We spend about five to six months a year traveling in our Airstream, which means the laptop computers come along and backing up data on the road is part of our routine. If we didn’t back up data periodically, we could lose a lot of important business information and priceless photos from our travels. But securing our data is not as simple as it might seem.

There are handy online services that will automatically back up your data, and that’s convenient. For an RV traveler, however, these services can suck up all the data on your cell phone plan if you’re using a cellular hotspot to connect to the Internet. So we rely on portable USB hard drives for our backups—the “old fashioned” manual method.

These portable hard drives are pretty cheap and easy. Easy to use (I like Carbon Copy Cloner, but Apple’s Time Machine and many other good software packages are out there), and easy to store in a plastic tub between backups. If you have a small amount of data to back up, you can even use a big USB flash drive.

But imagine that one day your Airstream is in an accident, and as a result both the laptop and the backup drive are destroyed. You’re still out of luck. For that reason, I keep a second backup drive at home, locked in a safe, and I make a point of backing up all three laptops to it before we depart on a long trip. Having the second backup physically distant from the Airstream means it’s very unlikely we’ll lose all our data after a catastrophe.

The other major risk is losing your laptop, tablet, or phone. These days those devices have considerable potential to ruin your life. Forget about “identity theft”—think about the damage someone could do just with access to your devices. People often don’t appreciate the tremendous amount of personal data that can be obtained just from access to their email. And once a hacker has access to email, it’s usually not long before they’ve engineered access to social media accounts, shopping accounts, credit cards, and more.

To protect against this risk, always protect all of your devices with a password. There’s nothing quite like that sinking feeling when you think about all the private information on your device—emails, passwords, social media accounts—after it’s gone. The simple 4-digit default passwords offered on phones and tablets are at least better than nothing, but the best passwords are long. That old advice about having an upper case letter, a lower case letter, a symbol, a number, and at least 8 characters is somewhat outdated and tends to result in passwords like “4GflzbY#” that humans can’t easily remember, so try a “pass phrase” instead, like “I love 3 turtles”. That will stop the casual attacker and you probably won’t forget it.

If you do have trouble remembering passwords, or you have too many of them (like all of us), try a password manager. This software, available from several sources, allows you to store all your passwords in a single place, protected by encryption and a master password. It’s much more secure than writing your passwords on a piece of paper and sticking it in a drawer or taping it to the computer screen like I’ve seen several people do. Personally, with all the web-based services I use, I couldn’t function without a password manager.

For computers, always encrypt the entire hard drive. This feature is built into all Apple devices but you have to activate it on a laptop (look for FileVault settings). Whole disk encryption is available for Windows computers too, and well worth the peace of mind if your laptop ever takes a walk. These days it doesn’t slow down your computer to encrypt the hard drive, so there’s really no reason not to use it. Make sure the backups are encrypted too!

“Find my phone” services are another great tool for travelers. If you drop your phone, this may be your only chance at getting it back. Again, Apple has built it in (“Find My iPhone”) but it has to be activated using your Apple ID. We’ve used this feature more than once to recover lost phones.

Finally, if you do business while you travel, get a Virtual Private Network (VPN). It’s a service that encrypts all of your web traffic and routes it through proxy servers.  This has two impacts: (1) It anonymizes your location (which may not be something you care about); (2) It makes it impossible for other people to snoop on your Internet activity. Although much of Internet traffic is encrypted anyway (like websites with the prefix “https://”), there are still too many times where your information is transmitted “in the clear”. A hacker in a campground can “sniff” the shared wifi and pick up information that can then be used to hack into your accounts.

With a VPN, the hackers are locked out. A good VPN costs $35-80 per year. Don’t be tempted by free VPNs, since they sometimes make money selling customer information.

Got a tip for personal data security? Put in a comment below!

These days having Internet while we are traveling is almost as important as water and oxygen, at least for many of us. When I started full-time Airstream travel in 2005 having a cellular Internet “box” was a big deal and fairly rare.  The one I was using cost about $2,500 and was about the size of two VHS tapes (remember those?) and when I went to the WBCCI International Rally in Springfield MO, everybody wanted to borrow it to check their email.

Fortunately it was a loaner, because not long after you could get a tiny hotspot that did the same thing for about $79, and suddenly we all started getting them.  Now almost anyone can use cellular networks for their Internet, just by turning on a hotspot feature on their phone.

Of course, when Internet is free and easy you start to take it for granted, and then when it suddenly isn’t available it feels like a python has taken a grip to your neck.  You know what I mean if you’ve ever pulled into a campground and found their wifi to be completely useless once everyone in the campground starts watching Netflix.  Here’s your python—no more oxygen for you!

I skip the campground wifi because it’s almost always horrible, and use cellular exclusively for my work. Not only is it more reliable, it’s more secure. No unknown persons are able to share my hotspot, and that’s a good thing for security reasons. (This assumes, of course, that you have encryption enabled on your hotspot and use a hard-to-guess password.)

It’s rare when the cellular network runs slowly.  Usually I only find an overcrowded network in Borrego Springs, CA, where every winter hundreds of RVs park in and around the town.  Many of them are part of the current craze of RV “technomads”, people who rely on having good Internet every day, all day, and in the past few seasons they have completely overwhelmed the capacity of the Borrego Springs cell towers.

Far more often the problem is the reverse: instead of being overcrowded, we’re usually in a fringe reception area, competing with no one but struggling to pull a good signal into our Airstream.

Obviously the aluminum shell of an Airstream trailer is not great for reception (nor is the metal of an Interstate or Base Camp) so in the past I’ve been forced to set up my laptop on a picnic table outside.  Let me tell you, the fantasy image of blissfully working outdoors instead of a some cubicle is absolute nonsense.  Either the sun is too bright to see the screen or there’s a threat of rain, often there are bugs flying around and taking nips, the breeze may come up and blow your papers away, or it’s too hot or too cold. There’s a good reason officeworkers work in offices; it’s similar to why we camp in Airstreams instead of tents.

So in the real world we need to have a way to get the signal into the Airstream, and there’s really only one practical way: an external antenna, paired with a signal booster.  WeBoost (formerly Wilson) has cornered the market on signal boosters, and their product is good, so you’ll probably end up with one of those.  But the antenna that comes with most of their kits is, shall we say, “less than optimal”.

First of all it has a magnetic base, because it’s intended for cars and trucks. That’s not going to help on the aluminum roof of an Airstream.  Second, to get the cable out you have to drill a hole in the Airstream roof, or poke it out through a window (a hole in the screen, of course) which looks awful and isn’t a good installation for the long haul. Third, there’s a reason they throw that particular antenna into the kit—it’s a cheap, so-so option.

The best move is to permanently mount a good antenna on the roof. Yes, you’ll have to get over the fact that a hole must be drilled in the Airstream. If you use the right antenna there won’t be any problem making the installation completely leak-proof.

My feeling is that if you are going to drill a hole, do it once and install the best antenna you can find. After evaluating many (including installing several types on the roof of my own Airstream over the past 12 years) I’ve settled on the Laird Phantom antenna.

It’s just as effective as the big antennas (which run 19 to 24 inches tall), but it’s just under three and a half inches tall. It looks like an inverted shot glass, mounted directly to the roof.  Because it’s white and matches the roof color, most people will never see it, which is nice because I don’t like having huge antennas on my roof that virtually announce to the world that I’ve got laptops inside. And, it’s so small it won’t catch on branches during those “tree trimming” exercises we seem to do occasionally.

Another aspect I really like is that the Phantom antenna seals directly to the roof with a tight rubber gasket that prevents leaks. Nothing else is needed, but for a belt & suspenders approach I added a little sealant too. So it’s the last thing on my roof that I worry about leaking.

The other piece of the puzzle, after the WeBoost and antenna, is the cable. Most people seem to use a standard low-attenuation (signal loss) cable that works OK, but I found a better version that has less signal loss. We package the cable together with the antenna and complete instructions, in the Airstream Life Store. (You can buy the WeBoost separately.)

Really, everyone who wants reliable Internet in their Airstream should install one of these, but most people don’t, and I think that’s because they’re horrified by the idea of drilling a hole in their Airstream roof.  I get that. It took me a while to get over it, too. Fairly often we sell one of these kits and it comes back a couple of weeks later with a sheepish email saying, “My [significant other] won’t let me drill a hole in the Airstream.”

That’s why we include a set of step-by-step instructions with the kit. The instructions show how anyone with moderate DIY skills can handle this job. Still, if you’re not comfortable with it you can always have the local Airstream dealer install it for you—or bring it to the factory sometime. It’s really not that hard; basically you just drill two holes and run the cable.

The end result is great. Not only is the antenna nearly unnoticeable, but the cellular performance is greatly improved.  You’ll get faster data speeds and be able to get online easily in places where the system would struggle before. You’ll quickly forget the trauma of drilling a hole, and you’ll enjoy the boost in performance for years.

Here’s a bit more detail on how to use a truck stop scale, following up on our previous article “How To Weigh Your Airstream, part 1“.

“Don’t be intimidated by the truck stop and the Big Truck dudes there,” says Lexie Kensington, an avid vintage owner. Here’s more you need to know about weighing your rig:

“A weigh costs money. Usually about $10, but each additional weigh for the same equipment is only $1 extra for a 24-hour period at the same scales. The weigh will come to you from a licensed weigh master and is a legal document. Sometimes it will be stamped or embossed like a notary seal. It will show the individual scale sections and the total of the entire combination of equipment.

Never drive on a scale the wrong way. Wait your turn if there is a line which almost never happens. It’s painless, easy, and the employees at the truck stop will be glad to help. They work hard for lousy money. By just being a cheerful customer you’ll make their whole day.

The scales platform you drive onto is in two or three sections. Usually each section is marked by yellow or white stripes. These sections are for semi trucks to place the steering axle, the driving (rear) axle of the tractor, and the actual trailer on individually. The tractor and the trailer are weighed in two sections, on two scale platforms.

For best results, go onto the scales all packed for your intended trip, tow vehicle along, with your Airstream, kids, pets and spouse.

Unhook and park the Airstream in a section of the lot out of the way of other traffic. Note: It is considered poor form for a semi-trailer driver to “drop” a trailer and unhook at a truck stop, evidently abandoning a load, or engaging in some other suspicious behavior. As an RVer, you have more latitude, but be courteous in using up blacktop space.

Drive onto the scale platform when clear, with your passengers. If you can, park with your steering axle on the most forward platform, and your driving (rear) axle on the platform just behind it.

Your rig might be too light. Some scales are are set up so that the modest weight of your tow vehicle divided between the two platforms does not register on their equipment. In this case you may need to get both of your tow vehicle’s axles on the most forward platform. It will fit, but you may need to get out and inspect it.

Call for a weigh. There will be a push button call box located for the semi tractor driver to push and ask to be weighed. Since most of the calls for weighs are by semi drivers, it will be far out of reach from your tow vehicle’s window!

An almost unintelligible person (many times a young overworked lady) will holler “COMPANY NAME?” meaning to which trucking company should the bill for this weigh be sent to. You should respond “private weigh,” meaning you are going to come inside and pay for this on the spot. While this is unconventional, they will understand that you are not a big semi tractor.

After a few seconds, they should call back or signal you that they have the weigh. Pull off the scales, go inside to the Fuel Desk and identify yourself as the person with the “private weigh” and they will charge you and hand you the certificate.

Now is a good time to review the weigh and see what your different axles are bearing. With your tow vehicle’s published data, you’ll see what each axle is rated to carry and what it is actually carrying. Also you can see what your tires are carrying per axle, and if you need to unload or leave a family member at home after all. If the numbers are all inside the published guidelines you can proceed. If not: UNLOAD SOME STUFF! Some like to leave a safety margin of +/- 10%

You’re half done. Now hook up your trailer and again drive onto the scales, with steering axle, driving axle, and trailer axles sets all on their own platform if possible. Ask for a Private Weigh again, wait for the weigh master to get the data. Pull off, park, and get your additional weigh (it should be only $1 this time) and review the data. You can now deduce the following:

The hitch weight (the static pressure on the hitch ball) is your second driving axle weight subtracted from the first. Have you overloaded your hitch? Check against the published numbers of your hitch.

The gross weight of the trailer is the trailer platform weight plus the hitch ball weight. Are you within the weight range of your trailer’s gross weigh limit? If you exceed it, your brakes will be mighty unhappy.

The weight on your trailer tires is the trailer platform number. Are you over? Are you inflated correctly to manage this load?

The weight upon the rear tires of your tow vehicle (the driving axle platform number). Are you over your driving axle or tires limit? It will be different (heavier) now that you have the trailer hooked up!

And finally—how much weight has your front axle lost by the weight of the trailer pushing down on the rear? (Second front axle weigh subtracted from the first.) Do you need to adjust your weight distribution system? If driving feels uncomfortable with that weight loss on the front axle, you can fine tune it by successive weighs. At only $1 per, it’s cheap insurance. Insufficient weight on the front axles can make steering feel weird, and in an emergency, leave you without good control if you have to make a sudden-avoidance maneuver.

Don’t be intimidated by truck stops, folks who use them, or those who work there. They all wish they could be you: enjoying RVing with an Airstream!