Starlink RV Costs UK - Is it Worth it for Your Campervan or Motorhome?
Is Starlink good for full time RVers, Van Life and Motorhomes? Can Starlink work on vans? What is the downside of Starlink? All these questions we asked ourselves before buying Starlink due to Starlink's cost. We break down what we've found after using Starlink for our campervan while living full time Van Life on the road.
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Van Life Internet, Best Internet for Motorhomes and Campervans
Imagine you've found the perfect park up; rolling hills, a scenic lake but when you check your connection there is no service and you have work on Monday. For us Van Life Internet is one of those things that you're either fully off-grid/off-line or we want strong signal as no one wants to wait around while your phone loads the latest Van Life YouTube video or more importantly where the nearest petrol station is.
Enter Starlink the new but expensive toy for Van Lifers. We have been using Starlink in our campervan for over six months now in both the UK and Europe and have decided to share our thoughts so that you can decide if Starlink is worth it for you...
What Is Starlink?
Starlink is the product of Elon Musk and his Space X company. He has put over 4000 Starlink Satellites up into space to create a widespread network of satellites. These satellites aim to provide a high speed internet connection world wide.
There are a few different options for Starlink that include Starlink Roam, Starlink Mobility and Starlink Maritime, These all have different costs and features. We use Starlink Roam, but another option for a camper would be Starlink Mobility, however, as we haven't used the Mobility dish we can only speak about and comment on Starlink Roam.
Still interested read below:
Pros and Cons - Starlink RV Costs UK
To make this as simple as possible we have put our pros and cons in the table below to make it nice and easy for you to decide if Starlink Roam is for you.
What do we love? | What are we not loving? |
The freedom it has given us to be working in more remote places. We had been using bog-standard motorhome wifi and it just wasn't up to scratch for zoom calls. The switch to Starlink meant we could confidently work from some beautiful, more remote park ups. | The size of the box! Living in a campervan means storage is precious and Starlink comes in a pretty big box. We have decided to keep it in the box to protect it but it does mean it is taking up 1/3 of our garage. It weighs 4kg so overall not too bad on weight. |
The speed of the Wi-Fi. We have tested the upload and download speed of Starlink in a few different places. The speeds are still beating some home Wi-Fis we know so we really can not complain. (see below for speed tests in different locations) | Price £££. Starlink Cost: Now this one depends I fully think the one of payment of £450 for the kit isn't too bad. However, £85 a month is a lot higher then other wifi subscriptions so this one has to be a con. |
I know the set up is on the con side but when you've found your picturesque park up the set up really doesn't take more than 5 minutes. | The set up. We have seen people mount the Starlink to the top of their van but so far we have been placing it on the roof each time meaning we don't have our Starlink Wi-Fi 24/7 or while driving. |
The app - the app makes it nice and simple to see if Starlink is online, offline, searching or booting. This is helpful and gives you confidence before you join a zoom meeting. The app also allows you to stow Starlink when you need to put it away. | The power consumption. if you are living in a van the Starlink comes as 240V standard. We have seen some people convert it to 12V so this could be an option. But the Starlink is power hungry*. |
| Trees. Starlink and trees DO NOT mix and a few times the perfect park up has had a few too many trees for Starlink to work effectively. A few times we have had a notification saying the signal will be interrupted every 5 minutes. |
* Another thing to consider is the power consumption. When running the dish and router you will be using around 3A per hour and the power consumption is 23-46W. If you live in a van you will need to consider you electrical set up and what it can run comfortably. There has been a couple of times we have needed to quickly 'plug in' to keep our Starlink running.
Starlink Speed Tests in The UK and Europe
Starlink Speed Test Scotland - Starlink For Motorhomes UK
In Scotland we experienced really fast Wi-Fi speeds and it was always good enough to run zoom calls for work. The left speed test was done in Loch Lomond where we experienced really speedy Wi-Fi. The picture in the middle shows are motorhome Wi-Fi in Glen Coe and the right picture is Starlink in Glen Coe. The motorhome Wi-Fi was really not up to the job and we were relived to have Starlink to rely on.
Starlink Speed Test Norway
We decided to stop paying for our motorhome wifi due to the extra roaming costs abroad. Therefore we were reliant on Starlink in Norway for everything including a full time 9-5 job. It did a super job and we normally remembered to load our route before we took it down. However this does mean we drove without music for 2 months! (Don't worry we had audible for some great podcasts - we can recommend Ultra-processed people and living with a seal)
The speed test to the left was done in Ålesund. We have experienced faster speeds in more remote areas but we have also been to some places where it started to struggle particularly down in the fjords when there are two mountains either side of us.
The speed test to the right was done in Kristiansund, Norway. Here the download speed was extra fast but the upload speed was still a little slow.
Starlink Speed Test Sweden
We headed over to Sweden and we were warned by Mike's boss the internet connections is bad. However, with Starlink we had some of the fastest speeds in Sweden. The only thing is Sweden is FULL of trees and therefore we did have to make sure our park ups where more open in order for Starlink to work. A few times we didn't get a connection due to the tree cover.
Starlink App For Motorhomes, Campers and Van Life
Starlink also comes with an app so you can view the status of your dish and router. The statuses include, booting, searching, online and offline.
The app also lets you reboot your dish we have sometimes used to get better signal as well as manage you account, turn on the melt function (which we haven't had to use), check for obstructions and set a sleep schedule to save power (useful in a van).
Overview of Starlink For Campervans, Motorhomes and Van Life
In our Van Life journey, Starlink has been a game-changer, offering us the freedom to work from picturesque remote locations with confidence. While it has its downsides, the reliability and speed have made it worth the investment for us. However, as with all Van Life decisions, consider your unique situation and needs to determine if Starlink is the right choice for you.
Essential Items For a Campervan
 | Omnia Oven Perfect for vans without an oven. You can cook bread, pies, cakes and more just by using your gas stove. This really is a game changer in the kitchen. |
 | Pocket Sized Projector For cosy nights in the van, this is the perfect projector. This projector is small, lightweight but has great picture quality. We love this and use it all the time. |
 | Kärcher Window Vac A must have for condensation which will build up quickly in your van and cause mould. We used this daily in Norway and was a real life-saver in colder weather. |
 | Solar Trickle Charger If you don't drive your van or motorhome enough then this can save the battery from dying. Plug it in and solar energy will top up the battery. |
Tools To Make Your Trip Stress Free
These are some of the travel tools we love and use, by booking through our links you support our blog and help us grow, thank you!
Thank you for reading and enjoy your Van Life adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
*Some links in this article are affiliate meaning we may earn a small commission with no extra cost to you! It helps grow the blog so thank you for supporting us.
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