Antenna Mounting on a Travel Trailer

KB0VWG · May 9, 2015

I just recently purchased a travel trailer and I wanting some insight on mounting a Dual band antenna on the roof.I don't want to do any drilling it at all possible into the roof. I am thinking about getting a metal plate and caulking it to the roof or mounting the metal plate on top of the AC unit. Its a 2015 trailer so there is like no metal anywhere on top and I don't have a ladder mounted to the trailer either. I do plan to run the coax down the front or down the back and drill a hole up into the storage bay then route the coax under the bed to the radio. I will eventually put HF in the rig as well but vhf/uhf first.

So i am looking for any other suggestions or pictures of any Rv antenna installs.
Thanks
kb0vwg
wqoi992

prcguy · May 9, 2015

I have a 16ft Casita fiberglass travel trailer and mounted a 60w solar panel on the roof and use its frame as part of a ground plane. I put NMO mounts on angle brackets on either end of the solar panel and made several ground radials from self adhesive copper tape running out and away from the mounts and panel.

Without a solar panel I would have pop riveted a 48" X 48" X .063 aluminum sheet to the roof with at least one NMO mount. You can get NMO mounts that screw to a surface and the coax comes out the side but on the top side, something like used on mag mounts. You could put that in the middle of an aluminum plate then glue the plate to your roof with no holes and run the coax down the side or back of the trailer.

I also installed a couple of N type bulkhead adapters in the side of the trailer that exit inside just under a table where I use radios. I have no problems drilling holes in my trailer but understand others do not.
prcguy

mmckenna · May 9, 2015

^^^^ same as above.
Put a radio in my brother in laws toy hauler trailer. He mounted a bracket to the solar panel mount. NMO with a short dual band antenna. He was willing to drill a hole, though.

Works well enough.

I've done the sheet metal mount on a plastic roofed UTV (Polaris Ranger). I scrapped an old mag mount and used the side entry NMO screwed down on the sheet metal. I used long pop rivets with washers on the underside to hold it in place. It worked well, but I think in your situation, screwing it down or using pop rivets through the membrane roof may not be a good idea.
You might be better off with a 1/2 wave ground plane independent type antenna. You can mount and NMO bracket on the side of the trailer, maybe use some existing screws that mount your awning, lights, or other accessories.

SteveC0625 · May 9, 2015

KB0VWG said:
I just recently purchased a travel trailer and I wanting some insight on mounting a Dual band antenna on the roof.I don't want to do any drilling it at all possible into the roof. I am thinking about getting a metal plate and caulking it to the roof or mounting the metal plate on top of the AC unit. Its a 2015 trailer so there is like no metal anywhere on top and I don't have a ladder mounted to the trailer either. I do plan to run the coax down the front or down the back and drill a hole up into the storage bay then route the coax under the bed to the radio. I will eventually put HF in the rig as well but vhf/uhf first.

So i am looking for any other suggestions or pictures of any Rv antenna installs.

I've owned travel trailers for nearly 45 years and installed various radio systems in them. These days, I'd consider one of the dual band (2M and 70CM I'm guessing in your case) antennas that does not require a ground plane and then attach it to a pole that is easily raised and lowered. One of the buddy poles would be perfect, but they can be pricey. Something to consider is one of the extendable poles used by window washers. They collapse down to 8 feet in length, but would extend well above the roof of the trailer. With a little ingenuity, you should be able to secure it to a side of the trailer, maybe using the awning struts right up against the outside wall of the trailer.

An RV buddy of mine uses a long pole like that for a flag pole. It's held up very well against some strong winds over the years. I see no reason it would not work for an antenna mast as well.

I have a 2M/70CM j-pole from Ed Fong that is inside a 5 ft piece of thin wall PVC pipe. Luckily, my fiver has a ladder on the back and I was able to fabricate a mount for the j-pole out of some 1x4 PVC stock that is clamped to the outside of the ladder. Loosen a couple of wingnuts and slide the j-pole up for use or down for travel.

If I was doing just 70CM and/or GMRS, I'd consider mounting an NMO in the center of a large aluminum pizza dish and fasten it down to the roof without penetrating the membrane. The Dicor caulk for membrane roofs is perfect for this kind of work. Route the cable down to a convenient entry point into the trailer and you're done. The pizza dish should be large enough to give at least a 6" ground plane in all directions. Larger would be better, but a 12" to 14" pizza dish would be very adequate. I have the NMO and antennas in stock so the only expense would be the pizza dish. I buy a fresh tube of the Dicor caulk every year or two anyway so I don't count that in the cost of installing an antenna.

There's lots of ways to do this.

prcguy · May 9, 2015

If you go the pole route you might as well get an actual base station antenna with some good gain like a Comet, Diamond, etc. Some come apart for travel or will fit inside the trailer when not used.

In addition to the junk on my trailer in the previous post, I had purchased a trailer hitch mast adapter from this guy to use on my truck: HF Antenna Hitch Mount for Ham Radio Yaesu Icom Rigs | eBay

It worked very well holding up 20 to 25ft of military surplus mast with big antennas and no guys so I had a receiver hitch made for my travel trailer and mounted that to the bumper. I can now use the roof top NMO mounts, or put 20-25ft of mast on the rear of the trailer and put VHF/UHF base station verticals or Yagis up there and it sometimes holds up the center of an HF dipole or an end fed antenna.

Its nice to deck out your trailer to have lots of antenna options and my trailer occasionally gets used for some ARES events and also some Coast Guard related radio events.
prcguy

SteveC0625 said:
I've owned travel trailers for nearly 45 years and installed various radio systems in them. These days, I'd consider one of the dual band (2M and 70CM I'm guessing in your case) antennas that does not require a ground plane and then attach it to a pole that is easily raised and lowered. One of the buddy poles would be perfect, but they can be pricey. Something to consider is one of the extendable poles used by window washers. They collapse down to 8 feet in length, but would extend well above the roof of the trailer. With a little ingenuity, you should be able to secure it to a side of the trailer, maybe using the awning struts right up against the outside wall of the trailer.

An RV buddy of mine uses a long pole like that for a flag pole. It's held up very well against some strong winds over the years. I see no reason it would not work for an antenna mast as well.

I have a 2M/70CM j-pole from Ed Fong that is inside a 5 ft piece of thin wall PVC pipe. Luckily, my fiver has a ladder on the back and I was able to fabricate a mount for the j-pole out of some 1x4 PVC stock that is clamped to the outside of the ladder. Loosen a couple of wingnuts and slide the j-pole up for use or down for travel.

If I was doing just 70CM and/or GMRS, I'd consider mounting an NMO in the center of a large aluminum pizza dish and fasten it down to the roof without penetrating the membrane. The Dicor caulk for membrane roofs is perfect for this kind of work. Route the cable down to a convenient entry point into the trailer and you're done. The pizza dish should be large enough to give at least a 6" ground plane in all directions. Larger would be better, but a 12" to 14" pizza dish would be very adequate. I have the NMO and antennas in stock so the only expense would be the pizza dish. I buy a fresh tube of the Dicor caulk every year or two anyway so I don't count that in the cost of installing an antenna.

There's lots of ways to do this.

tcm4368 · May 22, 2015

Here's a couple installs I have done for our personal coachs. I didn't want to drill through the roof either and planned my install around that. When we sold our 2008 outright, I left the mount installed, but a simple plastic plug could have been installed where the coax entered. The family that bought it didn't care and mounts are inexpensive. On the DRV, I used the mounts that a previous poster had mentioned, they are mirror mounts with the bracket removed. I then installed these on a metal plat that bolts to the top of the bracket that holds the slide out topper. Coax is then routed down the slide out, secured behind the weatherstrip with "p" clips every 6 inches or so. I just used the factory screw so we didn't drill extra holes in the wall. I drilled a hole in the floor and routed the coax up from the bottom. When we sell the coach, all equipment can be removed with no holes visible. Just some ideas for you

Trent

Install in 2008 Copper Canyon 5th wheel

http://forums.radioreference.com/pi...268440-uhf-motorola-install-5th-wheel-rv.html

Install in 2004 DRV Mobile Suites 5th wheel

http://forums.radioreference.com/pi...-uhf-install-drv-mobile-suites-5th-wheel.html

geartow · May 24, 2015

I used a " cb style side mount" with 3/8-24 base ,and a mfj 1414 dual band antenna added 2 radials to insde of wall before replacing panel. Works well and very flexable if you hit something , little chance of damage to trl.

KB0VWG · May 30, 2015

Cool install

I have installed the dual band radio already and will put a 11 meter in the trailer as well. Then later when I have more time I will install a hf radio. I have a plan to mount a mast on the back bumper of the trailer and bolt to the tire mount, and then run the cables underneath to the front of the trailer and run the coax up and under the bed..
Here is a few pics and I am not done yet but just getting started.
The main part of the radio is in the cubby hole on top of the am/fm radio, so the only thing you will actually see would be the radio face, mic and speaker.
More pics will follow soon.
kb0vwg
wqoi992
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Antenna Mounting on a Travel Trailer

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