Winegard Trav'ler roof location? Extending data cables? 2015 RL3150 Big Country 5th wheel

[Lowflyr]

Greetings everyone!

I just ordered a Winegard Trav'ler SK 1000 satellite dish for my 2015 RL3150 Big Country 5th wheel and in looking at the location where the backing plate is located (between front AC and bathroom vent), I will not be able to locate it there according to Winegard clearance requirements (sounds like I'm not the only one with this issue). I located the access plate in bedroom ceiling and the two TV cables are there along with the data cable, so that's good. I also already have the roof drawings provided to me by Heartland. In addition I also purchased the larger roof plate in anticipation of locating the dish in another location. A few questions:

1. Have any of you got some suggestions/advice and better yet, photos/video of where you mounted your dish? (It sounds like some of you did not mount it in the centerline of the RV?)
2. If the data cable is not long enough, can I splice in an extension?
3. The more photos and/or videos, would be awesome as I'm a visual learner.

Thanks in advance.

Lowflyr

 

[esscobra]

my install- will get pics from roof this weekend

 

[TravelTiger]

The data line coiled in the roof was plenty long enough.


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[Lowflyr]

The data line coiled in the roof was plenty long enough.


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I may try and place the dish like you have yours TravelTiger, providing I have the clearances. You can see by the attached pics where my current Tailgater sits and there is only 48" between the front AC and the bathroom vent. Hopefully, i can kind of "split the baby" and place it to the right and slightly back closer to the bathroom vent.

 

[TravelTiger]

I may try and place the dish like you have yours TravelTiger, providing I have the clearances. You can see by the attached pics where my current Tailgater sits and there is only 48" between the front AC and the bathroom vent. Hopefully, i can kind of "split the baby" and place it to the right and slightly back closer to the bathroom vent.

Yep, looks a lot like our spacing between AC and bath vent.


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[Lowflyr]

Yep, looks a lot like our spacing between AC and bath vent.


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My next struggle, finding the other end of the data cable, which according to Heartland, is behind the front booster plate in the closet. I pulled the plate and looked inside, but did not see it. May have to get an endoscope to be able to look better in there. Was your cable easy to find?

Lowflyr

 

[TravelTiger]

Ours was sticking out of a hole next to the plugs/cable connections.


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[Lowflyr]

Ours was sticking out of a hole next to the plugs/cable connections.


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Just my luck.. that's not there. Hopefully it's just inside the wall close. Will be ticked if I have to do a bunch of panel removing!

Lowflyr

- - - Updated - - -

According to the roof plans Heartland sent me; they ran the cable to the wrong side which would be the opposite closet area where the washer/dryer is?

 

[TravelTiger]

Looks like conflicting information between pages 3 and 4 of where the data line is. Do you have a place inside the bedroom, with a blank wall plate on the ceiling? That is supposed to be where the cables are coiled up inside the roof.


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[Lowflyr]

Looks like conflicting information between pages 3 and 4 of where the data line is. Do you have a place inside the bedroom, with a blank wall plate on the ceiling? That is supposed to be where the cables are coiled up inside the roof.


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I thought that at first, but if you look at the drawings, one says top view, other inside view. I do have the blank plate in the ceiling and the data and TV cables are coiled there, so I know the data cable is installed, it's just where they placed it in the front of rig. I'm going to look closer at the washer/dryer side tonight after work in hopes that at least it's sticking out a port like yours is.

Lowflyr

 

[TravelTiger]

I thought that at first, but if you look at the drawings, one says top view, other inside view. I do have the blank plate in the ceiling and the data and TV cables are coiled there, so I know the data cable is installed, it's just where they placed it in the front of rig. I'm going to look closer at the washer/dryer side tonight after work in hopes that at least it's sticking out a port like yours is.

Lowflyr

Sounds like a plan! Hope you find it.


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[esscobra]

2017 3760el - newer roof design with truss and new ac ducts

 

[Lowflyr]

2017 3760el - newer roof design with truss and new ac ducts

Thanks for the picture. It looks a lot like what I will have to do. I'm almost positive I will need to get an extension for the data cable. Did you?

Thanks again.

Lowflyr

 

[TravelTiger]

Thanks for the picture. It looks a lot like what I will have to do. I'm almost positive I will need to get an extension for the data cable. Did you?

Thanks again.

Lowflyr

Have you pulled the cable out inside the rig and stretched it out to see how long it is? It's much longer than you think.


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[farside291]

I just had the front cap replaced on mine and had them look for the control cable. Not there. Heartland gave me the two coils of coax in the roof behind the cover plate but no control cable. Hopefully that is not the case with yours. With the cap off the front of the fifth wheel all of the wiring and coax is visible behind the wall in the front closet. No control cable.

 

[DavidCraker]

How does one go about getting the roof plans from Heartland? I would like to install a satellite antenna sometime in the future. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
David

 

[Lowflyr]

I just had the front cap replaced on mine and had them look for the control cable. Not there. Heartland gave me the two coils of coax in the roof behind the cover plate but no control cable. Hopefully that is not the case with yours. With the cap off the front of the fifth wheel all of the wiring and coax is visible behind the wall in the front closet. No control cable.

Well, I found the cable and it's right where Heartland plans showed it was; on the opposite side of the front closet, which I found by pulling out a front shelving unit and moving insulation...argh The annoying part is; instead of having the 6 ft of coiled cable (according to their plans), there is closer to 14 ft, which makes it not long enough for what I need on the roof (only about 3 ft. available) and I can't pull the cable as it's tied up within the roof. So I thought I would order the extension cable from Winegard and of course another clinker. The extension cable is only good from the control box to the existing cable, which has the connector to the satellite. Winegard does not make an extension from the roof end of the cable, which has the nut to tie it to the satellite and they said under no circumstances should the data cable be spliced. So the only alternative would be to purchase a new control box cable and the extension and literally re-route the cable to the closet. I told the Winegard rep, it may be a good idea to consider making a cable extension for the other end that hooks to the satellite as I have read other reports of the same complaint.

Now with all that said, I received my Trav'ler Dish last night and it came with the 30 ft. cable already attached (Yea), which may be better anyway, as I thought it was odd to have the controller in a front closet in the first place. My plan now is to route the cable through a bathroom sink roof drain vent and then into a cabinet in the kitchen area for easier access anyway.

I will let you know how it all goes.

Lowflyr

- - - Updated - - -

How does one go about getting the roof plans from Heartland? I would like to install a satellite antenna sometime in the future. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
David

Call the customer service number or email them. Make sure you have your VIN number (at least the last 6 digits) as they will need it. I have to say, their customer service staff over the last couple years has been great, compared to the local dealer where I bought my 5th wheel.

Lowflyr

 

[esscobra]

I had enough cable coiled to reach- and the sat comes with a cable as well- im pretty sure the cable that comes with sat could be used as extension- between the ends on the new cable and factory ones if I remember you have the parts , - only un-known is if there is some distance length restriction- but if I get a chance- ill try and look at instructions- I thought online there was a part number for extension from winegaurd