Mounting the Starlink on my Teardrop Trailer

August 14, 2023

I’m really excited about the potential for the Internet in remote places. While I can plan to have time completely off the grid, having access for an hour or so every day makes a huge difference. I’ll be able to stay put in remote places without running into a town to do work.

One of the challenges with Starlink is that the dish cannot be permanently mounted on a trailer.  The kit comes with a small stand that can be placed on any flat surface. However, I don’t want to leave that sitting out at night where someone could walk off with it or where it could be damaged.

So, I am building a platform for the top of my teardrop trailer to place the dish. If the trailer is parked someplace with a clear view of the sky, then the dish can stay on the trailer. If not, I can place the dish on the roof at night, and it would be a challenge to steal without waking me.

The piece of lumber that I used for the walls of the interior cabinet was almost the perfect size. It just needed 4.5 inches trimmed off one end.

Once it was trimmed, I routered the edges to make it slightly more aerodynamic and to keep me from scrapping myself when I put the dish up and down.

A large wooden board is secured with two clamps on sawhorses outdoors. A power tool rests on the tabletop, surrounded by dappled sunlight filtering through trees, creating a pattern of light and shadow. Nearby, there's red brick siding and greenery.

Trimmed and routered, the platform would make a great spot for the dish.

A tabletop with a black, triangular metal base is placed upside down on a covered workbench. Various tools and materials, including a clamp and a tarp, are scattered around. A travel trailer with visible license plate stands in the background inside a garage.

I gotta say that I am getting tired of painting, but this and at least one more project needs a couple of coats of paint. Despite my desire to only use the supplies already in my shop, I didn’t have any outdoor paint. Plus, I wanted something closer to white, not black, as it would get too hot as a black surface. I thought maybe something closer to the color of the trailer would work.

So, I drilled the holes for the satellite dish’s stand, added a couple of layers of the white paint that I had, and zipped over to Home Depot. I selected Etched Glass as the color, but it was even whiter than I expected. Oh well, close enough. 

A workbench in a garage boasts a white wooden board on top, surrounded by tools like a measuring tape, spray cleaner, and mounting brackets. A teardrop trailer can be glimpsed outside the open garage door while a tarp lies on the floor.

August 16, 2023

After many times placing the wood and carefully measuring, I drilled the holes for the U-bolts that would hold the platform to the roof rack.

Close-up of a car roof rack featuring a white rectangular object mounted securely with metal hooks. The focus is on the attachment, framed by a blurred street and trees. Above, the partly cloudy sky stretches, while another white vehicle sits parked in the distance.
A white rectangular solar panel, alongside a sleek Starlink dish, is mounted on the roof of a teardrop trailer. The trailer sits parked on a suburban street, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn. The road curves slightly with other vehicles visible in the background under the partly cloudy sky.

August 16, 2023

I inserted the bolts for the dish, forcing some silicone into the holes and between the wood and the washers to help protect against the elements.

Happily, the dish mount fit perfectly. I grabbed some Q-tips and painted inside the holes.

A tabletop is upside down on a wooden workbench, featuring a black metal star-shaped base mounted to it. A pencil rests nearby. In the background, there's a gray teardrop trailer with the "nuCamp" logo and license plate visible. Natural light pours in from the open garage, illuminating the scene.

August 17, 2023

With all the holes drilled and the paint dry, I mounted the platform on the roof rack forcing some silicone into the holes to try and slow any water damage that is bound to happen over time.

A small gray teardrop trailer parked on a suburban street with green trees and a white truck in the background. On top of the trailer is a mounted satellite dish with cables. The street is lined with trees and a tan house with siding is partially visible.

I am definitely happy with how this turned out. In a couple of weeks, I’ll set up my account on Starlink and see how it works.

A small gray teardrop camper with a rooftop satellite dish is parked beside a brick and green-sided garage. The camper is attached to a vehicle. Trees provide shade, and the scene is well-lit in the daytime. Various items are inside the open garage, including a bicycle and tools.

August 21, 2023

Considering that the Starlink will be mounted right over my head in a small space, I decided that a little noise abatement might be a good idea. After all, the wind does blow and I don’t want the Starlink banging and clanking over my head while I am try to work or sleep.

So, I added some rubber washers to the bolt on which the Starlink will sit.

A close-up of a black rubber isolator with a metal bolt on a white surface, likely part of a mounting assembly for Starlink or a teardrop trailer. In the background, a suburban street with trees, a sidewalk, and parked cars is softly blurred, suggesting a sunny day.
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Filed Under: Teardrop Trailer, Trailer Projects
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