- Joined
- Jul 27, 2019
- Messages
- 11,572
- Location
- Midlothian, VA
- RV Year
- 2017
- RV Make
- Newmar
- RV Model
- Ventana 4037
- RV Length
- 40' 10"
- Chassis
- Freightliner XCR
- Engine
- Cummins 400 HP
- TOW/TOAD
- 2017 Chevy Colorado
- Fulltimer
- No
So you're getting a Pepwave or some other Internet connectivity device and now you have to decide where to put it. As I'm a big proponent of the Pepwave Wi-Fi/Cellular routers I'll limit my discussion to the Pepwave but anyone else can share with where and how their mount or install their preferred Internet device.
My coach has a dedicated audio visual (AV) compartment over the driver's seat. And typically yes this would be a preferred location however it has its downfalls as well. First is it's the farthest location from the back of the coach, i.e. bedroom. In the spirit of Wi-Fi routers 30-40ft is not far so if you're having issues with Wi-Fi range then there is another problem. The other issue I had was the lack of 12V power in this cabinet, it has 120V outlets but no 12V wire runs. It was easy to bring up a 12V power source so that is what I did.
I do recommend powering your unit with a 12V source if it accommodates it such as Pepwave's do. This eliminates the need for a 120V transformer which gets hot, can easily come unplugged, etc. But most importantly it is unlikely you'll lose 12V power where it is more common to lose 120V power such as the inverter goes offline, etc. for various reasons and causes we all know of. It also probably has much less battery drain using 12V vs. going through a transformer so for boondocking or just being energy mindful 12V is also the way to go.
Ideally, for my floorplan, the half bath is an ideal location. The reason I didn't until very recently is I have an ethernet cable Newmar ran for me that goes from the AV compartment to the dinette so I can get ethernet to the bedroom (dish wally box), a mid ship Wi-Fi router I once ran, and other networking needs of mine. That is still something I can't do without, however, I run two Pepwave's so what I decided to do was mount the second one in the half bath area and run an ethernet cable on the roof and drop in to the front AV compartment to network the two Pepwave's. This point is really moot for this discussion but that's what I did to solve my problem.
Why is the half bath a preferred location such as shown in the image below? It's out of the way, it's an ideal location for a roof mounted antenna, if you use paddle antennas it's an ideal mid-ship location for Wi-Fi signal. But more importantly is you have 12V power right there which is very easy to connect to your Pepwave unit. I use the 3M hook velcro stuff to attach it securely to the wall.
So just sharing my preferred install location and why I think it has advantages here. If I didn't source Wi-Fi out of the front pepwave this would be ideal for the rabbit ears but the front Pepwave Wi-Fi paddle antennas do just fine end to end of the coach.
By the way you can see my TPMS repeater above the pepwave. Also a great location for it.
My coach has a dedicated audio visual (AV) compartment over the driver's seat. And typically yes this would be a preferred location however it has its downfalls as well. First is it's the farthest location from the back of the coach, i.e. bedroom. In the spirit of Wi-Fi routers 30-40ft is not far so if you're having issues with Wi-Fi range then there is another problem. The other issue I had was the lack of 12V power in this cabinet, it has 120V outlets but no 12V wire runs. It was easy to bring up a 12V power source so that is what I did.
I do recommend powering your unit with a 12V source if it accommodates it such as Pepwave's do. This eliminates the need for a 120V transformer which gets hot, can easily come unplugged, etc. But most importantly it is unlikely you'll lose 12V power where it is more common to lose 120V power such as the inverter goes offline, etc. for various reasons and causes we all know of. It also probably has much less battery drain using 12V vs. going through a transformer so for boondocking or just being energy mindful 12V is also the way to go.
Ideally, for my floorplan, the half bath is an ideal location. The reason I didn't until very recently is I have an ethernet cable Newmar ran for me that goes from the AV compartment to the dinette so I can get ethernet to the bedroom (dish wally box), a mid ship Wi-Fi router I once ran, and other networking needs of mine. That is still something I can't do without, however, I run two Pepwave's so what I decided to do was mount the second one in the half bath area and run an ethernet cable on the roof and drop in to the front AV compartment to network the two Pepwave's. This point is really moot for this discussion but that's what I did to solve my problem.
Why is the half bath a preferred location such as shown in the image below? It's out of the way, it's an ideal location for a roof mounted antenna, if you use paddle antennas it's an ideal mid-ship location for Wi-Fi signal. But more importantly is you have 12V power right there which is very easy to connect to your Pepwave unit. I use the 3M hook velcro stuff to attach it securely to the wall.
So just sharing my preferred install location and why I think it has advantages here. If I didn't source Wi-Fi out of the front pepwave this would be ideal for the rabbit ears but the front Pepwave Wi-Fi paddle antennas do just fine end to end of the coach.
By the way you can see my TPMS repeater above the pepwave. Also a great location for it.
