Starlink Mount 5th Wheel

[RDTC]

Anybody have a good Starlink mount setup. For a 5th wheel. I have a 2021 Pinnacle. Would like to mount it towards the front of the 5th wheel. Ideally having short cable to the antenna. With a weather passthrough connector.

Looking for options. Thanks

[CAG]

Originally Posted by RDTC

Anybody have a good Starlink mount setup. For a 5th wheel. I have a 2021 Pinnacle. Would like to mount it towards the front of the 5th wheel. Ideally having short cable to the antenna. With a weather passthrough connector.

Looking for options. Thanks

You might want to expand on that a bit. Maybe I am a bit dense but that is pretty confusing.


Where towards the front?

Pass, through where?

Where us the cable running from that it is short?

Are you trying to mount on the roof?, off of the ground with a pole? What?


There are some ideas on Amazon and others as well as various RV sites with a Google search.

[Learjet]

I wouldn't mount it, I would like to be able to move it when trees are in the way. But that is just me.

[pconroy]

I went the Harbor Freight extending flag pole route with mine. I 3D printed the adapter. Then I built a mount that goes into the rear hitch. I can assemble things on the ground, and then tilt the mount up and secure it.

[piperinv]

I don't have a mount for my Starlink. I have found that I need to set it up in many different locations (on the roof, picnic table, in front of the unit) depending on the site. I did buy some rubber feet off etsy for the stand to minimize damage when I place it on the roof or slide. I then run the cable into the wire grommet in the floor of the front pass through storage area and keep the router in the storage area. Wifi goes through walls fine, so you don't need to have the router in the living space of you unit. I find this so much easier than trying to fish the wire though a slide or drilling a hole I need to worry about leaking. Not sure if this will work for you, but I work well for me.

[RDTC]

That is my issue. Most of the time the Starlink ends up on the ground, roof, or a table towards the front of the 5th wheel. I hate having on the ground. Worried about hitting it or someone walking away with it.

That is why I am thinking a flag pole mount. Coming off of the pin box. Would work most of the time.

[SloPoke]

We keep our mounting flexible too... Our preference is to place ours on a Harbor Freight Flagpole that we modified one of the sections to accept the post of the Starlink. The modification is nothing other than a 4" section of 1-1/2 pipe nipple and a 1-1/2 conduit bushing placed on the inside of the 2" flagpole section. The Starlink post fits perfectly inside the bushing, the latch on the post also works and keeps the Starlink Antenna from coming out of the mount. We just insert the post in the flagpole and velcro strap it to our passenger side mirror. I coil up the excess cable and plug it into a Cat-5 jack inside the storage compartment that is routed inside the Seneca to where the Starlink Router is mounted in the A/V cabinet. More of the mount pictures will follow...

[SloPoke]

and more pictures... likely are all sideways due to the problems with vBulletin settings on image conversion.

[piperinv]

Originally Posted by RDTC

That is my issue. Most of the time the Starlink ends up on the ground, roof, or a table towards the front of the 5th wheel. I hate having on the ground. Worried about hitting it or someone walking away with it.

That is why I am thinking a flag pole mount. Coming off of the pin box. Would work most of the time.

Is this close to what you are looking for?? https://www.hitched4fun.com/product/...kingpin-mount/

I haven't used this product but it seems to have the Starlink Pole that works. Hope this helps.

[RDTC]

Piperinv, that is what I was looking for. A flag pole mount that attaches to the kingpin. Not sure how stable that one is.

Slopoke, nice setup. I like the way it is attached to the mirror. And when it's on the ground, you have an alarm system. What is your dogs name. Thanks for the pole hardware details.

As I am looking through these, a thought came to mind. I could mount a standard 2" receiver to the side of the pinbox. Taping those 2 holes. Then use one of the many 2" receiver mount flag pole options.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by RDTC

Piperinv, that is what I was looking for. A flag pole mount that attaches to the kingpin. Not sure how stable that one is.

Slopoke, nice setup. I like the way it is attached to the mirror. And when it's on the ground, you have an alarm system. What is your dogs name. Thanks for the pole hardware details.

As I am looking through these, a thought came to mind. I could mount a standard 2" receiver to the side of the pinbox. Taping those 2 holes. Then use one of the many 2" receiver mount flag pole options.

I agree with your thought process... As an engineer, we always have to consider what happens when Lightning strikes an antenna mount - while it might be infrequent to those in some areas... I looked at the options of anywhere/anytime. So putting the mast of the antenna in a metal conductor poses risks (for those who are engineers) for lighting strike... putting it at the earth also allows a path to earth (sacrificial at best) to reduce the impact. Face it - if it were hit by a lightning strike, there is not much to hope for beyond surviving the strike.

But, having the Starlink in the air... above the shadows of the motorhome (over 13ft) and survives the 35kt gusts of wind in the worst of weather and keeps us working our "day-jobs" that require significant internet connectivity... it has filled the bill -

Dog's name is Ned... Sadly, he passed the rainbow bridge November of 2022 - we have been using our Starlink for a long time... it keeps me working remotely connected to my work every day, even in the most remote/desolate/remote/isolated places that we can get our Seneca set up for the most epic experiences.

[extrachrispy]

I decided that I didn't want to fiddle-fart around with multiple trips to Harbor Freight and the hardware store to cobble something together, and got the kit from FlagPole Buddy. They have Gen3 adapters now, too. It easily mounts on the ladder once you get their brackets installed.

I do not (yet) have a passthrough port. I run the cable through one of the slide windows opened a crack, and use some foam packing material to seal up the gap, with a drip loop on the outside.

[KirtS]

This is my first design and I still need to add a brace so it can't turn on the pinbox. I wanted to use the tripod and mount the dish on a flag pole. I didn't find a commercial made flap pole holder that worked with the tripod on the pin box.
I used 2"X2"X1/8" angle aluminum and a section of 1 inch starboard with a 3in hole that fits the 5th hitch. I added a 1/4" piece so if the tripod cup wears into the board I can replace it as a wear item. I used 3 pieces 3/4" starboard stacked with a hole to hold the flag pole base rod. The pole has very little movement and I can use the pole set up on a beach umbrella mount if the need arises or a tripod. I do not like the dish on the ground. I have 3 sections of the pole and the base pole. 2 pieces gets it just at the top of RV the 3rd if needed gets it up about it.
Tried everything to get pictures to load correctly. 🤷*♂️

[RDTC]

SloPoke, hopefully your dog Ned passed away after a long healthy life.

Unfortunately our dog Hunter passed away at 2 years old. On a camping trip, our dog Hunter ate a whole piece of corn on the cob. We had unknowingly dropped it during dinner. 3 Days later Hunter started having significant medical issues. X-rays showed the cob was broken into 3 pieces and stuck in him. Sadly there was no recovering from the damage it had done.

[RDTC]

Kirts, that is the design concept I am going for. Is the tripod holding the bracket up. Will be interested in how your design works out.

[KirtS]

Yes The tripod is holding it up and keeps it tight so swing and sway are not an issue. I am doing a buckle to wrap around the hitch to aid in installing the mount due to hands free would be nice installing the tripod and it should also work when the tripod is not used. It is really a simple design and I used pretty much used left over poles and starboard pieces I had collected when we were doing other projects.

I will mount the hardware in the basement and run a cable through the front to the underside of the 5th wheel near the hitch. Install a weather proof connector and then when I install the dash up front or where ever I need to locate it I can plug the dish cable in at the weather proof connector. This will aid in keeping the cable off the ground most of the times. I have a couple different lenght cables to use between the dish and camper connector so I don't have excessive amounts of cable out.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by RDTC

SloPoke, hopefully your dog Ned passed away after a long healthy life.

Unfortunately our dog Hunter passed away at 2 years old. On a camping trip...

We miss Ned every day, like I am sure you miss Hunter. Ned had an amazing life that gave us as much joy as we could surely know he had on every trip we had!