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Airstream and Other Thor RVs Get Factory-Installed Starlink Hardware, Free for One Month

It’s been two years now since SpaceX started offering Starlink Internet for the masses. Initially meant as a tool to help people in remote or underdeveloped regions get online, the constellation of satellites is now a major source of revenue for Elon Musk’s space company, as it's not cheap for the ones at the other end of the Starlink receiver – the thing costs about $110 per month, and requires a one-time hardware payment of $599.
Airstream RVs to use Starlink Internet soon 7 photos
Photo: Thor Industries
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Yet people are all over Starlink because, well, it works as advertised. It’s so great, in fact, that SpaceX expanded the reach of its Internet solution by coming up with flat pieces of hardware that can be used on cruise ships, airplanes, and RVs.

Companies operating in any of the three segments mentioned above quickly jumped on board and are announcing one after another the adoption of Starlink for the benefit of their customers (and their pockets). Yet until now, not a single maker of RVs of some importance did that.

It all changed this week, when Thor Industries announced it will offer Starlink systems in some of the RVs it sells in the United States as soon as this year, becoming the first OEM RV maker to do so. They will come at first as optional equipment on select and undisclosed models, but when requested they will be factory-installed, and even offered with “a one-month service credit after the initial month of activation.”

In case you’re out of the loop when it comes to who Thor Industries is, here’s a quick reminder: the relatively new entity (it was formed in 1983) makes and sells pretty much all American RVs of some importance for the market. No less than 17 brands fall under the Thor Umbrella, including Airstream, Entegra, Jayco, Keystone, Starcraft, or Venture.

For the initial stages of deployment, Starlinks will be made available for the vehicles wearing the badges of Airstream, Entegra, Jayco and Tiffin, but more will probably follow in the months and years ahead.

Thor justified the decision to offer mobile Internet with data from a survey it conducted in the U.S. and Canada. The company says it wanted to learn how RV owners feel about Internet to go, and when it discovered that 74 percent of those questioned (unclear how many) said such a solution will weigh heavily in their future purchase decision, it acted on that.

The company does not say how much the Starlink hardware for said RV makes will cost, nor do we get any info on the exact models that will be eligible from the get-go. The popular Airstream Atlas, for instance, which retails from $289,911, gives no option of choosing Starlink at the time of writing, and neither does the Classic trailer, for that matter.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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