Somewhere, on an RV / camping forum web site, I stumbled into a post where the poster shared a video for an alternative, truly unlimited data plan. He included a YouTube video which I bookmarked and watch over and over again.
Long story short, my wife and I decided to try it. The initial investment was minimal an the monthly plan for unlimited phone-text-and-data is truly only $40 a month. It's a pay-as-you go process and at any time you want to skip a month or two, you can.
I'd like to thank the fellow who posted the initial post, but like I said, I can't find it any more and I'm not sure which internet forum it came from.
Meanwhile, below is the video for you to absorb.
The plan is called "Visible" and it uses the Verison network.
In our case, we did not get the $19 ZTE phone off of Amazon. We went ahead and purchased it directly from the Visible web site at the same time. It cost a little more than the $19 ones off Amazon, but we just felt better getting the phone from the Visible. They also sent the Sim Card.
The other thing we deviated from, from the video, was the Hoo Too router. We checked and they still do not have any available. We ended up getting a GL-Net Mango Mini Smart Router. It was $19. It's only about 2.5 inches square and an inch thick. It plugs into the phone with the USB cable.
The initial set-up for this router was a little tricky, but once we figured it out, it worked great! We were able to connect 3 work computers, 2 home computers, and an I-pad.
The reason for the router is so you can hook up multiple devices at the same time, because Visible is set up for only 1 device at a time. I've been using the phone and router for work (we're at home right now), and testing it out over the next 3 weeks or so.
We're hitting the road in April, still employed with our respective companies, but have no clue when we'll be returning to the house. So, the last step in our plans has finally fallen in place... reliable internet at an affordable price. Along with our AT&T phones and their Hot Spot ability, we should be well covered. Unfortunately, our AT&T hot spots do not work well with my wife's company computer. And they do throttle, even though it's suppose to be an unlimited plan.
So, thanks to that fellow who first posted this. And hope you enjoy the video below. It explains a lot, in very simple language.