Any tips for a newbie on installing satellite on roof?

[Francesco]

I have a 2021 Cornerstone and am looking to install the in-motion Starlink satellite on the roof.

The plan is to put it above the cockpit area in the front. Most manufacturers seem to put their TV satellite up there in that spot so I figure I’ll just follow that practice.

I am mechanically inclined but have never mounted something on a motorhome roof.

I have some questions —
1)
Can I just run these lag screws through the roof and there is wood or something they will grab on to? How deep can I go; how big of screws? (I dont want to break through the other side and get into the coach). Obviously I want this thing to withstand headwind and interstate speed.. So any advice on proper mounting is appreciated.

2)
How do I make it weathertight? I assume there is some product I would put around the outside perimeter of the mount (and probably on top of the bolts). What is this weatherproofing product called?

3)
How to run the wiring for the Starlink? Where do I make my penetration to get into the coach and any recommendations on where to terminate it and how do I get to that termination point?

The coach has a fireplace/TV on the driver slide and since there are multiple outlets and tech stuff in there it seems like an ideal place.. it would be helpful if someone could kindly advise me how the manufacturer ran their TV satellite there as I think I would want to follow that path.

Any recommendations or assistance on this is much appreciated!

[hpykmpr47]

My advice would be to find someone who has done it before that knows what they are doing. Something like that will have to be mounted to structure and you will need to know exactly where that structure is before you attempt to mount it. Does it already have a sat dich on the roof, if not there may be the structure there now to mount one to.

[YC1]

How fast will it cost if you run a screw through a bundle of wires?

Take as much of the area inside apart. Lights should come down, pillar covers, and any access that you can possibly probe or use a bore scope to investigate.

As you mentioned, find a comparable model RV that has one installed.

Look for any documentation from a factory owners manual that might show the location.

Finding support can be very difficult and chasing wiring through places without a lot of experience and some wire pullers can be a real challenge.

If you can see roof access from inside where you have taken a light down for example, try to drill from the inside out. A small hole to begin of course. From that tiny hole you can position your system and fill the hole if needed.

I would highly recommend getting a quote from a professional installer. It might not be as bad as you think and could save you a lot of headaches.

My business installed tens of thousands of antennas and roof top devices on every vehicle ever made and have had some expensive lessons. Surgeons make mistakes, as do installation technicians. But they should be insured and at least stand a much better chance of getting it right that you do.

Bundles of wires tight to the roof lay there just waiting for a nice drill bit to create havoc.

[oneknight]

On an Entegra, all the wiring for both the in-motion dish and the Trav'ler folding dish will all ready be there. The wiring goes down to the basement, center of the coach just ahead of the back wall of the big basement compartment.

We have the Trav'ler, with Dish Network. (I converted it to Dish from Direct, Changed the LNB twice, changed the switch in the basement, and had to replace it once when it failed.)

I'm kinda surprised if you don't have one or the other?
A dish was standard equipment on all Entegra Luxury DP's (I thought)

[Holmrun]

Originally Posted by Francesco

3)
How to run the wiring for the Starlink? Where do I make my penetration to get into the coach and any recommendations on where to terminate it and how do I get to that termination point?

Easiest way to run the Starlink cable will be to drill through the rear vertical part of the front cap. Use a plastic junction box to cover the hole and seal it up with dicor/eternabond etc. Once through the fiberglass you are in the cavity above the front seats and can easily reach the front cabinets over the driver or passenger seats. There is already 120v power in there as well. Just unscrew the carpeted side wall of the cabinet and reach in there to get the wire from the rear of the cap.

[RayandWendy]

That is exactly how I ran the cable for my cell booster. It takes a few tries with a fish tape and someone inside to get it, but it will go.
Later...
Ray

[Bobby Dowdle]

Based on the questioning in the post, I would pay to have it installed. You can screw to the roof, but you need to seal the holes and the screws. I will not recommend any sealant on here. It needs to be self leveling and something needs to be sealing your holes in the roof as well. You can only run cables to the overhead cabinet, so you need to focus in that area. I'm also not sure of your expertise level so it's hard to tell you how to do the install. A hole will have to be drilled and i would focus on finding your cabling above the entry door.

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by Francesco

Any recommendations or assistance on this is much appreciated!

I'll offer this photo of my '18 Anthem during production:

CLICK IMAGE TO RESIZE


That should give you an idea of what's between the ceiling and roof.

Take care,
Stu

[mike625]

Originally Posted by Holmrun

Easiest way to run the Starlink cable will be to drill through the rear vertical part of the front cap. Use a plastic junction box to cover the hole and seal it up with dicor/eternabond etc. Once through the fiberglass you are in the cavity above the front seats and can easily reach the front cabinets over the driver or passenger seats.

Check out this video for cavity above the front seats. About 30 min in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtUztEjJ70c

[Steverino]

Lots of really good advice here! I just wanted to echo the caution about drilling blindly. When I was younger and less experienced I installed a solar panel on the roof of our previous Class C. Of course the drill bit managed to find a wiring bundle... Fortunately for me, I was going slow and there was no permanent damage. Could have been a nightmare... Good luck!

[YC1]

Fantastic picture Stu.

I wish there were some for all of the coaches out there.

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by YC1

Fantastic picture Stu.

I wish there were some for all of the coaches out there.

Myron, I was fortunate to be able to schedule a factory tour while my coach was in production. Although access to my coach was somewhat limited, I was able to grab a few photos before the side walls, front cap and roof were installed.

When we purchased our current sticks & bricks, we were allowed to tour the house after all the rough plumbing, HVAC and electrical were installed and before the drywall went up. I walked through with an iPad, carefully video recording the locations of all the wiring and plumbing. That's proven to be very helpful a few times as we've made mods to the S&B.

There's a lot of stuff hidden behind the walls.

Take care,
Stu