Running Ethernet cable in a Raptor

[mj5150]

The garage of our Raptor is going to serve as the home office for the wife and I. We both work from home and have tech/IT jobs.
I plan to remove the TV in the garage and install a shelf for the cable modem and our networking equipment. I'll use that coax connection for the modem.

Question.....has anyone run CAT5 in their RV?
I need to run CAT5 (Ethernet cable) from the TV in the garage to the TV in the entertainment center for our Roku which I prefer not to use wirelessly.
I've never owned an RV before, so I am not crazy about drilling holes through walls and fishing it around that way.
The service guys at my Camping World (where we bought the Raptor) suggested running through the underbelly. They quoted me about six hours worth of work, and about $900.
They told me running though the ceiling/roof would be far too complicated and involve removing lights and fans.
The tech was actually cool about it and took me out to another Keystone RV and showed me the thin plastic sheeting that he said goes all along the underside, which I would have to remove. He said as you remove it, often the small screws Keystone uses break or strip out, so they end up having to drill new holes and use a more robust screw.

If it really is this complicated, maybe I'll just poke the cable through a small hole in the window, down the outside of the RV, then poke back in through a small hole by the entertainment center. Not aesthetically desirable, but also not $900.

Your thoughts, opinions?
Should this thread be in the Technical Corner forum?

-Mike

[chuckster57]

Going through the underbelly would be my preference too. There is lots of 12V and coax wiring there already. It's not that hard if you use a fish wire and just remove a few screws holding the coroplast. I don't see $900.00

[hankpage]

Welcome to the forum. First of all that tech is ripping you off.

Go to Harbor freight and buy a WIRE RUNNING KIT FOR UNDER $10. . If you want to run the cat5 in the under-belly cut a small three sided hatch in the plastic making sure the hinge (uncut side) faces forward where you will be coming through the floor in the garage. Cut a similar hatch where you wish to come back up. Fish the flexible rod from the kit through the under-belly, tape the cable to the rod and pull it through. Be very careful when going through the floor not to hit any holding tanks or wires.
Personally, I would go through the ceiling the same way from light to light ... they are only held in with two screws .... A/C and roof vent trim only four screws and gives a larger opening and you don't have to crawl around on the ground.
Either way, use a plastic raceway or wire-mold to run the cable up or down the wall ... exterior walls are not hollow so you can not run wires inside them. If I was closer I could do it for half price and still be ripping you off.

Hope this helps, Hank

[chuckster57]

Hank: having fished cable and whatnot using both ceiling and belly, I can assure you that the underbelly is much easier and faster. Often times there is a roof truss with nothing more than a 1/2" hole that you have to find to thread the fish tape and I can tell you from experience they often times aren't where you would expect them to be.

[gkainz]

it shouldn't be that difficult to remove the screws and drop the coroplast from the belly and route your cable there. On an older RV maybe, yeah, the screws are usually rusted and will break off and need new ones, but I dropped the coroplast on my 5er when it was 5 years old and only broke 1 screw.
I would opt for that method even over cutting hinged access panels in it, which isn't really "that" bad an idea.

[PARAPTOR]

Just looked at your layout, usually our issue in the garage is that middle wall and door that separates the living area and garage. From say the TV trying to get to the ceiling with overhead cabinets on both sides of that wall seems to present a problem. Since usually the W/D connection is on that wall we usually have a clean shot into the belly area. Given that configuration I would recommend the belly route. Once in the belly easy fish into basement area follow toilet plumbing then into wall behind entertainment center.

Now looking at your layout they have moved your W/D out of garage into the front, so I do not see an existing access into the belly area. Above you have that loft area usually the control switches for garage etc are on that garage ceiling under the loft area. Based on no existing access hole into the belly that I can see looking at the layout, I would look into getting into the ceiling area of the garage then across the ceiling area into the entertainment center. They may have taken that route at the factory with that coax cable you are referring to which would be make this much easier.

I am currently running wires to that garage wall and based on my layout I am going the belly route through that W/D piping hole into the belly ., free sailing after that.

ADDED: WHOW that is a Big Boy, not even going to ask what your TV is...

[mj5150]

@PARAPTOR
Where you at in Western PA?
I'm originally from Altoona.

-Mike

[Pull Toy]

Ol' Philly Boy here!

Been gone since 1970.

Here in Southeastern CT, most of us don't even lock our doors.

[John&Genny]

You might also consider something like the Netgear Powerline Ethernet adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S6DBGJM/#_swftext_Swf

Plug one unit into a outlet next to the router with a short ethernet cable between the two, the other at the Entertainment center destination with the outgoing ethernet going to the TV/Roku. We have something similar setup at our house that's not CAT-5 wired and seems to work fine.

Edit: Did a bit more research and these might not work with RV's wired with GFI's. So all you could do is give it shot, and if it doesn't work, take them back.

[Outback 325BH]

Originally Posted by mj5150

The garage of our Raptor is going to serve as the home office for the wife and I. We both work from home and have tech/IT jobs.
I plan to remove the TV in the garage and install a shelf for the cable modem and our networking equipment. I'll use that coax connection for the modem.

Question.....has anyone run CAT5 in their RV?
I need to run CAT5 (Ethernet cable) from the TV in the garage to the TV in the entertainment center for our Roku which I prefer not to use wirelessly.
I've never owned an RV before, so I am not crazy about drilling holes through walls and fishing it around that way.
The service guys at my Camping World (where we bought the Raptor) suggested running through the underbelly. They quoted me about six hours worth of work, and about $900.
They told me running though the ceiling/roof would be far too complicated and involve removing lights and fans.
The tech was actually cool about it and took me out to another Keystone RV and showed me the thin plastic sheeting that he said goes all along the underside, which I would have to remove. He said as you remove it, often the small screws Keystone uses break or strip out, so they end up having to drill new holes and use a more robust screw.

If it really is this complicated, maybe I'll just poke the cable through a small hole in the window, down the outside of the RV, then poke back in through a small hole by the entertainment center. Not aesthetically desirable, but also not $900.

Your thoughts, opinions?
Should this thread be in the Technical Corner forum?

-Mike

Another option is to run your coax through the air conditioner duct. I did this with Romex for power, however you could run a plenum rated cat5/e/6 cable through it. It would not have any negative effects and the duct is probably running 90% of the run. Dropping fixtures (lights, etc.) from the ceiling can give you an idea of the you are dealing with.

Me, I would locate your Internet connection where it is most convenient and do wifi for everything else. I run our FireTV devices off of wifi and have no issues. Wifi is much faster than most any Internet connection so wifi won't be a bottleneck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bluesclues]

You could also look into using 2 Moca adapters to send the signal back to your entertainment center using the existing coax in the coach. Moca is very reliable and you can get them with gigabit Ethernet or 100Mb Ethernet ports. Actiontec ECB2500C is the 100Mb adapter.