A SIMPLE REMINDER TO PUT YOUR CRANK UP ROOF ANTENNA DOWN BEFORE YOU DRIVE

On not so older Roadtreks, on the roof there is a crank up, directional television antenna on the roof. There is a crank on the ceiling inside, near the passenger side coach door. The crank is pulled down  and you turn the crank and the antenna lifts from flat on the roof to straight up into the air with flaps opening on the top. Around the crank inside is a ring that when it is turned the antenna is turned - which makes this type of antenna perfect for digital television broadcast signals - even more so than when there were analog signals which it worked well for also. The newest Roadtrek's have a multi-directional antenna that just sits down on the roof surface and does not lift or turn. I will reserve my opinion about those antennas. I very much like the Winegard Sensar antenna on my 2011 Roadtrek.

Everyone with an RV that has a crank up roof antenna knows that you never drive with that antenna still cranked up into its upright position. Aside from potential damage to the antenna as the wind pushes against it and around it as you drive, it adds height to the RV and if you come to an overpass or a low hanging tree branch it is going to hit and rip it right off the roof. This is an RV "No-No!" 😭

But it happens!

So, what can you do to make sure this NEVER happens? Getting underway when leaving a campground, or wherever you have been set up for the night before, gets hectic! You may be on a schedule and have to get going. You may think you have gone through everything that needs to be done before you leave - and believe - "Oh yeah, of course I put the antenna down - I think! It must be down. Let's go!"  You might even wonder why all those other campers sitting outside their RVs as yo pass are yelling and waving at you! They are not trying to tell you to have a nice trip. They see that antenna up - and they know what is going to happen.

So - easy, easy, easy -

1, Get a sock. A white sock is most obvious but the color is up to you. (Socks with holes in the toe or heel are OK! 😉 )

2. When the antenna is down on the roof, put that sock over the crank handle that is on the ceiling of your RV.

3. Leave that sock there.

IF THE SOCK IS ON THE CRANK HANDLE THE ANTENNA IS DOWN!

4. When you are about to crank the antenna up, remove the sock.

5. Take the sock IMMEDIATELY over to the steering wheel and put the sock on the gear shift lever.

6. Leave  the sock there.

IF THE SOCK IS ON THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER THE ANTENNA IS UP!

7. ONLY WHEN YOU CRANK THE ANTENNA UP DO YOU PUT THE SOCK ON THE CRANK HANDLE.


SO SIMPLE - You are ready to start driving. You put the key in and turn it. The engine starts. You are about to start driving. You go to put the gear shift in Drive or Reverse and you FEEL SOCK. Even without looking, you now know that your roof antenna is UP! And if you just take that sock off the gear shift and start driving - Well!  You won't. You are going to go and crank up the antenna and put the sock back on the crank handle and then come back to the driver's seat and get on your way.