We just placed our order for the Escape 21. I am researching options for mobile internet. Our concern is mainly having data while in fringe areas, not so much voice, as we will probably use WiFi calling or FaceTime Audio. Based on the advice I found in this
thread on the current state of the art for mobile data, I am going to forego cellular boosters like Weboost and get a CAT18 MIMO LTE modem like the Verizon Jetpack 8800L. I will need to mount a MIMO antenna on the roof, something like
this.
My dilemma is how to get the antenna cables into the trailer. With these setups longer cable means signal loss, so I want to keep the cable run under 1 meter ideally. So I will need to figure out a place on the roof to mount the antenna, so that I can run a 1 meter length of cable from it to the LTE modem inside. I plan to have a 12v/120v outlet placed by the Jetpack location. I want to keep my options for upgrade down the road open as technology improves.
So I plan to use silicon adhesive to mount the antenna, and ask ETI if they will create an access port of some sort on the roof for the cable to pass through.
I dislike the idea of an additional hole in the roof for the antenna cable, but realize it will be necessary. I am looking into ways to prevent water ingress. From my research something like
this or from the boating world something like
this looks like it could work. I don’t know if ETI would be willing to install these, but of course I could ask.
I know many people have mounted antennas on mast poles from the back for cellular boosters and passed the antenna cable out the side or out the bottom of the trailer, but like I said I would like to minimize the length of the cable run for this.
Thanks for any insights.