With today’s technology, it can be tempting to imagine working on the road. But is it really feasible? The short answer is yes!
Can I really do remote work from a van?
Yes, you can! Thousands of Americans live the RV life and work remotely, thanks to the Internet being available in most places, including their van with mobile hotspots.
If you’re employed, our best advice is to read your contract and check with your employer… or you can take a risk and not tell, like many people do. Bear in mind it’s not necessarily something we recommend!
On the other hand, you will not have any problem if you’re your own employer; it’s rare that your clients will ever care about you being on the road.
What kind of remote jobs are available on the road?
Most jobs that could be performed from home could be done on the road, but it’ll have to be online. IT, marketing, admin, writing, teaching, developer… the world is your oyster as long as you can work online.
In any case, you’ll want to make yourself comfortable and build a good environment to work in before you start your journey as a digital nomad.
Where to work from as a digital nomad?
Well, that’s the thing: you could technically work from anywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection! It’s like working from home, but when everywhere can be home, it’s not quite the same experience.
Your new workspace could be any of these locations:
- Public libraries – The original public workplace. It’s quiet, and it’s free to stay all day, but download speed might not be the best. Mind the security when joining a public Wi-Fi network!
- Co-working spaces – It’s in the name, they’re for work. Prices will vary, but the facilities will be fully equipped for a full day of work. Some places even include gyms and showers!
- Coffee shops - We don’t recommend working in coffee shops for a long time, but it’s fine to write a few emails! Avoid calls for privacy reasons, and as for every public location: mind your own privacy safety!
- Campsite – If you’re going for an outdoor life, most campsites have Wi-Fi available, although speed may not be the best.
- Short-term rentals – Even nomads need a break sometimes! And most accommodations will have Wi-Fi available.
- … and your own Internet setup, of course!
What’s your own Internet setup, you ask? It will depend on the kind of adventure you’re looking for:
- A road trip in a car, sleeping in your own vehicle, or perhaps hopping from one accommodation to another?
- The RV life out in the wild, camping here and there?
- Going abroad?
For each of these choices, the options will vary greatly, but there’s one option that shouldn’t let you down unless you’re somewhere without signal…: portable Internet.
How do I get Wi-Fi in my vehicle?
Most digital nomads choose a mobile hotspot for their Internet needs on the road.
There are three big reasons we prefer a hotspot:
- Portability: it’s a small battery-powered device that fits in your pocket,
- Simplicity: it uses cellular data to provide Wi-Fi to your devices, which is widely available as long as there’s network coverage,
- Affordability: it’s always the cheaper option, especially when compared to satellite Internet which uses a router and doesn’t require any kind of modification to your vehicle.
Of course, you can also have a router if you need its powerful features, and you can also have satellite Internet – it all boils down to your lifestyle and your needs.
At EZ Mobile Data, we cater specifically to those living the car life and provide them with reliable, high-speed mobile Internet in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions about remote work on the road
How do you receive your mail when you live in a car?
You can either get a PO box, a UPS box or subscribe to a mail forwarding service.
Make sure you check your state’s rules when it comes to voting: you may need a permanent address for that.
What if I don’t have network coverage on the road?
Plan your trips around your work, there will be some sacrifices at times: if you know you need good Internet at a certain time, make sure you are serviced by your Internet provider.
The other solution is to have a plan B! If having a stable connection at all-time is a must, you need to look into backup plans, whether it’s a second device using a different carrier, or satellite Internet for maximum coverage.
How much data do I need to work?
It depends on your work – if you’re dealing with videos, you’ll probably need unlimited data. Otherwise, you’d be surprised at how little data you need to work.
Emails are mostly text, images aren’t so heavy (unless you’re a graphic designer or a photographer), and your worst enemy might be Zoom meetings, but even then, it’s not unreasonable.
What you want to plan for is the data you need for your own private time. Working is important, but if you use all the data for work and leave nothing for yourself, you’ll be in trouble.
Streaming music and video, playing video games, video calls – all these activities can eat a lot of your data.
Don’t worry though, at EZ Mobile Data, our smallest plan starts at 800GB. Considering the average American household consumes about 600GB of data a month, it’s plenty enough for most users!
How do you keep clean when living the car life?
If you’re living in a RV, most are equipped with a shower, so there’s no issue with that. You may even stay at campsites occasionally with better facilities.
If you live in a car or a truck, you can either go to some rest areas, pop at co-working spaces with showers, or even join a gym that has facilities across the country to keep fit and clean everywhere you can be in the US!
What should I include in my mobile office?
You need to be comfortable to be productive, but space is limited, so you need to keep it clean.
Aside from your portable Internet router or mobile hotspot, you probably want to invest in noise cancelling headphones / earbuds for your online meetings, and why not a foldable table and chair to work under the sun sometimes?
Make sure you invest in your sitting comfort to maintain a good position at all times when working to prevent back aches, and to get up and stretch occasionally, especially if you drive a lot as well!
How to manage power on the road?
If you’re driving a vehicle with an electric outlet, it’s very easy, as long as you have gas in the tank!
Otherwise, there are also many ways to manage power for your devices: solar panels, portable solar panels, auxiliary battery systems, power generators… here again, the most important thing is planning!
