First Trip....Checking Things Out

[JohnG4706]

Well I did it! First trip to check things out. Very apprehensive. I decided to stay close to home and went to Huntington Beach Stare Park. Checked in and drove to my campsite. Now for my first back in experience. I lined myself up and a woman came along and asked if I needed help. Beth must be a mind reader! Three or four backups, overturned the wheel and turned the wheel opposite to what I needed, but I did it. Next time will be easier.

I tried setting up the TV and ran into a problem. I raised the Winegard roof antenna, turned on the amplifier and rotated the antenna. In every position I got, "Weak or No Signal."
I plugged into the TV position,the other connection was for Aux/Sat. How do I check it out. I'm only 12 miles from Myrtle Beach.

Kept checking the refrigerator to see if it was getting cold. Nothing. When I opened the door no light. Blown fuse was my first thought. No, all fuses intact. Then I saw the push button to turn the refrigerator on LP or Auto. Works fine.

Went to bed. Boy was it quiet! Then around 4am, little drops of rain on the roof and skylight. It's amazing how noisy through rain was compared to the absolute quiet.

Great start! I can see why so many people enjoy camping!

[ddndoug]

Congrats on your maiden voyage, you'll make many memories over the years!

Doug

[Old-Biscuit]

JohnG4706 wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions.

I went to Home Depot and bought some rabbit ears to check out the TV. TV worked fine. Got 2 stations...

I then took the wall plate off and checked the connections. Some were not screwed in all the way. Retested with the amplifier on and got 26 stations, some better than others. The rabbit ears go back to Home Depot.

I'm sure that the factory didn't check the outlet out with a TV.

Again, thanks.

When properly connected that ole crank-up antenna works pretty darn good.

[JohnG4706]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I went to Home Depot and bought some rabbit ears to check out the TV. TV worked fine. Got 2 stations...

I then took the wall plate off and checked the connections. Some were not screwed in all the way. Retested with the amplifier on and got 26 stations, some better than others. The rabbit ears go back to Home Depot.

I'm sure that the factory didn't check the outlet out with a TV.

Again, thanks.

[Old-Biscuit]

sdianel wrote:
What year is your rig? Is the TV digital or analog?

Quick check of OPs profile shows 2015 Puma so TV digital.

OP
Need to 'aim' the head of antenna towards TV transponder towers

Most OTA channels are to the S/W but they are 48 + miles away

Only 3 (2 IND and 1 NBC) are within range of RV antenna and they are towards the N.
After aiming antenna towards towers you then need to have antenna booster ON, TV tuner set to 'antenna' (or AIR) and then do a scan for channels.

HERE is a website that shows direction of towers

[Effy]

Jim Shoe wrote:
There's a trick to backing a MH into a campsite. Hold the bottom half of the steering wheel with your hand. Then move your hand in the direction you want the rear end of the MH to go.
IF you're pulling a toad or a trailer, all bets are off. Stay in CGs with pull thru sites. 🙂

I think that's backwards isn't it? Your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel will move a trailer in the direction you want to go, not a MH. The MH will go in the diretion of your hand if it's on top of the steering wheel.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

What year is your rig? Is the TV digital or analog?

[2_Retired]

We're very close (live in Socastee) and would be happy to stop by if you need help. We've been RVing for almost 41 years and almost all we have learned has been through the generosity of others. Feel free to PM if you are in need. We had a hellovatime figuring out how to work our satellite system when we first got our rig. Others trouble shooted for us and now my husband has no trouble at all! Feel free to leave your phone # if you would like a visit! BTW, we LOVE Huntington Beach SP. There are, however, many sites where sat TV just won't work. We actually made a list of sites where we could get reception! If you're surrounded by woods, odds are its a no go.

[PapaNIes60]

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy RV camping as much as I do.

[DutchmenSport]

Do you have the ability to "driveway" camp? Park your camper in your driveway? If you do, take some time to experiment with your television antenna at home.

Our first trailer was a Dutchmen and the antenna simply did not work. Out of frustration, I finally pulled the connection box from the ceiling of the camper and looked behind it to see what was going on. It turned out to be REALLY sloppy work. The coax cables were not trimmed clean, and the outside strands, that spiderweb mash wire, was all strung out, from each cable, and everything was touching everything. I pulled each one and trimmed off all that excess, and reattached. The television worked wonderful after that.

So if you continue to have difficulty with your television reception, you might pull the jack and see if the wires behind it are trimmed clean.


Your over-the-air television should work with the booster button pushed on. And as suggested above, take notice of other campers, which direction their antennas are facing. This helps getting you close.

[Jim_Shoe]

There's a trick to backing a MH into a campsite. Hold the bottom half of the steering wheel with your hand. Then move your hand in the direction you want the rear end of the MH to go.
IF you're pulling a toad or a trailer, all bets are off. Stay in CGs with pull thru sites. 🙂

[Tvov]

We love when it rains while we're camping... just makes us remember the times we used a tent in the rain...

Speaking of which, remember to vent, vent, vent! Crack open a window and hopefully a roof vent if you can - I can open our bathroom roof vent 1-2 inches and the rain won't come in, but allows fresh air to flow in from another window.

You want to avoid a build up of condensation in the camper, and allow venting for propane appliances. And... it is nice having fresh air!

[Greydennyhawk]

When I first set up shop at a new site, I usually look which way other rv' s have the antennae facing
That get me close for a finer adjustment.

[jackquontee]

Did you set your tv to antenna instead of cable, and then run a channel scan?

[Mote]

Congratulations on your first trip. The backing into the campsite will get easier. The key is to take your time. Don't want to get in a hurry and run into a tree or post.
For the TV, we had a similar issue once and I found where the cable screws into the antenna up on the roof was loose. Once I tightened it up everything was fine.