Overwhelmed

[kittykat]

My stress level is rising. Hi all. I will be getting my new/used MH on the 28th. It has been owned by friends of mine and they have taken very good care of it. '87 Country Coach, gas engine, 32000 miles.
I will be basically using it as a home on my property while my new home is being built. My contractor will be setting up a place with all the hookups I'll need before my old house goes bye bye so I won't be too inconvenienced. My friends will spend all the time I need to learn how everything works. This unit doesn't have a phone jack. If I don't have phone, I guess I don't have internet while I'm living in the RV. I put "internet" in the search box on here and got some info, but it looks like if I want to do satellite I'd have to spend several thousand up front to get the dish and installation instructions. Is that about right? I'd much rather put that money into my new home. I have to admit that I didn't understand much of what was written in the internet and wifi threads. I can connect to the internet in my home if it's really really simple. I'm very tech challenged. lol.
I will keep reading the threads as I have time, but if any of you have any advice for me, I'm all eyes.
I will probably use the MH on occasion to go to dog shows as well since I have a show dog who is handled by his breeders. My work schedule doesn't allow me to go to all his shows, but I enjoy it when I can.
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice you can give me,
kat

 

[ARCHER]

Re: Overwhelmed

Kittykat. Welcome. Just a suggestion. While I winter in Florida in my ole 89 Winn Chieftain Class A, I get connected to a land line (just like at home) in the RV park. I put in my own connection so that I can just run the line to the MH and then a line inside so that I can connect my telephone and then on to my internet provider for internet service. Just have to know local number to get connected via telephone (so that you con't pay long distance). If you had a telephone line to old house, it should be pretty easy to have the line run to your MH for connection. The costs to install a telephone line to my motorhome was two jacks and wire.
Can't get much cheaper than that. Did you have internet service in old house?? You can do cable tv the same way.......Ask away.....

 

[hertig]

Re: Overwhelmed

You can easily add a phone jack (or have it done). The parts can be gotten at most RV stores (like Camping World). If you have internet service nearby under your control (like in the house), you can set up a wireless network. Run the internet into a 'wireless router' and use a 'WIFI card or USB 'dongle' on your computer in the motorhome. It may require an external antenna and/or amplifier, depending on how far away the MH is from the transmitter and what is between them.

You may even be able to run a network cable if you are close enough.

Or you can use an 'air card' or access the internet over some cell phones. Generally about $60 a month or so.

If you are going to be in one location, you may be able to get satellite fairly cheaply, but probably more than through a cell phone company, and it might be slower to boot, depending on the speed available in your area cell network.

 

[kittykat]

Re: Overwhelmed

Thanks Archer and hertig. I was hoping I'd be able to use a phone line. It's so much cheaper than what I saw on the satellite sites. There is an RV shop just down the road from me. I have phone and DSL in my current home, but my home will be destroyed to make room for the new one. I have a wireless router already too since I have wireless on my laptop. I don't know what you mean by the transmitter though? Is that something that the MH plugs into to get phone service?

 

[TexasClodhopper]

Re: Overwhelmed

All you have to do is have the phone company hook DSL up next to the utilities that your contractor is going to set up for your MH. After that, hooking up in your MH is as simple as it was in your house.

 

[hertig]

Re: Overwhelmed

The wireless router is generally a low powered transmitter with a miniscule antenna. If you want to go further distance, then you will need a bigger transmitter and a better antenna. Or perhaps you can compensate with a better antenna and signal amplifier in the motorhome. Of course, this assumes you have a building to hold the equipment. If not, you will probably be better off just using DSL as Texas suggests.