Electrical and Systems
Starlink and Satellite Internet Antenna Installation for RVs and Fleet
Typical range
$400 to $2,500
Shop hours
2 to 10
Labor rate
$260/hr
The short answer
Starlink and satellite antenna installation covers roof or rack mounting, sealed cable entry, 12V power conversion, and router integration. Work runs $400 to $2,500, or 2 to 10 hours at $260 per hour plus hardware. Estimates are $150, refundable as a credit against an authorized repair.
01
What this work actually involves
The hard part of a Starlink install on an RV is not the dish. It is the two decisions around it: where the mount goes so the antenna has clear sky without fighting the air conditioner and the roof rack, and how the cable gets through the roof without becoming the leak that rots the ceiling three years from now. We treat the roof entry as roof work, with a proper gland bedded in sealant matched to the membrane, because a proprietary cable pushed through a drilled hole and covered in caulk is a water damage job waiting to be written.
Power is the second consideration. The standard hardware expects 120V AC, so on a coach running off batteries you are either burning inverter standby around the clock or converting to run natively on 12V DC. On boondocking builds we set up a DC path and switching so the system is not silently drawing power all night. Continuous draw is the complaint we hear most from owners who installed it themselves and then wondered why the bank was down 40 amp hours by morning.
Mounting has to survive Southern California conditions and freeway speeds. A flat panel antenna on a roof in Palm Desert sees surface temperatures well past what the plastic housing enjoys, and coastal storage in Oceanside corrodes fasteners fast. We mount to structure, not to a skin panel, use isolated stainless hardware, and either fit a stowable mount or specify a permanent one rated for travel. We do not perform any work at your site. Everything happens at the Yorba Linda facility.
Systems and brands we work on: Winegard, King, Victron.
Location: All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside, or fleet route service.
02
What the job includes
- Roof survey and mount placement for clear sky around air conditioners and vents
- Permanent and stowable Starlink mount fabrication and installation
- Mounting into roof structure with isolated stainless hardware
- Weatherproof cable entry gland installation sealed to the roof membrane
- Interior cable routing, concealment, and strain relief
- 12V DC power conversion so the system does not depend on inverter standby
- Dedicated circuit, fusing, and switching for the antenna and router
- Router placement and integration with existing coach networking
- Traditional satellite TV dome and in-motion antenna installation
- Water testing of every roof penetration before delivery
03
When you need this service
- A dish currently sitting loose on the roof or hanging off a ladder
- Cable run through a window or a door seal as a temporary measure
- Obstruction warnings caused by an air conditioner or a roof rack in the field of view
- House batteries draining overnight from continuous 120V standby draw
- A previous mount with cracked sealant or lifting at a fastener
- Water staining on the ceiling near an existing antenna penetration
04
How we do it, step by step
- 01
Sky and obstruction survey
We map the roof against the antenna field of view, accounting for air conditioners, vents, racks, and the direction the coach usually parks, then choose the mount location.
- 02
Structure and membrane identification
Roof material and framing located before drilling, so mounts land in structure and the sealant matches EPDM, TPO, or fiberglass rather than being a general purpose guess.
- 03
Mount fabrication and fitting
Permanent or stowable mount fitted with isolated stainless hardware, bedded in sealant, and rated to hold at freeway speed rather than just in a campsite.
- 04
Sealed cable entry
Cable brought through a proper entry gland with a drip loop, sealed to the membrane, and protected where it passes through the ceiling cavity.
- 05
Power and routing
A dedicated fused circuit run, DC conversion fitted where the build calls for it, and a switch added so the system can be shut down completely in storage.
- 06
Commissioning and water test
System brought online, obstruction map verified from the installed position, and every roof penetration water tested before the coach is released.
05
Pricing and posted rates
| Item | Rate or range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job range | $400 to $2,500 | Varies with extent of damage and parts availability |
| Shop hours | 2 to 10 | Quoted after teardown, not before |
| Mechanical and electrical labor | $260 per hour | 2026 posted rate |
| Parts | 100% markup under $100, 35% over | Special order parts require a non refundable deposit at order |
| Deposit | 50% at authorization over $2,000 | Additional 25% when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% on parts and materials | Labor is not taxed |
Insurance billed jobs may be billed at carrier negotiated labor rates that differ from the posted retail rates above. See all posted rates.
07
Vehicles we do this work on
Vehicle
Class A Diesel Pusher Motorhomes
A diesel pusher carries a rear-mounted diesel on a raised-rail air ride chassis, usually 34 to 45 feet with full-body paint and pa
Vehicle
Class C Motorhomes
A Class C is a coach body built onto a cutaway van chassis with a sleeping or storage cabover extending above the factory cab. Tha
Vehicle
Standard Fifth Wheels
A fifth wheel couples to a hitch in the truck bed through a kingpin and pin box, with a raised forward bedroom over the truck. The
Vehicle
Travel Trailers
A travel trailer tows from a ball hitch behind the tow vehicle rear axle on an A-frame tongue, which makes it the most sway-prone
Vehicle
Sprinter Vans
Mercedes Sprinter vans run last-mile routes, trade service, and camper conversions across Southern California. Sliding door tracks
Vehicle
Camper Van Conversions
Camper van conversions are Sprinter, Transit, or ProMaster chassis with windows cut into the sidewalls, a roof full of penetration
Vehicle
Mobile Workshops
Mobile workshops carry benches, vises, compressors, welders, and dense tool inventory, which makes weight and mounting the definin
08
Questions about starlink and satellite antenna installation
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Starlink installation cost on an RV?
Work runs $400 to $2,500, or 2 to 10 hours at $260 per hour plus hardware. A simple stowable mount with a sealed entry and a 120V feed is at the low end. A permanent structural mount with fabrication, DC conversion, dedicated circuit, concealed routing, and router integration is at the high end.
Will drilling the roof for the cable cause a leak?
Not if the entry is done as roof work. We identify the membrane, use a proper entry gland bedded in the matching sealant, add a drip loop, and water test the penetration before delivery. The leaks we repair come from cables pushed through drilled holes and covered with hardware store caulk.
Can it run on 12V instead of the inverter?
Yes, and on a coach that spends time off shore power it should. Running the stock 120V hardware means keeping the inverter awake continuously, which costs you amp hours all night for nothing. We fit a DC path and a switch so the system draws only when you want it and shuts off completely in storage.
Can I use it while driving?
That depends on the service plan you carry and the hardware version, not on the install. What we control is the mount. If you intend to use it in motion we fit a permanent mount rated for freeway speed and secured into roof structure, rather than a stowable mount that was designed to be set up at a campsite.
Do you still install traditional satellite TV domes?
Yes. Winegard and King domes and in-motion antennas are still common on coaches and we install and service them, including replacing units that were mounted poorly. Many owners keep a dome for television and add Starlink for data, and both can share a clean roof layout if it is planned together.
09
Related services
Service
TV, Antenna and Satellite Service
Television and antenna service covers crank-up and powered antennas, signal boosters, coax and splitter faults, satellite domes, a
Service
Roof Rack and Ladder Installation
Roof rack and ladder installation mounts racks, ladders, decks, and solar arrays into verified structural blocking with correctly
Service
Roof Recoat and Reseal
Roof recoat and reseal strips failed sealant, rebeds every penetration, and applies a full elastomeric coating system over a prepp
Service
Backup and Side Camera Installation
Camera installation covers backup, side, and multi-view systems on RVs, trailers, and fleet vehicles, including wired runs, digita
Service
12V and 120V Electrical Diagnostics and Repair
Electrical diagnostics traces 12V DC and 120V AC faults on RVs, vans, trailers, and fleet units, including dead circuits, parasiti
10
More electrical and systems work
Ready to move on starlink and satellite antenna installation? Bring it to Yorba Linda.