Best Cell Booster for Overlanding? Thinking About the weBoost Drive Reach Overland
Posted by presscheck@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 24 comments
Hey everyone — looking for some real-world input from people who run cell boosters while overlanding.
I’ve got a Toyota Tundra with a SmartCap-style camper shell, and service drops off pretty hard once I’m out in the desert. I’m looking at the weBoost Drive Reach Overland (pic attached) since it’s on sale right now, but before I pull the trigger I wanted to ask:
– Is this the best option for an overland setup? – Anyone running this exact model on a truck with a camper shell? – Any better alternatives for deep desert/off-grid use? – Does the antenna mount hold up to washboard roads and vibration?
Main goal is keeping reliable maps/texting capability when I’m out in the high desert around Nevada. Appreciate any advice from people who’ve used these boosters in real overlanding conditions.
Thanks in advance!
Fizzlefish@reddit
I picked up a Starlink Mini recently nd use the standby $5 monthly service. It’s .5mbs but is more than enough for me to do basic stuff when I’m in the middle of nowhere. I looked at a weboost for the longest time and researched the crap out of it and other devices. Happy with the Starlink route.
samchoi924@reddit
Isn't that $5 standby plan limited to max of 1 yr?
presscheck@reddit (OP)
I didn’t know there was such a thing as a standby option. $50 a month for a server I’ll use sporadically is a little steep. Thanks!
Sanatonem@reddit
I have a weboost drive overland.
It works, yes. It’s not magic though. You need at least a bar of service where you’re going for it to boost it. So if you’re often in places with zero service wishing you had something, the weboost isn’t for you.
The weboost stays on my truck and is great for mountain commuting on the edge of service, but frankly useless if you’re spending days in the backcountry. When I know I’m going deep wilderness I use a Starlink mini.
fidelityflip@reddit
I agree. Though sometimes it will give you one or two bar when you have none inside the vehicle. Its not magic like you say but its definitely better than nothing and a low cost option if starlink is out of the budget. After so many years with nothing, weboost was still a significant upgrade from no booster at all.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Thanks for that! I ordered these Starlink mini.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Awesome and thanks for the info. Very helpful!
clauderbaugh@reddit
Have WeBoost. It worked fine when there was signal to be had. Got Starlink a few years back. Haven’t turned the WeBoost on since. In fact just the other day I tried to raise the WeBoost antenna and found it was rusted in place,lol.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Wow! That really soaks something. I got a little too much of the Black Friday fever and ordered the WeBoost to go with the Starlink mini but I just requested to cancel the WeBoost order. That’s for sharing.
ZxDrawrDxZ@reddit
Imo a starlink mini blows it out of the water, we had a Weboost for a few years and found it very unreliable. I need to be plugged in for work essentially 24/7 to answer emails or give project updates so I didn't have much choice.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Thanks so much! I just got Starlink for the house since we moved out into the semi country but I never considered Starlink for the truck. I’ll look into it.
Lawdoc1@reddit
I'll second this wholeheartedly. I had a WeBoost (forget which model) for a couple of years and didn't notice that it helped all that much.
Last year I went to Starlink mini and it has been a game changer. I absolutely hate giving that guy or his company money, but it has allowed me to make money while on my longer trips.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the insight. Good to hear from someone who actually used both. Sounds like the WeBoost helps a little but not enough to matter. Hearing that the Starlink Mini was a real upgrade for you is helpful. Henry Ford wasn’t popular with everyone either in his time. History will tell with this titan of industry.
Lawdoc1@reddit
Interesting comparison considering they both have ties to Nazi ideology.
magniankh@reddit
Everyone always recommends Starlink instead of a booster.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Indeed! This has been an eye opening conversation
HtnSwtchesOnBtches@reddit
I really think you are actually better just going with a start link. Weboost just boosts. The overall return isn't that big of a deal and for the cost.
Keiththesneak@reddit
Starlink is what you’re looking for!
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Sure sounds that way!
lucky_ducker@reddit
I spent 8 weeks exploring the west in the fall of 2024 with a WeBoost.
In my opinion, it is of limited use. If my phone is reporting a single bar of service, but the internet / OnX maps are not working, the WeBoost will usually deliver enough boost to make the signal usable. I've never seen it work when my phone flat out says "No Service."
Having said that, more than once I was able to choose between "No signal" campsites and "weak signal" campsites, knowing that if I really needed connectivity, the WeBoost would get me there.
Also, Nevada cell coverage is patchy and very carrier-dependent. It's not a blackout area like the Utah Uintas or the Idaho mountains. If you study your carrier's coverage maps, the WeBoost might open up a lot of areas to you that would otherwise be No Service.
It probably says something that when I spent this past June exploring Colorado, I left the WeBoost at home. I think the more time you spend overlanding, the more comfortable you get with being fully disconnected.
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Also good call on the carrier stuff. Coverage out here is all over the place depending on who you’re with, so I’ll check the maps before I buy anything. And honestly, the fact you ended up leaving yours at home for your Colorado trip says a lot. Sometimes it’s just extra weight for no real payoff.
Appreciate the honest feedback — gives me a much clearer picture before I decide whether to grab one or just rely on Starlink instead.
kavOclock@reddit
My weboost is just a backup plan for my Starlink mini. The weboost is nice when I’m covered by trees and the mini can’t see the sky, but it doesn’t create a signal out of nothing. If you’re too far out the booster does nothing. Starlink mini should be your first purchase before the cell booster
presscheck@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the input. Currently, it’s mostly to cover the weak signals between towers while we’re driving along and on the fringes of BLM Land, but from all the advice I’ve gotten, I will definitely keep the Starlink mini in mind.
kavOclock@reddit
The weboost is great for what it is! Just gotta keep your expectations in check. As other commenters have already mentioned, it won’t create a signal out of nothing. When your phone says you have one bar but it’s not actually making any calls or loading data, that’s when the weboost works best