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Home office on the road - working from the camper van
During the pandemic it became a standard solution in many companies since then it has continued to be used by some employees, at least in part: The home office.
Some hate it and some would prefer not going to the office anymore. Regardless of which side you feel closer to, the home office regulations introduced in many industries can also give you an advantage when planning your holidays.
Working remotely from the camper
If your camper is already booked but the holiday application is unexpectedly not approved or you don't want to take any days off to go on a weekend trip then working remotely is a good option. What does working remotely mean? Remote work essentially means working outside the company office. Your own laptop and possibly your phone become your workplace - the requirement for this is that all tasks can be completed online and that cooperation with colleagues and clients is not negatively affected. Jobs that can be preformed from outside the office are also called "remote jobs".
Business before pleasure?
It doesn't have to be like that! As a remote worker you can combine holiday feelings and productivity and start your adventure right after work. Our operations manager in Hamburg, Lukas, has often worked from the camper: ´You get a bit of a holiday feeling from the different environment, even though you work as ususal`. And thanks to our well-stocked Off fridge, you always have a cold drink on hand. In terms of space our VW Grand California and our motorhomes offer the most workspace.
The most important requirements for remote working, apart from being able to do your job, are electricity and a stable internet connection.
If you take your camper to a campsite, you usually don't have to worry about the power supply. The vast majority of campsites have shore power with CEE connections that supply your camper with 5, 12 or 230 volts. So you can easily plug the adaptor or the USBC cable for your laptop into the corresponding socket inside the van and start surfing.
If the campsite or private pitch of your choice doesn't offer a power supply you can consider buying a laptop power bank as an emergency solution. There are many different models with different output voltages, power ratings and connection options that are suitable for different laptop models.
Unfortunately, things are a little more complicated with the internet connection.
Network issues
In general, it's actually quite nice not to have internet reception when camping. With less screen time you can relax and enjoy nature to the fullest without distractions. When working remotely, however, the lack of a network and internet connection is far from ideal.
Fortunately, there are now some campsites that offer Wi-Fi reception, either free of charge or for an additional fee. However, the speed and range varies enormously so there can be issues when writing e-mails or downloading or uploading files. If you're unlucky, the campsite WLAN is of little use.
One remedy is a mobile LTE router that works via a SIM card. In addition to the battery-operated router and the card all you need is the right tariff. Especially if you want to work remotely for several days a tariff with unlimited internet is probably the best choice.
Otherwise, you still have the option of using your smartphone as a mobile hotspot. However, since mobile phones are not designed to set up their own networks this option will drain your smartphone's battery very quickly and your device could overheat. In addition, you need a suitable tariff to be able to use a fast internet connection.
It gets really difficult when you camp in a place without any network at all. This problem often occurs in mountainous regions such as the Alps or the Dolomites. In this case, neither routers nor hotspots can help you and if you want to use the internet you basically have no choice but to change your location to a place where you have network reception again.
Our Support Team Lead Simon also likes to combine work with a camping trip and has some good advice for the weather.
´Work with the weather. A few days of rain are perfect for getting more work done. Then there's more time to relax on perfectly sunny days`. Rainy days that sneak in between sunny summer days can thus be brought around quite practically and productively. And Simon also has a hot tip up his sleeve for bright sunshine - invest in a sunshade for your laptop! That way, even when the sun is shining, you can work outside your camper in the fresh air without having to give up a clear view of the screen.
Whether it's a matter of necessity because you don't have enough days off or whether it's a conscious decision to add a touch of holiday feeling to your work, with our tips on working remotely you'll be well prepared for the unconventional home office. We wish you lots of fun and success!
