bat wing antenna leaks inside the cabinet

[thomasgs527]

I have a 2008 fun finder 139x and we had a downpour the other day. When I got into the unit there was water everywhere, coming from the crank handle. I want to replace the bat wings with an Omni directional, but which one would be good for that model. and are they easy to install or should I have it done professionally. either way I have to get the leak fixed. I hope there is no mold growing in between the roof membranes. we wont be camping until November.

[webslave]

The omni-directional antennas and the term "good" don't really go well together. The problem with most RVs is that the antenna is very close to vents with motors and a high percentage of them have the antenna right next to the A/C unit. Neither is conducive to good signal clarity and reception. Remember one of the best things for any antenna is height - the higher the antenna the better the reception. Unfortunately, most omni-directional antennas are short and right in the middle of the "signal clutter" of the roof's protruberances. IMHO, you'll regret the change to an omni-directional antenna; I've helped swap out a bunch of them for the mast type with a Jack Off-the-Air antenna head.

The leak was/is caused by the breakdown of the "O" ring that seals the crank arm at the top. Most people don't know it, but, you are supposed to loosen the crank and raise the antenna abit to get some silicon lubricant in to the "O" ring twice a year; it should certainly be done at least annually. Check your Winegard manual, it will describe how to do it. I think you would be better served by replacing the "O" ring and keeping the mast type antenna. If, however, you are deadset on one of the omni-directional types, they are easy to install and can be a DIY project with minimal skills. In fact, if you are near an RV service center, they may have one just laying around that they took out of a trailer while installing a mast type and they may let you have it for little or nothing. You'll wind up with some more holes (the bases aren't the same), but, nothing Dicor can't seal up and some of the more "upscale" omni-directional types come with fancier amplifiers with integrated digital scales that may be a little more complex in the installation process (the gizmos don't improve reception; they just add some bling to justify putting them in instead of a good antenna - the omnis are cheaper for the manufacturer) .

[thomasgs527]

my manual does not give much support on this o ring. does the entire unit need to come off the roof or can the o ring be replaced from the inside? I need to be sure it wont leak again. thanks for your help

[webslave]

If I remember correctly; the crank handle is held on by a set screw...loosen that and the handle will slide off (carefull, there is a plastic washer and spring under compression to keep the topside parts pulled down to the O ring). Once the handle, spring and washer are off, from inside, the mast, gear, plate, etc., pulls up from the roof and the O ring is just laying there in a groove for it. Replace the O ring, slide the shaft, gear and mast back down on top of it (after liberally coating it with silicon) and then re-attach the washer, spring and handle on the inside. Done. Here is a link to the Sensar repair parts listing where you can download a detailed blow up view of all the parts. You can see in the diagrams how all the parts relate to each other and how they assemble:

Sensar repair parts listing

Now, a recommendation. Lots of folks use the spray on type silicon and if you are just going to loosen the assembly, I would also. However, since you are going to be taking it apart to replace the O ring, I'd get some plumber's faucet silicon. It is a very thick paste/thick syrup formula with a lot of "sticky" to it. It holds up extremely well and provides even more waterproofing ability than spray on silicon. I use it in place of spray on silicon wherever I can. It was designed for plumbers to use in repairing faucets to proved the slickness of silicon with the water proofing ability of plumber's paste. Good stuff. You should be able to find it in the plumbing section of any good hardware store.

[thomasgs527]

oh boy. took off the antenna, and all the wood is wet and rotted around the antenna and extends some 12 " in all directions. as of right now there is a hole in my roof where the rubberized roof was cut open, with a tarp covering the whole camper. what now? don't want to make the hole bigger and bigger just to find that the wood is further wet. would you suggest to just place a flat circular piece of plastic and seal that over the hole and just use a mobile antenna? if I do that what about the hole inside the cabinet where the crank goes. just gets better and better. lol