Winegard Travler rebuild

[PancakeBill]

Our Travler is a little older and in winds it is loose enough that it will lose signal.  If I stow and redeploy it is fine, but some gusts will knock it again.  Usually at just the right point in the show, well you know.  I figure the top will likely come off and replace bushings, or bearings, and get stuff tightened up.  Anyone attempt this?  I can't seem to find anything on Winegard.  I have found some parts on eBay, looks like the rollers under the platter in the microwave.  Thought there must be something on youtube but so far nothing.

The easy trick would be to just replace I suppose, but hoping to fix.

 

[arcticfox2005]

I would bite the bullet and replace it. Trying to guess what is wrong and then throwing parts at it, even if you can find them, sounds like an exercise in futility.

 

[donn]

If you take the turret off from the base plate you see there is a stepper motor that drives the turrer in circles.  Another for elevation and a third for tilt.  Winegard does not sell parts.  They want you to take it off the roof, box it up and ship it to them.  Then they will charge you to look at it, and charge you again to fix it.  To get that far you will be into it around 300 dollars.  Repairs according to them is anybodies guess.  Last time I had to pay those jerks cost me 700 dollars and it still did not work.  I ended ip having to buy a new reflector, and arm.  Another 200 dollars wasted.  Heck, Winegard Travlers are almost as expensive as DPs to maintain. LOL!

 

[PancakeBill]

Yeah, I have been coming to that conclusion, I have been sending messages to Winegard Cust service and nothing back yet.  Pulling the turret off is not something I would just do, I have a mechanical background and can appreciate there are tools to hold things n place to put together.  If I were to replace with new it would update other items as well.

 

[chuckbear]

We had that exact same issue and replacing the LNB Arm solved the problem. No issues since then and that was almost a year ago. If the arm is slightly bent the slight movement from the wind will lose the signal on some of the sats. The pointing of the dish must be less than 3% off and that isn't much. Chuck

 

[PancakeBill]

Interesting!  May be just the arm, not the base.  I'll go up and wiggle it.

 

[chuckbear]

You didn't say whether you have Dish or DirecTV. I have a replacement DirecTV dish and arm for the Travl'r after we switched to Dish. Chuck

 

[donn]

Yeah, I have been coming to that conclusion, I have been sending messages to Winegard Cust service and nothing back yet.  Pulling the turret off is not something I would just do, I have a mechanical background and can appreciate there are tools to hold things n place to put together.  If I were to replace with new it would update other items as well.

Pulling the turet is dead simple.  A 1/4 inch socket set, a 7/16 end wrench and a pair of slip joint plyers ie all you need.  7/16 wrench to take the coax loose.  Plyers to loosten the cable clamp.  I believe it is 1/4 socket to remove the 14 self tapping screws.  Tilt the turret over and your set.

 

[Chet18013]

Do you have jacks or only air leveling? If you have air leveling, it could be the leveling has changed. This has been the cause of our Traveler getting pixelated on occasion.

 

[PancakeBill]

We have Direct.  Would be interested in the arm etc.

Chet, just air, but when it happens, it is very windy but coach is mostly steady and you cancer the dish moving/ settling.

 

[chuckbear]

We have Direct.  Would be interested in the arm etc.

I  have the arm assembly and the dish and will let either go. Click on my username and find my email address. Send me an email and we can work something out. The assembly is almost new since Winegard sent it to me for the same problem, then we switched to Dish. Chuck