How to get a CAT5 cable from the outside of the 337RLS to the inside 'easily'

[Cowboychincs]

I want to install a Wi-Fi extender/booster antenna to the ladder and run the associated cable to the inside of the RV to the router. Anyone found an easy place to "stick" a cable through to the inside?
Ideally, it would be a temporary placement just to make it easy to set it up when necessary... mounting the antenna is a snap... some PVC and some tie-wraps... getting the cable to the inside is the issue

Thoughts/suggestions are very welcome!

 

[openrangeowners]

If you have a rear living room, you can easily bring cable up through the end table - hole already in the floor where wiring comes up. You just need to cut a small hole in the fabric where the outrigger part is.

 

[geotex1]

I think I would go at it from the underbelly and also install a weathertight cover and port. Then when hanging on the ladder, a patch cable between the two.

Otherwise, for temporary use, just put it out through a slideout seal.

 

[Cowboychincs]

I DO have a rear living area with the fold down sofa bed with two cabinets, one on each side. If I understand correctly, there are AC wires that come up to those end tables from below... but I am not sure what you mean by "outrigger"....

Thanks tons for the hint... that will be very helpful and a great place to setup and use the router inside...

 

[openrangeowners]

 

[AndyBaum]

This flat ethernet cable is well made, and hides easily (you can even paint it): https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Ethernet...=1621047051&sprefix=flat+cat6+,aps,183&sr=8-3

 

[Cowboychincs]

Thanks... good suggestion!

I think I would go at it from the underbelly and also install a weathertight cover and port. Then when hanging on the ladder, a patch cable between the two.

Otherwise, for temporary use, just put it out through a slideout seal.

Appreciate the response... sounds like a plan!

 

[SmallBoxMaker]

I want to install a Wi-Fi extender/booster antenna to the ladder and run the associated cable to the inside of the RV to the router.

Is this a router that you are supplying? If so, what we did might be useful. I had the Wi-Fi antenna on a painters pole which was held in a flag pole mount on the ladder. I then ran the cable from the antenna into the pass-thru where I had the router sitting next to the AC socket there. The cable simply went down the flag pole, over the ground, and up through one of the ports in the pass-thru.

Since this was a temporary installation (had to take it down when we traveled) this worked well for us. And having the router in the pass-thru avoided taking up any interior space.

 

[Cowboychincs]

Thanks!

This flat ethernet cable is well made, and hides easily (you can even paint it): https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Ethernet...=1621047051&sprefix=flat+cat6+,aps,183&sr=8-3

I like that idea... possibly making it less visible! Appreciate the response

 

[traveldawg]

I need to take some photos and post my mod(s) for bringing in ethernet from the outside.... One could do the same with coax.

I had already modified the end tables on both side of our rear sofa so the tops hinge up (like a lot of the dresser tops in the bedroom) and installed a shelf so I could store things in there. I also installed an electric outlet inside each "table". So I just figured out where to drill through the back of the RV (just above the taillights in my case) and into the inside of one of the end tables. Then I modified a Fusion solar plug port to accept an ethernet plug and wha-laa - quick way to connect my WiFi Ubiquiti antenna to my Ubiquiti router which I keep inside the end table.

I got the idea about modifying the Fusion solar port from RVProject on YouTube.

 

[Cowboychincs]

That sounds exactly what I would like to do.... so please, more details and pics... which would be a lot of help...
I am going to try the Alfa WiFi Camp Pro 2 Long Range WiFi Repeater RV kit R36A/Tube-(U) N/AOA-2409-TF-Antenna and your solution for the wire would be perfect

 

[traveldawg]

That sounds exactly what I would like to do.... so please, more details and pics... which would be a lot of help...
I am going to try the Alfa WiFi Camp Pro 2 Long Range WiFi Repeater RV kit R36A/Tube-(U) N/AOA-2409-TF-Antenna and your solution for the wire would be perfect

Here goes.... I'll do this in 2 parts. First is the mod to the "end tables".

I pulled the rear sofa out and away from the back wall to gain access to both tables. I removed the panel on the side of the table to gain access to the inside. Then I made a framework to support a bottom and to mount an electrical outlet and the hinges. I just tapped the front facing outlet for the additional outlet. You can make the bottom as deep or shallow as you'd like. On one side I made it deep and the other side (DS) is less shallow. I used some appropriate hinges so the top would lift - sorry, don't recall the names; I got them at Lowes off the shelf just rummaging through the various "european" types.


This is PS. Note: I had to mount the board on the wall that the hinge screws into. It is easiest to install the hinges while the end panel is still off. Sorry - no photos of the actual framing I did.


This is looking at the front of the inside at the outlet I installed. You can see my router too.


I put in a grommet to pass wires through. I haven't had a need for it yet but can hardwire a computer or whatever into the router if I want and pass the cable through this grommet hole.


This is the inside of the DS table.

kalakamods

 

[traveldawg]

Here is part 2.... the network cabling.

At the rear of the box I drilled about a 1 inch hole through the back cap of the RV. Of course there was lots of measuring & measuring before I drilled. As I always do, I first drilled from the inside through the luan and into the styrofoam to be sure there wasn't any aluminum struts in the way. Then I drilled from the outside in to get a clean hole.

I put a simple wall plate over the hole for cosmetics.


If you look close you will also see a red, black and white wire. I tapped into my rear brake/signal lights as one day I hope to install a high center stop light (like GD should have done to begin with). I had already mounted additional rear lights so this wiring was pretty straight forward.

This is the furion solar port plug I modified. I'll have to get some outside photos tomorrow when it is daylight. I should have used beige, not white. Unlike the photo, the center cannot be unscrewed, it is now a molded part.
https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=Solar+Port+Inlet+for+Furrion+Solar+Panel+Battery+Charger+-+12-14V+DC+-+White

This is the RVProject YouTube video I got the idea from. Note that he talks about how you can unscrew the center of the port and mount what you want. It turns out Furion doesn't do it that way anymore; the whole port is molded. So I just drilled it out for what I needed to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hYQzNuXikc

These are parts I used for the ethernet cable. The receptacle can be screwed into the drilled out Furion solar port fixture.....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FF3D51H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


This is a photo of the plug in a somewhat disassembled view. I had to cut off the existing RJ45 to slip the wire through the waterproof sleeve and then put a new connector on.


This is the "stuff" I keep in my PS table (some USB and ethernet cables and my inside cellular antenna & coax.

Tomorrow I'll get some photos of the outside plug and my antenna mast. Wait 'til you see my cheap-o method for mounting it to the ladder... No snickering....

kalakamods

 

[Cowboychincs]

Very Helpful!

Here is part 2.... the network cabling.

At the rear of the box I drilled about a 1 inch hole through the back cap of the RV. Of course there was lots of measuring & measuring before I drilled. As I always do, I first drilled from the inside through the luan and into the styrofoam to be sure there wasn't any aluminum struts in the way. Then I drilled from the outside in to get a clean hole.

I put a simple wall plate over the hole for cosmetics.

View attachment 34152
If you look close you will also see a red, black and white wire. I tapped into my rear brake/signal lights as one day I hope to install a high center stop light (like GD should have done to begin with). I had already mounted additional rear lights so this wiring was pretty straight forward.

This is the furion solar port plug I modified. I'll have to get some outside photos tomorrow when it is daylight. I should have used beige, not white. Unlike the photo, the center cannot be unscrewed, it is now a molded part.
https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=Solar+Port+Inlet+for+Furrion+Solar+Panel+Battery+Charger+-+12-14V+DC+-+White

This is the RVProject YouTube video I got the idea from. Note that he talks about how you can unscrew the center of the port and mount what you want. It turns out Furion doesn't do it that way anymore; the whole port is molded. So I just drilled it out for what I needed to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hYQzNuXikc

These are parts I used for the ethernet cable. The receptacle can be screwed into the drilled out Furion solar port fixture.....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FF3D51H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 34153
This is a photo of the plug in a somewhat disassembled view. I had to cut off the existing RJ45 to slip the wire through the waterproof sleeve and then put a new connector on.

View attachment 34154
This is the "stuff" I keep in my PS table (some USB and ethernet cables and my inside cellular antenna & coax.

Tomorrow I'll get some photos of the outside plug and my antenna mast. Wait 'til you see my cheap-o method for mounting it to the ladder... No snickering....

kalakamods

This was extremely helpful... full of great pictures as well as notes on how and what to do... looks like this could be a fun project and will provide much better use of the side tables as well!
Thank you very much!

 

[traveldawg]

I guess I'll call this part 3. This is the exterior of the RV.


This is the Furion solar plug adapted for an ethernet RJ45...


This is the full view of the antenna, mast and where I put the plug to access the inside of the end table.


Here is how I attach the mast to the ladder. The mast is just a stick of 3/4" conduit. I cut it into 2 pieces so it fits in my storage bay. There are 3 of those mop handle type spring clamps I screwed into the ladder. (told ya it was pretty low-tech).

 

[Cowboychincs]

I guess I'll call this part 3. This is the exterior of the RV.

View attachment 34174
This is the Furion solar plug adapted for an ethernet RJ45...

View attachment 34175
This is the full view of the antenna, mast and where I put the plug to access the inside of the end table.

View attachment 34176
Here is how I attach the mast to the ladder. The mast is just a stick of 3/4" conduit. I cut it into 2 pieces so it fits in my storage bay. There are 3 of those mop handle type spring clamps I screwed into the ladder. (told ya it was pretty low-tech).

Very nicely done! Very much appreciate the great ideas... give me a clue as to what to do for my rig.... I really like the "portability" of it and quick connections you designed! Thanks tons!

 

[RoJoSo]

[MENTION=19389]openrangeowners[/MENTION].
Couldn't help noticing how you closed your stinky tube. We must have 20 of those RC body clips around. Never thought of that.
Side note: This coming weekend my son and I are running in the 2021 ROAR 1:8 Off Road Fuel Nationals.

 

[Santa61]

I want to install a Wi-Fi extender/booster antenna to the ladder and run the associated cable to the inside of the RV to the router. Anyone found an easy place to "stick" a cable through to the inside?
Ideally, it would be a temporary placement just to make it easy to set it up when necessary... mounting the antenna is a snap... some PVC and some tie-wraps... getting the cable to the inside is the issue

Thoughts/suggestions are very welcome!

Last week I added a WeBoost to my 337RLS and ran the wires without having to cut any holes in our rig. I attached the outside antenna to the ladder and ran the cable down the ladder below the tail section and under the bottom plastic covering under the trailer. I fished the coax cable outside the plastic covering over by the riverside slide. Coming out under the slide allowed me to easily secure the coax cable to the existing cables running into the entertainment access hole that already existed. This brings the coax cable up and into the large space behind the fireplace. I mounted the WeBoost amplifier in this very location and attached both the outside antenna coax cable, inside antenna coax cable and power supply cable to the amplifier. I ran the power supply through the existing opening behind the TV and used the existing power receptacle for power. This allows me to easily unplug the WeBoost amplifier when I don't want to have it powered on. I used the same opening to run the inside antenna coax cable to the inside antenna.

We returned home a few hours ago having spent time at a CO state park that before we never had any bars of signal and couldn't make or receive calls. I was amazed at how we were able to make and receive calls including FaceTime and were able to use my phone as a hotspot for streaming. I was impressed!

Here are photos of our install. I trust this is of assistance.

 

[Cowboychincs]

Last week I added a WeBoost to my 337RLS and ran the wires without having to cut any holes in our rig. I attached the outside antenna to the ladder and ran the cable down the ladder below the tail section and under the bottom plastic covering under the trailer. I fished the coax cable outside the plastic covering over by the riverside slide. Coming out under the slide allowed me to easily secure the coax cable to the existing cables running into the entertainment access hole that already existed. This brings the coax cable up and into the large space behind the fireplace. I mounted the WeBoost amplifier in this very location and attached both the outside antenna coax cable, inside antenna coax cable and power supply cable to the amplifier. I ran the power supply through the existing opening behind the TV and used the existing power receptacle for power. This allows me to easily unplug the WeBoost amplifier when I don't want to have it powered on. I used the same opening to run the inside antenna coax cable to the inside antenna.

We returned home a few hours ago having spent time at a CO state park that before we never had any bars of signal and couldn't make or receive calls. I was amazed at how we were able to make and receive calls including FaceTime and were able to use my phone as a hotspot for streaming. I was impressed!

Here are photos of our install. I trust this is of assistance.

Great idea on how to get wiring into the RV without cutting holes...
Which model of WeBoost are you using... I see there are several models....

Thanks again for the tips... looks like a very clean install!

 

[Santa61]

Great idea on how to get wiring into the RV without cutting holes...
Which model of WeBoost are you using... I see there are several models....

Thanks again for the tips... looks like a very clean install!

I bought and installed the WeBoost Reach RV.