My roof is STILL leaking! TV Antenna pass through?

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2015, 08:05 PM

Can anyone tell me what is in the antenna passthrough to the roof? We had a heavy downpour yesterday and my bed got soaked through to the platform. The RV was leaning back since I had it on block in front but when it is leaning forward the leak is out over the passenger window. This water is running down the channel that holds the molding inside I believe and the ONLY place I can find that is not sealed tight is the TV antenna where the gear is to raise it and rotate it. This has to have some sort of seals in it, can anyone tell me what I will find if I tear into this thing? I am desperate since the last leak was a flood and that much water had to have a fairly large opening, there is nothing else up there. I have taped and sealed till I am blue in the face. And no, it is not the marker lights, they are too far back for where the water is coming out. And they are also sealed. Are these crank up antennas even worth keeping? I have never had it work.

BTW, It is a Winegard

Bnova · August 12, 2015, 09:16 PM

Rick, it looks like there's two or three orings in the raising and rotating mechanism.

I haven't done anything with mine yet, I tried raising it and it didn't want to go. I got up top to take a look and it looks like someone gooped it up with sealant. Not a big tv watcher so I won't bother for a while, but I went through some really heavy rain on the last trip and no leaky.

DaveVA78Chieftain · August 12, 2015, 09:32 PM

Do you have a batwing antenna
or
the old timey house type antenna (Skyliner manual in the member area)?

Actually, both manuals are in the member area under antenna.

M & J · August 12, 2015, 10:09 PM

I replaced the gears in ours with a rebuild kit and it does have O rings on the shaft that goes through the roof. Simple job Rick.

Rickf1985 · August 13, 2015, 07:07 AM

Thanks for the info and as usual Dave hit it on the head, that is the one I have. I am glad to hear O-rings, those I have. This antenna goes up and down fine but I have never gotten a signal of any kind on it and In my search for power draws I found a line marked TV which I think is for the antenna amplifier since the TV still works with it out (plus the tv is AC) and I have no idea where the amplifier is.

M & J · August 13, 2015, 07:18 PM

The batwing is the Winguard and the amp is located in the antenna. There should be an antenna jack somewhere in the coach with a 12v outlet and the F connector is what you connect to the tv. On our old jack plate and also on the new one it's the power supply for the amp and has a switch and power light.
If you looked at the download Dave provided its figure 14 to see what I'm talking about amigo.

Rickf1985 · August 13, 2015, 08:08 PM

So that's what that is? Mine is under the sun viser up on the overhang. Under the cabinet where the controller for the TV and VCR and stereo is. So is the TV supposed to be plugged into that jack on that plate? Mine was plugged into a distribution box with a bunch of buttons for where you wanted the input and output to go. The one antenna cable came in from the roof area and into that box, nothing to that antenna control. I will have to spend some time looking at that stuff. Thanks, I never would have put two and two together on that one.

M & J · August 13, 2015, 09:22 PM

There is a built in splitter Rick that may be feeding the switches and so on you have on your coach. But the power for the antenna is located on that plate Rick unless the Winnie factory changed it.

Rickf1985 · August 14, 2015, 11:30 AM

I'll deal with the operation of it later, I want to get it sealed up right now. I looked at both the manual in the link Dave sent and the one in the manual section, same one. They refer to removing the worm gear section see page 8.......................... there is no page 8?

I am sure I can figure this out though. pull the stuff off from inside and lift up I would guess.

Rickf1985 · August 14, 2015, 12:43 PM

OK, got the worm gear out easy enough but apparently the pivot where I can pretty much tell the leak is is part of the housing that is screwed to the roof. I can see up inside from in the coach that there appears to be a recessed nut inside the housing that would require a spanner of some sort to get off. It looks like I am just going to have to caulk the pivot solid to stop the leak and then replace the antenna down the road.
I am not so sure now that this is the leak I am looking for. After seeing it from below there is only a small hole in the roof for water to come in and no indication of it doing so.

The mount up top is buried in many layers of sealant and caulk and there is no way I am disturbing all of that this close to my trip. I took the arms off of the antenna so there is nothing but the pivot bracket and it is loose and jams when you try to turn it so I am guessing it is trashed and needs to be replaced no matter what. Where I am going there is no TV or cell reception anyway, totally unplugged from the world! I will ask here but also start another post in the appropriate section, what antenna is the best one to buy nowadays, short of satellite that is.

legomybago · August 14, 2015, 01:59 PM

You can purchase this socket at the rv parts store, or make one. My Grandpa made one by sacrificing an old socket once... I've seen that seal leak on more than one RV. Very common

Rickf1985 · August 14, 2015, 07:59 PM

I just caulked the whole thing. The bearing is shot, the wire is shot, I will just end up replacing the whole setup and then know it is good.