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Old 04-16-2009, 01:13 AM   #1
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Hey guys, it's me, I have been full timing now since Thurs, April 2nd...I am loving it and learning a lot! First thing you learn, your laptop battery dies really fast LOL

The first 13 days I spent dry camping in the desert, an excellent and necessary experience. I was used to tent camping, but weeded out many unnecessary things I had brought along. I am now headed, from CA to Escapees. I left on Tuesday and have had some good luck boondocking and wanted to share. Last night and tonight, I found small towns, the first in AZ (Eloy) now in TX (exit 138) where the smaller motels allow you (and truckers) to boondock in their lots. It is well lit, seems safe enough and plenty of traffic. I use the ice machines and soda machines and the front desk folks are okay with a cup of coffee in the morning. I am soooo stoked, I feel so safe here. Last night I "camped" outside a motel 6 and tonight a super 8. Escapees is a day and a few hours away as I had to deal with really high winds in AZ and NM, but TX is proving to be an easy ride. There speed limit is 80mph, there is no way I am doing 80 towing my Scamp!! I had one good scare with sway in the wind, but managed it well. Feeling really good about all this so far, loving my Scamp and living quite comfortably.

Just wanted to give you all a quick update and will be back when I get near Escapees and have full hookups, miss you all, except, now, I am one of you
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Old 04-16-2009, 04:22 AM   #2
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Monica:
What items did you decide to "weed out"?

How are you recharging your laptop?

Thanks for the Motel 6/Super 8 info. That's good to remember. I didn't know that at all

Florida is 70 MPH but most do 80 while I poke along with tow at about 55, always looking out for that single-finger, friendly wave from those passing me.Texas is 80 MPH?
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Old 04-16-2009, 06:41 AM   #3
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Hi, If you found Eloy, you really are off the beaten path - amazing - went to high school down the road.

When you stay in a motel's parking lot, do you ask first or just park?

I also am interested in what you found was unneccessary. Through the years, I've done a lot of camping and car travel with my dog and learning of another's solo coping is helpful. Thanks for posts.
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Old 04-16-2009, 09:44 AM   #4
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Here's a tip for you and your laptop. Purchase a little 75 watt inverter that plugs directly into the cigarette lighter in your vehicle. Then, plug the laptop into it, charging while you drive. When you stop you can plug the inverter into the trailer DC plug and charge the laptop as well as use any other AC items that uses less than 75 watts.

You'll find them in guess where. WalMart auto section. I have several inverters. They are not that expense and often you find a 2 pack that's even cheaper. The bigger inverters, size wise, that have a short cord attached to the plug usually have a fan which is noisy. I've found that the small 75 that plugs directly into the outlet works for all I use.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I purchase a DC splitter which I plug into the cigarette lighter in the Jeep then I can charge both the laptop and cell phone at the same time while driving. I only use on inverter for the laptop the cell phone has a DC charger.
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Old 04-16-2009, 10:49 AM   #5
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Another way to go is to get a 12v charger/cord for your laptop. It's a bit more efficient than going through the 110 and then back. I have one made by Targus, but there are other brands too. I do have one of those small cigarette lighter 110 inverters (that Joy mentions) for back-up, as they're so inexpensive.

So how does it work with those motels? You just go in and ask and they let you use the parking lot and all the conveniences (ice, coffee....... wi-fi?) for free? Did they ask for a fee? If not, did you compensate them anyway? I ask because I'm not very bold about those things, but if I knew "the ropes" I might be.

And yes, what are you eliminating? We're curious!

Raya
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Old 04-16-2009, 01:51 PM   #6
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Hey guys, it's me, I have been full timing now since Thurs, April 2nd...I am loving it and learning a lot! First thing you learn, your laptop battery dies really fast LOL

The first 13 days I spent dry camping in the desert, an excellent and necessary experience. I was used to tent camping, but weeded out many unnecessary things I had brought along. I am now headed, from CA to Escapees. I left on Tuesday and have had some good luck boondocking and wanted to share. Last night and tonight, I found small towns, the first in AZ (Eloy) now in TX (exit 138) where the smaller motels allow you (and truckers) to boondock in their lots. It is well lit, seems safe enough and plenty of traffic. I use the ice machines and soda machines and the front desk folks are okay with a cup of coffee in the morning. I am soooo stoked, I feel so safe here. Last night I "camped" outside a motel 6 and tonight a super 8. Escapees is a day and a few hours away as I had to deal with really high winds in AZ and NM, but TX is proving to be an easy ride. There speed limit is 80mph, there is no way I am doing 80 towing my Scamp!! I had one good scare with sway in the wind, but managed it well. Feeling really good about all this so far, loving my Scamp and living quite comfortably.

Just wanted to give you all a quick update and will be back when I get near Escapees and have full hookups, miss you all, except, now, I am one of you
Here in Texas, the speed limit for vehicles towing travel trailers is 60 in the daytime and 55 at night. The 80 mph is for "the rest." Though our state could use your hard earned money in the form of a traffic ticket fine, I would honor the posted speed limit for travel trailers. Enjoy your travels!
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Old 04-16-2009, 06:04 PM   #7
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ditto on Joy A... the little inexpensive inverter in the unused cigarette lighter plug is all you need to charge the laptop and phones while driving. Sounds like you're traveling a lot right now.
In the trailer, the 12volt inverter uses a lot of juice for the computer if boondocking. No need to really charge it then if we don't have signal anyway. (We don't have an aircard, yet...)
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Old 04-16-2009, 06:49 PM   #8
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Monica,

Congratulations on your first three weeks . . . your confidence will continue to grow and it will get easier and better and "funner" the more you motor on down the road (at 55-60 mph where life is more relaxed and safe for us little trailer people). How are you connecting to the web? Wifi, or do you use an air data card to plug into your laptop? When do we log onto your blog??????
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Old 04-16-2009, 07:04 PM   #9
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Congratulations on ur first three weeks.
Love to hear more about the 13 days in the desert and pics!!

Be safe and keep ramblin along. Very interested to hear all the escapees details when you hit there.
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Old 04-16-2009, 07:24 PM   #10
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I am in the same boat these days, have been full timing since march 30th, but i'm up in southern British Columbia. I envy you being down south and enjoying warmer weather. It's still dropping below 0C here (makes for some chlly nights). It is amazing how long a deep cycle battery will run a laptop with the inverter. I think they are an absolute must!

If you don't already have the data card for your laptop, that is also an incredibly handy thing to have. Sometimes i find myself feeling a bit lonely and the interent anywhere i go is a nice comfort to have.

I was parked at a motel here in southern BC and politely (or not so politely) asked (told) to leave as it was private property! hahaha. OOPS! Guess i should have asked first!

how long are you planning on full timing?
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Old 04-16-2009, 09:01 PM   #11
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Neat! You're full-timing in a trailer very similar to mine (Steveo that is). I don't hear of that too often Do you have a blog? I really enjoyed British Columbia when I was there, although I was lucky enough to be on a boat with a diesel heater

Raya
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Old 04-16-2009, 09:57 PM   #12
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If you have Verizon, and the right cell phone, you can use their Mobile Broadcast Connect service to 'tether' your laptop to your cell phone for internet access. Because it is a 'feature', not a plan, you can call #611 and have it turned on or off as you choose -- If you leave it on all month, it's $60, same as a data plan, but if you turn it off and on, it only costs $2/day when it's on.

Personally, I prefer to use the inverters rather than mess with a 12VDC cord for each appliance -- A couple of inverters will serve for ALL your appliances, present and future -- The electrical inefficiency of the inverter is not significant. I have had a number of laptops over the years and would have spent a lot of money getting the 12VDC power supplies for them, plus some are not as efficient as others.
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Old 04-16-2009, 10:22 PM   #13
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Pete: You seem to be knowledgeable about a lot of things, so I'm asking for your opinion regarding the reliability and ease of use of the Verizon Mobile Broadcast Connect service you mentioned in this thread. I have Verizon but have never looked into using them for my Internet connection while on the road.

Russell
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Old 04-16-2009, 10:22 PM   #14
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if you are looking at long life for a laptop battery charge, you may consider one of the Netbooks. I recently purchased the Acer Aspire One d250

It is small (But so am I!) and it is MORE than adequate for net surfing and other consumer level activities. I am really enjoying mine. I have my "big" laptop for doing my work things on, as trying to do detailed graphic editing and web stuff is easier on the higher resolution screen, but the #1 advantage to the Acer is this:


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The screen is LED backlit, which helps loads. I run photoshop and other resource sucking Adobe apps, all MS Office apps, and the usual package of browsers, instant messaging programs, music apps etc.

The little webcam that is built in is actually pretty good. I'd turn it on for ya.. but I don't want to scare ya!

The DISADVANTAGE is that it does not have a CD drive, but with jump drives and SD cards, it is hardly missed. I did have to get a small USB CD drive to load in the Office app.. it didn't like being copied to a jump drive for installation. Thats the only issue I had with loading software.. all else I had installed from my jump drive easily.

It sure is nice to actually use a laptop on my lap without feeling weighted down.. or get the burning sensation on my legs! (Be quiet you evil thinkers)

I have had it running up to 8 hours on the battery before I plugged it back in to charge, which only takes an hour... WITH the thing running.

It was a whopping $349... they were out of red ones I am stuck with a very pretty blue...
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Old 04-16-2009, 10:29 PM   #15
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William, I have used Verizons Broadband service for several years now. I have the "Air Card", a usb device not much bigger than a jump drive. I have been VERY happy with it.

I am currently workamping where I get free internet, and the coverage for Verizon here is non existent for Broadband anyway, so I was able to put the service on "Vacation" hold for 6 mos.. no charge for 6 mos, and no change in contract.

It is almost as fast as DSL, but it does have limitations in fringe areas. I am really surprised.. this is the first area I have been in where it plain does NOT get any signal at all. (I have to have a roof antenea for my cell phone here too!)
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Old 04-16-2009, 11:19 PM   #16
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Hey guys, it's me, I have been full timing now since Thurs, April 2nd...I am loving it and learning a lot! First thing you learn, your laptop battery dies really fast LOL

The first 13 days I spent dry camping in the desert, an excellent and necessary experience. I was used to tent camping, but weeded out many unnecessary things I had brought along. I am now headed, from CA to Escapees. I left on Tuesday and have had some good luck boondocking and wanted to share. Last night and tonight, I found small towns, the first in AZ (Eloy) now in TX (exit 138) where the smaller motels allow you (and truckers) to boondock in their lots. It is well lit, seems safe enough and plenty of traffic. I use the ice machines and soda machines and the front desk folks are okay with a cup of coffee in the morning. I am soooo stoked, I feel so safe here. Last night I "camped" outside a motel 6 and tonight a super 8. Escapees is a day and a few hours away as I had to deal with really high winds in AZ and NM, but TX is proving to be an easy ride. There speed limit is 80mph, there is no way I am doing 80 towing my Scamp!! I had one good scare with sway in the wind, but managed it well. Feeling really good about all this so far, loving my Scamp and living quite comfortably.

Just wanted to give you all a quick update and will be back when I get near Escapees and have full hookups, miss you all, except, now, I am one of you
Congratulations on your big step. You will find a wealth of good proven information at escapees for your travels and safety on the road. Remember, there are no victims, only volunteers. Pick up a couple of quality matched key locks for the trailer hitch, one locks the lever down and one to lock one of the safety chains to the tow vehicle. Also splurge for the lock that fills the ball socket when the trailer is unhitched. Another basic is a locking club that fits across the steering wheel. High visibility of course. Those simple steps eliminate 97% of the opportunistic thefts and will give an element of security when you are asleep in the trailer. Also be sure to buy a simple low cost 12 ga like a Mossberg with the 20 inch barrel, loaded with 00 buckshot for security in the trailer. Keep it out of sight but easily reached when you are in bed. The police understand that it does not look radical and why it is there. The 00 is accepted as that is what they use. It is effective and defensible in a court of law. Your own self confidence that you exude because you have prepared wisely will deter many would be thieves. Have fun and enjoy an independent life on the road as many of us do.
Jim Garvin 08 Casita 17 Currently Reno,Nv
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Old 04-17-2009, 12:07 AM   #17
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Gina...Thanks for the quick reply re. Verizon Mobile Broadband service. I've had Verizon for my cell phone for several years and it has served its purpose....mostly...I do run into quite a few areas where there is no usable signal but this is no problem for me cause the main use is to call my daughter now and again....she gets a little ansy when I haven't called for 2 or 3 days...I bring a computer with me when I travel but use it mainly for navigation with a gps. I'll call Verizon tomorrow and see what this is going to cost. Thanks again.

Russell
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Old 04-17-2009, 05:49 AM   #18
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If they quote you $59 for 5gb be sure and ask how much the tax and other charges will be. I didn't even think about it and it added $20 a month.

I just got mine a couple of weeks ago so can't tell you how well it works away from home.

Bill K

Quote:
Gina...Thanks for the quick reply re. Verizon Mobile Broadband service. I've had Verizon for my cell phone for several years and it has served its purpose....mostly...I do run into quite a few areas where there is no usable signal but this is no problem for me cause the main use is to call my daughter now and again....she gets a little ansy when I haven't called for 2 or 3 days...I bring a computer with me when I travel but use it mainly for navigation with a gps. I'll call Verizon tomorrow and see what this is going to cost. Thanks again.

Russell
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Old 04-17-2009, 01:34 PM   #19
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I wouldn't spring for the full data service PLAN at $60/month and a service contract; instead I would get the Mobile Broadband Connect FEATURE for $60/month OR $2/day when turned on. Same data limits (5GB/month). Might be a slightly different daily limit but it is high enuf for normal internet use, just not a lot of music or movie download.

If one is a Full-Time RVer, it wouldn't make much difference, but for those who only travel a few weeks a year, it will save some bucks.

BTW, as I recall, it's possible to lower the taxes on your bill by arranging to sign up for it in a lower tax area -- Join the Yahoo group and do some archive searching; there even used to be a link to the various tax zones.

Here's more on MBC, including the phones that support it:

http://b2b.vzw.com/productsservices/wirele...ndaccessconnect

You also have to have a way to connect your computer to your cell phone, USB cable or BlueTooth, but you don't use a data card.

As I understand it from reading the Yahoo Internet by Cell Phone group, only the phones in the *left*-hand list qualify for the $2/day feature -- The smart- and PDA-phones in the right-hand list are on monthly rates. In the Rate Table, the daily rate applies to the right-hand column.

The Rev A specs only result in faster UPLOAD speeds; downloads are the same for Rev 0 and Rev A.

Most Full Time RVers were reporting best non-city (away from population centers and interstate highways) cell coverage was from either Verizon or Sprint, but a lot depends on where YOU travel.
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Old 04-17-2009, 04:29 PM   #20
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I don't have any advise. I just want to give you a You Go Girl!!!!!! cheer.
I love reading/hearing about women fulltiming, or RVing solo. It's empowering.
See you on the road...
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