King Jack Installation

[Dennis McMillan]

Hey Gang, Planning on installing a King Jack directional antenna on our Scamp 13. Searched on the topic but still have a question or 2...

1. Not a lot of room on the roof with the Incredi-fan & escape hatch / vent. The instruction manual says it needs 20" clearance. Have only ~16" between & fore & aft of the hatches.
2. I've cut / drilled holes in the past but always get bound up with the rat fur. What's a good way to get through this stuff?
3. Manual says need minimum 1" roof thickness. Does anyone make a shim for this or am I left to my own devices here?
4. The best sealant seems to be Butyl, right?
5. Like all the other Scamp attachments I guess I'll use pop rivets with the ubiquitous plastic caps.

Has anyone done this on a 13? Some actual experience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Dennis.

[mary and bob]

I couldn't bring myself to cut a hole in the roof so I mounted the King Jack on a telescoping pole. It's kind of a Rube Goldberg setup but works for us. Have to go out and manually turn the antenna.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Dennis McMillan

Hey Gang, Planning on installing a King Jack directional antenna on our Scamp 13. Searched on the topic but still have a question or 2...

1. Not a lot of room on the roof with the Incredi-fan & escape hatch / vent. The instruction manual says it needs 20" clearance. Have only ~16" between & fore & aft of the hatches.
2. I've cut / drilled holes in the past but always get bound up with the rat fur. What's a good way to get through this stuff?
3. Manual says need minimum 1" roof thickness. Does anyone make a shim for this or am I left to my own devices here?
4. The best sealant seems to be Butyl, right?
5. Like all the other Scamp attachments I guess I'll use pop rivets with the ubiquitous plastic caps.

Has anyone done this on a 13? Some actual experience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Dennis.

Dennis, not what you are asking, but as an owner of a trailer with a King Jack, if I had to do it all over again, the King Jack is the one option I would delete. I am not at all impressed with its performance. There are other options I wish I had, most of all, something with a telescoping pole that could be attached to the rear bumper. While not as convenient requiring setup and takedown, performance is generally better (I know from past experience with previously owned trailers.).

[Casita Greg]

Not sure if you have a home subscription to satellite TV, but if you do, you can just order an additional receiver box and get a satellite antenna. I have one and I can get satellite TV programming even where I don't have cell phone coverage for a hundred miles in any direction. (The antenna mast is just a 6' section of chain link fence post available at any "big box" store, along with a base mount cup to seat it in. Uses the same coax cable fitting that you probably already have.)

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Not sure if you have a home subscription to satellite TV, but if you do, you can just order an additional receiver box and get a satellite antenna. I have one and I can get satellite TV programming even where I don't have cell phone coverage for a hundred miles in any direction. (The antenna mast is just a 6' section of chain link fence post available at any "big box" store, along with a base mount cup to seat it in. Uses the same coax cable fitting that you probably already have.)

Greg, interesting setup. Two questions:
1. Are you using Dish Network or DirecTV?
2. How did you attach the pole (fence post) to the bottom of the satellite antenna?

[Casita Greg]

I currently subscribe to Dish TV, and this is the antenna that I have. They make them for Dish TV and DirecTV both, but they are not interchangeable.

This is what I use, but there are other options that they offer as well.

https://kingconnect.com/dish-tailgat...ntenna-bundle/

My mounting "mast" is one that I fashioned from a generic 6ft. chain link fence post and a matching base plate. (Actually two, I mounted one on the rear bumper and the other up front on the "A" frame of the trailer.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...TSEB/312373071

I would just go to the store and get the individual ones, (as opposed to buying 6 of them,) but these are what I mounted, front and back on my trailer, to stick the mast into. Since I also weld, it was nothing for me to mount but anyone with a welder can attach them if you don't. Drilled and tapped with thumb screws to secure the mast when inserted.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pylex-Sp...3079/314224240

I also fabricated my own slide-in bracket for the antenna itself on top of the mast, so I can take them apart. I generally carry the antenna itself in the back seat of the truck, and the mast pole rides in the bed of the pickup.

[redbarron55]

I put one on a Scamp and as long as you can fit the base in andhave turning clearance you should be OK-----Except you will have to modify the mounting base due to the lack of thickness in the roof or make a spacer from a piece of wood to get that inch you are missing.
I shortened some of the parts so that it would go together with no spacer on my Scamp.

[mariaandskip]

I installed one about 2 months ago. I had the same clearance problems. Just make sure you have enough clearance for the antenna to spin. I probably loose some reception due to the obstructions but in South FL I get 62 channels. I used screws to hold it down and dycore to seal it.

[Dennis McMillan]

Hey everybody thanks for your input.

Red Barron, can you be a little more specific on the "adjustments" that you made to allow installation without a shim.

Thanks, D.