Installing RV satellite question....

[TX-Nate]

Good day! I recently bought a Tailgater satellite dish for my 2018 Cyclone 4115 toy hauler. I’m not the handiest of guys, so I took it to an RV specialist to have them install it for me...mostly to make sure it’s done right, however, they told me something that I have a hard time believing...

i was told that, in order for them to install the system, that I must disconnect the the original TV antenna that is OEM?! I bought 2 receivers with the system, and had intended to move them around from TV to TV (my rig has 4 TVs), but can this be true? If so, what happens to the TVs that don’t have a box connected...are they then just useless? To me, it doesn’t sound right, nor does it make sense. The guy told me the only way to make it work with both, is to fish another cable which he told me is a big task.

I would love the input from the community on their experiences or solutions to similar issues.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Nate

 

[danemayer]

Hi TX-Nate,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.

Your Cyclone should have multiple coax connectors in the Universal Docking Center (UDC), where the water hose gets connected. One is for cable TV. That coax merges with the rooftop antenna coax at the signal booster, and then continues to the various TVs.

The others are for satellite dish connections which have separate wiring to at least 2 and possibly more TV locations. You should call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030. Have your VIN # ready. Ask for a COAX diagram for your trailer. That diagram will help you identify which coax connector goes where.

It's possible that the trailer's satellite wiring includes splitters, which may or may not be compatible with your Tailgater. It's also possible that not all of the TV locations have satellite wiring. Your installer may have been planning to run satellite to one location and then use the antenna coax to feed the satellite receiver output to the other TV locations. If that's what he's planning, and you want to preserve the antenna capability, he may need to install diplexers to combine the satellite and antenna feed.

Start by calling Heartland to get a diagram of the coax runs.

 

[david-steph2018]

We own a 2018 Road Warrior 427 and we did not have to disconnect the antenna. In the UDC should be some cable connections. On the Road Warrior there are 4 of these for the satellite. Two go to the roof, for a roof installed system, and 1 to living room tv and the other to the bedroom tv. For a diagram look on the door it should show a diagram.
To get the system set up I hooked the Pathway X2 directly to the receiver box then used a HDMI cable from box to tv. The reason that I did it this way is least number of connections and direct connections. There is also a connection for cable in our UDC.
Now we can switch from satellite tv to over the air tv when we want.


I used this to trace my cables to see which was to what to make sure I had the correct cables:

Southwire Coax Continuity Analog-Volt Datacomm Tester

that I bought at Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Coax-Continuity-Analog-Volt-Datacomm-Tester/50278121​

 

[txtinman]

We own a 2018 Road Warrior 427 and we did not have to disconnect the antenna. In the UDC should be some cable connections. On the Road Warrior there are 4 of these for the satellite. Two go to the roof, for a roof installed system, and 1 to living room tv and the other to the bedroom tv. For a diagram look on the door it should show a diagram.
To get the system set up I hooked the Pathway X2 directly to the receiver box then used a HDMI cable from box to tv. The reason that I did it this way is least number of connections and direct connections. There is also a connection for cable in our UDC.
Now we can switch from satellite tv to over the air tv when we want.


I used this to trace my cables to see which was to what to make sure I had the correct cables:

Southwire Coax Continuity Analog-Volt Datacomm Tester

that I bought at Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Coax-Continuity-Analog-Volt-Datacomm-Tester/50278121​

I bought that same tester. All of my connections show as open except the catv connection. It shows as shorted. Either I'm using the tool wrong or all of my cables are not installed correctly. The cable diagram from Heartland shows a 3-way splitter. I suspect that may cause some of the issues, but I don't know where they put it.

 

[AZCYCLONE]

Hi Nate
Did you ever get the answer to your question on here about satellite hook up ?
Curious, Did they use the pre wire cable coil that is supposed to be in the TH ?

Thanks, Jeff

 

[oldelmer1]

I have the same dish but dont have it permanently mounted. I go up on the roof and hoist it up from the ground and sit it where ever it has a good view to the satellites.

I just run a cable down the side of the camper and into the UDC.

I just ordered a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FR4JDT2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and a splitter.

But i haven't tried them yet.

 

[Thunderbolt]

I bought that same tester. All of my connections show as open except the catv connection. It shows as shorted. Either I'm using the tool wrong or all of my cables are not installed correctly. The cable diagram from Heartland shows a 3-way splitter. I suspect that may cause some of the issues, but I don't know where they put it.

Did you find where the splitter is located? Look for the one in the 2018 Cyclone 4005.

 

[Matt750]

Did you find where the splitter is located? Look for the one in the 2018 Cyclone 4005.

We have a ‘19 CY 4007 and on ours, the splitters are located behind the main switch panel (generator fuel gauge, main switch panel, etc.). You might have to pull that whole column from the wall, I can’t remember.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[txtinman]

Did you find where the splitter is located? Look for the one in the 2018 Cyclone 4005.

There is a cabinet above our television. In the back corner is a piece of thin wood that closes out the corner. I pulled that off and found two splitters. I was finally able to connect a cable to one of the inputs at the UDC that goes to one of the splitters. From there I can watch cable TV in the living room and the garage. The connector at the UDC is labelled for satellite connection for the bedroom TV. I have not been able to watch cable or satellite television on the bedroom TV. Only one of the five outside connectors mate up with anything inside the coach. Another fine example of Heartland quality control.

 

[Thunderbolt]

In the 2018 Cyclone 4005 the cable and satellite splitters are behind the speaker grill above the tv near the ceiling. I found them and now are trying to find where Heartland ran the cable from the UDC to the splitter area. I also am looking for the cable that is run to the external tv. Frustrating to say the least.

 

[txtinman]

It is frustrating. I have one of those cable testers from Southwire. It work good unless there is a splitter on the cable. If so I got lots of false readings. I found that Heartland's decals and printed cable lay-outs are not what is installed in my coach. I was wanting to mount a television in my garage and needed to know where to install it. Heartland sent me a diagram that showed the wall studs and where to attach the television. I thought it would be a piece of cake. Turns out I was wrong. After trying to hit the studs using their diagram and failing I pulled back the wall to look behind it. Not only were the studs in a different location, some of them were not even there.

 

[Sparkey]

We have a ‘19 CY 4007 and on ours, the splitters are located behind the main switch panel (generator fuel gauge, main switch panel, etc.). You might have to pull that whole column from the wall, I can’t remember.

Matt750 THANK YOU!!!!!

I have a 2019 Cyclone 4007 and have been trying to figure out where the two splitters were. You called it; behind the main switch panel. Mine were tucked up high so didn't see them (gray and black COAX splitters) until I felt around and pulled them down and out only to find a bunch of loose connectors. I am still going though to trace and confirm they all work because so far only one tv has worked via the splitter.

I really wish they ran all home runs to the UDC and connect splitter there. I bought a COAX tester (although it seems the tester can't test "though" the splitter) to trace the wires and figure out why I can't get all four tv's to work. I don't have enough COAX to "actually" run to my camper to test true tv signal.

Anyway hopefully I can figure it all out.

I have also made many modifications to my Cyclone - if you want details, just ask; added shelving inside, roof antenna to sound bar (cheap one provided got such crap reception), wired speakers to outside kitchen from sound bar including IR eye to control music/volume (hated having garage radio outside speakers so far from outdoor living space and lack of control as well as lack of same music in as well as out), rear constant on camera (display in truck), probably will add additional camera to "watch" Harley in garage, under frame 6" PVC fence sewer storage tubes, shelving and LED strip lighting in front storage area, smoke/CO detector in garage (I am a fireman), looking to add under frame LED strip lighting, additional tie downs and motorcycle chock (and bikes) in garage, tire pressure monitoring, changed to griddle for outside kitchen, etc...

 

[Matt750]

Matt750 THANK YOU!!!!!

I have a 2019 Cyclone 4007 and have been trying to figure out where the two splitters were. You called it; behind the main switch panel. Mine were tucked up high so didn't see them (gray and black COAX splitters) until I felt around and pulled them down and out only to find a bunch of loose connectors. I am still going though to trace and confirm they all work because so far only one tv has worked via the splitter.

I really wish they ran all home runs to the UDC and connect splitter there. I bought a COAX tester (although it seems the tester can't test "though" the splitter) to trace the wires and figure out why I can't get all four tv's to work. I don't have enough COAX to "actually" run to my camper to test true tv signal.

Anyway hopefully I can figure it all out.

I have also made many modifications to my Cyclone - if you want details, just ask; added shelving inside, roof antenna to sound bar (cheap one provided got such crap reception), wired speakers to outside kitchen from sound bar including IR eye to control music/volume (hated having garage radio outside speakers so far from outdoor living space and lack of control as well as lack of same music in as well as out), rear constant on camera (display in truck), probably will add additional camera to "watch" Harley in garage, under frame 6" PVC fence sewer storage tubes, shelving and LED strip lighting in front storage area, smoke/CO detector in garage (I am a fireman), looking to add under frame LED strip lighting, additional tie downs and motorcycle chock (and bikes) in garage, tire pressure monitoring, changed to griddle for outside kitchen, etc...

No problem! Glad you found them. Mine had a bunch of loose connections as well. I agree that the splitters would've been nice in the UDC instead of some random place!

 

[Aaronmb71]

Late reply, just bought a Pioneer Rg26, and was searching to see if satellite ready, before I start testing, but this info may be useful for someone.

I was a Directv tech for several years, abd often sent to do campground installs.
Some RVs are satellite ready, while others are not ( regardless of what the salesman told customers, had that conversation many times)

Satellite works a bit differently than cable in 2 main areas of wiring/ splitters.

1. Satellite used different frequency that regular cable splitters ( hidden in the rv) may or may not be rated to pass.

2 Satellite requires power to return to the dish to power the LNB ( eye on dish as some ppl call it)
In order for this to happen the power source ( receiver or power inserter, depending on setup) needs to be connected on.power passing ports on any splitter between it and the dish. Regular Cable splitters typically do not pass power.
So in order to run satellite the power passing coax route ( assuming there is one) needs to be traced out, so the powering device can be connected to that coax outlet.

The easiest and best way to do this is a simple coax trace toner, works much better than those coax trace kits with the colored plugs, as they often give false readings ( I know from experience) and less expensive.

If no continuing power pass route is found, then it gets much more difficult and time consuming, the splitter hunt, to " try " and find where splitters are hidden in the RV.
Most Directv and Dush techs will be very reluctant to do this for 2 reasons.
1. They are paid by the job, if a job takes way too long, they are loosing money.
2. Possible damage claims against tech, if they start to dismantle access panels and coax outlets. At least the company I worked for, we were specifically told not to dismantle ANYTHING in an RV. If a customer was cool and understood the situation I would do it on occasion,.

Hopefully this helps some people.

 

[Aaronmb71]

ALSO an incorrectly prepared coax connector will show as shorted for power,
Only a tiny bit of the coax sheied not peeled away in the connection ( like 1 strand of tiny wire) will cause the low voltage to be shorted.
Not dangerous, but won't work.
Again from experience I made 10's of thousands of fittings over the years, and despite being careful to make sure, I occasionally made a bad one. I instantly knew from testing and easily re do it, so just a bit of wasted time
I'm sure the rv assembly guys are not nearly as careful on thier coax fittings, so many fittings could be " bad" in that regard

 

[jleavitt11]

Good day! I recently bought a Tailgater satellite dish for my 2018 Cyclone 4115 toy hauler. I’m not the handiest of guys, so I took it to an RV specialist to have them install it for me...mostly to make sure it’s done right, however, they told me something that I have a hard time believing...

i was told that, in order for them to install the system, that I must disconnect the the original TV antenna that is OEM?! I bought 2 receivers with the system, and had intended to move them around from TV to TV (my rig has 4 TVs), but can this be true? If so, what happens to the TVs that don’t have a box connected...are they then just useless? To me, it doesn’t sound right, nor does it make sense. The guy told me the only way to make it work with both, is to fish another cable which he told me is a big task.

I would love the input from the community on their experiences or solutions to similar issues.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Nate

This should help if you still need it.

 

[Daley07]

We have a dish on our RV roof, but sometimes when traveling we have a spot with tree coverage that does not allow for connections. This Winegard portable dish with a long cable allows us to see our shows, yet stores away when not in use. Easy to move between the stationary antenna and the portable one.

 

[chaplady]

I opted not to mount my tail gater as ive seen times were people could not use their satellite due to obstruction. I have tripod so i can move my dish around