Trunk Lip Mounts - Do They Leak?

[RadioDaze]

Thinking about adding one, but I don't want it to leak, or leave the weatherstripping dented & leaky once the mount is removed. It would be mounted on the vertical side portion of a Lexus RX hatch. (I'm aware that they use a portion of thin coax to pass through.)

Any leaky tales to report?

 

[GrumpyGuard]

I have not had an issue with my lip mount.

 

[ka3jjz]

The only time I had mine leak was when the drainage route for moisture got clogged with leaves - cleaning them out solved the issue. The hazards of parking outside with a lot of trees around

best regards..Mike

 

[APTN]

I'll second ka3jjz. Make you sure you clean leaves, pine needles, etc. off periodically if you park near trees.

 

[N1BHH]

There is usually a pliable rubber gasket that runs around the inside edge of a trunk lid that prevents leaks fro occurring. I have had several trunk lid mounted antennas in the past (on my convertible then) and never had a leak. The gasket needs to rejuvenated with a little bit of cleaning if the gasket is not pliable or dried out, otherwise there shouldn't be any problem.

 

[RadioDaze]

I was at HRO this weekend and looked at some lip mounts. The good ones are not all that cheap, and since I'm not against drilling another hole in the roof, I think I'll hold out on the lip mount. Not due to any possibility of leakage, which you all have assured me about. Thank you all for your replies. I don't ask too many questions on these forums... I usually just make smart@$$ wisecracks.

I think that they should make all cars with roofs that are pre-drilled and plugged with a multitude of rubber NMO plugs. At least a dozen. Give the public what they're clamoring for: antenna mounting options.

 

[Sporkupine]

In my personal experience, lip mounts do horrible things to your bodywork...they leave the metal on the trunk lip looking almost... corrugated, and the goofy small coax that is used to pass through the gasket area is prone to massive signal attenuation (I read a number somewhere that I can't remember, I I just remember it was dreadful). I know that when I ran a UHF Syntor at 120W through one of those boogers, that tiny coax actually got hot .

I would definitely recommend the NMO, seeing as how you're not averse to drilling holes.

 

[ScanWI]

I have never had an issue with the lip mounts, other then a little bit dirty underneath which was easily washed off. I used to have on on my trunk before drilling another hole and it worked great. This one is one of the Antennex mounts so it might be different depending on the type of mount.

 

[Dewey]

...
I usually just make smart@$$ wisecracks.
...
I think that they should make all cars with roofs that are pre-drilled and plugged with a multitude of rubber NMO plugs. At least a dozen. Give the public what they're clamoring for: antenna mounting options.

Now those to parts definitely go together! BUT, I'm with you on the suggestion

Dewey

 

[davidgcet]

lip mounts tend to work loose over time, especially if running anything other than a stinger antenna. the screw holes then leak. but checking teh screws every few weeks solves this issue.

i've never used any type of lip mount other than the basic LBT-3400 style from laird/antennex, these come without coax and we use regular RG-58 on them. slice a small hole in the side of the weatherstriping, push the coax thru, and no leaks there. if you don't run it thru, then eventually the lid pinches the coax and/or the weatherstripping deforms enough to leak.

 

[FFPM571]

I have always used one of these style made by Laird or maxrad in public safety applications. Never had an issue with a leak. They sit tigit to the lid edge and lay flat on the trunk skin.

 

[davidgcet]

that is a trunk LID mount, a lip mount is an L bracket.

 

[FFPM571]

trunk lip mount - Google Search

Google image trunk lip mount and see what comes up. I dont see any L brackets.

 

[ScanWI]

I have always used one of these style made by Laird or maxrad in public safety applications. Never had an issue with a leak. They sit tigit to the lid edge and lay flat on the trunk skin.

This is the same thing I use with no problems.

 

[davidgcet]

i'm telling you that is is a LID mount and not a LIP mount. it is designed to hold to the lid of a trunk. an L bracket/lip mount is designed to be screwed to the rim(lip) around the trunk.

lid- http://www.tessco.com/products/displayProducts.do?groupId=365&subgroupId=20
lip- http://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=90979&eventGroup=4&eventPage=1

the lid mount search above also turns up 1 Larsen lip mount. but lip/lid mount are not the same thing no matter what google thinks.


Edit to fix broken links

 

[FFPM571]

Laird Technologies - 3/4" Trunk Groove Bracket

That is an "L" not a lip no matter what you may think or feel or may call it but that is what the manufactuer calls it Groove bracket. In my experence suck and are a last resort if the customer wanted no holes or no other way of mounting.

 

[davidgcet]

an L bracket IS a lip bracket. they go to the lip of the gutter. a lid bracket secures to the lid of the trunk. with a lip bracket the bracket and antenna stay in the same place when you open the trunk, with a lid bracket they raise up with the lid. if a bid here specs a lip bracket and you supply the ones you link, you will be taking them back and getting L/gutter/groove/lip brackets like they asked.

maybe folks in other areas call them differently, just like down here a "coke" is any dark carbonated non-acoholic drink but in other areas it is a specific cola!

 

[Skypilot007]

I have always used one of these style made by Laird or maxrad in public safety applications. Never had an issue with a leak. They sit tigit to the lid edge and lay flat on the trunk skin.

These are good mounts and they don't leak when properly installed. I've had two on my trunk for almost 10 years, no leaks and they work just as good as day 1. I always thought they were called trunk lip mounts also.

 

[Sporkupine]

Great, now I'm confused. The object pictured above is not what I was referring to earlier and looks like it might actually work. So, anyhow, go by the pic and if it looks different that the thing up there, don't get it.

And if you do get one of those, let me know how it works...I might have a use for some, and the conversation when purchasing might be amusing:

ME: "Gimmie a lip mount...or a lid mount, I don't know which."
ANTENNA GUY: "One of these?"
M: "No the other kind."
AG: "Like this?"
M: "Yeah, that's it. I'll take three."
AG: "Okay, three lid mounts..."
M: "I actually just decided that I don't give a rip what they're called. How much?"

Hilarity, I tell you...