In order to be a functioning digital nomad from the road, you need to have a dedicated office space to get stuff done. Here’s a tour of Justin Champion, Content Professor for HubSpot Academy and one half of Wild We Wander’s mobile office in his DIYed truck camper.
Looking to build a mobile office of your own so you can hit the road and provide value from anywhere? Below is a list of recommendations to help you get started.
Determine Your Power Setup
Primary source
If you plan on consistently working from your vehicle, then you need a reliable power source. For us, the sun is our primary power source. The sun travels with us where shore power is not available.
We installed a flat, adhesive 60W PowerFilm solar panel to the top of our truck George. Additionally, we have a 30W foldable PowerFilm solar panel that we can daisy chain to the 60W panel when we’re stationary to increase our charge rate.
We use our solar set up to power our Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Portable Power Station. We love Goal Zero’s portable power station for these two reasons:
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It’s plug-and-play with our PowerFilm setup
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It offers a 12V outlet to power needed mobile office supplies (which we’ll get into below).
Recommendation: The Goal Zero Power Station has a built-in charge controller, so you can continuously charge it without the fear of overcharging your battery. Because of this, we recommend getting the Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station since it’s 29 pounds and the 1250 model is over 100 pounds.... It’s much easier to tote around.
Secondary source
It’s always important to have a backup power source. For us, we use the 12V outlet in George when we’re driving.
We installed a BESTEK power inverter in the foldable drink tray near the dash. We use the power inverter while we’re driving so we can conserve power from our Power Station. In fact, we can trickle charge our Power Station if the sun’s taking a day off or it’s night time.
Get a Cell Phone Booster
The digital nomad who works in telecommunications needs a strong wireless connection to do their job well. Without a cell phone booster, you won’t be able to confidently work from the road. Especially in areas that are more remote.
We installed a weBoost Drive 4G-X on the roof of our truck. We prefer the 12V cable that comes with the unit, but weBoost does offer an AC (alternating current) cable. However, we find that the 12V plug produces better connection results versus the AC cable. Plus, we wired our mobile office with multiple 12V outlets:
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12V outlet in the truck via the power inverter
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12V outlet via our Power Station.
Create a Comfortable Space to Work From
We didn’t know it at the time of purchase, but we’re so thrilled that we chose a crew cab F250 as it give us a back seat.
The back seat of George is exactly what I’m looking for in a comfortable workspace:
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The seat is comfortable to sit in for long periods of time.
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The center console serves as a desk for my computer.
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The seats can be adjusted to provide ample leg room.
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A seatbelt (this way I can be strapped in and doing work while Ariele drives).
Recommendation: Make your mobile workspace homey. For me, that’s my dream catcher hanging near the back window and a serape draped over the Power Station. You can either leave these in place when not working or store them in the center console and under the seat.
Keep a Stocked Backpack Nearby
My backpack houses all my supplies needed to work effectively, whether that be in George, a co-working space, the beach, etc.
Make it a best practice to stock your backpack with items needed to work and live from the road. Below is what I keep stocked in my backpack:
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Laptop and charger
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Phone charger
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Mifi device and charger
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Headphones
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Tablet
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Reusable water bottle
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Snack bars or trail mix
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Hand sanitizer
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Face-cleansing wipes
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Sunscreen
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Chapstick
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Notepad and pen
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Dry fit shirt and sport shorts
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Deck of cards
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Travel size toiletries
Ever dreamed of living and working from the road?
Check out Wild We Wander’s page on how to become a digital nomad.