Soon after adopting Usain I researched the various mobile internet solutions. I discovered that many RVers use their phones as hotspots but I really wanted a dedicated device. Our Winnebago dealer’s recommended solution is Winegard. I ruled it out primarily because all the smarts of the system sit outside on top of the van and I was worried about the effects that heat would have on it.

I ended up going with a Pepwave router with an external Poynting antenna packaged bundled by MobileMustHave.com. The router works like a mobile hotspot by allowing all devices in Usain to connect to it. The router then looks for available Wi-Fi connections in the area and if none are available then it uses a SIM card I installed from Verizon for a 4G connection. The model I purchased allows for 2 SIM cards so I could also plug in an additional card from another carrier for better connectivity across the country. The antenna mounted on the roofincludes 2 high-range cell and 2 boosted Wi-Fi antennas plus a GPS antenna — 5 antennas in 1 shark fin-style box. The antenna is mounted to the top of Usain with magnets designed specifically for the Poynting (purchased separately) and the wire bundle goes through the Boldt’s roof access port down into the electronics cabinet.

Overall I have been very pleased with the system and the antenna is able to pick up signals better than our phones. The downside is that we stayed at too many places on our first couple of long trips where there was no cell service, Version or otherwise. I have since installed Starlink (see my Starlink post under Usain mods) and found that its an excellent complement to the Pepwave system. Whenever we don’t have a clear view of the sky for Starlink (or don’t have time to set up Dishy) then we can still get service from the 4G connection. This is where Pepwave really shines since all devices are connected to it and then Pepwave connects via WiFi, Starlink, or Verizon. Using the Pepwave admin dashboard I can prioritize the connections. The router itself gets very hot, but I solved this with some ventilation fans (see Electronic Ventilation post under Usain Mods). No regrets on this add-on.