There's point A. There's point B. Then there's the point where people decide to make their time on the road more enjoyable. It used to be that you needed an RV to relax and enjoy the luxuries of home while you were on the road, but that's changing. Or rather, that's converting. The conversion van industry is busy transforming dreams into customized reality in low-clearance vehicles, and mobile satellite TV continues to top the list of luxury options.

Mobile environments that mirror home or office are in steady demand and conversion van companies have filled the niche by adapting to the needs of their customers. The way people think about conversion vans has changed dramatically and the availability of mobile entertainment and satellite TV has contributed greatly to the change. According to Rod McSweeney, president of the Conversion Van Marketing Association (CVMA) and chief executive officer of Southern Comfort Conversion, Inc., "A van with satellite TV is the best of both worlds. You get the easy driving and handling and still, you don't miss a thing on TV."

The CVMA provides for their members by recognizing trends in the conversion van industry. "We've seen a steady demand for satellite TV," McSweeney continued. "And I see the demand for satellite TV staying steady for a long time to come."

KVH in Middletown is known for its TracVision low-profile satellite TV system designed specifically for passenger vehicles. With hybrid phased-array technology, it is a sleek aftermarket accessory mounted to the roof rack or as a conversion van outfitters' factory option – either way, mobile satellite TV is a popular reality. The award-winning TracVision A5 has been available in the aftermarket for more than two years at retail locations around the United States and comes with exclusive access to DIRECTV's TOTAL CHOICE® MOBILE programming. In 2005, Cadillac announced that it had approved the TracVision A5 as an aftermarket accessory to be sold through its dealers nationwide, and Avis Rent a Car is offering the TracVision A5 and DIRECTV® service on Hummer® H3s based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Industry analyst Frost & Sullivan projects that by 2011, more than 3 million vehicles will be equipped with mobile satellite TV systems. No one knows this better than the sales people and technicians in the conversion van business. "Our customers are constantly asking us now for satellite TV," said Chuck Golson, engineering manager at Southern Comfort Conversions, leaders in the conversion van business and upfitters for the GMC division of General Motors.

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The possibilities for conversion vans – the amenities, the indulgences, the little luxuries – are often limited by two things: money and imagination. When you have plenty of both and the talent to do the work, you see examples of conversion vans that have gone to the extreme. Media mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is no stranger to "extreme." He paired up recently with Automotive Intellect (AI) Design outside New York City for a $350,000 retrofit for his Chevy Express 3500. Bling? Try six satellite-fitted plasma televisions fit for a king. KVH and AI Design have worked closely over the years and the folks at AI have observed the growing demand for the TracVision A5 and DIRECTV service from the front seat. "These guys are doing back flips over this stuff," exclaimed AI Design's Dan Whitmire. "We have a really hard time keeping TracVision A5s in stock...and it's unbelievably easy to install. We haven't run into a single problem."

Not to be outdone, the TracVision A5 and DIRECTV service add that extra touch to the already luxurious vehicles created by the team at California-based Becker Automotive Design. Profiled in the January 16, 2006, issue of BusinessWeek, one of the newest Becker Automotive creations – the JetVan – offers the comfort of a long wheelbase Sprinter passenger van with amenities ranging from the TracVision A5 to leather seats, widescreen TVs, pinpoint LED lighting, and mobile Internet connections. The result – a stylish, rolling office with the amenities of a private jet.

"We have seen a strong demand among our customers for live news, entertainment, and sports in the vehicles we design and customize," said Troy Becker, marketing director for Becker Automotive Design. "The vehicles we build are extensions of our clients' homes and offices and they want access to the same services when they're on the road."

The TracVision A5 uses a dual system to keep the satellite's signal held tightly. The antenna is a computer-guided phase-array, similar in concept to the flat antennas used by Aegis missile cruisers. The flat panel is rotated by motors which keeps the array pointed in the general direction of the satellite signal, but signal processing in the computer system does the fine tuning in the antenna's alignment.

Satellite TV does have its limitations. If the line-of-sight to the satellite is cut off by tall buildings or heavy foliage, the signal can degrade or be lost entirely, so you wouldn't want to rely on it to catch the latest episode of 24 while driving through Manhattan, but for a road trip from Coventry to Aunt Bessie in Florida would let you stay well informed with the latest news, entertained by sports events, and distracted by reruns of Seinfeld all the way there.

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