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Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

January 11, 2015, 07:33:49 pm

Somewhere on I-49 around Lafayette LA  last Saturday we were driving along in a misty rain when something started making a pretty big rattle on the roof.  When I slowed down it calmed.  At the first opportunity I pulled to the shoulder and discovered the dish had completely come loose from the bracket and was only somewhat caught under the arm of the Winegard.  It wouldn't have stayed there long. 

I had noticed a couple of very small hairline cracks around two of the bolts a year ago and e-mailed Winegard a picture to see if it was a common problem.  I never heard back from them and forgot to follow up.  I guess I should have pended a reminder because this is what our dish looked like.  If it had come loose and hit another vehicle it could have caused serious damage or injury or even a fatality. 

There's nothing like walking along a wet roof next to 70 MPH traffic but I'm sure thankful this thing didn't hurt someone.

The bolts were still tight around the small pieces of the dish left on the roof.

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #1 – January 11, 2015, 09:33:53 pm

Wow 

That's pretty scary,  glad you heard it banging on the roof, I can't imagine if that had frizbiee'ed off and into someone's windshield.

Was your dish facing backward or forward when stowed?  Our faces towards the rear so I'm just curious.

I'm certainly going to add check for stress cracks on the dish this to this years checklist. 

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #2 – January 11, 2015, 09:39:20 pm

I agree with you Steve. A lot easier inspecting  in the driveway then on the shoulder of highway with cars and trucks zipping by at 70 mph. I will put it on a to do after the snow is off the roof.
Maybe it is something that Winegard should address.

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #3 – January 11, 2015, 11:12:12 pm

It was face down toward the rear of the coach in the normal storage position.

I always put a bright red Velcro tie around the steering wheel when I put the dish up and put it back on the control box when I lower it.  We had used it all week and it worked perfectly.

If course it goes down automatically when the ignition key is turned on but only if it has 110v present. 

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #4 – January 11, 2015, 11:17:28 pm

Looks like fatigue fractures.  It must have been vibrating due to air flow buffeting and might be unique to your coaches aerodynamics and the particular location on the roof.  I assume you didn't notice any wind noise or vibration?  Aluminum is particularly susceptible to fatigue.  By chance would it be aluminum?
A deflector in front of the antenna would probable eliminate it from happening again, but I'm not sure how you would verify it.

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #5 – January 12, 2015, 09:01:42 pm

Guess I will add that to my list too. I did lose an air conditioner cover once and wonder if it hit any one, but did not hear of anything like that in the area where I was driving, so guess it did not hit anyone.

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #6 – January 12, 2015, 11:32:33 pm

Thanks for the photo of your cracked dish mounting holes.  We checked ours today and all is well.  Do you think the damaged dish did not have original flat headed bolts or maybe the nuts were loose?

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #7 – January 13, 2015, 07:59:21 pm

The bolts were the flat ones exactly like the ones that were on the replacement dish and they were still tight in the mount complete with the little circles of the dish behind them.

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Re: Winegard SK1000 Another thing to check

Reply #8 – January 13, 2015, 11:40:55 pm

Common issue with these reflectors, land based ones also.  Kind if like some stress risers at the mount hole locations.  Stainless fender washers solve the prob.

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