Starlink Mini Installation- 2022 LEII- Alternate Approach

[dhaig]

On a recent trip from Dallas to South Carolina we stayed in multiple locations with no (or very limited) communications capabilities (cell phone or WiFi).  Over the three years we have owned our LEII, there have been many other occasions with no ability to communicate.  As a result, we decided to order a Starlink Mini and a Starlink Router Mini to use on our trailer trips.

 

I have been following Starlink related postings on the OTT Owners Forum, especially since the release of the Starlink Mini.  I have found the postings by @Snackchaser

 particularly helpful in planning the installation of our Starlink system.  I especially liked the use of a Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector to power the Starlink Mini and to provide an Ethernet connection from the  built-in router back to the trailer, using a single cable.  Installing the PoE injector and a DC powered router in the attic of the LEII seemed a reasonable location, being nearly directly above the exterior Furrion ports for connecting satellite and cable TV.

 

So I planned to install in a similar location in the attic of our LEII, assembling a list of the components required.  I ordered a PoE injector from MobileMustHave.com and the rest from Amazon.  Once all the key components had been delivered, I began the installation, with the first step being to replace the Furrion Satellite coax port with an RJ45 pass-through connector and to fish an Ethernet cable from the basement to the attic.  Replacing the Furrion coax connector with the RJ45 pass-through connector was no problem, even though enlarging the hole through fiberglass exterior shell was required.  However, fishing an Ethernet cable from the basement to the attic proved to be a major obstacle.

 

 

Although I have prior experience fishing wires through difficult spaces, I was unsuccessful getting a fish tape (or rods) from the attic to the basement.  I could get the end of the fish tape rods  down near the ceiling of the basement, where the interior shell ends and multiple cables run up to the attic area at the rear of the trailer, but not into the basement.  As suggested, I tried following the A/C drain line and multiple other locations but could not get past the bottom of the inner shell into the basement.  I tried running the fish tape/rods in both directions.  No luck.

 

Consequently, I began to ponder other installation locations inside the trailer for the PoE injector and Starlink Router Mini.  After a couple of days, I had an Aha! moment- install the PoE Injector and Router Mini under the rear dinette seat.  I inspected the space between the basement and the rear dinette seat, nearly all of which is readily accessible from the two rear street side hatches and the rear dinette seat hatch.  Only the space under the battery compartment is not accessible from directly above, but is easily accessed from either side.  I looked for any obstacles to using this location and found none.  I could easily route the Ethernet cable from the Furrion/RJ45 pass-through connector forward to beneath the rear dinette seat.

 

I located the PoE Injector atop the trailer frame member, just below the Progressive surge protector box, which is mounted on the aisle wall of the rear dinette seat.  The PoE jack and the power terminals of the PoE Injector are positioned toward the front of the trailer.

 

I connected a 20 foot shielded Cat 6 cable from the inner side of the Furrion/ RJ45 port, then routed it under the floor of the basement, around the street side rear stabilizer, then following the waste water line, forward to the area under the rear dinette hatch.  About 3 feet of excess cable are coiled in the basement, concealed by the rear wall of the basement.

 

I installed a lighted rocker switch through the forward basement wall, mounted high, almost directly above the side-to-side bubble level on the left side of the basement entry.  This switch is to control 12VDC power to the PoE Injector and the Starlink Router Mini.

 

 

Using 14 AWG silicone coated wire, I ran two purple colored wires from the space beneath the rear dinette hatch back to the rocker switch on the forward basement wall.  A third, 14 AWG black wire was also run along the same route to the rocker switch.  The switch has two terminals with red lead wires,: one to the DC power source and one to the load.  The third terminal has a black wire, which connects to ground (the bus bar).  The ground wire enables the light on the switch to operate when DC power is ON.

 

On the DC power panel, position 15, I installed a 15 amp fuse.  One of the purple wires connects to the 12VDC positive terminal on the PoE Injector.  The other purple wire connects to position 15 on the rear of the DC power panel, using a crimp on connector.  The single black wire from the switch connects to the ground bus located under the rear dinette seat.  Another 14 AWG wire connects the PoE Injector negative terminal with the other end connecting to the bus bar.  All wire-to-wire connections were made using Wago lever lock connectors.

 

I also added a 12VDC auxiliary power outlet (cigarette lighter type) which is connected to the same circuit as that which powers the PoE Injector.  An Anker 323 USB-C Car Charger Adapter  (USB Power Delivery (PD) capable) plugs into the auxiliary power outlet.  A USB-C to Male to DC 3.5 x 1.35mm Male Power Jack is used to power the Starlink Router Mini from the Anker charger.  I found the Starlink Router Mini conveniently fits on top of the Progressive Surge Protector box.  I later secured it with a releasable zip tie around the surge protector.

 

The 20 foot Cat 6 Ethernet cable from the rear connects to the PoE jack of the PoE Injector.  A 5 foot Cat 6 Ethernet cable connects to the LAN jack of the PoE Injector and to the WAN/Satellite port of the Starlink Router Mini.  All Cat 6 Ethernet cables used are shielded.

 

 

 

I believe this installation location approach has several advantages over an attic installation:

• Access is MUCH easier.
• Fishing wires is no challenge.
• A dedicated circuit from the DC power panel provides power to all Starlink related components.
• A lighted switch for the PoE Injector and Starlink Router Mini is located in the basement, near the exterior pass-through Ethernet jack.
• The PoE Injector is located where it cannot be covered by clothing or other cargo stored in the attic which might cause overheating.
• The VERY bright blue light on the PoE Injector is not visible in the cabin (always ON if power to the PoE Injector is ON).
• The Starlink Router Mini is located centrally in the trailer and should provide uniform WiFi coverage within the trailer.

We have not yet taken the Starlink on a shakedown trip, but plan to do so at the end of August.

 

Regards, Don

Edited 2 hours ago by dhaig
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