tka4493039 Report post Posted August 12, 2018 Howdy! We very recently purchased a (brand new, second-hand) 2013 Itasca Sunova 33C and are true newbies. While trying to replace the black tank vent cover with a Lippert 360 degree siphon, I noticed the satellite dish is hitting the cover while unfolding & folding and has actually damaged the original cover. I was able to replace and seal the grey tank cover, no problem.. Has anyone else seen or experienced this issue? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 12, 2018 tka, Welcome to the Forum. There a number of Vent cover on the market. If you could show us a picture of your vent cover it may help. I for one have two fairly tall covers that swivel with the direction of the wind. Others have a short cap that are held down by clips that fit inside the vent pipe. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tka4493039 Report post Posted August 12, 2018 Herman, thank you for the welcome and I truly appreciate your response. Attached is a pic of the original cap, pulled from the web It regrettably appears the factory installed the satellite dish about 1inch too far aft, which is causing it to hit the cap when unfolding and folding. Any thoughts/suggestions. I’m wide open... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted August 12, 2018 This is a standard on many coaches all the way back into the early 90's. It is also small. Obviously someone was not paying attention to the details and set the dish to far back during installation. It is not really a big deal to move the dish forward a little bit, after all it is just held down in place with screws. The screws are under the sealant. This project is not rocket science. You will have to be careful pulling the sealant up and not puncturing the roof membrane. You might spend an hour on this project. Once the screws are removed, the unit may still be retained in place with a putty under the feet or base. This requires patience and care pulling up and probing the putty material before it releases it's hold. Once loose fill the old holes so the do not leak. You can use some of that old putty to fill the hole and then some use Dicor self leveling sealant available online at Amazon for as little as 9 dollars a tube, same thing that Camping world get 12 dollars for, to permanently cover that. Replacing the unit in a new spot, to do it correctly, one should use stainless screws, as they will not draw moisture from inside which there is and rust. these can be gotten in small quantities from Home Depot, Lowes or Ace Hardware. Lay down a puddle of Dicor and place the SAT base or feet in it, install the screws and another blob on top of each so they are fully covered. While you are at it replace that cheap vintage vent with one that actually works better like the one Herman has or even better a solar powered one that evacuates 12 hours a day moving or not...many to choose from that work in a multitude of different ways. Good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tka4493039 Report post Posted August 12, 2018 Thank you for the information and confidence boost. The satellite is a motor powered, huge thing. Do the instructions still apply? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 12, 2018 tka, how much does the dish hit the vent? There are some really low profile vent out there. But as Bill said move the dish if there is enough cable to relocate it. Then if done right you can install a much better vent. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted August 12, 2018 Yes the directions still apply. Cable length should be of little consequence since you are going to move it only a little bit. Most likely the cabling runs forward to the fiberglass cap. If necessary pull sealant up from entry point as there is typically extra there and then reseal. These rigs are not all that complicated, one just has to stop and ponder the problem and ask plenty of questions here. The only dumb one is the one you failed to ask, just think about it for a minute. Some of us do all our own maintenance and repairs and we are here, Herman included to help. Good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted August 12, 2018 And, if there is any damage to the roof covering, not a big deal to buy a piece of aluminum large enough to cover the old and new location. Bed it is a good sealant designed for your roof material. Paint the aluminum sheet it white to match the room. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tka4493039 Report post Posted August 12, 2018 Thank y’all so much for the info. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted August 13, 2018 Missed out on this. Perhaps rather relocate it to a different spot, you could remove the mounting screws and then turn the base a screw hole or two one way or the other to miss the vent. Put some sealant in the right places, apply careful torque to the newly positioned screws, look at the job so far and apply more sealant where needed. The unit does not to be mounted in line front to rear of yout RV. I did my install on or about my 71st birthday. Does not have to pretty on top. Just functional. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tka4493039 Report post Posted August 13, 2018 Thank you! That’s a great idea and would definitely work. If the dish were rotated about 10 degrees port, it’d miss the vent cover. Im so glad the previous owners insisted we join FMCA. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted August 13, 2018 Here is a thought and from experience. I have owned two Safari coaches and neither satelite dish was properly installed. Neither was sealed on the bottom contact between roof and foot/base. I knowing that and not being able to see behind I would just pull the next one and reset it on principle. One reason to set centerline or on the parallel axis of the coach is for aerodynamics or wind resistance which can equal noise while driving down the highway and vibrations which would not otherwise occur. Sorry Byron just sticking it up there does have possible consequences, better to do it right than have to back up and redo it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted August 13, 2018 Mine is properly mounted. Mounted it about 30 feet back because of clutter up front, but it is centered with the dish facing the rear when retracted . Works perfectly. If the OPs dish works properly , but annoyingli bumps the vent when being caged, I don't think turning the base just a tad would hurt. He is not driving a Porsche!😉 If you say no, I can accept that. You are younger and smarter than I am. 74 today.🎂 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 13, 2018 Happy Birthday Byron. I am trying to picture a 40 foot long and 102" wide Porsche. Hmmmm? Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted August 13, 2018 Yea Byron you are only ahead by 2 so you have to be brighter and more experienced... I am sure properly mounted only time will tell. Setting it back further and on the parallel axis is fine but cocked into the wind. You are correct too that it is not a Porsche, wind and harmonics can play the devil when it hits mechanical devices designed to sit a particular way and one decides to do something to the contrary. Hey it is not my coach, he will do what he thinks best for him. Consequences may be nil. Herman, todays Porsches might as well be 40 feet 102 wide, the way they handle now is absolutely amazing compared to the cars built in 1978 40 years ago. B Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
