In an RV you must have a place for everything and everything in its place, right? Computers, especially, need their own place, at least desktop computers do. It took us a while to realize that our desktop computer did *not* like being jostled about. After about 6 months on the road, it developed severe problems. I would get the ‘blue screen of death’ when I turned it on at our destination, and Jim would have to work his magic to bring it back to life. We suspected that vibrations of the road were causing problems with the hard drive – and maybe other components as well.
A Desktop computer needs a bed
So, we rigged up a nice ‘bed’ for it. A thick piece of foam rubber in a box just the right size for laying my computer on it’s side. We haven’t had any more trouble with it, and that’s been a couple years now! Laptops don’t need this level of care, they were built to withstand a certain amount of bumps and bruises. Desktop computers weren’t. They expect to be used on a desktop, in an office, on solid ground!
Bring along your Original CDs
One other thing to know about traveling with any kind of computer is that you need your original CDs with you. I remember meeting ‘Tom’ in an RV park in Kansas. His Dell computer had crashed. He couldn’t get it to turn on regardless of his efforts. He found out that Jim is a computer tech and asked if he could help. Sure! The first thing Jim needs is the original installation CDs so he can boot the computer and restore the operating system. “Uhhh,” Tom says, “you mean those CDs that I keep in a box in my office …. in Michigan?”
Yep, those would be the ones! Lucky for Tom, Jim is a Microsoft partner and has quite a collection of CDs for every operating system they make. We also had an Internet connection because of our satellite dish, so Jim could go to Dell’s website and download the drivers needed. He was able to get the computer back up and running, but without his accounting software, or his photo software, because that was all back in Michigan too. He did have his navigation (Streets and Trips) software with him, so he was able to find his way back to Michigan!
Many people have told us, ‘But, my computer didn’t come with any CDs.’ Well, yes, that may be true. But those that came without the CDs *did* come with instructions on how to make your own recovery CDs. It’s a pain, but that should be the first thing you do when you buy a new computer.
Does your Computer have its own Suitcase?
Think of your computer like a child traveling with you. You need to be sure it will be comfortable, and you need a certain amount of ‘stuff’ used to feed, clothe, and generally take care of it. Just like your child has his or her own little suitcase, we recommend having a little suitcase for your computer. We use a large 3-ring binder with lots of pockets for disks and a zipper cover. This is where you keep all the recovery CDs as well as your backup CDs, and all the reference material that goes along with using your computer.
Chris Guld
www.GeeksOnTour.com
Computer Education for Travelers
Pingback: www
replica Maurice Lacroix watches
I really like this article, hoped later have more of these articles to for my reading-<a href="http://www.replicasok.com/www.replica-maurice-lacroix-45.html">replica Maurice Lacroix watches</a>
buy Mulberry handbags
I really like this article, hoped later have more of these articles to for my reading-<a href="http://www.misshandbags.net/womens-mulberry-handbags-109.html">buy Mulberry handbags</a>
Ed
My laptop is on the dash, in front of my wife, with the S&T GPS running, whenever we are traveling.
Pingback: Traveling with Computers
Tom Donaldson
Here is another way to secure monitors, and it allows you to reposition them:
http://www.lcdarms.com/
All of the monitors and TV (17″ – 23″) shown in my rig ( http://rv.mactom.com/ ) are mounted this way. I push them back close to the wall and bungie them for travel. Pull them out to use them. An additional benefit in tight quarters: you raise them up if you need more desk space while working.
They are kind of expensive directly from the manufacturer. You can get them much cheaper if you Google around a bit.
Larry
We have been traveling fulltime for 8 years with lap top and desk top computer, My deck top is in the bottom self of my desk in dinning room slide, over both axles, I think this is the best place in a 5th wheel, the 17in monitor is bolted down to the desk, my desk chair is in front of the key board slide out and the table holds the chair, I use a ratchet strap hooked to eye bolts in each of the slide walls to hold all of this in the slide, works very well for us.
Larry
Tom Donaldson
I fulltimed for just over three and a half years, and travelled over 30,000 miles, with the setup shown at the middle of this page:
http://rv.mactom.com/
You can see my trusty old dual G4 Mac under the desk in the corner. I bungied it down very firmly, and never had any problems I could relate to vibration. But then, the trailer’s MorRyde suspension and the TrailerSaver hitch on the truck may have had a lot to do with that. Oh yeh, and the Kelderman Air Ride suspension on the truck. When we had the trailer and truck built, I got every option I could think of to smooth out the ride for the electronics.
What I DID have problems with were heat and dust. I had to open up the machine periodically and vacuum it out. RV’s get a bit dusty! I had to put a fan on the floor under the desk to keep the temperature below 85F when we were in hot sunny climates (my wife likes deserts), even with both air conditioners running.
John Shelton
May I clarify a point you make in your article? (I’m) Not meaning to dispute anything you said, just want to expand on it. DO NOT take your original CD’s on the road with you! Make copies and take copies of EVERYTHING on the road with you. This point will save you big time in the event of a crash and fire, burglary, technical accident, or any of numerous other accidents that can happen to software and the medium it is written on. Same thing with your car and RV keys. Make copies of your keys and software and store the originals in a safe place for the life of the vehicle or computer. Use the duplicates. When the duplicates wear out, you have the un-used originals to make perfect copies from to replace the old copies that are now damaged, or worn out, or lost , or whatever. This policy of using duplicates on the road also applies to family photos; and you can probably think of many other things that fall into the “use duplicates” category.
John
Bruce Mullen, CT Coachworks, LLC
I travel many thousands of miles a year in our Siena motor home. The travel has not created any issues with the HP laptop. When I’m on the move it’s always on, phone card inserted and receiving e-mail. And, it always sets on the small patio side dinette table and there are no attachments to hold it it place. Maybe a laptop should
be the computer of choice.
Bruce Mullen
CT Coachworks, LLC
530 521 6390