TESTING STARLINK FOR RV OFF-GRID IN COLORADO

#starlink #spacex #vanlife
Starlink for RV- maybe you’re like us and you’ve been dreaming of the day Space X would release Starlink for RV so that you could FINALLY hit the road and truly work from anywhere. We’re digital nomads and our constant headache is finding wifi in remote places so that we can keep our jobs afloat while still traveling. Starlink for RV has made a lot of promises, but today we’re testing out Starlink to see how well we can work from our Sprinter van. Will Starlink be reliable? Will it be fast enough to truly work from anywhere? Join us as we test Starlink in one of America’s most remote locations: the Colorado desert.
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== A B O U T U S ==
Hey y'all! We're Chris + Sara (or as you know us, Let’s Be Us), a husband and wife digital nomad travel duo currently working and traveling full time with our pup, Kramer. We've always dreamed of traveling full time, and in May of 2018 we took the leap and made it happen! Today we're balancing work and fun everywhere between the Pacific and Atlantic. From hiking and cycling to tacos and coffee, we're trying to see and experience as much of this world as we can! While our home is currently on wheels in our DIY Sprinter van, our travels take us all around the world.
Be sure to hit subscribe here on KZbin and follow along on Instagram for more daily fun! Oh, and be sure to say hi while you're here. :)

[@chrisandsara]

09:22 - we had an error in the video on the export.. we're sorry! That screen was supposed to tell you how much we paid for our Starlink which was ~$700. Thanks for understanding! :)

[@IrishDragon666]

I just thought that was some really clever meta since the Starling wasn't working at that point lol

[@sonyabykofsky2873]

Is there also a monthly subscription needed in addition to the $700?

[@ropro9817]

Pretty sweet looking home for van life! And now, with Starlink! 👏 Interested to see your van setup. Going to dumpster dive your back catalog to see if you have an explainer video... 🔍

[@coastalroamer2024]

A live stream from a remote area would be pretty awesome! Starlink is providing alot of options for many different people from creators to remote workers. I look forward to new adventures from anywhere. Stay safe!

[@Whatsupbruther]

definitely! I do streaming from my computer, and I plan on doing live streams from like camping out on Mt Rainier, and up at Whistler!

[@chrisandsara]

We're so excited to be able to use it, I think it'll be a game changer!

[@bwbrady8372]

We’ve had Starlink at our home for a few months and plan to take it along on van trips. As I understand it, the residential service is like the RV service because of the new $25 portability add-on, which also has the start/stop feature. It’s great that it’s working for you in that canyon because they say canyons and trees can be a problem. Very exciting!

[@chrisandsara]

That's awesome, it's a game changer for sure!

[@thedoor5442]

I've had Starlink for almost 2 years at my remote summer cabin and it has been great!

[@joedogmckeel]

Greetings from Hixson. So glad you found Starlink. I am an avdid SpaceX junkie. You mentioned something in the video that will justify the expenditure. Burning diesel to go find signal. At current costs, not making those trips will cover the costs of service. I have a live stream show weekly if you guys ever have the time I would be honored to have you drop in via the Starlink connection. Just let me know.

[@ChasetheJourney]

For those of us who are a little older, we remember when 2mbps was "fast". 😁

[@DaveParsons]

I remember when 1200bps was a huge step up from 300. 😂

[@yennsyv463]

You absolutely right

[@FubarKen]

When 56kbps was a game changer 😅

[@jonasthesen]

And for us that is even a little bit older , 0.5 mbits upload/download was amazing. But we in Sweden was kind of spoiled since we got like 10 mbits fiber connection later on, and I do remember most countries in cities wasn't even up to 1 mbits at that time. Great video, that feeling you are out in the middle out of nowhere and you can watch netflix is extra cozy.

[@whiteeulogianraven7995]

When a sound meant you had access... And remember anybody else not to touch the phone.

[@fidalgoMG]

I am writing for my grandson in the future to read this and see that we used to use cable to connect with internet and that we still needed a little antenna to connect with the satellite, but we are very excited with this revolution of possibilities.

[@PiKappEL251]

Happy for you guys to have service everywhere, hopefully things continue to be successful for the rest of the summer.

[@chrisandsara]

We hope so too!

[@jw9980]

I started full time RV'ing in 2005. Cell service was iffy & usually no wifi & no hot spot. We bought a big Hughes satellite dish which also held our "bird on a wire" for satellite TV. The whole set up was around $700. It took awhile to get set up aimed at a clear southern view. Speed was fairly slow & delayed. Cost was about $75 a month in 2005. Sooooo no bitching because StarLink is sooo easy to set up & use.

[@bernardinomerino798]

I’m impressed. You guys are unbelievable. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations 👏👏👏👏

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@joedigesu7004]

I have been on the road since March Off grid, Got Starlink RV as soon as it came out. I used it in Texas then a trip to Pueblo then ti the San Luis Valley. I have had few issues with starlink. I go have 2 cellular's as well. Today storms came through and it went down. I will be hooking up my Pep Wave. It has just been great!

[@Justthe2ofUs843]

Wifi calling works great also. We are full time and love Starlink.

[@chrisandsara]

That's good to know!

[@scottmccoy9025]

Always do a reboot from within the Starlink App on the wifi and the router once a day. That will dramatically help with speeds... Also put the dish into stow mode and then hit un stow once a day and that will also force to dish to find a more preferred satellite which helps the speeds big time. I am in a waitlist area with the RV vesion and my speeds are always up near 70-100Mb download. Get 2-3 mesh units as well.... Huge difference !! AWESOME!!!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks for the tips!

[@chris9776]

You’ll find it to be very good as long as you keep a clear line of sight to the sky. I’m just south of Chattanooga, out in the country, and I recently ditched my very slow DSL and landline for Starlink. I work from home and can’t tolerate a spotty connection and it’s been working very well for me. Enjoy!

[@cobaltpatti7229]

How is it with a zoom calls all day?

[@chrisandsara]

We're so glad you've enjoyed your Starlink, we've had great success so far!

[@salanicus]

We're definitely getting this RV version, ( though I'm determined to figure out how to mount it on the roof) and yes do the livestream in the middle of nowhere:) huge thanks, will use your link too. Safe travels, blessings, James and Kim ❤️

[@BrokerBasil]

Awesome - so worthwhile if your work can justify the cost. It seems rather a negative that the satellite needs to be parked away from van but I see another commenter suggested it can be parked on van roof when stationary which would be preferable I expect in time. Looking forward to see next follow-up video.

[@Itspronouncednuclear]

I love my starlink RV! In the desert in Utah I was at 100+ with 12 others in camp using my WiFi , plus still able to stream

[@chrisandsara]

That’s incredible!! The Starlink is still awesome and we’re still loving it so much!

[@Mabod_0]

Wow. That's actually incredible 👍😎

[@deborahrussell1609]

Wow..I have starlink for my cabin in the woods but now I need starlink for my van..thanks for this video..

[@chrisandsara]

Definitely been worth it so far!

[@Mabod_0]

I got it last week. I live in florida. I get 140-300 mbps speed which is absolutely amazing. Thanks elon 🙏

[@colinandmeg]

WOW WOW WOW. THIS IS A GAME CHANGER! For anyone around the world!

[@chrisandsara]

That’s exactly what we are thinking too!

[@nintendolunchbox]

The reason you are excited is it’s an amazing life changing tool . So happy for you and hope it works well for you.

[@chrisandsara]

Yes so true! We hope so too!

[@emacadar1]

Fantastic video fantastic information you guys are my heroes one day I'm planning to do the same as you do take one of these minivans Mercedez and travel the country now I know we can add startling to have Wi-Fi everywhere we go.

[@kaylaandmarkalan]

That’s seriously so impressive. Good job, team Reebok! 😂 Honestly, as far as price, it’s pretty reasonable. Especially considering that’s what we pay right now for internet.

[@sandrap3047]

How cool is that! Such a game changer for nomads! You’re going to miss the automotive section at Walmart though! 😂

[@chrisandsara]

😂😂 it’s my home away from home!

[@jpmerrick8886]

I financially advised a satellite tcpip isp 20 years ago glad to see this

[@mfeldheim]

I was really hoping starlink would enable this feature. This is a gamechanger. I am wondering how well this works or works at all on a moving vehicle, boat, truck etc. that would be interesting. Anyway this is mind blowing. You can be almost anywhere on the planet for work. Only restricted by starlink locks for some countries. In some countries internet access costs so much money if u are no resident with a local sim card

[@mattc1602]

Thanks for the video, great info for those of us on the go!

[@chrisandsara]

Glad you liked it Matt!

[@sarabussey848]

The Starlink is so cool. I am excited for you to have one. The Friendfolk coffee is delicious. Looking forward to trying others. Thanks!

[@chrisandsara]

Thank you Sara! We can’t wait to release the next batch of coffee!!

[@billwaterhouse5894]

Thanks guys, appriciate this video and information.

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks for watching!

[@richardarredondo5672]

Great video im sold gonna show my wife it can be done

[@crynolyn]

Exciting ! And welcome to Colorado

[@chrisandsara]

Thank you! We’re excited to be in CO!

[@crynolyn]

@@chrisandsara I live here, highly recommend the Fort Collins area and Highway 14 through Poudre Canyon. Excellent white water rafting with Mountain Whitewater Desents. They have a bar in a tent and live music too

[@louissantoscoy6461]

We do a lot of boondocking in Colorado. I'm getting the starlink before our next trip in August.

[@connorbruson473]

So impressed you uploaded this from that canyon! It will really change how you live and work from the road for the better. Stoked for you two! We will bum your wifi in Bend ;-)

[@chrisandsara]

We're still shocked! This could be quite the game changer for us on the road!

[@Imaginehello7799]

The non-RV starlink has been incredible so I have high hopes for this one too

[@youknowwithMartyKauffman]

That looks so cool if I ever get to being on the road I’ll definitely pick that up

[@KelceyNickson]

You just earned yourself a new sub my friend.

[@bupbup777]

Welcome to Alaska! When you decide to come up again. Dillingham, Alaska here.

[@Evergreen-k]

Yay fell in love with you guys. Watching from Pakistan. Happy for your Internet

[@chrisandsara]

Hello! Thanks for watching!

[@camplifenewa]

I've been hoping to see a review on the new RV Starlink offering. Thank you for sharing. I'm so glad it is working as promised! I've almost been waiting a year for the home edition. I'm hoping it comes soon! I can't wait for better internet where I live.

[@chrisandsara]

I think you’re going to love it. Total game changer

[@camplifenewa]

As a follow up, I did get my Starlink and I am loving it. Glad I waited.

[@joekuykendall]

Came for Starlink; stayed for that epic iPhone background. Thank you for sharing, guys!

[@chrisandsara]

😂😂😂 I was wondering if anyone was going to point that out! Ha

[@dmac232000]

I subscribed because I'm interested in Starlink and we share the same name! :-) Great Video!

[@untetherednomad6393]

Your enthusiasm is great..I lol couple times. Have fun, I am also on my new SL RV setup in flyover boondocking Colo and I get 100+ downloads sometimes.

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks for watching!

[@MICHELEDART]

how long does it take to get to you once you order it? did you do the 599 or 2500 version?

[@travels360]

I remember dial up internet 😂 I heard they charge for roaming now if you're doing the RV option. Is this accurate? Also wondering if you can plug in your devices to the modem via Ethernet cable? Seriously considering this option thanks in advance for the feedback!

[@sandmangti7040]

A white board! Great, now we must cut all trees down to get signal. If I was on you tube and lived in a van, I would always have to say this with the van line. We live in a van………down by the river!

[@margaretbowen867]

........under a bridge!😂

[@zdelacruz6296]

Hi Chris and Sara, you should do an update after 9 months with your experience with Starlink!

[@coffeecoffeecoffee7651]

Happy Pride month Chris and Sara! 🌈🌈🌈

[@peggyford8120]

A live stream from Colorado...yes, please! I used to live there...Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Denver, Boulder and Longmont...all up against my playground...the Rocky Mountains range.

[@easyenglishwithjohnny5732]

Thanks for the video. I was wondering if you could make an update video on the reliability. How often you have outages. Thanks.

[@richardroy3904]

I start my 30 day road trip tomorrow and look forward to testing in my travels and working remotely. Thx for sharing. Have you tried a voip/ip call yet?

[@johnspierce]

How much power does the starlink rv setup use when you are boondocking?

[@twazoo2921]

I have the same question.

[@BossyGerbasi]

Mbps is mega bits, not bytes. But thanks for the upload! Love seeing those speeds.

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

Game changer for sure!!! Excellent purchase! @starlink sponsor these two creators! We’d love to watch a live stream! Safe travels guys! ~Cara 😊

[@chrisandsara]

So far it has definitely been worth it!

[@arturopalma7997]

Thanks for the video, I'm going to order the RV version. One question, if I order this now and will not use it until July 2023, can I pause it after activation or I have to bite $135 after initial setup? By the way I will take any download at least 30mb download. This is awesome.

[@Guvner58]

So how do you connect to you when when you’re booondocking dispersed camping, when there’s no hook ups. I just ordered the RV Starlink and found that there is no way unless you want to rewire the router and then he was a 12 hour to 48 V adapter.

[@DoingLifeWithYou]

Congrats on getting Starlink! We hope it serves you well

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks! We hope so too!

[@mission140.6]

thats a game changer...you should put some mods on it....mount the bracket to the roof like the weeboost and just drop it into the base. Now your link is at the highest point and you don't have to worry about tripping over it or something like that....just a thought!

[@allysonoverland]

Chris in the walmart automotive section uploading a video 💀 👏🏽 sooo happy Starlink worked out for you! ♥️

[@chrisandsara]

Haha we've been waiting for the right time to show that picture 😂

[@donzbox]

So you said you would talk about the power usage but then left it out. Can you give me some details about power usage off your RV? I am heading to Burningman and need to know power details. Thank you for any advise you can offer. Don

[@mikesecor6074]

only have seen 100 Starlink video's all of a sudden. Everybody plays follow the leader, lol.

[@Andrew4181975]

I'm thinking about this for when I buy a property in the middle of Nowhere Colorado.

[@chrisandsara]

It would be perfect for that!

[@jerrywestin3447]

😂 look how beautiful it is over here while we wait 😂 😂

[@chrisandsara]

😂😂😂😂 we were trying!

[@4meliaRose]

Chris doing Sara dirty with his background😂😂

[@chrisandsara]

😂😂😂 you’re the first one who has noticed that!

[@mikosoft]

On a note, for your work you probably should be concerned with upload speed as much as download. Video call streams video from both internet (download) and streams it to internet (upload). KZbin uploads also use upload (unsurprisingly). On that note 12Mbps seems good enough.

[@mulindejohn]

You mean latency.

[@surf2trails]

Great review. Have you tried wifi calling with it? Love the data access, but from a safety aspect the idea of running my cell through it to make calls would be important! Thanks again.

[@lucasdelosh5305]

That modem noise took me “way back” to dialup days of 56K and ISDN. Starlink is only going to get better as more satellites are placed in service. You’ll have to try to make a Wi-Fi call or Skype and let us know how it works!

[@chrisandsara]

Yes! It took everything within me not to include “You’ve got mail.”

[@tonyhawk123]

I’m ashamed to say I was fond of my 56k dialup modem. These days, I take everything for granted.

[@RionCaughman]

Hey! A livestream would be so cool!

[@too-da-loo]

Internet is the #1 reason we have not made the jump to RV'ing yet. Both me and the wife need really good, reliable, fast, unlimited internet. We can overcome all other issues except that one for now.

[@DogmanZ]

Just remember while starlink says you can use it anyway on the continent where you registered it. Then the fine print says if you use it in a foreign county for longer that 2 months you must register it there or buy another starlink package. For us Snowbirds that spend 6 months in Canada and 6 months in USA it becomes very costly!

[@cid261]

52 ms ping from satellite internet is impressive..It is like a good cell tower connectivity for internet

[@johnbrandenberger7382]

guys came across your page....we now subscribe to the channel! we are researching wifi options, just like you, we travel and have professional digital demands on our time. Have you noticed any challenges with Starlink in wooded areas? read some reviews that trees have a negative impact on your satellite reception. Loved the video by the way!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks so much for subscribing! Yes, the trees do block the signal. We’ve had really good luck with it in most places but the dense trees in the PNW it’s had trouble with.

[@cryptokingz8297]

What was your speeds in no where Colorado between 5pm and 10pm?

[@brunnie]

Maybe, when you are parked like at that campsite, putting the dish on top of the van might help a bit in finding the birds. It would all depend on how clear of a shot you had of the sky. A live stream would be interesting to see, just because. Glad it was a solution to a problem that you had. I was looking to see if the router could operate off 12 volts, and the answer is no and it seems that there is no plans to offer a 12 volt power supply. Glad it worked in a deep remote canyon in the mountains of Colorado. Until next time... Travel Save, and take the road less traveled. (grin)

[@5thGenNativeTexan]

The router uses roughly 100 watts (per hour) max, sometimes only half, or a third of that while idling, so it's not a stretch to run it off an inverter from a battery.

[@mariaanalum2712]

Do you use solar battery or generator to power your work day?

[@suemeyer7551]

Wonder what it will be like in the mountains? I'm looking to spend a lot of time in the Banff Canada area where there isn't cell service further out.

[@aditya_saha]

will it work in the middle of ocean?

[@JennNahrstadt]

i've heard those in tree covered areas are having more difficulty. excited for you, though!

[@JillWilliamsWatercolor]

Hey guys! A year+ later how is the Starlink Roam performing? especially for uploads? We're considering taking the plunge, but getting conflicting info about upload speeds....thanks for any current feedback :)

[@chrisandsara]

Hi Jill! I know I'm super late to answering this so I apologize. I'm working my way through old comments right now and I can't believe how many I've missed over the months. 😳 We still really like our Starlink though. We were experiencing some slow upload speeds in the USA but since we've crossed into Mexico it hasn't been as big of an issue. Idk if that's because there are fewer people using Starlink in our area (although we do see them all the time down here!) or because Starlink is improving. I'm not sure that was helpful but we'd still buy the Starlink again. It's completely changed the way we work and travel on the road.

[@JillWilliamsWatercolor]

@@chrisandsara thanks so much, we actually did go with Starlink, and we find that it works best the more remote we are.....that's good and bad I suppose....when we are in towns though, we'll have garbage upload and still have to find a library to upload our paid content....never fun....but all in all, it meets our needs best as well. so great that it's working in Mexico for you, makes sense that it would.... Stay safe and have fun!

[@happy_days3820]

game changer! more and more people will remote working from RV with fast internet.

[@chrisandsara]

Agreed!

[@agussalafudin]

Kerenn👍

[@Capozzi3]

Hello! How much energy does it use?

[@chrisandsara]

Around 40-50 watts

[@nelson2095]

11:52 Your download speed is 90.25 Mbps (Megabits per second) which is 11.28 MBps (MegaBYTES per second) and your upload speed is 12.56 Mbps (Megabits per second) which is 1.56 MBps (MegaBYTES per second). Upload/Download speed are pretty good. Ping rate of 52s. That's even good enough for gaming (if you're into that) although not sure if you can host a raid on those speed. For casual browsing, video streaming aka watching KZbin and live streaming, that's plenty of bandwidth. For uploading contents of say, 20gig video, I would hassle a guess, would take an hour to an hour and a half. That's pretty decent, considering you're out in the boonies. I might look into this as my work don't provide WIFI. My plan was to have 5 to 10 people at work share the internet access and share the monthly cost. Park my car at the parking lot, plunk the disk on top, plug it to a Jackery portable power source or something similar. Hopefully the router range is far enough that wifi access wont be a problem. Otherwise, I might have to set up a bridge or two to increase the coverage. We have no options before other than keep pestering my boss for access. This is quite a viable solution.

[@thesandwichfreak3780]

Check your mobile phone connection's settings to see if you have a Wi-Fi calling feature for your cellular carrier. If yes, you can use your cell phone, over Wi-Fi, to make normal calls. So now you will potentially have access to the internet as well as access to cellular services. Food for thought....that is all!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks for the tip!

[@hannahwilkinson331]

So excited to try this out, it's going to completely change van life for us! How long did it take for your to arrive? Looks like you had it shipped to a FedEx location? We are trying to get one shipped to a spot on our route.

[@chrisandsara]

It took about a week and a half to arrive to us!

[@ronnie5966]

You can use Starlink for Residential with the RV?

[@buzzylogic]

No coverage in Alaska for Starlink as of right now.

[@emacadar1]

Of course we will be needing to buy a used Mercedes van, as you have, so if you have any recommendations let me know

[@cabbking]

It is wonderful! Huge implications. 😀

[@chrisandsara]

Absolutely! Game changing

[@Rhoneman]

cool, pretty exciting. You guys still loving Chattanooga?

[@chrisandsara]

Yeah, it's still treating us well! :)

[@christinaholt1313]

This is a game changer! Can you share whether there's a data cap on your monthly charge for the RV?

[@5thGenNativeTexan]

Currently there are no data caps on any of the plans (residential, mobility, RV, etc),.

[@johnh6490]

Did you guys measure how much power it draws off your battery?

[@chrisandsara]

We did. We’re still measuring it but looks around 25-50 watts usually lingering around the 35 watt mark

[@Guvner58]

Doesn’t runoff the batteries as it needs 48 V and the router that comes with Starlink he would have to take it apart and rewire it. If somebody knows a better way to use it from the 12 V system

[@jwright650]

......and I'm watching this video from a place with no internet or cell service on our RV Starlink.

[@chrisandsara]

Amazing!!

[@tonyhawk123]

Wonder if there is a way to fit it to the roof of the van? Seems like quite an effort at the moment (much less than driving and hunting for WiFi obviously).

[@computerjoy]

I understand you only get high speed if your on same location?

[@JohnEnergy2012]

Megabits

[@eikmedkered]

Still liking it a month later? I just got mine today :) Also in CO

[@chrisandsara]

Yes, we have been loving it! We’ve done zoom calls and even streamed a KZbin video and it did great. It’s changed the way we work on the road!

[@dominiccenteno1233]

How is the power pull? Is it viable when let's say you need to use it for 6 hours, does it use too much electricity?

[@chrisandsara]

It’s looking like it’s pulling 25-50 watts (lingering around the 35 watt mark)

[@sailorcto]

Helpful videos. thanks. I think you mean megaBITS, not megaBYTES per second.

[@eduardosantos5078]

Saudade de vocês . ...

[@jab2d3dCGmfg]

The poles are not currently covered. Is the connection still going to be affected by 5g wavelength?