'18 Vista roof coax access

[Doodidge]

The attached photo is of the roof coax access location on my 2018 Vista. Can anyone decipher it or have a better photo? I'm considering installing a Winegard Trav'ler and would like to know what Is under the covers.

 

[powercat_ras]

I would download the drawing from the winnebagoind.com web site for your specific make, model, and series (T1 or T2). In particular if you have just a Vista and not a Vista LX there may be less under the access hole than I describe.

EDIT ADD:

If you are installing a Trav'ler you may not want to use the hole at all. You have to make another hole to run a control cable and you may want use the same hole you have to make for the control cable to run 1 or 2 RG-6 Coax, and not open up the other hole.

END EDIT ADD.

In the 2015 Vista I own which is now the Vista LX, I used a 1" hole saw to just cut thru the top fiberglass and plywood centered on the location hole. Be sure to use light pressure and stop immediately when you stop feeling the resistance of cutting plywood, you don't want to penetrate too deep and damage the wires or worse yet penetrate the inside ceiling. Then you lift out the layers and remove some foam directly below them to expose 2 coax and a 12 volt power connector. One coax goes to the main sat TV receiver location, other coax goes to the bedroom sat TV receiver location.

You are not drilling into a main wiring channel area, you are exposing a wiring channel that tees off a main channel so all you will expose and see is the coax and the 12 volt wire.

 

[SueW]

It only take an installer about an hour to install and check the system, might not be worth it to do it yourself.

 

[danhannah]

In the 2015 Vista I own which is now the Vista LX, I used a 1" hole saw to just cut thru the top fiberglass and plywood centered on the location hole. Be sure to use light pressure and stop immediately when you stop feeling the resistance of cutting plywood, you don't want to penetrate too deep and damage the wires or worse yet penetrate the inside ceiling. Then you lift out the layers and remove some foam directly below them to expose 2 coax and a 12 volt power connector. One coax goes to the main sat TV receiver location, other coax goes to the bedroom sat TV receiver location.

You are not drilling into a main wiring channel area, you are exposing a wiring channel that tees off a main channel so all you will expose and see is the coax and the 12 volt wire.

Curious, how big a hole did you cut, and what kind of saw?

THANKS

 

[creativepart]

Here's what it says:
Coaxial cable for Satellite Antenna is below this label. Drill 1 1/2" diameter hole in center of label and no more than 3/4" deep. Circle indicates approx. location of coaxial cable below surface. Remove foam to retrieve coaxial cable.

Here's a modified version of the image you posted:

 

[Doodidge]

UPDATE: ‘18 Vista coax

I have a Winegard trav’ler enroute to me. I’ve contacted a few dealers and installers and have gotten estimates from $500 to $1600 just for mounting the dish and running a wire for the 110 volt needed. Also have gotten mixed messages on services required from ‘snaking wire across the roof and drilling into the compartment above the door’ to ‘the prewired coax is run through conduit and there’s room to run a fish wire and pull the 110 volt wire’. I’m not intimidated by the task but would like to know what I’m going to find.

Thanks

 

[grtharris]

Doodidge, first which model is you 18 Vista? Also look at the attached thread. It's about a 2015 Forza 34T and the roof access will be the same.
http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/f273/dish-tailgater-pro-on-forza-roof-352429.html

 

[Doodidge]

‘18 Vista

I have the 27PE. It has a compartment above the entry door which can house a receiver. It also has various coax terminations plus a 110 volt outlet.

 

[SueW]

Just to give you a frame of reference with $$$. We paid $1800-$2000 for a complete install, incuding the Traveler. He did drill into the compartment over the driver(this is where the receiver goes) but I believe snaked it through the roof. He installed it and made sure it was all working and picking up channels before he left. I think it took about 1-1.5 hours.

 

[grtharris]

Doodidge, after looking at drawings the Vista is prewired for a small dome type antenna. There is one coax and a 12VDC plug under the label on the roof. You will need access above the front cabinets to add the control cable for the Trave'er and 110VAC for the control box. Looks like there is a blank plate box in the cabinets on the right side which maybe able to convert to a recpt.
As mentioned above I believe I would drill a hole above the cabinet above the entry door. I would also run 3 coaxes in case you go to a hopper 3 some day.

 

[Doodidge]

I agree with what grtharris found on the drawings. It is the same info I got from Winnebago. What they couldn’t tell me was if the coax and 12v wires are in a conduit or not. From the info I’ve gathered it does not appear that conduit was installed. Even the dealer that did imply there was, said they run new conduit and wires on the roof because they can’t warranty the installation if they used any existing wires.

Thanks all

Btw the trav’ler just got delivered.

 

[powercat_ras]

The location where the Traveler control box already has 120 Volts. The dish on the roof only needs 1-3 coax and the control cable. NO 12 VOLT or 120 VOLT to the ROOF !

If it were me I would NOT use the drill hole marked on the roof, I would run 3 coax and the control cable on the roof to directly above the equipment bay above the door. Chances are you will not need more than 2 coax but might as well cover all possibilities down the road.

NO NEW 120 VOLT POWER RUNS NEEDED. There is already an duplex outlet in the location above the door. The Travler uses no 12 volt connections at all.

Sounds like no one you have talked to about installing a Traveler knows diddly squat about how to do it right. You need to keep looking.

Some of your problem is you already bought the Traveler so the installer can't make any profit on the unit itself so they have to make their living off the install price alone. The install is a one person job about 2-3 hours labor at most so keep looking for someone who will do it for about $ 400 including materials.

Good luck.

 

[grtharris]

Doodidge, Get some Legrand 2300 RACEWAY BASE AND COVER to run the cables in between the dish base connections and the Cable Entry Plate.
Most electric warehouse carry it.

 

[Doodidge]

Now that I see the hardware, things make much more sense.

I like the idea of the Legrand raceway and is the direction I’m going to go.

As far as monies for installation, I’m in Phoenix and the local dealer wants $3600 for the Directv Trav’ler and installation. Other markets could be cheaper. Plus this is DirectV which is substantially more expensive than Dish net..

Thanks for all your input.

 

[powercat_ras]

You should check Quartzite and Yuma. At least in the winter some dealers at Quartzite sell the Trav'ler installed for well under $ 2000 ( $ 1699 was best deal last winter ).

 

[Doodidge]

It’s taunting me

You’re probably sick of me and this thread but went to check some measurements when I looked closely at the compartment above the entry door. The attached pic clearly shows a raceway between the ceiling and the roof. Question is, where does it go? Looking at the wire bundle I think it goes over the ceiling to feed coax to the tv above the dinette on the drivers side and to the access area on the roof of the Winnie. The brown patch at the top of the pic is the roof. Easy access if I decide to drill into it.

I have to run a fish wire towards the front. Just because I can

 

[grtharris]

Doodidge, now that I think about it that makes sense, there is only one coax and the component connection area is about the door. No reason to run it to the front then to the back.
Call Winnebago with you coach serial number, not the VIN, and they should be able to send you a drawing of the raceway layout in the ceiling.
The picture did not come through.

 

[Doodidge]

Let’s see if this link works

Dropbox - Error - Simplify your life

 

[Doodidge]

Called Winnebago this morning and got drawings of the roof. They were not really able to give me any definitive answers on the anatomy of the roof.

I then called Lichtsinn RV which is also in Forest City for some real world experience. They knew exactly my question and said they always run a new coax and the control wires on the roof and drill an access hole above into the compartment above the entry door.