Roof Loading on 2015 Expedition

[Guidedbomb]

In the process of installing a Winegard Traveler Antenna on our 2015 Fleetwood Expedition. I will be removing the factory installed Winegard Road Trip Mission Antenna and replacing it with the Traveler. My problem is that the Traveler weighs about 35 pounds more than the Mission.

I called Fleetwood customer service and they were not much help. They pretty much said my coach was designed for the Mission and it was mounted to the aluminum cross members on the roof and the Traveler would have to be mounted the same but were unable to provide me with any structural drawings to be able to evaluate proper placement on the roof.

Has anyone mounted the Traveler on a Fleetwood coach and if so, did you have to attach it to the aluminum cross members? The mounting plate is about 44" long and 23.5" wide and gets screwed down to the roof with 15 screws that are 1" long. The Traveler is attached to the mounting plate with 9 more of these screws which will also protrude into the roof about 3/4".

I am not too concerned about the increased weight on the roof. My concern is with the wind loading trying to lift it off the roof while going down the road.

Any thoughts and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[luvlabs]

I don't know how your roof is made but the Trav'ler typically does not need the mounting plate when mounted on fiberglass roofs. Your biggest concern should be whether or not there is any hidden wiring under the location you want to mount the antenna.

Follow Winegard's mounting instructions and your Trav'ler will not be moving from its mounting location.

[mspicer1234]

I mounted my traveler between the 2 air conditioners on my 16 Expedition. I screwed it directly into the roof as there is thick plywood under the fiberglass top. I have not experienced any issues with wind loading while going down the road so far after 15,000+ miles.

I kept the dome on the roof and removed the in-motion satellite parts replacing them with a Mobilemark MIMO antenna which has resulted in excellent speeds on my cellular MIFI internet device.

[Hgrace56]

Get the Winegard Travelr base plate.
This helps distribute the weight and protects roof from damage when stored.

[Dutch Star Don]

The Travler should be installed with a sealant under the turret and then the screws installed. I know many get wacko about silicone. but I've installed three of them and use silicon between the turret and roof. Use a pencil to outline the turret, remove it, placed a bead of sealant and then carefully lower the turret. It will want to slide, so get a screw or two installed. Once all the screws are in, use Dicor to seal the edge of the turret to the roof and run it up and over the screws.

The use of silicone alone would hold the turret in place. With the addition of screws and Dicor, it won't pull out of the roof, unless you strike something with it.

You may currently have cable running into the coach, but typically, the cable hole may not be big enough for the coax and control cable for the Travler.