TABLE OF CONTENTS


Products Covered

  • Basecamp 2.0 Peplink mobile router roof-mounted enclosure


Routers Supported

Currently Basecamp 2.0 supports the following routers. 

  • Peplink Max BR1 Pro 5G
  • Peplink MAX BR1 Pro CAT 20
  • Peplink Max BR1 Mini HW3
  • Peplink MAX Transit Pro Duo
  • Peplink Max BR1 Mini HW2 (terminal power connector must be used/modified)
  • Peplink Max BR1 MK2 (terminal power connector must be used/modified)
  • Peplink MAX Transit DUO Classic (terminal power connector must be used/modified). 


Summary

The following KB outlines the basic installation procedures for the Basecamp 2.0 roof-mounted router housing available at MobileMustHave.com


DISCLAIMER: The following product requires the end user to make minor modifications to their RV including drilling screws into the interior ceiling. While unlikely, inproper installation could result in equipment falling from the ceiling if not properly mounted or mounted to a surface that has water damage or is otherwise structurally compromised. Install at your OWN RISK and when in doubt always contact a professional to assist in installation.

Tools Needed

The following tools are recommended before you get started 

  • Standard pliers for installing T-Taps to 12v power source pre-installed in ceiling.
  • #2 Phillips screwdriver (a power screwdriver may make life easier when mounting the screws to the ceiling but is not required in most cases)
  • Low-Voltage Multimeter


Pre-Installation Requirements

Thank you for purchasing the Basecamp 2.0 router enclosure designed to attach Peplink mobile routers to Winegard 360+ V2.S & 5G roof antennas pre-installed on many RVs. The installation will vary slightly depending on which Peplink router you have and which Winegard 360+ antenna you have installed on your RV. Below we will provide general instructions as well as links to detailed wiring diagrams for each type of installation. 


Before you get started verify you have a Winegard 360+ antenna that has cellular antennas. Below are photographs of what you should see on your roof. 

NOTE: Just because you have a similar looking antenna on the roof does not mean you are pre-wired for cellular. Follow on to the next step to verify. 


Next, verify you have a roof antenna pre-wired for a gateway such as a Peplink. To verify, enter the cabin of the RV and look at the ceiling directly below the area of your TV antenna. If properly equipped you will see a cap on your ceiling with a WIFI logo. See the image below for an example of what you're looking for. 

Installation Video

In the video below we cover at a high level many of the installation steps. This visual aid may assist you in your installation process however we encourage you to reference the wiring diagrams and this full guide to supplement the video. 


Exposing 12v power and  Antenna Wires

Once you verify you have the correct antenna, remove the protective cap to expose the wires. You should find 3 (Winegard 360+ V2.S) or 5 antenna wires (360+ 5G) with small connectors and a 12v power cable with a connector.


Many RV manufacturers do not provide the correct power plug and rather just wire 12v loop wire to the location but don't worry we've included everything you'll need to complete the installation. An example of what you might find with some manufacturers is below. Remove the cap and ziptie if applicable and expose all the wires. If the power cable appears to be a loop gently pull on each end until you find the end which will be tucked up in the roof. 




Determining 12v+ and 12v- Power

The power wire will be the only cable that has two cables attached in a pair. There is a 12v positive and 12v negative. You must identify which wire is which to power your Pepwave mobile router. Unfortunately, different manufacturers use different color wires to designate positive vs. negative. Most often the white wire is 12v positive but you must use a multi-meter or test light if unsure to determine which wire is positive. below is a tutorial on using a multimeter to determine polarity. Multi-meters are common tools every RV'er should carry. You can purchase one from MobileMustHave.com here: https://mobilemusthave.com/products/hughes-autoformers-smart-digital-multimeter


RV manufacturers often leave the wire up in the ceiling active or "hot" meaning it is energized. 12v power will not shock you however it can cause a spark and WILL BLOW THE FUSE if you touch the positive and negative wires together. When terminating the wire we recommend you pull the fuse but if you choose to terminate with the wire hot you must not cut the wires together or otherwise let them touch or you WILL BLOW THE FUSE. 12v fuses can be purchased at any auto parts store or Walmart if you blow the fuse. 


Connecting to Pre-Installed 12V Power

Once you have identified the 12v+ and 12v- wires use the yellow T-Tap connector to attach to the existing wires. Separate the two wires from each other but do not cut them. Attach a yellow T-Tap connector to both your positive and negative wire and use your pliers to lock the T-tap into place. Once the T-Taps are secure attach the included molex pigtail to the T-Taps. Attach the Red wire from the pigtail to 12V + and attach the black wire to 12V -. 

T-Tap spade connectors must be centered and inserted into the female (yellow) side of the T-Tap. Take special care that the center spade does not slide to one side as it will not make contact with the wire and your router will not power up.


An excerpt of our launch video shows the T-Tap installation process below:




Attach Basecamp 2.0 Enclosure To Ceiling

Now that you have attached your 12V power pigtail and found the cellular antennas coming down from the roof its time to install the physical enclosure up to the ceiling. Route the power pigtail you just installed along with your cellular antenna leads coming down from the roof through the square hole located on the bottom of Basecamp 2.0. Take special care to note the direction of any knock-out ports and ensure that if you're mounting Basecamp 2.0 close to a wall or obstruction you can access the knock-out ports and there is enough space for the antenna to protrude (Peplink Transit Customers Only).


Line up the lower hole in Basecamp with the hole in the ceiling. Square Basecamp with an outer wall then use the supplied 1-inch stainless screws to attach Basecamp to the ceiling. 



Connecting Power to Basecamp 2.0

Next, attach the power pigtail you just installed and connect the white 2-pin connectors together. The cooling fan should start spinning. If the fan does not spin check your 12v power and verify the center pin on the T-Taps is centered and installed correctly and as a second step check your 12v fuses to verify you do not have a blown fuse. Once you have verified the cooling fan is operational you can detach the power cable temporarily to install the router more easily without having to avoid the spinning fan. Route your cables appropriately around the side of the box allowing for space for your router to sit on the mounting plate comfortably. 


Now that you've verified power, it's time to mount your Peplink router into the Basecamp 2.0 housing. Before mounting you may wish to pre-install the zip-ties included with the kit on one of the included mounting points inside the housing. This will help you secure the wires later in the final steps for a cleaner installation. Depending on the model router you have the mounting holes may be slightly different however each supported model will align with a set of pre-drilled mounting locations. Take special care to note the power input connector on your Peplink router and align the power port in the direction where it can connect to the black 4-pin power connector designed to plug directly into your router to supply power. Use the 4 short 1/4 inch stainless screws to secure the router to the housing. A friend may be helpful to hold the router while you operate the screw driver to avoid dropping anything or damaging the connectors. Once the screws have been attached connect the power connector to the router and take special care to route cables so that they are not pinched beneath the router. 


Attaching Antenna Wires

Now that you've attached your Peplink router its time to attach your antennas. Depending on which roof antenna you have there will be either 3 or 5 antenna wires coming down from the roof. The yellow and green wires are cellular antenna cables and the red cable is a WiFi antenna. For most installations, we recommend you do not hook up the red wifi antenna but rather use the Peplink factory WiFi antennas instead. This will ensure your Peplink broadcasts local WiFi signal to your devices from inside your RV where they will have the strongest signal. Additional information on antenna installation is below. 


All antennas ports MUST be connected or you will have interference and your system will not work property. The only exception to this is the GPS port which is optional. If you have a router with 4 cellular antenna ports and the Winegard 360+ V2.S roof antenna that only have 2 antenna ports you must enable two antenna mode. A video on enabling two antenna mode can be found here: https://youtube.com/shorts/NwPdf2V-b4U?si=IUfBekbY0_OD12nB


Attaching Cellular Antennas

Attach the included gold antenna adapters to the wires coming down from the ceiling. The antenna wires coming down from the ceiling will attach to the smaller end of the adapter. You will feel a noticeable click when the adapter is in place property. Note that the adapters have a center pin (if you purchased the optional WiFi adapter note it is missing the center pin to avoid mixing the cellular and WiFi antennas). 

Once you have attached the antenna adapters it's time to connect your cellular antennas up to your Peplink router. Look for the included wrench in the kit. This wrench is designed to be used on antenna cables and will ensure you do not over-tighten the antenna wires and break the connectors on the router. Connect up the Yellow and Green cellular antennas to the cellular ports on the Peplink router. Wiring Diagrams are included below for each type of roof antenna and router. Note that if you have a Max BR1 Pro 5G or similar router with 4 cellular antenna ports and the Winegard 360+ V2.S roof antenna with 2 cellular antennas you must enable two antenna mode. To enable two antenna mode on your router, follow the wiring diagrams below and then enable two antenna mode. Video instructions for enabling two antenna mode are here.


Wiring Diagrams


Attaching Wi-Fi Antennas

Now that your cellular antennas are attached up to the roof it's time to connect your WIFI antennas. Basecamp 2.0 utilizes the black paddle antennas that come with your Peplink router. This ensures that you broadcast wifi locally inside your RV where your devices are which will give you the best speed and signal strength. 


All routers will utilize the included 90 degree wifi adapters to allow the paddle antennas to fit inside the case. DO NOT BEND your antennas. If its not fitting please contact our team with pictures and we will guide you through what to do to complete the installation.


Attach the 90-degree adapters to your router and use the supplied wrench to tighten them positioning them so that the antennas will fit within the housing. MAX Br1 Mini and MAX Br1 Pro routers will have the Wi-Fi antenna wrap around the router and lay on both sides of the router providing space as shown in the photo below.



For Transit Pro customers, you must also use the included 90-degree adapters. Because of the dense design of the Transit Pro router, your WiFi antennas will protrude from the casing and will function normally. Transit customers will remove the removable knock-out ports in Basecamp 2.0 and install the antennas. Please reference the wiring diagrams below as well as the image below for installation instructions. 




Wiring Diagrams


Wrapping up

Make sure to reattach the power cable if you detached it earlier in this process. Check that the fan is running and that there are no obstructions. Ensure no cables are pinched and that your cables are routed without severe bends in any cables. Once you are happy with the installation place the cover over the box and it will click into place. If you need to access the router in the future, there is a small notch is located on the side of the Basecamp 2.0 near the long side closest to the cooling fan. You can pry open the box using a small butter knife or screw driver and pop the lid off. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the installation please reach out to our team at [email protected] and consider also joining our community below!


Need More Help? Consider Joining Our Membership & Support our Community


MMH Explore members can join the conversation and gain access to our support forums located within the Mobile Internet Resource Center. Senior members of MobileMustHave's Technical Staff moderate the MobileMustHave.com Support Forum and tackle more advanced configurations, troubleshooting, and general advice.  


In addition, MobileMustHave hosts monthly live webinars on advanced topics. These sessions cover everything from the basics to the more nuanced areas of configurations on Peplink devices.  Past Webinars have included deep dives into; SpeedFusion Connect Protect (Cloud), Outbound Policies, VLANs, and much more.  


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