Is this the best deal for RV Internet connectivity?

Staying connected on the road is right at the top of every RVers must have list. But choosing the best system and then navigating all the different price points can be a real challenge. This week we learn about a rooftop solution called Togo that combines a wi fi extender and a 4g cellular connection at what – at least right now – seems to be the best priced system available for RVers. Also this week, RV news you can use, tips, comments and your questions, plus another great off the beaten path report from the Burketts. But first, my lifelong traveling companion and my bride… Jennifer. Show Notes for Episode #254. Aug. 7, 2019 of The RV Podcast; WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK We update the audience on what’s new with us and our travels.. A planned trip to install a ladder to the back of our RV A planned trip to a Lake Erie campground retreat Planned trips to Georgia to watch a grandson play high school football RV LIFESTYLE NEWS OF THE WEEK JENNIFER Look for falling meteors this week in dark night sky One of our favorite things about camping is gazing out at the night sky. And this week is going to be a big one for stargazers, as the Perseid meteor shower, which typically produces 100 meteors per hour, is underway. This year the shower peaks August 12-13 when the moon will be particularly bright, limiting sightings. That means the best time to start looking is right now, with the show typically beginning after midnight. If you want to try to photograph the stars or showers, check out this post we did a while back. MIKE Driving slowly in the left lane? If you are in Minnesota, you now may get a ticket for $125 We all have seen it. People in their RV, maybe towing a car, driving slowly along the freeway -- in the left lane. Other drivers do it, too, of course, but we’ve too many RVers hogging that left lane for all its worth. This always makes me cringe. While I understand the complexities of dealing with merging traffic in the right lane, the left lane really is for passing, and when RVers stay in this lane, well, it gets people mad and gives all of us a bad name. Apparently I am not the only one concerned about this because starting August 1 anyone driving too slowly in the left lane in Minnesota can get a traffic ticket for $125. We expect to see other states follow suit with similar laws. JENNIFER Camper trailer used so 6-year-old boy with cancer could travel stolen - then found after news report A Texas family was celebrating last weekend after a camping trailer stolen from their driveway was recovered after a local news channel reported their story, and a viewer recognized the trailer the next day and called police. The trailer was something the Texas family purchased so their 6-year-old son, who was fighting cancer, could travel with them without excessive germ exposure from other people. The family was heartbroken when it was taken, especially because they did not have it insured. The thieves had broken a window, trashed the inside, and taken some things out, but the family was happy it was recovered and working on fixing it up so they could hit the road soon. MIKE Officials close Cape Cod beaches over weekend because of too many great white sharks If you're heading to Cape Cod any time soon don't be surprised if the beach is closed. The reason? Great White sharks! Officials report there have been more than 150 shark sightings since June, with 20 sightings just off the cape last week alone. Shark reports are much higher than normal, with higher water levels and more seal spottings to blame. But the presence of great whites is a serious concern. Last year a man died after being attacked by a shark off Cape Cod. JENNIFER Three people in separate incidents slip and fall near waterfalls at Yosemite National Park, with one person dyingA tourist died and two other people became seriously injured in three separate incidents last week after slipping and falling near waterfalls at Yosemite National Park. In all three incidents the visitors went off trail, despite signs warning them not to do so, then slipped and fell. Yosemite rangers are now reminding visitors that the rocks near waterfalls are slippery - even when dry - and it is not safe to go off trail, even if others are doing so. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK From Laurie, via email: Hi Mike and Jennifer, my husband and I have been enjoying your YouTube videos on RVing, we have talked about doing this many times, but now we really want to, we are retired and it's just us and our cat. We like the LTV Unity FX by Mercedes, we thought the size, 25ft long, etc., is just the right size for us. We have been trying to find out though, as newbies, just what is involved with maintaining the toilet, shower, power for fridge, cooking etc., we have stopped in to some dealers but unfortunately they are so concerned with making the sale they never wanted to answer our questions about what you have to do daily, etc., to keep everything going. A: It’s all very easy. Just turn on the various buttons and switches. The walk through you’ll get from the dealer will show you how simple it is. Reading about it isn’t nearly as easy to understand as seeing it. From someone with the screenname Wonderbike, via our YouTube RV Lifestyle Channel: ​Do you dump your fresh water tank when you come home for a week or two and then refill it when go on your next adventure? A: Yes we do! From Patty Ann, via our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group: Have the crowds at Yellowstone subsided yet? Is it a good time to go? A: It’s always crowded there! But best time in mid-September and October before the snows arrive. From Ted, via our Instagram account: Will you two be at the Hershey RV show next month? If so how and where can we meet you? A: Yes! Look for us all day long on Saturday Sept. 14. We’ll be hanging out at the Leisure Travel Vans display area but we’ll be roaming all over the show. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer, or a comment on the things we’re discussing. If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990. If you are driving and can’t write it down right now, just go to the RV Lifestyle travel blog at rvlifestyle.com and scroll down the page. You’ll see that number prominently posted on the blog. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK Staying connected on the road is right at the top of every RVers must have list. But choosing the best system and then navigating all the different price points can be a real challenge. This week we learn about a rooftop solution called the Togo Roadlink that combines a WiFi extender and a 4g cellular connection at what – at least right now – seems to be the best priced system available for RVers. The Togo Roadlink is a connectivity solution that, under one small dome mounted on the RV roof, uses a series of high tech optimized antennas to create a secure hotspot that can connect multiple devices in and around your RV to the Internet, either by a Wi-Fi extender that brings in signals from a wide area, or taps into the AT&T nationwide 4G LTE cellular network. It does so at the best price we have seen for unlimited data… a flat fee $360 a year. That is not including the hardware cost. You have to but the unit itself, which costs $399. The dome and its unique antennas works stationary and in-motion and is managed through an app you run on your cellphone. We connect our laptops, tablets and smartphones through it and have been very pleased, especially with that special AT&T unlimited data plan, which is exclusive to the Togo Roadlink. Joining us now from Togo Roadlink to talk about this service and explain just how it works is Steven Hileman. Mike Wendland: Well joining us right now to talk more about the Roadlink is Stephen Hileman and Steven, you've got a really neat product there. I feel biased now because I've got it up on the roof of my RV. Steven Hileman: Yeah, well it's a great to talk to you Mike. And it's good to have you as a Road Link customer. Mike Wendland: Yeah, it's pretty neat. Tell me how Roadlink came about and the pricing and what it does and what it doesn't do. Steven Hileman: Yeah, so Togo started as an an app for RVers, trying to tackle some of the everyday pain points around service and maintenance and trying to make RVing a little bit less stressful. We're all out trying to enjoy the outdoors and we'd like to make that even easier and spend more time out camping. Started as an app and then as part of that strategy, we wanted to make sure that you can use that app on the road, which sometimes requires some connectivity. We partnered with hardware manufacturer, Winegard, as well as AT&T to kind of create what we thought was a good matchup of value in fairly priced hardware and a really great plan. Really great data plan for RVers. Mike Wendland: I've heard it referred to as Togo, but it's, you pronounced it Togo, I guess either one works but Togo was the preferred pronunciation, right? Steven Hileman: Yeah, so it's Togo like logo. Togo was actually a Siberian Husky who helped run diphtheria vaccines in Alaska. And there's a deep story on the website about why we were inspired by is his endurance.