My network coverage while dry camping in Borrego Springs was better than the WiFi in many of the parks I visit.
This morning in response to a post regarding mobile web updates for RV Parks I received a comment from a regular reader. I was talking about park owners who understand the need for mobilized websites, and those that don’t. And a consistent feature I’ve found is that owners who understand are also regular RV travelers as well.
My reader had another thought regarding what we could do to help RV Parks across the country. Here, take a read for yourself:
Your epiphany is also a job opportunity for you to make more money in your new venture: Upgrading the mostly LAME Wi Fi in RV parks!!!
Nothing pisses an Rv’er off more than to pull into an RV park with a big “Free Wi Fi” sign only to find out you can’t get anything done until midnight when everyone has gone to bed. 90 % of the RV parks we go to when not boondocking needs a system upgrade. If a park has poor wifi, we don’t ever go back.
As we have been traveling from park to park looking to do web work we get to talk with RV’ers from across the country. Let me tell you, the number one thing they say about parks is posted above in the quote. Additionally, we’ve found that 100% of the RV’ers we have met (dry camping or in parks) carry at least a smart phone and a laptop. About 50% are also carrying some type of tablet.
These folks are “wired!” Seriously, the modern RV traveler might be vacationing and visiting an area, but they really want their Internet. And the commenter nailed it on the head regarding “Free WiFi.” It’s hard to find. And when there is WiFi it often doesn’t work. The rare park is the one that actually has fast, and reliable WiFi.
Personally I’ve found it in a few places. But it is rare.
And yes, we’re considering teaming up with a provider to help get parks updated. But we’re still searching for the right partner. As a former network design engineer, a guy who built regional and national switching networks, I think we could really offer some help to the parks. I already know the bottom line though…..good WiFi that covers a whole park is never going to be cheap.