Motorhome internet options guide

Your feet are sore after a long day exploring New Zealand’s pristine landscape.

You crawl into bed and all you want to do is stream a movie or scroll social media. But your feed won’t load, Youtube won’t play and you’re quickly running out of data. You’ve been left in the digital dark because you didn’t consider your motorhome internet options!

If you want to connect to the internet from your motorhome, you currently have three options :

• Cellular modem - best option overall

• Mobile hotspot - the easiest option

• Satellite dish and modem - best option for remote travel

Read on to find out about the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Discover the best providers of motorhome internet across all three categories and learn how to quickly earn a return on your investment in a motorhome internet system.

Motorhome internet options

Best option overall: Cellular modem

What is a cellular modem?

A cellular modem is a portable WiFi router that you place in your motorhome to create a WiFi hotspot. You put a sim card in the modem and it connects wirelessly to 3G/4G towers around New Zealand, just like your smartphone.

Benefits

When you’re in cellular range, these modems provide a stable and high-quality internet connection. The internet speed is similar to what you might expect at home.

Cellular modems can provide a better WiFi hotspot than your phone can. They also save you the hassle of having to turn your mobile hotspot on and off all the time.

Disadvantages

Cellular modems connect to the same 3G and 4G towers that your phone does. This means that when you have poor mobile coverage , your internet speeds may be greatly reduced or you may receive no internet at all.

Setup

Cellular modems are relatively easy to set up compared to other motorhome internet options.

Start by purchasing a sim card from a provider (see below) and insert it into the modem. Then connect your modem to your motorhomes 240v mains of 12-24v battery. Power on the modem and it should automatically connect to the 3G/4G network.

Finally, connect your smart devices via WiFi and start scrolling your favourite sites!

Recommended cellular modem provider: Wireless Nation

Wireless Nation is one of the most popular cellular modem providers in New Zealand. This is largely thanks to their 700+ towers that provide decent network coverage across most of the North and South Islands.

Wireless Nation sells 4G cellular modems for $299 (discounted for NZMCA members). They also sell optional 12-24v power adapters for $69.90.

You can choose from 4 data plans that Wireless Nation have designed for motorhome and caravan usage. They start at $49 per month for 20GB of data and range all the way up to $159 per month for 270GB of data. The best part is, however, that you can put the service on hold when not in use (requires 30 days notice).

Easiest option: Mobile hotspot

What is a mobile hotspot?

A mobile hotspot is when you put your smartphone into hotspot mode so that it gives off a WiFi signal. The strength and speed of the internet connection depend on the 3G/4G cellular coverage your phone is receiving.

Benefits

A mobile hotspot is the easiest option for getting internet in your motorhome.

It is also the best option for people hiring a motorhome in New Zealand. All you need is a smartphone and local SIM card with a data plan. No need to invest in costly hardware or waste time installing routers.

Kiwi mobile providers offer a range of prepaid data plans, meaning that you can find an option to suit both your budget and expected internet usage.

Disadvantages

Mobile data plans are less cost-effective than the data plans offered by cellular modem providers like Wireless Nation. You receive less data at a higher cost. (But don’t forget, a mobile hotspot saves you money upfront because you don’t have to fork out for hardware like modems or satellite dishes.)

When your mobile is in hotspot mode, it also gives off a weaker WiFi signal than a cellular modem. Plus, every time you want to use your mobile hotspot, you’ll have to turn it on and off to save battery.

Just like a cellular modem, your phone will also lose 3G/4G internet connection when in areas with poor cellular coverage.

Setup

A mobile hotspot is the easiest motorhome internet option to set up. Most people hiring a motorhome use mobile hotspot because it saves time and money on hardware.

When you have a 3G/4G signal, simply go into the settings of your phone and turn on the hotspot (aka tethering) feature. Then connect your other devices as you would normally connect to WiFi.

Recommended cellular mobile provider: Skinny Broadband

The best mobile provider for you will depend on your budget and the way in which you want to use the internet. It also depends on where you will be travelling and whether or not the provider offers coverage in those areas.

Want to watch movies and make video calls? You’re probably going to need a lot of mobile data. In this case, Skinny Broadband’s Endless Data plan might be the best option for you. For $70 , you get endless data (max speed reduced after 40GB of data usage) that expires and renews after 28 days. You also get unlimited domestic calls and texts.

Or maybe you only need enough mobile data to check Google Maps or send the occasional email? One of the best budget internet options is Skinny’s 2.5GB Rollover Data Plan for $26. This plan lasts for 28 days and on top of the data, you also get 300 minutes of domestic calls and unlimited texts.

Best option for remote travel: Satellite dish and modem

What is a satellite dish and modem?

You can get internet in your motorhome by mounting a satellite dish and connecting it to a modem in your motorhome. The satellite dish receives internet signals from satellites in space. This signal is carried to the modem, which then gives off a WiFi signal.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of satellite internet is that you can get connectivity in remote locations where you can’t get a good mobile or cellular signal.

Disadvantages

Satellite internet has traditionally suffered from slower speeds, higher latency and smaller data offerings when compared to cellular technology.

However, with the introduction of new satellite technology such as Starlink (see below), it is expected that satellite internet might soon surpass cellular internet , offering extremely high speeds, almost constant connectivity and unlimited data allowances.

Setup

Of all three motorhome internet options, satellite internet can be the most difficult to set up.

If you buy a simple satellite modem with an in-built receiver , it can be powered and stored inside your motorhome cupboard (pleasing for those that want to know how to decorate a motorhome). This is quite an easy process but you might not receive the best satellite signal.

For a strong signal, it’s best to mount a satellite dish on the roof of your motorhome. This may require some minor modifications to your vehicle unless you can use an existing satellite setup.

New Starlink technology that is currently being rolled out across New Zealand makes it easy to set up both a satellite dish and modem. The portable satellite dish sits on a tripod, so it doesn’t need to be mounted on your vehicle. Instead, it can easily be set up and packed away in a matter of seconds.

Recommended satellite and modem provider: Starlink

Starlink is a worldwide satellite internet system that is currently being rolled out by Elon Musk’s spacecraft company SpaceX. It aims to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to anyone around the globe who owns a Starlink satellite kit.

It is important to note that Starlink is still in beta testing. Many lucky Kiwi’s who pre-ordered Starlink at the start of 2021 have started receiving their systems in the last few months of the year. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

However, whilst Starlink is in beta testing mode, it is unable to be used outside of a certain radius from your set address. This means it’s currently not a good option for motorhomes. But this is expected to change in late 2021 or early 2022 when the service comes out of beta testing. At that time, SpaceX says that Starlink will become fully mobile and perfect for your motorhome.

During beta testing, Starlink users can expect data speeds between 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms. These speeds are super impressive and mean that you will get high performance when streaming movies or even playing online games in your motorhome! Plus, speeds, latency and uptime are expected to get even better over the coming months and years.

You can buy a Starlink satellite internet kit for $799 plus $114 for shipping and handling. This has everything you need, including a satellite dish, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables and mounting tripod. On top of this, the service costs $159 per month but there is no data limit and you can put the service on hold when not in use.

For motorhome owners wanting to enjoy constant connectivity and high download speeds like they do at home, Starlink will soon be the best option on the market. However, if you can’t wait to get satellite internet installed in your motorhome, you can try existing options such as those on offer at RSE.

Earn a return on your investment in motorhome internet

Investing in one of the above motorhome internet options is a great way to make your vehicle more appealing to potential hirers. So why not use Camplify to make back the money you’ve spent and create a passive income stream whilst you’re at it!

Why Camplify?

Each year, heaps of Kiwis earn up to $10,000 by renting out their motorhome through Camplify. It provides a quick and easy way to generate long-term passive income and earn a return on their investment.

And the best part is, Camplify takes care of many of the expenses involved in hiring out your vehicle, including:

• Comprehensive hire insurance.

• 24/7 AA nationwide breakdown cover for hirers.

• Dedicated customer support.

If you’re interested in joining Camplify as an owner, try our earnings calculator and see how much income you could generate each year if you rent out your motorhome!