Fishing an XM antenna wire from the Roof to the Entertainment center

[2Evil4U]

The final (right....) thing I want to do to my rig is permanently mount my XM radio antenna to the top of the TV antenna so I will no longer need to get it up on the roof and tape the wire in place through the door.

I've been procrastinating on this chore as, given what I've seen of the wiring in the rest of the camper, I expect the entertainment center and specifically the TV antenna wiring to be an only slightly mitigated disaster.

My best possible world is that the wires are not bundled and I can use the existing Antenna wire to pull in a pull cord and then pull both the TV and XM cables back through.

I'm dreading it though as the TV antenna is about 6' from the front of the box and the entertainment center is about 10' from the rear and is in the DS slide.

The HVAC ducts are monolithic foam units that are sealed so there is no access to run anything in them.

Can anyone comment on the condition of wiring in the ceilings of these units or if the wiring is run in the walls? Or maybe even if it is remotely feasible to remove a ceiling panel and reinstall it without fouling it up?

Thanks in advance!

[ScottBrownstein]

That has been my quandary since I started using satellite radio. My antenna is still sitting on the dash. One good idea that I got from another poster was to route the wire out through the gasket in the slide. From your layout that looks possible.

[2Evil4U]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

That has been my quandary since I started using satellite radio. My antenna is still sitting on the dash. One good idea that I got from another poster was to route the wire out through the gasket in the slide. From your layout that looks possible.

Not a bad idea. That would at least reduce the amount of exposed wire. One way or another I'll post the result.

[mikakuja]

I don't have any pictures, but what I have done on several of our previous trailers is to drill a hole in the roof close to where my Sirius radio was mounted, and droped the antennae wire down through it (mine was mounted to the side of one of the cabinets, so the hole was inside the cabinet to the roof). I then cut out an aluminum plate large enough to cover the hole in the roof by an inch or so all around. I then drilled four holes in the plate (one on each corner) then stuck butyl tape to the bottom of the plate and screwed it down to the roof over the hole. I then used Dicor to cover the plate and seal it to the roof. To hold down the antennae I just used a bed of Dicor and pressed the antennae into it and let it set. Worked perfectly, and best of all was no more running wires through a window or door.

Some may not like the idea of drilling ito their roof, but it worked perfectly for us.

[metalsideup]

Just throwing this out there...I too used to tape my antenna south-facing outside, then one day I discovered that it picks up signal just the same inside as outside. The fact I have no metal up there is probably helpful😉

[Telstar]

I've run a tens wires in several trailers. There are enough light fixtures and vents that can be dropped to allow for a fish tape. When I replaced the roof satellite dome I moved it a few feet and noticed the original cables were run right through the heater duct. The new ones go above the duct and the duct holes are patched. I also installed a wifi antenna on the roof which connects to the range extender. Effectively improving connectivity to campground wifi. Good luck with your project.

[conceptumator]

Certainly can't say how your unit was wired, but in our Legacy, they seem to have filled the ends of the wirewsys for the antenna wiring with foam. When we get home this next time, I'm going to try and force a fish tape through to the space behind the TV from the small video control cabinet below it so I can route an HDMI cable from the Blu-ray player up to the TV. My XM antenna is still sitting on the dash, but we very seldom use it anyway. I had similar thoughts to yours - I was thinking about running it to the roof where the existing radio antenna is and then routing it down the same oath to the radio.

[awellis3]

Originally Posted by 2Evil4U

The final (right....) thing I want to do to my rig is permanently mount my XM radio antenna to the top of the TV antenna so I will no longer need to get it up on the roof and tape the wire in place through the door.

Just a thought. What if you parked under a tree? I've had to move my antenna around to get a signal at a few campsites due to trees. I'd hate to lose that option.

[2Evil4U]

Agreed. That's kinda why I want to mount it on top of the TV antenna. Then it will be 3+' off the roof when deployed. So far it's never been an issue when I set it on the kitchen vent cover. (And strangely it sometimes gets reception when it's still inside even with all the windows reflectixed.)

[thetinhouse]

Having used Sirius/XM radios at home, in my automobiles, RVs, and motorcycles for many years, I'm going to suggest something much simpler which does not involve drilling holes into your RV structure.
First, please understand that your Sirius/XM signal reception can vary in various locations in your coach, and while mounting an auto-type Sirius/XM antenna on the roof is going to work very nicely, you significantly increase the risk of water leakage and structural damage in the process.
I would suggest you look at and buy a home Sirius/XM antenna. It is intended to be mobile and has a 20-ft cable (small diameter) with attachment, The antenna is approximately $15 new but may be found cheaper on eBay or at discount electronic stores.
The beauty of the home Sirius/XM antenna is that it can be moved from window to window until the best signal is found, and since your coach is periodically being moved from one campground to another, the best signal window source is also going to change. Generally a southerly-facing window will afford the best signal strength.
I have settled on a Sirius/XM speaker dock, into which I plug my Sirius/XM receiver, attach the home Sirius/XM antenna, and then move the antenna around my coach until the best signal is found, and then relocate the speaker dock with attached receiver nearby that window and plug it into any conveniently-located AC outlet, and I'm done!
No muss, no fuss, not drilling, no water leaks, and the whole system is portable!
How much easier can it get?
If, however, you are hell-bent into doing some construction/destruction to your unit, think about running the Sirius/XM antenna wire outside through the frame of either a bathroom exhaust fan (Fantastic or similar) or through your ceiling AC unit. You may lessen the risk of ceiling damage (don't forget to use caulk to seal all holes created) or introduce water leaks.
As my daddy used to say, "Make it easy on yourself!"
the tin house

[2Evil4U]

Good thoughts. The one I have is a bit smaller than that one but still has the long cable. After investigating it some this evening, and since the electronics are in a slide, I've decided to fall back and regroup. I will probably run the wire down the slide seal to the bottom of the slide where I can snake it into the flexible cable bundle and pop it through the existing hole in the slide where all the wires are already run. It won't be as clean as I wanted but no holes required and will be fairly easy to remove if I need to. (Plus, all the windows are completely blocked as DW needs it DARK so she can sleep in. &#128512