porthole
Retired
This is for the Complete antenna replacement kit, not the add on head unit.
When you remove the factory installed bat wing antenna there is an option for a plate to cover up the original footprint.
That plate is screwed to the rooftop and sealed, but not before you attach the antenna to the plate with machine screws and nylock nuts.
As I was applying the self leveling sealer I thought, this is going to be a royal pain if the antenna ever breaks.
Well, I think we hit a tree branch coming home from Goshen, took the top half of the antenna off.
Several things I found out with antenna. In 3 years King changed mounting base design a bit 3 times. They changed the 'tube' diameter at least once. That meant no option to just popping on a new head unit, I had to replace the entire antenna along with removing the 16" square base plate.
I did manage to find 'version 2' on evilbay and was able to make it fit to 'version 1's' base plate (judicious use of self leveling sealer).
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Something else I found out with the antenna, and something to be aware off.
The antenna rotates with the interior control about 359 degrees. There is a plastic ring gear that that keeps the antenna in position with a locking pawl.
The teeth are fine and it is all plastic. It is relatively easy to turn the antenna against pawl.
There is an internal stop to prevent the antenna from turning more then 360 degrees, you are not supposed to be able to spin the antenna around.
The antenna is connected from the head to the signal booster with a very thin coax, about 1/16" diameter. There are no slip rings for the signal wires.
If you go past 360 degrees you will rip the coax out of the signal booster.
Don't know how long my antenna was not working.
I have noticed through our travels that the antenna will be in a different postion then when it was when we left camp. I had a habit of always pointing the antenna forward when we leave, and frequently found it in other positions.
I would not use the full antenna kit on a trailer due to the weaknesses listed above.
When you remove the factory installed bat wing antenna there is an option for a plate to cover up the original footprint.
That plate is screwed to the rooftop and sealed, but not before you attach the antenna to the plate with machine screws and nylock nuts.
As I was applying the self leveling sealer I thought, this is going to be a royal pain if the antenna ever breaks.
Well, I think we hit a tree branch coming home from Goshen, took the top half of the antenna off.
Several things I found out with antenna. In 3 years King changed mounting base design a bit 3 times. They changed the 'tube' diameter at least once. That meant no option to just popping on a new head unit, I had to replace the entire antenna along with removing the 16" square base plate.
I did manage to find 'version 2' on evilbay and was able to make it fit to 'version 1's' base plate (judicious use of self leveling sealer).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Something else I found out with the antenna, and something to be aware off.
The antenna rotates with the interior control about 359 degrees. There is a plastic ring gear that that keeps the antenna in position with a locking pawl.
The teeth are fine and it is all plastic. It is relatively easy to turn the antenna against pawl.
There is an internal stop to prevent the antenna from turning more then 360 degrees, you are not supposed to be able to spin the antenna around.
The antenna is connected from the head to the signal booster with a very thin coax, about 1/16" diameter. There are no slip rings for the signal wires.
If you go past 360 degrees you will rip the coax out of the signal booster.
Don't know how long my antenna was not working.
I have noticed through our travels that the antenna will be in a different postion then when it was when we left camp. I had a habit of always pointing the antenna forward when we leave, and frequently found it in other positions.
I would not use the full antenna kit on a trailer due to the weaknesses listed above.
