Here’s the scenario: You find a beautiful campground just up the road. It (miraculously) has a site available for the next week. Score! As you’re reading the reviews you see that it’s pretty expensive, but the reviews say it has wonderful Wi-Fi. There’s another park just a few miles past that also has availability, it’s much more affordable, but the reviews say the Wi-Fi goes in and out – it’s spotty.
Which place will you stay for the night? The place that costs more (say 15 percent) but has excellent Wi-Fi, or the place that’s more affordable with spotty Wi-Fi service? Tell us in the poll below. Thanks!
I do not depend on campground wifi. I have my own hotspot.
No, as we would use our hotspot. I don’t always like using public WiFi.
I can certainly live without Wi-Fi ! 😎
No, hotspot, I’ll keep the 15% in my pocket.
I would assume that those who use their RV to go camping would answer no as they want to “get away from it all.” Conversely, those who live full time in their RVs or who use their RVs to travel would mostly answer yes.
My hotspot works just fine. We really are interested in power, water and dump. A basic RV spot is just fine
A 15% premium seems very high but I would pay a smaller premium if the wi-fi would actually work well.
I think it depends on how long we’re going to stay at a campsite and where it’s located. When we stay near our daughter, there’s no wi-fi and our hotspot doesn’t work, even though there’s a cell tower within one mile – we have Verizon.
With very few exceptions WiFi is not a must have in a normal life! Don’t we go camping to get away from it all? WAIT. Some buy expensive rigs to pay outrageous fees to sit inside and stream movies or keep up on social media
What did people do before WIFI? While I do enjoy being connected, there are times we all need a break.
When you need a break you turn it off!
AMEN, get away from it all when you recreational camp, no I pads, computers. Disconnect from all of that back ground noise and enjoy the real camping experience. For those of you full timers, OK, use what you need
We don’t use park wifi. We have 2 hotspots & a quality booster.
we like wifi.
we stream everything. Got rid of the satellite and have a Hotspot for backup.
we are full time and enjoy baseball, football and tv in general.
Depends on weather conditions On how much time we spend indoors.
We watch tv mostly at nap time and at night.
Thats just us though.
Live and Let Live.
We also enjoy reading rvtravel daily.
Why wouldn’t you have your own hot spot? I was in a commercial c/g in MN this summer and had no cell service. I appreciated their wifi but don’t like to transact business on any but my own.
“Would you pay 15 percent more for a campsite with excellent Wi-Fi over one with poor or no Wi-Fi?”
No!
I travel to git away from all this civilized CRAP!
Internet access is very important to me when I travel but paying 15% more is ridiculous. I simply won’t stay at a place where I can’t get either good wifi or cell phone data signal.
We use star link …. so far better than hot spots…..
Would you be willing to post an article about your experience with Starlink?
Everything I read says starlink is only for stationary and only after they get that down pat will they think about doing mobile service….???
Normally, no. We travel with a Verizon MiFi and use it. However, if we are somewhere with no Verizon coverage, then, yes, I would be willing to pay a premium for robust WiFi. This truer the longer we stay somewhere, and less true the shorter our stay.
We too travel with the Verizon MIFI Jetpak, the only time we have been without service was in TX in the Red River Valley with tall hills on all sides except where the River entered and exited.
We finally dumped our MiFi Jetpack because we got better service from our cell phones.
Nope, I had my logins stolen on that “free” campground WiFi
I now bring my own hotspot
Because I do confidential work, we only use our own wi-fi jet pack.
Nope, Rv to enjoy the outdoors not watch Movies or FB. If you’re working I can understand having good internet connection.
No, beauty over connectivity every time. Cell data is just too good now .
“Excellent WiFi” is NOT specific enough of a description. MANY campgrounds simply do NOT have access to “good” WiFi (usually due to their location) and therefore cannot supply what they can’t get. I understand that there are several bills in various legislatures that may address this problem. Personally, I’m NOT holding my breath that this problem will be solved anytime soon. As 5G cellular phone service becomes more widely available, cellular data will be more readily available BUT, true 5G is still a pipe dream for MOST of America. As 3G phone service is shut down, 4G cell service will become more widely available and reliable. I expect 4G to be the reigning standard at least for the next six to ten years (unless the U.S. Congress steps up and FORCES providers to serve remote areas (which providers WILL fight tooth and nail as long as they can).
Funny how many say they depend on their ISP connection. When the park fills up I can’t even check my email….thanks. 🙁
Some campgrounds we have stayed at have fast internet, not WiFi, offered for an extra fee. I have asked just how bandwidth was available at each connection and only a couple could answer. It’s similar to what the ISPs advertise, up to ____. At my basecamp, I had 100 mbps but recorded as low as 50 at peak times of day.
I have my own wifi through FMCA (open to ALL RV types) that I pay $50/mo for UNLIMITED service. In July and Aug, my last two months on the road I used over 900gb a month streaming TV, radio and internet. I have had it for three years and used it coast to coast. The only places it hasn’t worked is where my Verizon didn’t work either.
I say, it depends. I have been in campgrounds where there has been no (or very little) cell phone coverage.
It depends on how long I’m going to be there, and if there is good cellular reception. If I’m going to be there more than two nights and there is little to no cell connectivity, then yes.
With Rv parks charging $45 – 60 per night I would think that 15% would be rather high. Streaming seems to be very popular these days so RV parks are under pressure from those of us who don’t stream to make basic mail checking & web surfing work adequately. 15% would be a bit much for the use of basic internet services. I think that the parks should be able to improve their wifi systems for less than 15%.
Yes, especially if cell phone service is poor. Have stayed in WV state parks with no cell phone service, but excellent WiFi
I would not pay the additional 15% for WiFi. I have unlimited and unthrottled WiFi through Bix Wireless. We are full timers.