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How feasible is it make an HDT my work from road office when needed?


BlueLghtning

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I haven't started an intro thread yet on this forum, but have chimed in on a few threads here and there and figure it's time to ask my first question. I'm sure I'll have a lot more as we get more into this. I've been doing a ton of reading on this forum and am pretty solidly convinced a HDT is the way for my wife and I as we prepare to become full time RV'ers. I worked as a yard dog for UPS in my late teens, early 20's and got very comfortable with driving class 7/8 trucks in tight parking lots and moving trailers of all sizes all over loading docks, into building's etc. I also of course love the safety aspect of such a big truck and how much nicer I know it will be to use to tow vs a standard 2500/3500 p/u truck. I'm probably far from the norm here on the next part, but I'd much rather prefer a rig with a manual transmission although I'm sure the i-shift is pretty nice. The other advantage of the HDT besides the fact we can haul any 5th wheel we want is we have more room to carry the motorcycles on the back of the rig if that's needed.

 

My wife and I are just over 40 and have made the decision that we are definitely going to go full time. It's just us, no kids, and no pets and we have decided this is a lifestyle we are really looking forward to. We both love traveling on motorcycles on & off road and although we have traveled the country on various week or 2 week trips here and there as time allows, we like the idea of going to our favorite places and just hanging out for weeks at a time to go explore and enjoy the area. Our MC trips always feel rushed because we try to see so much in such a limited amount of time, so I figure this way we can spend as long as we want in the areas we want to see. As I've gotten older, I've really grown tired of the hot humid summers in GA and wish to go find nicer more comfortable places in the summer to hang out. We are still working on the timeline on when this will happen as we have so much to do to get our house ready for sale, find an HDT and our 5th wheel that we'll live in and of course purge, purge, and purge more.

 

I work in the IT industry and have been working from home for 5-6 years already, so I'm very comfortable with that. My job is a normal 8-5 job and I plan on hanging on to that for awhile as we get going. My wife will be leaving her job in the dental field to start her own business she's already been working on getting off the ground and will allow her to work from anywhere herself.

 

For the most part, I plan to work in the 5th wheel as much as possible as that should be the most convenient and comfortable, but because my job requires internet for me to do my job, I'm thinking if we choose to stay in a location (maybe boon docking) where perhaps cell service and/or wifi is lacking, then I could jump in the HDT and head to the nearest town with cell coverage and or wifi. I figure If I can find an area to park, I can spend my day in my little office in the back of the rig working. It seems a Volvo with the work station setup would work great for this. I'd have a small fridge and microwave for food and lunch, my laptop and what ever else I needed right there with me. My wife could stay back at the RV and work her job that doesn't have near the internet requirements mine does.

 

My main question is about the APU you find in some of these trucks? Is that just nothing more than a small diesel generator that runs and gives you power or something else? I would assume if it has an APU, then you would have some aux heat/A/C system to keep the bunk/work station area fairly comfortable if you aren't talking about any temperature extremes? Are there other setups you find in these trucks? I certainly don't think I would want to be idling the truck for hours at a time as that would be a waste of fuel and wear and tear on the truck although I noticed some trucks marked as "clean idle", but that may just be an emissions thing? I may even look into some aux battery setup that could at least power my laptop for hours on end if needed.

 

Anyone see any concerns I'm missing about using an HDT as my small office? As I started with, I'd most likely work from the RV most of the time, but this would be my backup if I needed to get better cell or wifi signal.

 

Speaking of work stations, what Volvo models have the option of a work station in the back? I think 780 is probably one of the most common since it's probably the most likely to be an owner/operator truck vs some of the more mainstream ones that might be more suited to team drivers where the double bunk is wanted Do any other trucks have some sort of work station setup? I know the Volvo's tend to be the most popular on here, but I'm not opposed to other trucks that fit the bill. I guess at the very least, if the HDT I settled on only had double bunks, we could always remove the lower one and install some sort of desk or workstation setup in the back.

 

Dan

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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Dan,

 

There are two main APU setups out there, engine driven compressors for the AC or electrically driven. My personal opinion would be to limit your choice to two brands. Thermo King and Carrier. They can be worked on at almost anywhere in the country, have parts that are relatively easy to find and you shouldn't have to worry about them going out of business anytime soon (unlike some of the others in the past).

 

Thermo King is the former of those two. It uses the engine to drive the AC compressor and fires up a small diesel furnace to provide the heat. This unit is quieter than the the Carrier but does not have a shore power option.

 

The Carrier uses an electrically driven compressor for AC and then turns on heat strips for heat similar to your house. You can also get the Carrier with a shore power option that will allow you to plug into 120 Volts shore power to run the AC and heat.

 

Both will also charge the truck batteries as well. In fact, the Carrier (and I assume the Thermo King) will monitor battery voltage and crank the generator to charge the batteries if needed.

 

As far as your workstation setup, several models of Freightliner, Peterbilt and Kenworth can be had with that configuration. Some of the ones that only have the double bunk setup (Kenworth T680 being one of them) have a swivel table that can be used from the bunk or the rider seat can be rotated to the rear and use the table.

2017 Kenworth T680
2015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites
2016 Smart Prime

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APU will give you power and AC and heat and run much quieter than truck. They are much pricier than just generators. Full timing is not like two weeks vacations, it requires a lot more planning, setting up and execution of things to make it work for 52 weeks of the year. Most folks that full time spend most of the time in campgrounds, or part of it in campgrounds and part in small stick and bricks facility (full time part of the year only). Campgrounds have wi-fi, some free, some you pay for. My cousin works from home, like you (IT) and requires pretty fast connection. He stayed at the local RV campground for several months, what they had didn't cut it, but they did allow him to obtain a high speed connection to his rig and pay for it personally. Basically, Comcast that services the campground ran a separate connection to his rig. Alternative to spending several thousands on an APU is to install a separate bank of batteries in the truck (besides the four that start the truck) and install a good inverter to give you clean AC from that battery bank. I've built that into truck conversions and have some pictures of that if you are interested.

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Dan,

 

There are two main APU setups out there, engine driven compressors for the AC or electrically driven. My personal opinion would be to limit your choice to two brands. Thermo King and Carrier. They can be worked on at almost anywhere in the country, have parts that are relatively easy to find and you shouldn't have to worry about them going out of business anytime soon (unlike some of the others in the past).

 

Thermo King is the former of those two. It uses the engine to drive the AC compressor and fires up a small diesel furnace to provide the heat. This unit is quieter than the the Carrier but does not have a shore power option.

 

The Carrier uses an electrically driven compressor for AC and then turns on heat strips for heat similar to your house. You can also get the Carrier with a shore power option that will allow you to plug into 120 Volts shore power to run the AC and heat.

 

Both will also charge the truck batteries as well. In fact, the Carrier (and I assume the Thermo King) will monitor battery voltage and crank the generator to charge the batteries if needed.

 

As far as your workstation setup, several models of Freightliner, Peterbilt and Kenworth can be had with that configuration. Some of the ones that only have the double bunk setup (Kenworth T680 being one of them) have a swivel table that can be used from the bunk or the rider seat can be rotated to the rear and use the table.

 

I have seen Thermo King, but didn't even think about there are different brands and what might be out there. Thanks for pointing that out. I also didn't know about the 2 different types. That's cool about the shore option. What kind of amps does the shore option require? 30amps?

 

Cool, didn't know the seats could be rotated too? I'll keep an eye out for those setups too.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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APU will give you power and AC and heat and run much quieter than truck. They are much pricier than just generators. Full timing is not like two weeks vacations, it requires a lot more planning, setting up and execution of things to make it work for 52 weeks of the year. Most folks that full time spend most of the time in campgrounds, or part of it in campgrounds and part in small stick and bricks facility (full time part of the year only). Campgrounds have wi-fi, some free, some you pay for. My cousin works from home, like you (IT) and requires pretty fast connection. He stayed at the local RV campground for several months, what they had didn't cut it, but they did allow him to obtain a high speed connection to his rig and pay for it personally. Basically, Comcast that services the campground ran a separate connection to his rig. Alternative to spending several thousands on an APU is to install a separate bank of batteries in the truck (besides the four that start the truck) and install a good inverter to give you clean AC from that battery bank. I've built that into truck conversions and have some pictures of that if you are interested.

 

I'm definitely trying to wrap my head around all the challenges of full timing and there's certainly a lot more to worry about vs just a few weeks of vacation here and there. It's really hard to know what we'll prefer or what will actually work until we get out there on the road and actually experience it, but I really think we'll try to spend a decent amount of time outside of formal campgrounds. Of course, that means you are away from a lot of the conveniences of campgrounds that have to offer. Solar power and lithium batteries are certainly on my mind also to make working without standard connections possible. Of course, all that comes at a price.

 

I've thought about a separate bank of batteries in the truck too with an inverter. Thanks for all the help!

 

I've read enough to know depending on campground wifi is definitely a challenge. I'm doing a lot of research on the mobile front to make sure I can stay connected. I am planning on a having a full arsenal of cell coverage, wifi booster and the maximum signal cell booster to give me the best possible chance of having reliable internet.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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I wonder if you could make a Hughes net dish work. They are ment for homes but I wonder if they could be set up on a pole like people do with a Direct TV dish? It would work anywhere and would probably be a lot more secure then random wifi networks. Just a thought.

 

The McDonalds managers might get a little upset with you parking a tractor in their parking lot all day:)

 

BTW: I think for Volvo the 780 and 730 are the two models with the work station configuration. Either would be quite comfy for your needs.

Chris, Tracey, Aria & Lola

2018 Volvo VNR 400, D13 I-Shift

2018 NH 48' Majestic

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Don't forget about the 770, they are maybe a little older, but have the work station. RV Haulers had a You Tube on a set up with A/C and maybe a small Honda generator a bit ago. Don't know if Gregg has got all the bug (if there were any) worked out yet. If you haven't looked at any of the videos yet, they are very informative.

 

Rod

I wonder if you could make a Hughes net dish work. They are ment for homes but I wonder if they could be set up on a pole like people do with a Direct TV dish? It would work anywhere and would probably be a lot more secure then random wifi networks. Just a thought.

The McDonalds managers might get a little upset with you parking a tractor in their parking lot all day:)

BTW: I think for Volvo the 780 and 730 are the two models with the work station configuration. Either would be quite comfy for your needs.

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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The shore power option for the carrier APU needs 15A 120V. You'd need another circuit for other things in your 'house'. I have a link to all of the manuals I've accumulated for the Carrier.

 

I have a carrier APU without the generator (the generator apparently failed). So I just have the heat/ac wired for shore power.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q0r7sv9us44spy7/AACaIkzbgnKKcbusJswSNceba?dl=0

 

One thing to note is the condenser fan for the A/C runs on 12V, so you need to be careful not to let it kill your batteries.

2007 Volvo 780 Volvo D12D, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift

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Dan I can't comment on the APU issue because I don't have one. However, you may want to think a little farther ahead and aging in place as you are full timing when you talk about a manual trans. Any kind of injury or just aging joints can make shifting difficult. Just something else to consider.

 

Brad

Brad and Jacolyn
Tucker the Wonder dog and Brynn the Norfolk Terrier
2009 Smart "Joy"
2004 VNL630 "Vonda the Volvo"
2008 Hitch Hiker 35 CK Champagne Edition
VED12 465 HP, Freedomline, 3.73 ratio, WB 218"
Fulltiming and loving it.

 

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Dan I can't comment on the APU issue because I don't have one. However, you may want to think a little farther ahead and aging in place as you are full timing when you talk about a manual trans. Any kind of injury or just aging joints can make shifting difficult. Just something else to consider.

 

Brad

I agree, Our 10sp was very hard to shift with a broken right wrist last spring. I made it work, but it was painful to be nice about it.

I do as you are talking about with the mini-office. We have a 1998 Volvo 610 that just has a bunk and stack of drawers, and a swivel tray that works as a laptop holder. Previous owners had installed a microwave and fridge that runs off of an inverter tied to 4 extra batteries- not truck starting. We don't have an APU so for heat or AC I do need to idle the truck.

Where needed, I have parked at Walmart, or wherever I can receive a decent signal, and do office work for several hours.

Solutions are abundant for your office. You just need to pick thru the options.

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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If you are thinking of upgrading the truck to act as a standalone RV the presentation I did at the HDT Rally a few years ago discusses some of the considerations and tradeoffs. HERE is a direct link. Let me know if it does not work. It should give you food for thought.

 

There is no real issue setting up a truck the way you wish. LIke some others, I'd give serious thought about the manual. It will limit WHO can drive the truck, and will pretty much kill resale value if you wish to upgrade or change it out later. Just something to think about.

 

An APU can certainly do the job, but you might consider a battery bank driving a high efficiency DC air conditioning unit. And use a Webasto for heat. That will be far quieter. That works as long as the truck can be recharged either by driving, or plugging into shore power between discharges. Otherwise the genset is better. OR, just use a Honda 2000 for recharging the truck as needed, and as your juice for trailer recharging or long term genset use on the trailer.....A 2000 will put in 100 amps DC at most elevations. A 3000 Honda will do it all and run an air conditioning unit on your trailer if needed.

 

You will certainly want an inverter in the truck to do as you plan. And on the swivel seats - MOST trucks do not have them, so you will have to add the swivel base. But if you have a dinette (workstation) then that is not critical. The workstation is pretty much standard in the 770/780/730 and available in the 670. It is more rare in the 670.

 

The combination of wifi capture technology along with cellular should service your requirements. But it may cost a good amount depending on how much data you need. There are still unlimited data plans that can be bought (second hand) on Verizon, but they are going the way of the carrier pigeon....I do not expect them to last much longer (just my opinion). I use 40 gig a month on Verizon and that runs around $250, with two phones and a Jetpack. For most people in your situation I'd advise dual carriers....so you have a better chance of getting cellular reception. Use your secondary carrier phone as a hotspot when needed. There is a lot more to it, but it does depend on how much data you really need.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Dan, the Carrier will run off of a 15 amp, 120 volt shore connection. That will power a 12,000 BTU AC unit and also give you a couple of 120V outlets. Depending on whether you are running the AC on hi or low will determine how many amps of 120 volt power you will have from the outlets. For heat, it will run 5,000 or 10,000 BTU's of heat but on the high setting, you will not have 120 volt power.

 

You will be able to do pretty much anything it you are running the 7,000 watt generator though and that little 2 cyl Kubota is plumbed into the main tanks so no extra fuel to lug around or worry about. It will also automatically come on and charge the batteries as required.

 

As far as running the fridge and everything else, I am lucky in that regard and also have a 20 amp, 120 volt shore power connection for the truck that runs the fridge, TV, microwave and the 120 volt outlets in the rest of the truck as well as being a battery charger in addition to the APU.

 

We are using ours more than I thought we would as stopping in a Walmart, Lowes or truckstop and setting up for the night just means cranking the APU, pulling the front curtains around the dash and going to bed. I also plan on setting up a transfer switch later this year and adding a twist lock, 30 amp charging circuit that I can run back to the trailer. That will allow me to charge the batteries and run a single AC unit on the trailer to keep the heat down. All I would do in that case is make a stop about an hour before we get to our site for the night, hook up the cable and crank the genset.

2017 Kenworth T680
2015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites
2016 Smart Prime

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I wonder if you could make a Hughes net dish work. They are ment for homes but I wonder if they could be set up on a pole like people do with a Direct TV dish? It would work anywhere and would probably be a lot more secure then random wifi networks. Just a thought.

The McDonalds managers might get a little upset with you parking a tractor in their parking lot all day:)

BTW: I think for Volvo the 780 and 730 are the two models with the work station configuration. Either would be quite comfy for your needs.

I certainly won't be trying to make myself a menace by clogging someone's parking lot. I do think I'll try to rely more on cell service vs mooching wifi.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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Don't forget about the 770, they are maybe a little older, but have the work station. RV Haulers had a You Tube on a set up with A/C and maybe a small Honda generator a bit ago. Don't know if Gregg has got all the bug (if there were any) worked out yet. If you haven't looked at any of the videos yet, they are very informative.

 

Rod

The 770's are definitely on the list too. I've watched lots of Greg's videos but don't think I have come across that one yet. I'll look for it.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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The shore power option for the carrier APU needs 15A 120V. You'd need another circuit for other things in your 'house'. I have a link to all of the manuals I've accumulated for the Carrier.

 

I have a carrier APU without the generator (the generator apparently failed). So I just have the heat/ac wired for shore power.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q0r7sv9us44spy7/AACaIkzbgnKKcbusJswSNceba?dl=0

 

One thing to note is the condenser fan for the A/C runs on 12V, so you need to be careful not to let it kill your batteries.

Awesome great info and I'll Check out the link and info.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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Dan I can't comment on the APU issue because I don't have one. However, you may want to think a little farther ahead and aging in place as you are full timing when you talk about a manual trans. Any kind of injury or just aging joints can make shifting difficult. Just something else to consider.Brad

 

I agree, Our 10sp was very hard to shift with a broken right wrist last spring. I made it work, but it was painful to be nice about it.

Definitely good points and I know where you are coming from. I tore my ACL on my left knee in 2015 and had surgery to correct it. Both my wife and I drive manual trans cars and that was all we had at the time. I ended up buying my parent's spare car that was an auto so i could drive myself around for a few months. However once I was healed i really hated driving it and sold it.

I know manuals really limit the resale and have other negatives, but both my wife and I tend to really prefer them. All our motorcycles are manual also. I will certainly weigh my options when it comes time to buy. I guess I wouldn't pass up a really nice auto, but I'm certainly not afraid of older units where the manuals were more common. We'll see what I happen upon when I start looking.

 

I do as you are talking about with the mini-office. We have a 1998 Volvo 610 that just has a bunk and stack of drawers, and a swivel tray that works as a laptop holder. Previous owners had installed a microwave and fridge that runs off of an inverter tied to 4 extra batteries- not truck starting. We don't have an APU so for heat or AC I do need to idle the truck.
Where needed, I have parked at Walmart, or wherever I can receive a decent signal, and do office work for several hours.
Solutions are abundant for your office. You just need to pick thru the options.


Good info. That may be an option to keep the double bunks then so if my wife and I want to take small trips in just the rig with our motorcycles or just stop for the night while traveling, we both have comfy places to sleep too.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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If you are thinking of upgrading the truck to act as a standalone RV the presentation I did at the HDT Rally a few years ago discusses some of the considerations and tradeoffs. HERE is a direct link. Let me know if it does not work. It should give you food for thought.

 

There is no real issue setting up a truck the way you wish. LIke some others, I'd give serious thought about the manual. It will limit WHO can drive the truck, and will pretty much kill resale value if you wish to upgrade or change it out later. Just something to think about.

 

An APU can certainly do the job, but you might consider a battery bank driving a high efficiency DC air conditioning unit. And use a Webasto for heat. That will be far quieter. That works as long as the truck can be recharged either by driving, or plugging into shore power between discharges. Otherwise the genset is better. OR, just use a Honda 2000 for recharging the truck as needed, and as your juice for trailer recharging or long term genset use on the trailer.....A 2000 will put in 100 amps DC at most elevations. A 3000 Honda will do it all and run an air conditioning unit on your trailer if needed.

 

You will certainly want an inverter in the truck to do as you plan. And on the swivel seats - MOST trucks do not have them, so you will have to add the swivel base. But if you have a dinette (workstation) then that is not critical. The workstation is pretty much standard in the 770/780/730 and available in the 670. It is more rare in the 670.

 

The combination of wifi capture technology along with cellular should service your requirements. But it may cost a good amount depending on how much data you need. There are still unlimited data plans that can be bought (second hand) on Verizon, but they are going the way of the carrier pigeon....I do not expect them to last much longer (just my opinion). I use 40 gig a month on Verizon and that runs around $250, with two phones and a Jetpack. For most people in your situation I'd advise dual carriers....so you have a better chance of getting cellular reception. Use your secondary carrier phone as a hotspot when needed. There is a lot more to it, but it does depend on how much data you really need.

 

Lot's of great points, thanks for chiming in Jack! Yes the link works so I'll check that out.

 

I have been doing a lot of reading on Technomadia's site and others about the various cell phone plans and meeting my internet needs. I know the unlimited plans are getting much harder to come by. As for the amount of data I will use, I'm pretty sure I have it figured out how to be able to do my job with using way less data. I have the ability to setup a VM (Virtual Machine) that resides on my company's network. I'll VPN into the network and then remote desktop into that virtual machine. The only traffic passing back and forth over the cell connection will be the keyboard/monitor traffic of the RDP which is way less than say all your e-mail with attachments, long DB queries, etc all passing over the cell connection its self. That also probably means I can get away with a slower connection since RDP traffic does not require a lot of bandwith. I'll probably do a test run one month monitoring my traffic usage and see what I come in at, but it should be way less than all the traffic running through my laptop over the VPN and cell.

 

Thanks again for all the responses.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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We bought a 770 with an Autoshift, basically an automatic except for the use of clutch in first and reverse for starting and stopping. Both wife and I have driven standards all our lives, including driving sports cars with some very nice manuals. We like that transmission.

I was asked to help ferry a Volvo with a 40 foot trailer from Nevada to Massachusetts with a manual 10 speed. I said "of course" how hard can that be after all my manual "experience" in cars. WRONGGGGGGGGGGGGG !!!!!!!!!!

Ask Jack Mayer, we stopped at his campground after almost a thousand miles on the road and both the owner of the rig and I couldn't find the right gear, particularly any of the first five on the downshift, if we paid for it. Truck manuals are totally different animals and car driving doesn't give you a clue. Can it be mastered, sure, after three thousand miles we were doing a passable job but by no means an expert job. I have seen others float shift these (without the use of the clutch) in and out of any gear like it was an air, but it was years of experience. Those trannies are by no means intuitive to a "newbie".

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I was asked to help ferry a Volvo with a 40 foot trailer from Nevada to Massachusetts with a manual 10 speed. I said "of course" how hard can that be after all my manual "experience" in cars. WRONGGGGGGGGGGGGG !!!!!!!!!!

Ask Jack Mayer, we stopped at his campground after almost a thousand miles on the road and both the owner of the rig and I couldn't find the right gear, particularly any of the first five on the downshift, if we paid for it.

And all that was AFTER I told Henry to get a Gearmaster installed BEFORE they left Nevada. They put it in here, and all was good (well, REALLY, better) after that..... :)

 

I've driven plenty of manuals, and have no desire to do so any more. An I Shift spoils you REAL fast. Besides, my driving a manual after all these years would probably be like starting over again...not sure I'd even attempt it.... :(

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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I too work in the IT field. I am not a full timer but owning my own company I am more flexible and able to work around things that if I worked for somebody else might make my ability to work difficult and sometimes down right impossible.

 

We started RVing in 2006. My company was smaller with fewer employees then, so the IT burden was all on me. WiFi in a campground was a pure luxury. We already had air cards but even back then some popular places had little to no cellular connectivity. By 2009 I added a DirectWay account with a DataStorm dish on the trailer. Not the best but it worked. Now I don't think they support mobile users as they tend to spot beam (like DirectTV) and you will have to get on the phone with them almost every time you move. Also when I disconnect the dish around 2012~2013 the network was so congested between 8~5 it was like sitting in rush hour traffic in LA on the last day of work before a holiday.

 

My wife and I visit YellowStone every year. The campground we stay at has always had decent connectivity. One of the many things we like about it. This is outside of the park. This past spring, well before the summer rush it was a downright nightmare trying to get on the internet. First I thought it was the WiFi so I pull out the air cards. Still no joy. We know the owners of the campground so over dinner with them a few nights later, I ask if there is a back haul issue as I suspect. Her back ground was Telecom before deciding to find something more to do in retirement and buying a RV park. So she was able to confirm without a doubt that the problem was a back haul. For the locals, it not much of a problem since during peak season they do not use the internet as much as off season. Off Season (9 months of the year) there are no back haul issues and the connections scream. Most tourist are only there a day or two so they just figure they will live with a slow connection for that time. She also confirmed the problem has only gotten worse in recent years due to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix and Skype just to name a few. The big problem is most phones are configured to sync when they get a WiFi signal so when everybody comes back at night all the smartphones are trying to sync. Even 3am is busy as visitors from the other side of the world are now up and on Skype and such telling family and friends back home about the great time they are having. During the day when everybody is gone they leave their laptop behind to sync with the previous days photos and videos while they are out taking more photos and videos.

 

When you call to make a reservation and ask about the internet connection their staff will ask if you are asking because you also trying to work while visiting. If you confirm you need connectivity for work and such, they will recommend finding someplace else. They do not want you in the office complaining about your inability to work due to slow connectivity that is beyond their control.

 

Just something to keep in mind if connectivity is vital to your ability to do your job. If you only need to move some files around a few times a day or week should not be as big of an issue but if you need to be connected to work could be a big issue depending on where you are at. If the problem is back haul (which is becoming more and more common in rural areas with large influx of visitors for a few months at a time) then going to town to work is not going to solve the problem. This does not answer the questions of building a home office in the truck (very doable) but as Jack pointed out even if you have connectivity it can be very expensive if you are having to revert to cellular service to work.

2017 Entegra Anthem 44A

SOLD - 2004 Volvo 780. 465hp and 10sp Auto Shift (from 2010~2017)

SOLD - 2009 Montana 3400RL

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I also agree to think twice before committing to manual transmission. Initially my thought process was when looking for a truck the transmission preference would be automated but if the right truck has a manual then manual it is. Even though I do 95% of the driving, I was informed she had no interest in rowing that many gears for the few times she does have to drive. Automated ONLY if I knew what was good for me. As dangerously as I like to live from time to time, I do enjoy the fact I still have a full set of teeth and plan on keep them as I do enjoy corn on the cob from time to time.

 

Sometimes your travels will include passing thru a major metropolitan area as much as you try to avoid them. A few years after owning the truck we had to pass thru Denver. Not a big deal we as arranged our schedule so we would pass thru early afternoon and be out by mid-afternoon, well before rush hour. What typically takes about 2 hours or less took almost 5 hours. Weather was not the issue, it was just one of those days. Traffic was almost always moving, just slowly. We would speed up then slow down. The truck just shifted, shifted and kept shifting as we sped up and slowed back down. We only came to a complete stop about half a dozen times so it was not like I had to use the clutch excessively (we have a auto shift - 3 peddles). But if I manually had to do the shifting my right arm would have been flat wore out!

 

Over the years we have accumulated a few vehicles in our stable. All the toys have manual gear boxes but our daily drivers are both automatics. The truck is kinda a hybrid with the auto shift but basically is a automatic. We both have a real soft spot in our hearts for our toys with the manuals. They are what we learned to drive on and drove exclusively until our 30's. We love to get out there and thrash around thru the gear boxes but could not imagine anything but a automatic for our daily drivers and the HDT. Even the professional drivers here seem skeptical about the iShift until they start using one daily and then become believers.

 

No matter how much you try not to you are going to hit traffic weather it is road construction, an accident, weather or just plan congestion. It is important to us that we both are comfortable driving our setup. We are not stuck if for some reason I am unable to drive or choose not to. Once I was feeling under the weather. So she drove and I crawled in to the bunk and slept. By the time we got to our destination we arrived at our destination and I was good to go. Did not lose any time. A manual will also limit your buyers in the event you are tying to sell for any reason. If I ever decide to upgrade to a different truck even my auto shift will limit my potential buyers and drive the price down some but not as much as a full manual transmission would.

2017 Entegra Anthem 44A

SOLD - 2004 Volvo 780. 465hp and 10sp Auto Shift (from 2010~2017)

SOLD - 2009 Montana 3400RL

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A couple of folks have mentioned HughesNet or other satellite Internet service. It's "fine" if that's your only option, but just in case it hasn't been clear in any other comments, latency is notably much higher with satellite Internet. Even at the speed of light, sending a signal from even Mt Everest to a satellite orbiting at 22,300 miles ASL takes ~225ms. Sending that signal back down to Earth takes another ~225ms. If you're using a bidirectional satellite system (necessary if you don't want to also use a modem for the upload side), the reply packets have to take the same route, adding up to nearly a full second of delay. That will cause anything interactive to be marginally or completely unbearable - VoIP "demands" <150ms latency end-to-end in many cases, and human speech pacing breaks down any time the latency is >200ms. Even things like typing into a server-based system (such that you don't see what you typed until the server echoes it back to your screen) can be come unbearable if you're not an accurate typer.

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I too work in the IT field. I am not a full timer but owning my own company I am more flexible and able to work around things that if I worked for somebody else might make my ability to work difficult and sometimes down right impossible.

 

We started RVing in 2006. My company was smaller with fewer employees then, so the IT burden was all on me. WiFi in a campground was a pure luxury. We already had air cards but even back then some popular places had little to no cellular connectivity. By 2009 I added a DirectWay account with a DataStorm dish on the trailer. Not the best but it worked. Now I don't think they support mobile users as they tend to spot beam (like DirectTV) and you will have to get on the phone with them almost every time you move. Also when I disconnect the dish around 2012~2013 the network was so congested between 8~5 it was like sitting in rush hour traffic in LA on the last day of work before a holiday.

 

My wife and I visit YellowStone every year. The campground we stay at has always had decent connectivity. One of the many things we like about it. This is outside of the park. This past spring, well before the summer rush it was a downright nightmare trying to get on the internet. First I thought it was the WiFi so I pull out the air cards. Still no joy. We know the owners of the campground so over dinner with them a few nights later, I ask if there is a back haul issue as I suspect. Her back ground was Telecom before deciding to find something more to do in retirement and buying a RV park. So she was able to confirm without a doubt that the problem was a back haul. For the locals, it not much of a problem since during peak season they do not use the internet as much as off season. Off Season (9 months of the year) there are no back haul issues and the connections scream. Most tourist are only there a day or two so they just figure they will live with a slow connection for that time. She also confirmed the problem has only gotten worse in recent years due to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix and Skype just to name a few. The big problem is most phones are configured to sync when they get a WiFi signal so when everybody comes back at night all the smartphones are trying to sync. Even 3am is busy as visitors from the other side of the world are now up and on Skype and such telling family and friends back home about the great time they are having. During the day when everybody is gone they leave their laptop behind to sync with the previous days photos and videos while they are out taking more photos and videos.

 

When you call to make a reservation and ask about the internet connection their staff will ask if you are asking because you also trying to work while visiting. If you confirm you need connectivity for work and such, they will recommend finding someplace else. They do not want you in the office complaining about your inability to work due to slow connectivity that is beyond their control.

 

Just something to keep in mind if connectivity is vital to your ability to do your job. If you only need to move some files around a few times a day or week should not be as big of an issue but if you need to be connected to work could be a big issue depending on where you are at. If the problem is back haul (which is becoming more and more common in rural areas with large influx of visitors for a few months at a time) then going to town to work is not going to solve the problem. This does not answer the questions of building a home office in the truck (very doable) but as Jack pointed out even if you have connectivity it can be very expensive if you are having to revert to cellular service to work.

 

Lots of good info there and thanks for taking the time to share that. I've had some concerns about this myself and I've certainly wondered about the infrastructure in areas that aren't used to the influx of people during peak seasons. I'm sure I will face challenges on the road of being able to stay connected at all times. I do generally need to stay connected each day, but a good portion of my day is conference calls and such where I can at least be present for the calls if not online. Once a quarter I have a few "critical" times I need to make sure I'm connected and I guess during those times I'll just have to really plan ahead to make sure I'm in an area I can depend on.

 

The good thing is I've been at my company for 17+ years, I get 6+ weeks of vacation a year and my bosses are very easy to work with. At the very worst if I get to a spot and suddenly find that connectivity just isn't livable for my day to day activites, I can take a PTO day or two and travel to somewhere else with better connections. I figure as we move around, we'll start to learn what areas are better than others and where I can depend on connections and where I can't. If I want to travel to areas that I will suspect might be a challenge, I may just decide to take a few PTO days to enjoy that area before moving on and not worry about connecting at all.

 

I only have a few "critical" times during a quarter where my presence online is absolutely required for my teams and other teams to work together and during those I'll just have to be much more diligent on where I'm at and make sure I'm there plenty of time before hand to test out and make sure all is well.

 

My long term goal is once we are on the road for awhile, we'll learn where our expenses are, what we enjoy, how we like to travel and hopefully during that time, we'll build my wife's business she is starting that doesn't require full time internet and maybe I can transition to something that isn't necessarily an 8-5 job everyday.

 

Thanks again for the info.

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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I also agree to think twice before committing to manual transmission. Initially my thought process was when looking for a truck the transmission preference would be automated but if the right truck has a manual then manual it is. Even though I do 95% of the driving, I was informed she had no interest in rowing that many gears for the few times she does have to drive. Automated ONLY if I knew what was good for me. As dangerously as I like to live from time to time, I do enjoy the fact I still have a full set of teeth and plan on keep them as I do enjoy corn on the cob from time to time.

 

Sometimes your travels will include passing thru a major metropolitan area as much as you try to avoid them. A few years after owning the truck we had to pass thru Denver. Not a big deal we as arranged our schedule so we would pass thru early afternoon and be out by mid-afternoon, well before rush hour. What typically takes about 2 hours or less took almost 5 hours. Weather was not the issue, it was just one of those days. Traffic was almost always moving, just slowly. We would speed up then slow down. The truck just shifted, shifted and kept shifting as we sped up and slowed back down. We only came to a complete stop about half a dozen times so it was not like I had to use the clutch excessively (we have a auto shift - 3 peddles). But if I manually had to do the shifting my right arm would have been flat wore out!

 

Over the years we have accumulated a few vehicles in our stable. All the toys have manual gear boxes but our daily drivers are both automatics. The truck is kinda a hybrid with the auto shift but basically is a automatic. We both have a real soft spot in our hearts for our toys with the manuals. They are what we learned to drive on and drove exclusively until our 30's. We love to get out there and thrash around thru the gear boxes but could not imagine anything but a automatic for our daily drivers and the HDT. Even the professional drivers here seem skeptical about the iShift until they start using one daily and then become believers.

 

No matter how much you try not to you are going to hit traffic weather it is road construction, an accident, weather or just plan congestion. It is important to us that we both are comfortable driving our setup. We are not stuck if for some reason I am unable to drive or choose not to. Once I was feeling under the weather. So she drove and I crawled in to the bunk and slept. By the time we got to our destination we arrived at our destination and I was good to go. Did not lose any time. A manual will also limit your buyers in the event you are tying to sell for any reason. If I ever decide to upgrade to a different truck even my auto shift will limit my potential buyers and drive the price down some but not as much as a full manual transmission would.

 

Yeah those are certainly all valid concerns. I know driving a non synchronized transmission is nothing like a normal car transmission. I got fairly good when I worked at UPS, but that was not any long haul driving or crawling through city traffic as you mention.

 

I think I would very happy with an i-shift if that was what we found. I do like that it's actually a manual transmission that is automated. It's not really an automatic like you find in a car. I just have to see where our budget is for our truck and what options that leaves us with. My biggest concern about the automated ones is the cost if something expensive breaks. I'm sure they are getting better as new and improved versions come out, but it might be one of the earlier versions that ends up in our budget and I just haven't wrapped my head around that yet for reliability sake and what repairs might cost. I know we'll need to keep a healthy maintenance fund for the truck, just don't want to see it get wiped out by an automatic transmission failure when we are just trying to get going. The reliability of a manual transmission is one of main driving forces here.

 

I don't want to focus too much on the transmission just yet. I still have so much to learn about the trucks and what our options are. :)

Dan (Class of 2017) - 2012 Ram 3500 & 2005 Alpenlite Valhalla 29RK
Contact me at rvsolarconsulting.com or Two Wheel Ramblin

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