Kinging-It is a successful travel movement sharing authentic travelling content with over 90K YouTube subscribers and tens of thousands of Instagram and Facebook followers. Through its quirky content, founders, Aimee and Craig reveal the no-frills and thrills of their journeys, from their home turf in Wales to more far-flung destinations.
Website – https://www.kinging-it.com/
Organising Zoom calls with the brands they work with, uploading content and communicating with their audience on a daily basis means staying connected is a staple in everything Kinging-It does. Recently installing a new Motorhome Wi-Fi 5G Ready System, Aimee and Craig tell us about going all out for a glimpse of some Highland cows, what internet means to them and how they found installing their own wi-fi system.
Custard and cows but no connection
Aimee recalls their first ever trip without motorhome wi-fi when they were tethering off their phones for data. They were visiting Hushinish beach on the island of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Eager to view the famous Highland cows known to frequent the area, they connected their converted Mercedes Vario van ‘Custard’ to a free hook-up spot just up from the beach. Aimee says: “We were so excited to catch a glimpse of the cows, and had been travelling for so long with no sign. Then we found this little spot and thought ‘great – this is it!’”
Wanting to spend the night admiring the cows and obtaining some fabulous images for their social media feeds, as well as uploading their regular Sunday evening YouTube content, disaster struck when they simply couldn’t get signal. Aimee says: “We love putting out varied content for our audience, and were excited to be sharing some images of these beautiful creatures – we did go back the next day to snap some but it ended up being quite an inconvenience at the time! It really reminded us how critical connectivity was for running things smoothly.”
5G to the rescue!
First discovering Motorhome Wi-Fi through fellow travelling duo, Theo and Bee from the Indie Projects, Aimee and Craig installed the new 5G Ready System in their beloved ‘Custard’ which they had previously renovated themselves in an impressive six weeks ahead of a trip to Europe in the summer of 2019.
Craig says: “We were surprised how smoothly the installation went, we did it ourselves and we are not known for our technical DIY skills, so we were pretty proud of getting the job done! It goes to show that installation isn’t something to be concerned about if you are thinking of putting in a new wi-fi system yourself.”
Craig adds that the signal they’ve received so far has made an incredible difference to their travel and work: “We always try to find the most beautiful and remote spots to park up in our van, having the new 5G system means there’s no more compromises on this, we can hunt down unique spots more freely and rest safe in the knowledge we have the our wi-fi router and antenna onboard.”
Door step destinations
With plans for exotic locations more limited this year, the Kinging-It couple are looking to the UK for their travels, but make it clear they won’t be slowing down anytime soon – and neither will their wi-fi.
Craig says: “The faster the internet connection the better for us, 5G is up to 100 times quicker than 4G, so it’s something we will be using from here on out. Motorhoming for travel and work is becoming hugely popular, especially given the ‘travel rules’ for this year, so having a robust system like Motorhome Wi-Fi’s products really are essential.
“Staycations will hopefully become more of a popular travel option as a whole in the future, we have so much to offer here in the UK – the pandemic has definitely shown us that.”
If you’d like to stay in touch with Aimee and Craig’s travels, you can discover more on their website: WWW.KINGING-IT.COM
Carrier aggregation creates multiple, simultaneous connections to the mobile network meaning increased speed and capacity. This technology is not just about achieving the speeds you expect, but providing a more reliable connection and combating network congestion.
Most smartphones are now Category (CAT) 6 or above so for 2022, all of our 5G Ready and 5G Now packages offer the same advanced technology.
Motorhome WiFi’s future proof 5G Ready Antenna offers advanced design and construction with patented technology and is highly effective at receiving weak 4G signals.
As well as being ground plane independent, it is still able to benefit from a ground plane where available. The 5G antenna has a new sealing skirt which offers an extra level of weatherproofing when fully compressed.
It also has some market leading certifications including IP69K and IK10 meaning it can withstand a hot pressure washer and can withstand 5KG weight at 40cm.
At just 75mm high (2.9”) the roof antenna sits lower than your skylights. The underside consists of a non-permeable 3M adhesive foam pad and an adjustable threaded internal brace, through which the cables travel into the cabin, for a totally weatherproof installation.
Once the antenna is fitted, there is no need for any additional sikaflex or adhesive sealant, the product is totally self-sealing.
The compact+ router is mounted discreetly on the wall-mounted docking station. Located inside a cupboard or locker, this provides WiFi throughout your vehicle for use stationary or in motion.
Choose to manage the device via the simple on-screen display, or download a free app onto your phone or tablet to access data management tools, change passwords or even turn off before bed.
We offer CAT 4 4G, CAT 6 4G+, CAT 7 4G+ and CAT 22 5G routers – all other products presently marketed towards the leisure market are CAT 4.
Motorhome WiFi remains dedicated to offering our customers the leading solutions in the leisure market, providing a choice of product according to usage requirements. The team continues to offer lifetime support and expert advice via phone and email.
If you’re mainly travelling in the UK, there are 4 networks to choose from. While the best value often comes in the form of a contract, paying a monthly fee may not be desirable if you’re not able to use the van every month or have an alternative use for the SIM eg in the car.
EE tends to have superior coverage in the UK, this is especially true in Scotland as their masts also serve the frontline ambulance 4G network there. Consequently, their cost per GB can be a bit higher than other networks.
Three, through its PAYG sister company Smarty offers excellent value with ‘Unlimited Data’ from just £20. Packages last 30 days and the SIM can lay dormant without charge for up to 6 months. In addition, you get 10% discount on one or more SIM’s if you need one for your phone. All of Motorhome WiFi’s 4G and 5G Ready Built in WiFi systems come with a Smarty SIM card free or charge. Packages last for 30 days from topup. Data can be manually added or you can choose ‘auto renew’ if you wish for Smarty to automtically renew each month. This option can also be changed on a month by month basis in your account settings when logged into your account at www.smarty.co.uk
Vodafone uses a long range, low frequency transmission for much of its rural coverage which means it sometimes gets into areas where others don’t. However, long range comes at the cost of download speed. Vodafone’s PAYG arm is called VOXI.
O2 originally had the best GSM network for calls, but it does struggle for data. They’re the only network not to have an offering for 4G home routers and actively prohibit handset SIM’s used in routers. Their PAYG arm is called GiffGaff.
While the legislation that made the end to European roaming charges possible is no longer law, many networks have committed to maintaining its principals.
For those spending less than 60 days in Europe within a 120 day period, nothing has changed with regards to roaming limitations. For those who intend to spend the full 90 day allowance in Europe, networks have indicated that they are more likely to seek to enforce a ~60 day limit which has always previously existed in most networks T&C’s to impose charges after this period.
Vodafone, the only network which didn’t have a time limitation on EU use in its T&C’s, has updated its Fair Usage Policy (FUP) as of 18 th January 2021 with the same ~60 day limitation. For those seeking to use their full 90-day EU travel allowance, it might be worth checking with your operator or having an alternative for the final 30 days of travel.
While calls are relatively reasonable, data becomes very expensive. The UK has adopted a £45 cap on billing charges when roaming in Europe, meaning that worst case scenario, this is the most you could be charged without being halted.
Prices correct at time of publication – please note that information published on this page is freely given on the premise of good faith.