How To Fix The Out Aide Cable Connection On My Camper

Cable doesn't work in camper - how to hookup cablevision TV at RV Park

So, you lot got that new RV, plant the perfect site, hooked up water electric and cablevision. So you turned on the Boob tube and nothing… what practise you practise now? There'southward no need to panic, near likely it will exist easy to fix.

Here are the things to cheque if your camper's cable or antenna doesn't work.

RV Antenna Booster Switch
Goggle box Settings and auto channel search
Wiring

At present that you know where to expect, here are the things to look for.

What is an RV Antenna Booster Switch and where do you find it?

To get the well-nigh channels possible from your antenna, nigh all RV'southward take a booster installed. This is swell, but if information technology's set to the incorrect position yous might non become annihilation.

Where is it?

The booster is usually located behind the main goggle box in your RV. Almost RV'due south use boosters from Winegard. They come up in 3 variations, they either take 2 cable jacks, 1 cable jack and a 12v power outlet, or a unmarried cablevision jack.

No affair which model y'all take the affair to look for is a small black pushbutton and a green led. Hither is a picture of the booster in my 5^th wheel. If your's isn't behind the chief TV, check the other Goggle box locations in your RV.

rv antenna booster

How to set your RV'southward antenna booster for cable

The booster also works equally a switch. Information technology determines which signal goes to the Television's in your RV. When the booster is turned on the green LED lights up and the indicate from the antenna is routed to your TVs. If you press the black switch the LED volition turn off and the bespeak from the cable input on the side of your RV volition be sent to the TVs.

Every bit I mentioned before some boosters take ii jacks on them. The 2d one is labeled Satellite. That jack is where you would connect a satellite receiver.

If your RV is equipped with a satellite dish is will be continued directly to this jack. If you don't take a dish installed, it is most probable connected to a jack on the exterior of your RV labeled Satellite. This is where you would connect a portable dish like the Wineguard Playmaker. The Satellite jack is not affected by the booster switch.

Checking your Television set'south settings

Now that nosotros know the booster is set up correctly information technology'southward time to run a channel search on your Boob tube. Every brand and model of TV is a little scrap different, but near accept the same basic options.

You need to press the Carte du jour button on your Idiot box and await for an pick like setup or Channels. On my TV you tin can only admission the channels carte du jour if the TV is in TV mode, and then if you were watching a DVD make sure to fix the input to Tv or tuner.

One time yous go to the setup or channel menu look for an option to gear up it to Cable, Air or Antenna. Choose the appropriate one for your connectedness. If your TV is similar mine it might have an auto search that will scan for cablevision and antenna channels.

Now start the channel search and await. Pretty shortly you should meet channels popping up. Once the browse is complete yous should be proficient to go.

Checking your RV's Tv wiring

If you fabricated it through the first ii steps and haven't had any success, it'south time to check the wiring.

I of the easiest checks is to see if your booster was wired backwards at the factory. To test this but plow the switch to the opposite position and let your Telly scan for channels once more. If your cable starts working with the booster on you will take to remove the booster from the wall and switch the wires labeled Antenna and Cable. Just make sure you check the channels to the campgrounds TV guide before switching the wires. You might exist picking channels from your antenna.

Check the campgrounds cable betoken

For cablevision the adjacent thing I would check is that the campgrounds connection is working. If your cable line is long enough, disconnect information technology from the side of your RV and bring it through a window directly to the input on the back of a TV. Then run the channel scan. If it works y'all know the campgrounds bespeak is adept.

If the campground'southward signal is good things get trickier. For RV's with multiple TVs try a unlike one and see if it works, if it does the problem is most likely with the connectedness to that specific TV or connection, if the other TV doesn't work your trouble is most likely closer to the booster.

Television wiring overview

The wiring for your TVs comes in from a jack on the exterior, connects to the booster and so splits off to the other Boob tube locations in the RV. Unlike homes where the splitters are commonly located in attics or basements where yous can see them, RV manufacturers put the splitters in the walls behind the jacks.

Here is a film of a splitter I pulled out of the wall behind my booster. I constitute another ane backside the Tv jack in the sleeping room too.

rv tv booster and splitter

How to examination an RV's TV wiring

Y'all can bank check the connection between the outside of your RV and the jacks on the inside with an ohm meter.

Tools needed:

Ohm Meter
Long Cable Line
Short Cable line (i pes or less would be all-time)

Steps

Connect the long cable to the outside jack and and then bring the other end into the camper.
Connect the short cable to the cable/antenna jack your TV was connected to.
Set your Ohm meter to read ohms or continuity and bear on the probes to the wire in the center of each cable.
If your meter reads a connection between the cables, your wiring probably ok.
If yous do not read a connexion betwixt the cables, switch the booster to the reverse position and try again.

If you are unable to get a connectedness betwixt the wires you will accept to dig deeper to observe out where the connection is broken.

The best way to cheque the wiring is to remove the jacks 1 at a time starting at the booster and make sure all the connections are tight. After removing a jack from the wall pull on the wire a piddling flake if it moves continue pulling gently and you lot may pull a splitter through the opening. Make sure the connections are tight and tuck in back into the wall. Then movement on to the adjacent one.

One time you get the wiring straightened out, run your TV's aqueduct search once again and you are washed.

Wrap-Up

I hope I have been able to aid you lot get your RV'due south Goggle box working. If your RV came with a satellite receiver or environment audio entertainment systems, there could be a video switcher or other equipment between the exterior cable jack and your Television receiver. I tin't possibly encompass all the options here, but your RV's owner'southward manual may accept some information that could help.

If you are looking for some assist improving your over the air (antenna) indicate cheque out this commodity for my best tips to improve your reception.

The concluding thing I will leave yous with is to remember to get outside. I enjoy watching TV as much as anyone, simply when I'm camping I want to explore the area. Go check out the trails, drive around tow, or just sit down around a campfire. You can always lookout man Goggle box when yous get back home.

Thanks for reading and Happy Camping,

Jason