Portable vs. Roof Mount Satellite TV

donkro · 10-21-2017, 06:16 PM

Going to be adding a satellite tv system through Dish, since they are also my home service. Can anyone share experiences of pro's and con's of portable vs. roof mount?

dieselguy · 10-21-2017, 06:47 PM

We are recreational campers ... not full timers. We camp at the lakes a lot. If we had a roof mount dish ... at least half the time we could not get a signal because of the trees on a given site. We use a Pathway X II on a tripod with about 30'+ of RG6 cable to allow positioning in about any place we drop anchor. Full timers tend to camp in RV parks with little to block the signal.

spock123 · 10-21-2017, 07:07 PM

I have a roof mounted Trav’ler satellite antenna and I always ask for a site without trees. DW likes satellite, we have Direct at home so that’s what we use. I have a portable satellite antenna but I hardly ever use it. I have a TailGater that I used when I had Dish. It all depends on what you want to spend. My Trav’ler cost to install and buy $2,000 bucks.

WFD · 10-21-2017, 07:39 PM

With my portable unit I can move it if trees are in the way, with a roof mount in many cases I would be hooped...Last summer the guy in site next to us watched me set up my portable then came over to talk and said he was fed up with his roof mount because in many cases he wasn't able to be clear of trees.

spock123 · 10-21-2017, 08:18 PM

I hardly ever get in trees in a campground, if told that all sites are shady then I look for another campground. I have a portable satellite dish that I can set, it really boils down to what you want and can afford. It takes about twenty minutes for my Trav’ler to set up and find the satellites. I’m just a little lazy so my Trav’ler works for me.

old40ford · 10-22-2017, 12:21 PM

I have used both, sold both and installed the roof mounted ones. I personally like the portable ones, but, as someone here said, it comes down to what you can afford and what makes you happy. I like the portable one because I also like shaded campsites and it allows me to move it almost anywhere. I may be lucky but I have only been to one campground that I could not find a signal.

rvrobocop · 10-22-2017, 12:27 PM

Pathway X2 portable. Using a Wingard tripod and also a set of 2 foot legs from HD if needed for more pesky treelines. Tried the Tailgater for more than a year with terrible results. Adding DishPointer Pro App on your phone is a great resource as well.

buffalohunter · 10-22-2017, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donkro

Going to be adding a satellite tv system through Dish, since they are also my home service. Can anyone share experiences of pro's and con's of portable vs. roof mount?

We have been using Dish since 2012. Most places we stay have trees that would not allow roof mounted antenna to align with the satellites. I use a VIP211K receiver and RG 6 cable to get the "Tailgater" to an open (clear space) to align with the satellites (110, 119, 129). I use an app (DP AR Pro) on my iPhone to locate the satellites.

There is a newer model receiver available now, it is a bit smaller. A tip to remember is to notify Dish when you will be traveling and to let them know when you are not. For home Dish users they add $7 a month to the bill when you are using the receiver. Also, I make sure it is working before I leave home because they often have to send something to the receiver and it can take a while to get it right and if you are at a campsite with no phone service you are not going to get any support. It was all frustrating in the beginning but much easier once we got the hang of it. Also, Dish support has improved a lot since 2012. Back then most of the tech support people were clueless about using a Tailgater and had to find a tech with the knowledge to help. Now most all have the ability to help.

DouglasReid · 10-22-2017, 12:42 PM

We have what I consider to be the best of both worlds. We like the idea of the antenna on the roof. It greatly reduces the idea of a theft of the antenna.

But like a previous poster if it were permanently roof mounted often we would not have any signal due to the trees in many of the Louisiana State Parks we like to camp in.

This was our solution. I installed a Stainless Eye Bolt through the roof into a ceiling joist and thoroughly sealed the roof penetration. (I KNOW many people will disagree with this idea but it DOES NOT leak, even in the torrential downpours we sometimes experience camping down here).

If possible, I put the antenna on the roof with a short bungee holding it down to prevent wind from blowing it off. Built up rubber bumpers on the legs keep the tripod from damaging our roofing.

If the situation calls for me to have it elsewhere I can mount it on the ground using the same tripod mount I use on the roof.

buffalohunter · 10-22-2017, 12:45 PM

One additional note the Tailgater really works best on a flat level surface.

PaulRod · 10-22-2017, 02:12 PM

I have DirecTV in my RV now. We have a KVH transvu 5 dish. It all works great for us. But we may be changing RV's in the future. Has anyone used DirecTV go thru their laptop and WiFi?

punkinpie · 10-22-2017, 02:17 PM

We used have a large dish that we set up from Directv on a tripod. It took a while to lock in the signal but once we did it worked great. We now have a Winegard Carryout that finds the signal as soon as we plug it in. We use a receiver from home that we got from Directv just for camping. We have Directv at home.

punkinpie · 10-22-2017, 02:18 PM

I forgot to mention we do not have it on the roof.

markb422 · 10-22-2017, 02:24 PM

I have been using a ground dish with Directv for many years now and would like to add a roof mount. I do camp a lot in spots that would not work for a roof mount so I would just keep the ground dish as a back up. I just left a cg in northwest Michigan. Someone with a class A was backed into a site in trees that would not allow his roof mount to work so he had a second tailgater that he set out on the picnic table. From the looks of the coach I would guess the cost of a second tailgater was not an issue for him.

rottnmom · 10-22-2017, 03:26 PM

Ditto Dieselguy. We have Directv home and on the road. If it looks a little sketchy where we are parked TH climbs the coach ladder and puts the dome on the roof.

bend302 · 10-22-2017, 06:05 PM

We have had our tailgater for about 5 years and have had a lot of campsites where we had to move the antenna to clear trees and get a signal. We would never go to a fixed unit. Also use a satellite finder app if just pointing the tailgater a little West of South doesn't work.

Bill

W5CI · 10-22-2017, 06:18 PM

I have the Pathway X2 and take a receiver from home with no extra charges or phone calls. If you have the roof mounted antenna you are limited to sites without any shade trees which will limit your sites. I was in a park all of this week where I had to move the antenna several times to get a clear view. Try that with a roof top mounted ant.

Comanchecreek · 10-22-2017, 07:20 PM

I ran a roof mount dish for years. Nice for setting up as everything is done inside, and the TV is right there for signal reception. That being said the tree issue was a huge problem. I moved the trailer several times to try and get reception. The portable units require additional storage space and cables are in the yard around the trailer, but they are cheaper, and I think many will self locate, (not sure as I've never used one). We finally abandoned DirecTV because of the cost and quit using the Dish. Traded the trailer in last year so don't even have a dish, and do not have any plans to get one. I've moved on to streaming, and hope to find a system with our phones and/or a data plan we can use in most places to stream Netflix etc. I think the Sat's are on the way out eventually, and would thus shy away from a permanently mounted unit on the roof. Good luck on your search as this is a very common issue among RV'ers.

spock123 · 10-22-2017, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

I ran a roof mount dish for years. Nice for setting up as everything is done inside, and the TV is right there for signal reception. That being said the tree issue was a huge problem. I moved the trailer several times to try and get reception. The portable units require additional storage space and cables are in the yard around the trailer, but they are cheaper, and I think many will self locate, (not sure as I've never used one). We finally abandoned DirecTV because of the cost and quit using the Dish. Traded the trailer in last year so don't even have a dish, and do not have any plans to get one. I've moved on to streaming, and hope to find a system with our phones and/or a data plan we can use in most places to stream Netflix etc. I think the Sat's are on the way out eventually, and would thus shy away from a permanently mounted unit on the roof. Good luck on your search as this is a very common issue among RV'ers.

What do you use when you don’t have a cell signal? Some places we camp our Verizon won’t work. Anyway the roof mounted satellite works best for us. Buy what you like and can afford that does the job

MilCop4523 · 10-23-2017, 06:53 AM

you guys are lucky that you can get a mobile service.
in Canada unless I have someone with a Dish account in the states I am stuck to a system through Bell Rogers or Shaw with a dish stuck to a frigging tree.

my antenna on the 2018 Toy hauler is not good enough to pick up any channels and we have been to 10 locations this summer and got 1 or 2 channels but they were snowed in.

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