I got an email from a friend who is having a problem with his losing signal every few days and it is taking a few hours to get it back. It's a couple years old. He changed receivers, no improvement. He is running RG6 from the TG to a port on his camper. I suspect the problem is in that reconnection, even though it worked in the past. I run my cable straight from the TG to the 211. A dealer says nearly all of his TG sales came back with complaints. I don't believe that. I'm wondering if others have had a similar problem or have other ideas as to the cause of the problem.

I initially had problems with my tailgater/vip211k combination. Some times it would work, sometimes it wouldn't. I called dish every time that I set it up. I was ready to dump it because after 1 year of talking to Dish and struggling to get it to work, they told me that I had to replace the vip211k and that I had to pay for it. That upset me as they wanted to charge me $100 and only give me a 90 day warranty. So I bought the same unit from amazon.com and bought a two year extended warranty for the receiver. Now, it works about 80% of the time. The other 20% has to do with too many trees in campgrounds and unable to get a signal. So while I am not overly happy with my tailgater, when it works, it works and it beats having no TV.

Have used our Tailgater several times when the dome on the roof of the MH could not P/U a signal. No issues at all. The last 2 times I've used the Tailgater it was for 1-2 weeks at a time with no signal loss or issues with the 211 receiver being switched from the Winegard Dome to the Tailgater and back numerous times.

My tailgater is really weird, and I havn't ffigured it out yet. At home, it works perfectluy fine. Tailgater to the satalite hookup in the camper. Hookuip to receiver. Receiver to television.But when we are away fron hone, I can position the dish, but if it's connected through the satalite hookup jack on the outside of the camper, we don't get the signal. So, I use the wire directy from the tailgater to the receiver by putting the cable through the window. And then it works OK. For the life of me, I can't figure out why is different away fron honme. I'm using the exact same cables, same rseceiver, same television. But I do get good reception eventually.Don't know what the answer to your problem is, other than try the cable direct fron the tailgater to the receiver.Edit: I've also discovered that if the tailgater is too close to the camper or too close to the truck, it won't position to find the satellites. It will only complete 2 of the 3 "check" steps. But, move it away farther and it then works. Makes me wonder how anyone can have one on the roof of their camper. I figure the metal in the camper and in the truck some how interfere with the positioning of the tailgater. (I don't know, I'm just guessing). I do know it has to be about 10 feet or more from both the camper and the truck, and of course an open SW sky.

It could very well be the internal coax and/or connections in the camper. I would try to access that cable and make sure the connectors are good, and the connections are good. Something as simple as changes in humidity could affect poor connections.If possible he might even replace the internal coax with a better quality quad shielded RG6 coax. And while he is at it, replace the long external coax with a new quad shielded RG6 also. They are not that expensive.

I agree that using the camper's wiring is a likely source of problems. Back before the TG came out we used the standard Dish sat. In standard def days it was easy to aim but by the time we got a camper HD was in use. I couldn't get it aimed, called a Dish tech who aimed it and told me to bypass the camper's wiring as "most" of the time satellite TV has problems with it. He said cable usually worked. So I've follwed that advice on two campers so far, running the cheap cable that came with the TG straight into the camper and the receiver. Never had a problem, and we use it for several months at a time in the winter.

Dish Tailgater Problem | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

AllegroD
Nomad
Jul 07, 2014
lbrjet wrote:
Make sure power is getting through the cable to the unit. Our new unit was shipped with a bad cable (we thought bad TG since motor wasn't moving) and the King Control tech helped me measure the DC voltage put out of the cable and it was zero. They sent me a new cable and problem solved.

x2
Motor not running might be a symptom. Don't assume it is a bad motor. Run the TG provided RG6 cable through a window or door, directly to the receiver. If you have an outside 120v plug, you can even take the receiver and a TV outside. If the wiring in the RV is loose or RG59. Some times COAX is not terminated correctly. You could be losing power through the COAX.
lbrjet
Explorer
Jul 07, 2014
Make sure power is getting through the cable to the unit. Our new unit was shipped with a bad cable (we thought bad TG since motor wasn't moving) and the King Control tech helped me measure the DC voltage put out of the cable and it was zero. They sent me a new cable and problem solved.
cekkk
Explorer
Jun 30, 2014
Turns out the TG's motor is to blame. It's silent, so the sat inside is not rotating.
Vulcaneer
Explorer
Jun 30, 2014
The only time I had intermittent reception problems with my Tailgater was in North Carolina. After a couple days of TV reception coming and going, I figured out that when my wife parked the truck, she parked it in a place that blocked the tailgater. So I moved the tailgater. Cause I thought it was easier than trying to get my wife to change her ways. Problem solved.
AllegroD
Nomad
Jun 29, 2014
Have used tailgater for several years with no prob. Is your friend hooking up to cable inlet on RV? If so, have your friend hook directly to the 211K, using the Tailgater provided RG6. If probs go away, you will have id the prob as the RV wiring being inadequate.
Gulfcoast
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Buy my used Winegard Pathway X2 dish and your satellite connection problems are over.
cekkk
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Teddychamp, I wonder if geographic location could have something to do with needing a "clear" southern exposure. I was able to use mine in northern Montana in a heavily treed RV park and got reception right away. But the TG is unable to get the 129 sat dependably in the upper NE.

I don't want to be quoted on this, but I've heard the basic Direct provides SD quality only. That is easier to bring in.

Check customer satisfaction with DirectTV. The company tends to have more thaan its share of unhappy subscribers, including me.
teddychamp
Explorer
Jun 28, 2014
I have been using the Dish Tailgater for 2 years, at least I have been trying to use it. This system is the most sensitive system I' ever seen, if there are a couple of branches in front of the Dish it wont work. The Dish has to have a total unobstructed view of the southern sky or it will not work. The VP211K receiver stopped working after one year and I bought the new VP211Z, same results. Other campers that use Direct TV with portable Antennas have no problems receiving a good signal. I'm wondering ????
cekkk
Explorer
Jun 28, 2014
I agree that using the camper's wiring is a likely source of problems. Back before the TG came out we used the standard Dish sat. In standard def days it was easy to aim but by the time we got a camper HD was in use. I couldn't get it aimed, called a Dish tech who aimed it and told me to bypass the camper's wiring as "most" of the time satellite TV has problems with it. He said cable usually worked. So I've follwed that advice on two campers so far, running the cheap cable that came with the TG straight into the camper and the receiver. Never had a problem, and we use it for several months at a time in the winter.
BB_TX
Nomad
Jun 28, 2014
It could very well be the internal coax and/or connections in the camper. I would try to access that cable and make sure the connectors are good, and the connections are good. Something as simple as changes in humidity could affect poor connections.

If possible he might even replace the internal coax with a better quality quad shielded RG6 coax. And while he is at it, replace the long external coax with a new quad shielded RG6 also. They are not that expensive.

Forum Discussion

Dish Tailgater Problem

13 Replies

About RV Must Haves

Related Content

Dish Tailgater

Dish Tailgater Problems.

Dish Tailgator

Dish Tailgater

DISH TAILGATER???