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We had been going back and forth about getting Starlink for van life and kept deciding not to for the fact that it would take up too much of our power.
However, Starlink recently came out with a new model, the Starlink Mini. And the Starlink Mini is the exact model and reason we decided to finally bite the bullet and purchase Starlink for life on the road.
This post isn’t about all the tech specs. It’s not about exact power consumption, or watts, or anything like that. It’s simply about how it’s been for us for the last month on the road and what items you need to purchase with Starlink for your van to make it work with almost any van conversion.
Starlink Mini Perks
- Small Size | With the smaller size for the mini, it’s super easy to store! You can even get a computer sleeve for a protective case for it — obviously still being careful with the dish in the sleeve.
- Compact Design | Not just the small size, but all the cables, the router, and any extra bits and bobs are all connected to one place. You don’t have to have multiple different things all around to make this work. The router and dish are in one, a huge perk.
- Plug In And Go | With the all in one design, you literally plug in the Starlink Mini, wait a couple minutes for it to connect, and you’re ready to go.
- Less Power Consumption | Again, I’m no tech expert.. but from what we’ve read online and in different Starlink Facebook groups, the power consumption proves to be less with Starlink Mini.
Starlink For Van Life Extras
Starlink Mini USB-C Adaptor
The Starlink Mini comes with a normal outlet plug. It simply attaches to the Starlink dish, and then you plug it into an outlet. However, there’s a more efficient way of plugging in the Starlink.
Instead of turning on an invertor or needed a regular outlet to run the Starlink Mini in the van, you can get this USB C cable, and plug it into any USB C port that’s 100W or more. Don’t worry.. those 100W or more ports we talk about next!
Check Current Prices Here | We bought the 6.5 foot (2M) cable, but wish we actually got the longer one. We’ve needed a longer cable a couple of times when putting the Starlink in the dash.
100W USB C Car Charger
This car charger works hand in hand with the cable above. It has two different USB C ports, but the bottom one is the port you want to use for charging Starlink in the van. It can plug into any cigarette lighter, and then bam, you have internet!
We’ve found that we can also charge our computers with this USB C car charger, with again is saving us energy not having to turn on the convertor!
The price on this one is a bit steep. But after a lot of research with what exactly the Starlink Mini needs for power output, it’s the best one on the market. We’ve had people tell us they already have a USB C charger, but trust us.. you need the higher wattage this one provides for it to properly work.
Anker Power Bank
We originally purchased this Anker Power Bank after we had read that it can power the Starlink Mini for 3.5 hours on a full charge. We thought this would be a perfect way to have a back up plan for if the above mentioned cords and car charger set up didn’t work.
However, the above mentioned ways work perfectly, so we returned the Anker Power Bank — it’s a pretty expensive purchase.
With that said, we have read in forums that this is the power bank to get for Starlink on the go. It’s the perfect way to be able to use Starlink when you’re out and about not close to the van. I think it would be great for working at a picnic table or something like that while on the road.
Data Plan Size
We’re currently working off of the 50 gig plan, with the 1 USD per gig extra after 50 gigs of use. And that has worked well for us. However, I think to take full advantage of the Starlink for van life we will probably be upgrading to the unlimited plan soon.
We notice that Starlink calculates usage way different than anything we’ve used before. And we’ve tracked our data usage for years. We’ve never blown through data like we do with Starlink — so that’s been a bit frustrating. The 50 gig plan you really have to worry about what’s going on in the background on your devices.. which really just adds unnecessary stress.
With that said, if you start at the 50 gigs, you can always increase from there. However, if you start at the unlimited plan, you can’t go down to less.
So, we fully suggest everyone start at the 50 gig for 50 USD per month plan and see what you use before increasing to the 165 USD per month unlimited plan.
Our Thoughts on Starlink For Van Life
For the longest time, we thought we were doing amazing working off our phones and in public spaces like libraries or the occasional coffee shop or brewery.
However, once we got Starlink, our mind has been completely blown, and we have been getting so much more work done. It’s really so much better working from our home on wheels than working in a public space!
And the speed… oh the speed.. it has been incredible. We’ll update this post as we continue using Starlink for van life throughout the American Southwest.
More On Van Life
We’ve been living in vans and on the road for over five years total. And we’ve been in our current minivan campervan conversion for 2.5 years. Here’s some posts we think you’ll like on life on the road.
Minivan Campervan Conversion | Our entire build in one place
Van Life Toilets | How to choose the best toilet for you!
9 Reasons You Need a Van Fan | Cutting a hole in the roof is scary, but necessary!
3 Easy Camping Meals | Little clean up, easy to make, and most don’t need a fridge!
