether with friends and family for dinner in the evening.

It's invisible to both our companies although my manager knows and is supportive.

A couple of issues:
- we're both on the phone a lot so hearing the other person can be distracting. I work in the bedroom, he works at the dinette. May not be an issue if your husband is not working too.
- it's not the same as being on vacation. I know that sounds obvious but I had an ajustment to make intially - it can feel restrictive working a full day in the trailer when you're at a place you want to explore. We do things in the evening but it isn't like vacation. It's great to be able to do this but you have to understand the limitations.
- we always check out internet and phone access before we go. We don't rely on internet access from campgrounds as it can be really slow. If they have it and it's fast enough, great, but we bring a Verizon modem with us. My husband's phone is ATT and I have verizon so we both need to have service where we go,
- need electricity at the site, cause a computer battery can only go so long.

Hope that helps!

[LizAnn]

Thanks All for the encouragement and advice.
Murrey you have telecommunted for 25 years from your Airstream?

Karen, great advice and I do know it won't be like being on vacation, but the view will sure be nice :-) I have a small (3inx4in) verizon wireless modem that I use when I travel. Is this what you use? I assume you just buy the unlimted plan for data, correct?

When you say: "we always check out internet and phone access before we go", do you mean you check the location to see if Verizon/ATT is available in that area? Do you call the campground or do you call Verizon to see if they have service in that area?

Do either of you guys have to travel to client locations?

Thanks Again, Beth

[Phoenix]

Link to recent post on this subject:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f451...ml#post1209898

Notes:

1. Verizon and Millenicom now sell a newer version of the MiFi 4510L, but it is essentially the same in design and function.

2. We have Verizon cell phones, because Verizon seems to have the best coverage and my wife and my families are all on Verizon.

3. I accidently left out the MiFi 4510L in the "setup" in that post. It should read,

"Verizon Cell Tower => External Cellular Antenna => Cyfre Cell Amplifier => MiFi 4510L => PepWave SOTG => Laptop/Kindle Fire/Other WiFi-connected devices (e.g., iPhone, iPad, etc.)"

[Silver Otter]

LizAnn,
All good advice above. I've been a teleworker for just over 12 years now, but not always from our AS. It's a miracle how connectivity has improved since 2000. I've found the key to success (along with all of the above comments) is to have multiple paths to internet connections. I carry both Verizon and VirginMobile (Sprint) MiFi cards. When one doesn't work the other usually will. The exceptions are, of course, in the deep outback of a National Forest where there is Zero Service, cell phone or otherwise.

[Gringo]

LaGringa has been doing this for years now. She develops medical software. It allowed us to move down here to the tropics and live on a small island. It allows us to spend big hunks of time on a sailboat. And in the Airstream, we just use a Verizon mobile hotspot and a Wilson amp with a remote antenna. She even works while I am driving, using the Wilson amp with the magnetic antenna, and a lap desk we picked up at Best Buy. Biggest hassle there is seeing the laptop display in sunlight.

I been thinking bout getting her some video goggles or something to fix that. Anyone know anything about those?

[murreywalker]

Murrey you have telecommunted for 25 years from your Airstream?

No, my home. As you can see, the 2011 isn't quite 25 years old, yet. ;-)

[Kyle]

LizAnn,

This is what we're doing. I do my work during normal business hours during the week, and we change locations on the weekend, typically every week or two.

My employer supports telecommuting. I simply work more remotely than others, which is no secret to the company. By now my co-workers are in the habit of just asking what time zone I'm in now.

Longish post follows... I just really enjoy what we're doing, and recommend it to anyone that can.

My work requires a VPN connection, which from what I've seen, most campground WiFi services won't support. And from how slow/non-functional I've seen campground WiFi services act, I wouldn't count on them even if I didn't need VPN. Phoenix mentioned Millenicom above. I highly recommend them. They resell both Verizon and Sprint service and give you greater bandwidth than the "unlimited" plans, plus you can drop service at any time (no contract).

For my Internet access, I typically use a Verizon service from Millenicom. For when we're outside of Verizon's service area, I have an iPhone that my daughter carries that I can tether, and a Sprint modem card from Millenicom that I can activate for a month if needed. So if there is cell service, I can work. We also have an exterior antenna and amps to boost the connection. That helps in a lot of the outlying areas.

I do run searches on the web for campground reviews to see what comments I can find regarding cell service for an area in question. I also use the Connections? iPhone app (The couple from technomadia.com developed it. Do check out their blog for info on working from the road.) to check out service in an area. It relies on info from the cell phone companies, so it's not completely accurate (??), but it seems to be basically so.

I have enough batteries for my laptop to last an extended workday, plus I can plug it into a 12V outlet to run from the Airstream's batteries without converting first to AC (or I can run it from my truck's batteries). If we camp somewhere that I can't get Internet access from the Airstream, I simply drive somewhere that I can get it. Not pleasant to have to do that, but sure beats commuting in rush hour traffic to a desk job.

We have a 34', so there's room for us to spread out. I can do my work while my wife homeschools our daughter. Either of us can also choose to do our thing outside if the weather permits. It's really great to be sitting outside looking at a mountain, valley, stream or whatever when you look up from your computer screen.

Try it, I can just about guarantee you'll love it.

[karenjude]

Hi LizAnn,
To answer your questions to me: we do use the Verizon modem you currently have. Don't have an unlimited plan - we only travel and work peridically, otherwise we both work from home. Others can address the technical questions better than I. Although I work for a large tech company, My skillset is not in that field.
We do call and ask about cell phone service. We also check out areas that we go to while on vacation, in case we want to go back and work from there.

We do go to customer and partner locations. Next week, we're going to Columbus OH. I'll visit a vendor while there and spend a day or two with them. My husband has a meeting in NYC. He'll fly out of Columbus and return on Friday. He'll get a cab from the airport to the campground - that should be funny as he'll be in a suit "take me to the trailer park please". On Saturday we'll head home to Atlanta and work fom home again next week.

Hope that helps!

[Gringo]

If you google a specific carrier's cell coverage area, there are pretty good maps. We found Verizon the only game in town in the eastern rockies. In Florida, down the ICW, Verizon worked okay but AT&T would be the choice if we spent a lot of time there.

But there are maps of the towers and coverage areas.