Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Carl Isner on November 10, 2023, 11:53:31 am
Title: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Carl Isner on November 10, 2023, 11:53:31 am
I am going to be flat mounting a Starlink dish on the roof of our '04 U295 and am seriously considering removing the large heavy motorized dish off the roof and place the Starlink in its place. Any tips on removal and sealing the holes? Anyone have or know if there is a market for the motorized dish and all the other stuff associated and if not a good way to get rid of other than a landfill? Thanks!
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Jeff & Sandy on November 10, 2023, 01:26:30 pm
Hi Carl, welcome to Foreforum, pretty coach.
Those dishes are becoming obsolete, there really isn't a market for them. Like you, many are switching over to streaming.
We switched to Starlink but we had the dish removal done at MOT... I don't know what adhesive they used to fill the holes.
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on November 10, 2023, 01:45:44 pm
Welcome to the Forum, Carl! The more the merrier!
I removed a manual crank-up dish from the roof of our coach.
The dish was attached with screws AND with a copious quantity of white adhesive/sealant. It was a chore getting the sealant broke loose - I used a flexible steak knife and a putty knife to cut the bond. Doing so cause some minor damage to the fiberglass around the dish mounting hole, but nothing major.
Once the dish was removed, I ended up with a big hole (from the dish) and a small hole (where the cable penetrated the roof). I cut two patch panels from some 1/8" aluminum sheet I had on hand. Painted them white. The one covering the dish hole is the exact same shape as the dish mounting base, and is screwed down using the existing screw holes. I also used Dicor Self Leveling sealant to seal under the patches.
Inside, I had a hole in the bathroom ceiling where the crank came through. I made a plug out of blue Styrofoam insulation to fill the hole, and disguised it with a bit of Ozite ceiling material left over from another project. Came out pretty good!
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: MarkC on November 10, 2023, 04:12:45 pm
Carl, nice coach ! When i got our coach, it had two motorized dishes on it. It was 4 years ago and I could not find anyone who thought they had value. A buddy of mine was all excited and said he wanted them, I notice that 4 years later they are still sitting behind his shed!
As far as the holes, each one had a least a dozen screw holes and about a one inch hole for cabling. I used a product called Plastic-Aide. it is a two part powder/liquid that you mix in a small supplied cup. it can just be dripped into the screw holes, and with a little backing poured over the larger hole. It is about the consistency of apple sauce when mixed. Once dry, it is an opaque white color, but can be colored to match with their color kit. It dries hard as a rock and if desired can be sanded smooth with a small orbital sander. I did not color or paint mine as it can't be seen unless walking on the roof. 4 years later, still rock solid, not cracking, chipping, or leaking.
(I have no connection to this product other than using it on several projects and it is quite amazing.)
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: juicesqueezer on November 10, 2023, 04:21:38 pm
Carl; first off, beauty of a coach! Welcome to the forum. I would post that dish with all the accessories on facebook market place and also on here and where ever else you deem necessary. There are always people looking for those at a deal. Depending on which dish you have will make a difference as well. New Dish Traveler's are now in the $2200 range, so $500 would be a good incentive for somebody out there! Not everyone streams, so it's worth advertising to see. Just my 2 cents worth!
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Carl Isner on November 10, 2023, 10:09:24 pm
I removed a manual crank-up dish from the roof of our coach.
The dish was attached with screws AND with a copious quantity of white adhesive/sealant. It was a chore getting the sealant broke loose - I used a flexible steak knife and a putty knife to cut the bond. Doing so cause some minor damage to the fiberglass around the dish mounting hole, but nothing major.
Once the dish was removed, I ended up with a big hole (from the dish) and a small hole (where the cable penetrated the roof). I cut two patch panels from some 1/8" aluminum sheet I had on hand. Painted them white. The one covering the dish hole is the exact same shape as the dish mounting base, and is screwed down using the existing screw holes. I also used Dicor Self Leveling sealant to seal under the patches.
Inside, I had a hole in the bathroom ceiling where the crank came through. I made a plug out of blue Styrofoam insulation to fill the hole, and disguised it with a bit of Ozite ceiling material left over from another project. Came out pretty good!
Carl, nice coach ! When i got our coach, it had two motorized dishes on it. It was 4 years ago and I could not find anyone who thought they had value. A buddy of mine was all excited and said he wanted them, I notice that 4 years later they are still sitting behind his shed!
As far as the holes, each one had a least a dozen screw holes and about a one inch hole for cabling. I used a product called Plastic-Aide. it is a two part powder/liquid that you mix in a small supplied cup. it can just be dripped into the screw holes, and with a little backing poured over the larger hole. It is about the consistency of apple sauce when mixed. Once dry, it is an opaque white color, but can be colored to match with their color kit. It dries hard as a rock and if desired can be sanded smooth with a small orbital sander. I did not color or paint mine as it can't be seen unless walking on the roof. 4 years later, still rock solid, not cracking, chipping, or leaking.
(I have no connection to this product other than using it on several projects and it is quite amazing.)
Thanks, I'll check into the plastic aid!
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Stonyfork on November 10, 2023, 10:35:43 pm
I removed a manual crank-up dish from the roof of our coach.
The dish was attached with screws AND with a copious quantity of white adhesive/sealant. It was a chore getting the sealant broke loose - I used a flexible steak knife and a putty knife to cut the bond. Doing so cause some minor damage to the fiberglass around the dish mounting hole, but nothing major.
Once the dish was removed, I ended up with a big hole (from the dish) and a small hole (where the cable penetrated the roof). I cut two patch panels from some 1/8" aluminum sheet I had on hand. Painted them white. The one covering the dish hole is the exact same shape as the dish mounting base, and is screwed down using the existing screw holes. I also used Dicor Self Leveling sealant to seal under the patches
Hi Carl. I'm gonna second and emphasize Chuck's finding of copious amounts of white adhesive sealant. I too have encountered this in several areas, particularly the skylight base. And it is nothing to be trifled with as lt is strong enough to tear the fiberglass on the roof in attempting to remove it (or anything held down/in place by it). On the other hand, if you should happen to accidentally do so, the same fiberglass repair kit that you'd need to repair any small tears would also be an excellent, weatherproof and permanent way to seal those holes left from screws etc when you remove those dishes.
Bill
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Carl Isner on November 12, 2023, 09:31:32 am
Hi Carl. I'm gonna second and emphasize Chuck's finding of copious amounts of white adhesive sealant. I too have encountered this in several areas, particularly the skylight base. And it is nothing to be trifled with as lt is strong enough to tear the fiberglass on the roof in attempting to remove it (or anything held down/in place by it). On the other hand, if you should happen to accidentally do so, the same fiberglass repair kit that you'd need to repair any small tears would also be an excellent, weatherproof and permanent way to seal those holes left from screws etc when you remove those dishes.
Bill
Thanks for all the ideas, I'll tackle the fish soon and give an update. Carl
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on November 12, 2023, 10:00:40 am
Looks like a nice clean way to cover up the holes from the dish, any thoughts on putting eterna bond tape down as well?
Carl,
I have had excellent service from the Dicor sealant when I used it in other places on our roof. I put a generous layer under my sheet metal patch panels, so that it squeezed out of the screw holes and around the panel edges as I tightened down the screws. In my opinion, adding the tape would not be necessary, but of course it certainly wouldn't hurt anything either. DWMYH!
Title: Re: Motorized dish removal off roof
Post by: Twig on November 17, 2023, 09:21:34 am