When you’re living the RV life, there are a few upgrades and hacks that can make the difference between a stressful trip and a smooth adventure. In Episode 5 of Rolling with the Curves, we’re sharing three RV must-haves that we rely on every day:
- Reliable Starlink Internet Setup 🌐
- Whole-rig Soft Start & EMS Power Management ⚡
- A simple Gorilla Tape Quick Fix 🛠
Whether you’re a weekend camper or a full-time traveler, these tips will help you stay connected, protect your rig, and keep rolling even when things don’t go as planned.
🚐 Our Rig
We travel in a 2021 Alliance Paradigm 310RL, and like many RVers, we’ve learned through trial, error, and advice from others how to make life on the road smoother.
🌐 Starlink Internet Setup
One of the most common questions in RV groups is: “How do you mount your Starlink?”
Here’s our solution:
- We mounted the Starlink power source in the basement on a simple, inexpensive bracket.
- A cord caddy keeps the cables organized.
- We ran the wiring with adhesive clips every couple of feet, routing to an outlet in the floor.
- From there, the Cat6 cable drops under the rig and out to the Starlink Gen 3 dish.
To protect the cord, we tucked it along existing lines and covered it with a board before running it up to the dish.
Pro Tip: If the Starlink app map looks too obstructed, try deleting and recreating it — we’ve seen bursts up to 550 Mbps down before it settles back around 350 Mbps. Even with obstructions, our real-world speeds often hover around 200+ Mbps down and 7–10 Mbps up — more than enough for streaming, uploading, or remote work.
⚡ ActiveStart EMS & Soft Start
Power management is one of the biggest headaches for RVers — especially when you’re plugging a 50A rig into a 30A post. Our solution: the ActiveStart EMS + Soft Start.
Here’s what we like about it:
- One device covers the whole rig. Instead of installing individual soft starts on each A/C, this unit handles everything.
- App monitoring via Bluetooth. You can check amps, voltage, temperature, and even adjust your input settings.
- Customizable. Tech support walked us through tuning the unit:
- Select Power Pedestal mode.
- Set Max Input Amps around 40–42, adjusting as power fluctuates.
- Protection. Instead of lights dimming or the TV rebooting when an A/C kicks on, the EMS smooths everything out.
While it’s a little pricey upfront, this unit has given us confidence whether we’re on shore power or running our 3500W generator.
🛠 The Gorilla Tape Fix
Not every fix needs to be fancy. Sometimes a $5 roll of black Gorilla Tape is the MVP.
We had an exterior cap that simply would not stay on — the screws were tight, but it just wouldn’t fit. After reading a forum tip, we taped it in place.
Guess what? It held through a rainstorm, blended in from the ground, and kept us rolling without losing the cap.
If you’ve figured out the secret to snapping these caps back on the right way, drop us a comment — we’re still waiting on that magic trick!
🎥 Watch the Full Video
Want to see all of this in action? Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel:
RV Must Haves: Starlink Internet, Soft Start Power & Quick Fixes
Don’t forget to Like & Subscribe — it’s free and helps us keep sharing the journey.
🛒 Gear We Used
✨ Final Thoughts
Life on the road comes with plenty of surprises, but with the right gear and a few hacks, you can keep rolling with fewer headaches.
Remember: Life’s an adventure — roll with it. 💙🐾