Using our F250 as a Mobile Office
Work from home. Work remote. Work from truck.
Well, that escalated quickly. 2020 has been a weird year for a lot of us, but I’m fortunate that I can do my job from almost anywhere that has an internet connection. With cell networks getting better in terms of speed and coverage every year, there is a lot more flexibility now than if this pandemic had hit even just a few years ago.
A few months after the realities of fully remote work due to COVID knocked me off my nice, comfortable rhythm, I’ve started to settle in to the routine of all meetings being done by phone call or video conference. There are some upsides (no more difficulty trying to book a room! less transition time between meetings!) but mostly it just feels like a watered down version of interacting with others. On the other hand, I get far better distraction-free heads down time than ever before, as long as I remember to block time on the calendar for it.
While we wait for our Living Vehicle (RV trailer) to be delivered, and with less-than-reliable hotel WiFi here in Rapid City, I decided to test out the Troffice connectivity setup while Lauren and the boys spent some time outside in Custer State Park and Hill City, SD. While I don’t intend to work from the truck primarily, it certainly makes me feel better to know that it’s a workable option for days where I need to get away or if we decide to go car+tent camping away from the trailer. Here’s what my setup looks like currently. Scroll below the photo for more details.
Step into to my troffice
Connectivity
Cellular data plans: AT&T Unlimited and Visible (Verizon-based prepaid unlimited)
After doing some research and getting advice from others who work from the road full time, running at least dual-network seems to be a prerequisite. So far the combination of AT&T + Verizon networks seem to give good optionality, and we’ve been places where one is significantly better than the other, or the only workable option. Right now at the hotel, AT&T wins with 40-50Mbps download and Verizon is a bit slower at 25-40Mbps, but both are totally workable. At the spot we’re planning to park the trailer for the next week or so, AT&T is intermittent but I got 50+Mbps on Verizon. I’m primarily using the Google internet speed test to verify speeds (literally just google “internet speed test” and hit the blue button).
Hotspots: iPhone X in Personal Hotspot mode and Jetpack 8800L with Visible SIM. Our AT&T plan includes a pretty hefty 30GB of hotspot usage per line per month before throttling kicks in. Visible advertises 5GB of hotspot usage per line per month, but I haven’t hit any throttling yet.
To use Visible in a dedicated hotspot device like a Jetpack, you’ll need to activate it on an unlocked, compatible smartphone via their app. Since my iPhone X only has one SIM slot, I just swapped out the cards and activated Visible, then swapped them back to keep using AT&T as my primary cell carrier. You’ll also need to make sure you can change the APN in your dedicated hotspot device (under the Advanced tab in the Jetpack 8800L’s Admin settings) and set it to VSBLINTERNET, then reboot your device. With Visible you can only have one device at a time connected to the hotspot, but for only $25/mo (if you join a Pay Party) it’s a hassle I’m fine with. The other disadvantage vs. postpaid Verizon plans is network traffic priority, but I haven’t been using it in very congested areas, so it’s ok for now.
Accessories
Webcam: GoPro HERO8 Black with Webcam Beta. I was pretty pumped to find out that GoPro recently released a beta version of firmware enabling wired webcam use of their HERO8 Black camera, which I already had. It gives a lot better picture quality than my MBP’s built-in camera, and more useful viewing angle in small spaces like the front seat of the truck. Check out this setup guide from DC Rainmaker if you prefer a video walkthrough to GoPro’s technical documentation.
Climate control: Ryobi Hybrid 18V Battery/110v Fan. Living most of my life in air conditioned spaces makes me take for granted the power of a simple fan while camping, or in this case, when I don’t want to waste fuel idling to run the truck AC. Right now South Dakota, like much of the Western US, is experiencing a record heat wave. In short, this fan has been my favorite purchase of the trip (I bought it on the drive to Mammoth Cave, when we stopped at Home Depot to get extra moving boxes for the U-Haul). It can be used with an extension cord OR any Ryobi One+ 18v battery, which is what I was using in the photo. The fan has two speeds; high is loud but moves a LOT of air, low works well as a personal fan and is quiet enough to use during video calls without background hum.
Cable management: Two Pocket Cable Wallet. I’m a stickler for tidy cables in my normal office setup, and being in small spaces made neatness an even higher priority. One of my other favorite purchases for this trip has been a two-pocket cable wallet, organized into sections for USB-C, USB-A/mini, Lightning, and HDMI. It’s so nice for every cable to have a home, and know where to find any cable I might need while making lots of transitions from work to driving to hotel. It also has a cushioned iPad pocket, which was a nice bonus.
