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Old 01-12-2019, 09:57 AM   #1
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TV Cable Ready / Jack TV Antenna Options

As I was adding the TV arm to our new 21 yesterday, it struck me that the location of where ETI installs the power and TV aerial/cable outputs on the front side of the upper cabinet could be improved.

Attached is a picture of the installed TV. The power (we have a 12V TV so we opted for a 12V plug only) and cable outlets are circled in red where they are located, right on the front side of the upper cabinet.

However, if these outputs were installed on the underside of the upper cabinet, the wires would be behind the TV. The result would be much less obtrusive, tidier and more discrete. It’s probably not a terribly difficult modification to move them, and I will take a look at doing it myself a little down the road and hide the original holes with something suitable.

However, anyone considering these options in their build sheet might want to consider seeing if Escape would install them on the underside of the upper cabinet so they are much less obvious and the “look” and tidiness of the installation improved.

We take the view that we travel with the TV in place (with suitable precautions to keep the TV in place, with foam padding etc.) However, if you choose to disconnect when travelling, the underside location may not be as easy, although the resulting look would be so much better.
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Old 01-12-2019, 10:06 AM   #2
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However, anyone considering these options in their build sheet might want to consider seeing if Escape would install them on the underside of the upper cabinet so they are much less obvious and the “look” and tidiness of the installation improved.
Things change, but ETI wouldn't install any 'electrics' on the bottom side of the cabinets, when I was working through my build sheet. I asked. BUT, that was more than four years ago. As I said, things change. Just don't be disappointed if they say 'No,' and maybe plan ahead to make that change yourself.
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Old 01-12-2019, 10:14 AM   #3
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Things change, but ETI wouldn't install any 'electrics' on the bottom side of the cabinets, when I was working through my build sheet. I asked. BUT, that was more than four years ago. As I said, things change. Just don't be disappointed if they say 'No,' and maybe plan ahead to make that change yourself.
Donna, this is already a done deal for us, this was an observation for going forward. I did e-mail Reace and made the suggestion showing him the picture, suggesting how much nicer it might look with the wires tucked away more discretely.
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Old 01-12-2019, 10:24 AM   #4
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For some reason under cabinet fixtures are limited to lights, no 120v nor 12v under cabinet mounts. When I had my tv at that location I made my own 12v coiled power cord and coaxial cable that just at that location, without any excess. I also covered the cables with cable loom to make it appear to be one.
On Edit, there is nothing prohibiting you from relocating those mounts underneath and just deal with the original holes or leave them and add additional underneath.
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Old 01-12-2019, 10:43 AM   #5
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While it is (or at least was) physically possible to mount the TV receptacle & 12V jack in the under cabinet face (that was the way it is in my 2011 17), I suspect it was a more difficult installation, and probably why they dropped it.

I asked for under cabinet lights over the bed in my 2017 21, and the answer was no...
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Old 01-12-2019, 11:06 AM   #6
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I mounted a open back cable box and a brush face plate in the upper cabinet bottom and mounted my power box and cable connections in the upper cabinet. That really cleans up the cable mess.
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Old 01-12-2019, 12:38 PM   #7
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I mounted a open back cable box and a brush face plate in the upper cabinet bottom and mounted my power box and cable connections in the upper cabinet. That really cleans up the cable mess.
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Great idea ! If OK will borrow your solution. Pat
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Old 01-12-2019, 07:32 PM   #8
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our 21 ft is a 2017 and the plug ins are located on the side of the cabinet just under the tv in ur picture facing the bed,
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Old 01-13-2019, 09:01 AM   #9
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While it is (or at least was) physically possible to mount the TV receptacle & 12V jack in the under cabinet face (that was the way it is in my 2011 17), I suspect it was a more difficult installation, and probably why they dropped it.

I asked for under cabinet lights over the bed in my 2017 21, and the answer was no...
I’m wondering where mine will be located. I’m thinking the front face of the cabinets. If bottom mount is desired, then adding one while keeping the original would work. Not sure it matters to me.

What I would like for a future DIY project, is to snake a coax from the front drawer stack through the top of wardrobe, refrigerator cabinet, and into the rear dinette cabinet or divider wall. Not sure though, if a space in the top is available for running a wire snake through all those cabinets.
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Old 01-13-2019, 09:38 AM   #10
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I have tv coaxial in 2 locations in my first 21, dinette and over the nightstand. Very hard to get a cable behind the refer compartment as it is more or less sealed from the inside. Thus I paid for 2 locations. As fas a standard light locations, see the schematic for the 21. I was able to tap into the 12v tv location by the nightstand and install an under cabinet light in BlackJack along the bedroom o/h, amidships. See #148 here http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...k-3134-15.html
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Old 01-13-2019, 04:01 PM   #11
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I have tv coaxial in 2 locations in my first 21, dinette and over the nightstand. Very hard to get a cable behind the refer compartment as it is more or less sealed from the inside. Thus I paid for 2 locations. As fas a standard light locations, see the schematic for the 21. I was able to tap into the 12v tv location by the nightstand and install an under cabinet light in BlackJack along the bedroom o/h, amidships. See #148 here http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...k-3134-15.html
I was under the impression that the refrigerator vent on top of the trailer was a good location for entering wiring (antenna / solar) into the inside of the trailer. Is that wrong?
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Old 01-13-2019, 04:21 PM   #12
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I was under the impression that the refrigerator vent on top of the trailer was a good location for entering wiring (antenna / solar) into the inside of the trailer. Is that wrong?
The wiring from our solar panel certainly goes through the refrigerator vent.
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Old 01-13-2019, 04:34 PM   #13
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As does my cell antenna, has caused me no issue.
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Old 01-13-2019, 05:23 PM   #14
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Not sure about antenna wire from the roof, is this for campground cable or for external antenna you are installing? The factory cable cg coaxial is on the driver side whereas the factory coaxial is inside under the interior lining from the roof mount factory antenna over to the inside location.
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Old 01-13-2019, 07:44 PM   #15
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Not sure about antenna wire from the roof, is this for campground cable or for external antenna you are installing? The factory cable cg coaxial is on the driver side whereas the factory coaxial is inside under the interior lining from the roof mount factory antenna over to the inside location.
On the 5.0 I am thinking of running the antenna through refrigerator vent and into the cabinet above the microwave. Anyone have other ideas, or how have others done theirs?
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Old 01-14-2019, 02:22 PM   #16
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On the 5.0 I am thinking of running the antenna through refrigerator vent and into the cabinet above the microwave. Anyone have other ideas, or how have others done theirs?
I was thinking of doing the same. ETI is installing the Jack antenna and one mount above the drawer stack. That wall is not reinforced for tv mount; it’s instead, mounted on the frame of the wall.

Since a coax jack and wire is already available in the overhead cabinet above the drawer stack, I planned to tap into it, and use a splitter/amplifier to minimize signal loss. It looks possible to drill an access hole through the three panels, and exit on the opposite end; in the dinette area. If so, I would then duplicate another tv mount on the frame of the dinette divider. My coax/tv connections would mirror each other; the ETI installed side (above the drawers stacks), and my installation on the dinette side.
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Old 01-14-2019, 03:51 PM   #17
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Not sure about antenna wire from the roof, is this for campground cable or for external antenna you are installing? The factory cable cg coaxial is on the driver side whereas the factory coaxial is inside under the interior lining from the roof mount factory antenna over to the inside location.
Sorry for the confusion Jim, I am planning on installing a WeBoost and planned to run the antenna wire in through the refrigerator vent and then into the cabinet above the microwave. So my question came about when you said "Very hard to get a cable behind the refer compartment as it is more or less sealed from the inside. .

So the question should have been, is it feasible to run the antenna wire in this way?

Am I missing something or does someone see a better option for installing the WeBoost?
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Old 01-14-2019, 10:23 PM   #18
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There's a ton of room behind the fridge to use as a cable drop. This is me looking up the chase with the fridge removed and the vent cover off. I've added some custom ducting in the space. Oh, and I'm not bald, not yet anyway, that's the effect of my forehead being mirrored by the shiny aluminum.

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Old 01-15-2019, 01:40 AM   #19
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So it turns out that behind the Jack TV plate on the wall there is a second TV output. I decided to take the plate off to see what I could tap into or maybe get a cable splitter and saw an extra cable outlet. I went to the JACK tv website and saw from their wiring diagram, that there was indeed a second outlet. So I hooked this up to the antenna input of my sound system that I am currently installing and bingo, it works, at least for FM.

See page 5 of the owners manual.
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Old 01-15-2019, 09:16 AM   #20
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So it turns out that behind the Jack TV plate on the wall there is a second TV output. I decided to take the plate off to see what I could tap into or maybe get a cable splitter and saw an extra cable outlet. I went to the JACK tv website and saw from their wiring diagram, that there was indeed a second outlet. So I hooked this up to the antenna input of my sound system that I am currently installing and bingo, it works, at least for FM.

See page 5 of the owners manual.
Oops forgot to add the link to the manual.
https://kingconnect.com/wp-content/u...COMPRESSED.pdf
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