I will be visiting a new client who recently purchased a new RV (motor coach).
I only know that it has 6 TVs (5 inside, 1 outside).
He has an in-dash DVD player and wants it to play DVDs from that player on all TVs. I'll check that out when I get there.
He also wants a satellite dish installed so passengers can watch live satellite TV while it is on the road or parked.

I have never done anything with RVs. I do 95% residential and 5% commercial AV installations. I haven't done a satellite installation for over 10 years. I am guessing I should try to help him with the DVD video distribution, then refer him to someone else (no idea who) for the satellite.

Has anyone been down this road before (pun intended)? Should I run from this, or do I worry to much? It might be a great opportunity to help a new client, but my instincts tell me it will be a nightmare. Thanks in advance!

I hope when you say "on the road" regarding satellite that you mean "not at home" and not "driving down the road." The dish needs to be aimed at the satellites for reception.

Satellite signal distribution has changed since you last did it, so it would be to your advantage to consult with a local installer, perhaps do the prewire yourself, then let him locate and install the dish.

Hey, how about contacting a big RV dealer to see how they do it or whom they recommend? I'm in Los Angeles, but there are several dealers around here with hundreds of RVs in stock. Someone must have solved this problem before!

No...he really wants the passengers to be able to watch live TV while driving down the road. Money does not appear to be an object.
Ernie, this is in a small town in downstate IL....large metro areas are 3 hours away.

Look at Tracvision

Also, check winegard. One issue, it doesn't look like any system lets you get HD DTV while moving. The winegard might let you get dish HD on the go

[Link: winegard.com]

We just installed a Winegard SK-SWM3 for a tailgate trailer, mixed with RTI keypads for control.. works great BUT will not work when moving..

I dont think they have anything that will allow directv while moving..

The road trip mission says it will work on the go. Also, the flat tracvision is made for on the move

Worked on several RV's, boats, and vans with in motion Directv units. We usually have someone else provide the equipment, and it can get expensive.

[Link: kvh.com]

Thank you all for the input! I am meeting with the client early next week.

What a jackass thing to say. Apparently you were not aware that gyro balanced sat tracking systems for DSS have existed for nearly as long as DSS itself has existed?

KVH is what you should look at. Defer to a company that installs these systems so they can make sure its sealed and properly mounted. Dont want the roof to leak in a 2+ million coach :)

I don't understand why you're more upset about me writing that than PatMac was. It's his skin in the game.

I was aware that something was available, but that doesn't mean that PatMac ACTUALLY meant "while driving." I think it's a fair point to pin down.

Edit: I see I was reading too quickly. He did say "while parked."


Now sell this to the guy with the $2 million dollar "RV" --


Yes, sir, that's right. $2 million dollar moving castle complete with standard definition TV. That's the ticket!

Back to the first point, this doesn't even give him HD while parked. So does it exist? Yes, for SD.

you can get hd access with dish network

Also, with the KVH HD7 marine unit, he could have directv hd since it tracks 99, 101, and 103 at the same time. The dome is probably too large though.

I am not sure about DirecTV so I will not comment on it.

As for Dish, I know that you cannot do the Hopper / Joey hardware, but you can definitely tune HD programming through the ViP series receivers.