We have used several items in our travels and some of the most useful are mentioned here.
Computers.....
We have been traveling with a computer for several years.At first we traveled with our full-sized mini-tower Packard Bell. It served a useful purpose compiling our Newsletters, Travel Journal, Expense Sheets and printing any other documents that we needed on the road. We had a homemade folding table that fit over our doghouse which worked very well.
Laptop Computer........
We changed to a Laptop primarily to be able to use e-mail while on the road. It was also used to do the tasks mentioned previously. Computers are also wonderful for playing games when you're bored.
Cellphone
We purchased a cellphone prior to my retirement in 1995 and since that time have upgraded on occasions with the latest being last winter. We now use the Cell to check e-mail wirelessly. It works very well for that purpose and also to publish to the website in a timely manner.
CB Radio........
A 40 Channel Radio is a very good tool for communications on the road between travelers. It does not work well for long-distance communications and notifying help in an emergency.
Power Inverters.........
We have a small 130 watt inverter that works very well for TV, Satellite Reception/ VCR use. Had I known how convenient they were, I would have had one several years ago. Unless you're running large items without the generator, a small inverter is all you need. I would, however, recommend one at least 200-300 watts. Price: About $75.
Generators........
Excellent item for providing 110v power when you need it. Most motorhomes are sold with Gensets on board, and unless you enjoy living on 12v power, you'll need a generator to provide you with the luxuries of life. (Air Conditioning, Microwave, Toasters, Hair Dryers, Curling Irons, etc.)
We used this device very successfully during the Winter of 2000-01. It is an excellent little piece of work for sending and receiving e-mail on the road. We found we were checking e-mail more often because of the convenience. It uses "any" phone, including pay-phones, to send and retrieve. Ambient noise is sometimes a problem because of the acoustic coupler used to send messages. Many people swear by the "T-Shirt" method of sending. Putting your T-shirt over the mouthpiece to clear up the noise. This has worked intermittently for us, but it's always worth a try.
PocketMail "Composer"
Purchased in the Fall of 2002 for the winter trip, we found the new device to alleviate some of the shortcomings of the original TM 20. It worked very nicely on the vast majority of phones without exception. The ones (very few) that didn't work the first time, mostly failed using the "T-Shirt method" also. There were also a couple of nice features in the original TM 20 that were not carried over in the "Composer." But all in all, the device is a very convenient way to send and receive e-mail. We have not used our Pocketmail for several years but we see plenty of people who do.
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Wi-Fi
One of the newest things in internet connectability. Many campgrounds provide it for free and some at a nominal cost. It is much faster than wireless phones and comparable to havin your own satellite communications. Satellite is quite pricey at the present time. Both are blazingly fast.
Phone Connectability
Many people use this method including us at the present time. (2013) It's very convenient to use this method. With 4G being the norm, it is quite fast and useful wherever you have cell phone towers. We use Verizon and a lot of other people do too.
