Community Forums

PoetryJoe · 03-31-2014, 03:59 PM

I have a 2013 Mountain Aire with a TracVision R6 installed that I hate. I'm thinking pretty seriously of installing a Winegard Trav'ler Dish 1000 automatic antenna. Recently, while in Florida I actually scheduled an appointment with Camping World to have it installed - this turned out to be a terrible experience so I'm home now and thinking of installing it myself. Here are my questions:

- the Mountain Aire has separate wiring to the rear TV. I'm assuming I just need to run a coax to the front cabinet and then use a union to connect the cable from the Trav'ler to the rear TV coax already installed (it has it's own receiver)

- Do you think I can attach the new coax from the Trav'ler to the existing TracVision coax and pull it into the cabinet? Is it possible that the current Coax is stapled in the roof?

I would love to hear from anyone that has done this.

Thanks,
Joe

2013 Mountain Aire 4319

PDR John · 03-31-2014, 05:29 PM

You should be able to connect the Travl'r dish to both front and rear sat. coax. Then you would need to have a receiver in each location.

Or is that what you trying to avoid?

I'm using a dish network 611 receiver and operate both front and rear TVs out of it.

Here is what all I did and how I did it.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/a-v-...ml#post1499351

PoetryJoe · 04-01-2014, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDR John

You should be able to connect the Travl'r dish to both front and rear sat. coax. Then you would need to have a receiver in each location. Or is that what you trying to avoid? I'm using a dish network 611 receiver and operate both front and rear TVs out of it. Here is what all I did and how I did it. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/a-v-...ml#post1499351

I will have two receivers. One up front and one in the bedroom. Since I have to pull two coax lines from the trav'ler to the front cabinet I am wondering if I can tape them to the existing coax to be pulled through.

hogdriver · 04-01-2014, 06:22 AM

I recently bought an Entegra RV which had the Travlr install for DirectTV from the factory. I talked to Winegard and bought a conversion kit to Dish network. The biggest thing that is different about the hookup when comparing DirectTV vs Dish is that DirectTV uses SWM technology and runs a single RG-6 coax to the dish and tees it to other receivers. For Dish network you need a seperate RG-6 from each receiver to the antenna.

YC1 · 04-01-2014, 06:40 AM

To answer your question about pulling the cable by connecting them together. Only maybe. If you have overhead speakers near the area or any lights, drop those down and disconnect while probing around. Often they tape or cable tie bundles together and it is impossible to use them as pull cables. Be patient and creative. Sometimes you have to cut a new access hole inside a cabinet which can be easily covered by a plate or piece of panel. Sounds like you already have the front to rear cable issue resolved. IF you use a dvr in the rear area and need a second coax you can probably use the one used for the over the air antenna. Just a thought.

hawgguy · 04-01-2014, 11:13 AM

You can do this. I was hesitant to start drilling holes in my new RV roof but it was easy. There was already a pull wire installed by Newmar to attach the coax and electrical cord to. Using the existing coax should not be difficult. The coax for the real TV was already in place from the factory, running to a labelled output in the bedroom.

lanerd · 04-01-2014, 11:25 AM

Don't be adverse of running the new coax on "top" of the roof. I've seen it done many times. Hold down clamps, covered with goop to seal, seem to do the job sufficiently. Doesn't look real pretty, but who cares....can't see it anyway.

Ron

PoetryJoe · 04-01-2014, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawgguy

You can do this. I was hesitant to start drilling holes in my new RV roof but it was easy. There was already a pull wire installed by Newmar to attach the coax and electrical cord to. Using the existing coax should not be difficult. The coax for the real TV was already in place from the factory, running to a labelled output in the bedroom.

Okay, so this was my hope - the TracVision R6 is already installed and I'm guessing that it was put on after the roof was assembled. My gut is that the current coax running from the reflector to the inside cabinet isn't stapled or wire tied.

You are correct the wiring to the rear TV was factory installed it works fine. In fact I have it connected to the R6 now but I'm not pleased with the operation. You can not watch a show up front on 110 and one in the bedroom on 129 at the same time. Also, I have found that HD works very poorly with the R6.

BattChief · 04-01-2014, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawgguy

You can do this. I was hesitant to start drilling holes in my new RV roof but it was easy. There was already a pull wire installed by Newmar to attach the coax and electrical cord to. Using the existing coax should not be difficult. The coax for the real TV was already in place from the factory, running to a labelled output in the bedroom.

Hawgguy, where was the coax for the bedroom tv located in your coach? My Trav'ler dish should arrive Wednesday, and I am considering doing the install myself. I haven't looked under the plate on the roof labeled "sat prep", so not sure what is there or how much room so there. I'm sure I will understand more about the install once I have the physical dish here to look at. It is a swm-3 dish for directv, so assuming I will be pulling 2 cables (one for data, other for power). Fingers crossed all goes well.....

mmartin · 04-01-2014, 12:08 PM

If you have the swm-3 traveler dish, there is no need to pull any additional cables because they have a splitter for 4 additional lines. Just hook up your bedroom coax to the splitter if the coax is located in your audio/video cabinet. That's the great thing about the SWM traveler.....you can run up to 5 different lines off of the splitter. I just installed one myself and it was really easy.

Triker56 · 04-01-2014, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmartin

If you have the swm-3 traveler dish, there is no need to pull any additional cables because they have a splitter for 4 additional lines. Just hook up your bedroom coax to the splitter if the coax is located in your audio/video cabinet. That's the great thing about the SWM traveler.....you can run up to 5 different lines off of the splitter. I just installed one myself and it was really easy.

Sorry!!

The SWM-3 only works with DirecTV receivers.
The OP said he had a SK-1000 and those works with Dish Network receivers.

firedoc · 04-01-2014, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lanerd

Don't be adverse of running the new coax on "top" of the roof. I've seen it done many times. Hold down clamps, covered with goop to seal, seem to do the job sufficiently. Doesn't look real pretty, but who cares....can't see it anyway. Ron

Had mine installed at CW and that's the way they did it. Two years now and no problems so far.

fred061164 · 06-12-2014, 10:53 PM

Just bought my Winegard Trav'ler from CW to save money on the hardware but had Newmar install it in Lewisville, TX. The install guy (Bobby) is a pro at this stuff. I have a 2014 Newmar Canyon Star 3910 and so far it's picture perfect. I have an HD/DVR running the 3 TV's up front (2 inside & 1 outside) and for my better half, she has her own HD receiver in the rear bedroom. Ours is DirecTV - but the dish should be similar. Just make sure & setup the remotes on radio-freq to get channel changing to the HD receivers without direct line of site (the outdoor TV works great!). I asked CW to do this special setup and they were not sure how to do it - so I went with a specialist. I do think CW is great for standard installs & cheap too - but if you want something fancy, better pony up to a pro. Just my 2-cents worth

Dutch Star Don · 06-13-2014, 01:01 AM

PoetryJoe.....We just bought a 2014 Dutch Star that came with a TracVision dome. I told the dealer that as part of the purchase I wanted a TravLer dish and I would do my own install.

Your coach and mine should be similar. On the roof, there are two coax cables. One is for the bedroom and one is for the front. Simply remove the TracVision, install the TravLer and connect the two cables to the TravLer.

The only issue you will have is the control cable. The TravLer has a control cable that has to be plumbed from the roof into the coach. This cable plugs into the rear of the TravLer control box. I asked my local dealer how they were running the control cable. On their installations, they ran the cable on the roof over to the front cap on the passenger side.

In my coach, I have all of my controls (slides, Oasis, lights, Inverter etc) in a cabinet above the windshield on the passenger side. The controls are mounted to a piece of paneling with all of the wiring behind them. I pulled the panel exposing the wiring. I took a 1/2" drill mounted to an extension and drilled UP through the roof, from inside the cabinet, behind where the panel installs.

Once you have the hole, pull the control cable into the coach. My TravLer controller is mounted in the opposite cabinet over the windshield, above the driver's seat. I phished the wire through the roof and across the front of the coach above the windshield.

Once everything was connected, I used plastic cable holders to secure the cable to the roof about every 12" and covered them with Dicor.

The hard parts of this job......getting the satellite on the roof, having the nerve to drill the hole in the cabinet and phishing the wire across the windshield.