Installing a Digital Video Recorder

[georgetown50]

I want to install a DVR in the RV. My question is whether it should go up where we have the DVD player or below the TV (in cabinet between TV and fireplace)? Has anyone installed one in the RV? I'd like to put it below the TV but I'm not exactly sure how.

[NWJeeper]

You didn't mention the type of rig you have but it sounds like the 378? I'm not sure what other rigs had the fireplaces in them.

You can put the DVR in the cabinet above the fireplace but it would not be my first choice. In fact as we have found out the fireplace makes that little cubby hole very warm inside and most electronics don't like that. We currently only put our Wii in there. I would tend to put it up in the overhead compartment. You can put it in the center one and use a 1.5" holesaw on a drill to make a pass through to the passenger side compartment so that you can run the cords through. Plug the DVR into the AUX input of the source selector box that is in the passenger side compartment.

Of course if you have a different rig than the 378 all this advice might be moot.

[georgetown50]

Thanks. We do have the 378. We really like it a lot, has a great floorplan. I was wondering why the put the DVD above the passanger chair up in front. It seemed like an odd location considering the cubbyhole below the TV, perhaps it was because of the warmth of the fireplace. http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...nim_snoopy.gif

[georgetown50]

I want to get the DVR but not exactly sue how to set everything up. My situation is that I live in an RV park and we have television service via the DirectTV but I have no satellite box for it. I have just the video distribution box and the DVD player that came with the RV. I'm wondering what the cable layout should be?

[huntr70]

Not sure how it will affect you, but if it is a DirecTV DVR, it needs 2 sat in feeds to work........

[cfsoistman]

Originally Posted by georgetown50

I want to install a DVR in the RV. My question is whether it should go up where we have the DVD player or below the TV (in cabinet between TV and fireplace)? Has anyone installed one in the RV? I'd like to put it below the TV but I'm not exactly sure how.

I have a DirecTV DVR in my motorhome. I have it connected to a Winegard Satellite Movin' View Dome. It cost $5 more on my DirecTV bill each month. It's considered as another room. Since I have DVR service at my house there is no additional charge. I have it located in the front top cabinet to the right of my TV. The Dome is mount in the center of the motorhome just a few feet from the front of the motorhome. The two satellite cables come down through the roof and are run behind the cabinet in front to the DVR unit. I had to knotch the back of the cabinet due to the depth of the unit. The output cable ties into my TV at the Aux. Input 1. I don't run it through the distribution box since there's only one receiver and unless you want to use a remote control with the bedroom door open it wouldn't work in the bedroom. In order to have DirecTV in the motorhome requires the cost and installation of a satellite dish or dome. There are various manufacturers with different features. The cost of the DVR unit and the additional $5 a month. We record quite a bit while the motorhome is parked and watch those movies etc. when there's bad reception or a campground with no cable.

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by georgetown50

Thanks. We do have the 378. We really like it a lot, has a great floorplan. I was wondering why the put the DVD above the passanger chair up in front. It seemed like an odd location considering the cubbyhole below the TV, perhaps it was because of the warmth of the fireplace. http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...nim_snoopy.gif

We found out this week in our 378 why they didn't put any electronics above the fireplace. Since there is no insulation above the fireplace and under that shelf that cubby hole gets REALLY HOT if you are using the heat on the fireplace. As the temps were in the 40s on the Oregon coast the fireplace will heat the rig quite nicely but it runs all the time. We had our Nintendo Wii in that cubby and came back to the rig and tried to turn on the game and it wouldn't come on! DANG! I pulled the unit out and it was just burning up in my hand so I set it on the table for a bit to cool down, re-connected it and it was fine.

In fact with so much heat in there I am considering two things. 1st pulling the fireplace out and putting some kind of that foil lined insulation for hot areas and installing it under that shelf. 2nd to the right of the fireplace and above the outlet there is a square area that I am considering putting a computer cooling fan. Something like the 4-5" types they use for cooling a computer case. If I install it on the inside of the cabinet, find a wall power supply at Goodwill that puts out the requrired DC voltage for the fan (either 5 or 12v) and then fashioning a grill cover out of speaker mesh for the hole on the outside of the cabinet so that it isn't ugly to look at then I could just plug in the fan to vent that cubby.

For now it would seem that the only thing that cabinet is good for is holding things that don't care if they get hot, like books, maps, etc.

As for the DVR put it in the center cabinet above the drivers/passengers head, cut a hole through the cabinet wall so that you can run a component cable to the selector box and run the incoming sat cable to the box as well as the power cable. Worked great for us but again, be aware that if you are in hot temperatures (like 90 or above) you will need to leave that door open so that your Sat. Rec. doesnt overheat as it will up there in extreme temperatures. If you need help with how to get the sat cable into that compartment let me know, it's quite easy.

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by cfsoistman

I have a DirecTV DVR in my motorhome. I have it connected to a Winegard Satellite Movin' View Dome. It cost $5 more on my DirecTV bill each month. It's considered as another room. Since I have DVR service at my house there is no additional charge. I have it located in the front top cabinet to the right of my TV. The Dome is mount in the center of the motorhome just a few feet from the front of the motorhome. The two satellite cables come down through the roof and are run behind the cabinet in front to the DVR unit. I had to knotch the back of the cabinet due to the depth of the unit. The output cable ties into my TV at the Aux. Input 1. I don't run it through the distribution box since there's only one receiver and unless you want to use a remote control with the bedroom door open it wouldn't work in the bedroom. In order to have DirecTV in the motorhome requires the cost and installation of a satellite dish or dome. There are various manufacturers with different features. The cost of the DVR unit and the additional $5 a month. We record quite a bit while the motorhome is parked and watch those movies etc. when there's bad reception or a campground with no cable.

Be warned and do some research on satellite antennas before you buy. As of this last September when I researched ours NONE of the domes will receive HD programming after the digital transition in February as both Dish Network and Direct TV are moving their HD programing to satellites that the domes cannot receive.

We opted for the Winegard Traveller series. They are available for both Dish or Direct. We have had Dish Network for about 10 years now and they have been awesome. I ordered our 378 without a crank up TV antenna as I feel they are useless. Instead they installed a stationary "plate" style of antenna on top of the roof, I guess I should have been more specific in that I didn't want ANY TV antenna up there but I digress. I removed the TV antenna, mounted the satellite antenna close by and used the coax they had run to the TV antenna for the satellite. I removed and discarded the outlet/amplifier unit in the back of the cabinet that the coax was connected to and just used a nipple to extend the coax to the center cabinet where the Sat. Rec. is. If you want to use a DVR it is easy to run a 2nd coax run as the Traveller antennas have 4 outputs on them.