5 Common Dish Tailgater Problems (Troubleshooting)

Dish Tailgater Problems
Dish Tailgater Problems

You’ll want to keep yourself entertained during rest stops while driving the road in your RV. One of the best ways to keep yourself entertained is by purchasing a dish tailgater for your RV so you can watch live TV anywhere.

Unfortunately, you may run into trouble with your dish tailgater that could interrupt your entertainment. For example, you could lose your satellite signal, your dish could stop working, or you could have damaged cables.

Please continue reading to learn everything you need to fix your dish tailgater problems. We will discuss the most common problems this device experiences and how you can resolve these issues.

Dish Tailgater Problems

1. The Dish Tailgater Won’t Pick Up a Satellite Signal

When driving around in your RV, you’ll likely hit locations that need a better satellite signal if your dish experiences obstacles; watching TV during your driving breaks will be difficult.

However, if your satellite signal suddenly goes out, there are troubleshooting methods you can use to restore your signal.

How To Fix

If you suddenly lose your dish tailgater satellite signal, it might not be because of your location. Instead, there could be something malfunctioning with your device. Follow the steps below to fix your satellite signal on your dish tailgater.

  1. Press and hold the power button on your dish tailgater for 10 seconds.
  2. Wait for the device to restart after holding the button (this could take a few minutes).
  3. See if your signal restores after you reboot your device.

Every device needs to reboot eventually, including your dish tailgater. However, there could be other reasons your dish tailgater loses its signal.

  • Outside forces are obstructing your satellite signal,
  • Your cable is disconnected,
  • There’s something wrong with your device
  • You’re in a hard-to-reach area

These scenarios can make it hard for you to pick up a satellite signal on the road. Therefore, you’ll want to go through several troubleshooting methods if your dish tailgater isn’t resolved with a reboot.

2. Loosened Dish

When driving on the road, you must ensure that your dish stays firm on your RV so it doesn’t fall. There are several reasons why your dish may become loose on the road.

  • Too much movement while driving
  • Loosened screws and bolts
  • Your dish tailgater is on an unsteady surface
  • Outside forces are causing your dish tailgater to move

Fortunately, fixing your loosened dish is a simple process, no matter what is causing the problem. Before following our troubleshooting methods, you’ll need to identify why your dish tailgater is loosened.

Dish Tailgater On RV

How To Fix

A loosened dish tailgater could cause you to purchase a new device. The last thing you want to worry about while driving is whether or not your dish tailgater will stay in your RV. Suppose your dish tailgater is wobbling around while driving; in this situation, you should follow the steps below.

  1. Check the screws and bolts that keep your device grounded in your RV. If your bolts and screws are loosened, you’ll need to tighten them or purchase new ones.
  2. Ensure that you put your dish tailgater on a flat surface. If you put your device on a rough surface, it’s likely to get jostled around while you drive. When you put it on a flat surface, your screws and bolts will likely stay firm on your device.
  3. Check to ensure that no outside forces interfere with your device’s movement. For instance, if you have your dish tailgater on the outside of your RV, then the weather could interrupt your signal. Alternatively, if you have the device on the inside of your RV, then your kids or pets may be messing around with it without your knowledge.

A loosened dish tailgater can be troublesome because it can interrupt your TV signal and cause frustration while trying to relax. This situation can also be frustrating because you could ruin your device if your dish tailgater falls.

You don’t want to purchase a new dish tailgater from something as avoidable as a loosened device.

3. Incorrect Setup

Another problem you can encounter with your dish tailgater is incorrect setup. It’s not uncommon for people to set up their devices incorrectly when they’ve never used them.

Fortunately, your setup process doesn’t have to be permanent, and there are several ways you can resolve your incorrect setup and enjoy your TV.

How To Fix

One way to identify whether or not you’ve set up your device incorrectly is by turning it on after you set it up.

If you immediately have problems with your device, you could experience a faulty device, or you could have set it up wrong. Follow the steps below to resolve your incorrect setup on your dish tailgater.

  1. Unplug your dish tailgater from the power source you use.
  2. Hold down the power button on your dish tailgater for at least 15 seconds,
  3. Plug your dish tailgater back in and wait another 20 seconds before the next step
  4. Turn your dish tailgater back on and check to see if this resolution helped.

This is the quickest way to reset your dish tailgater so that you can determine whether or not you set it up incorrectly. If this method doesn’t resolve your issue, you’ll need to contact the customer support that supplied you with this device.

4. Dish Tailgater is Faulty

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that you’ve purchased a perfect device, even if it came straight from the retailer.

Many people experience technical issues and faulty devices even when they purchase brand-new ones. However, depending on the company that gave you your dish tailgater, you could get a replacement or a refund for your device.

How To Fix

Purchasing a faulty dish tailgater can be frustrating because you expect your new device to work without problems. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely you can fix your faulty device yourself, so you’ll need to contact customer support.

  1. Call the customer service number provided on your device or look it up if you’ve already thrown away the packaging.
    Call customer service
  2. Have your purchase information ready for the customer support employee to assist you with your problem.
  3. Provide the employee with all the details regarding your device to determine if it’s faulty. The employee can guide you through resolution methods over the phone before issuing a refund or replacement.
  4. Have your payment information or an address if you’re looking for a replacement. The customer service employee will take all your relevant information to assist you with your problem.

Unfortunately, whether you choose to get a refund or replacement for your device, it can take a few weeks for you to receive your compensation.

Depending on the manufacturer or company you purchase your product from, the time frame you receive your resolution will vary. It would be best to test out your device before you hit the road, so you don’t end up stranded without any entertainment.

5. Dish Tailgater Has Damaged Cables

Another reason you could experience interruptions with your device is that your device has damaged cables. This situation is likely if your dish tailgater stops working without any other causation.

You can check your cables for external damage and know whether or not there are any dents or fraying on the cable.

How To Fix

If your dish tailgater has damaged cables, you’ll lose your signal and be unable to watch TV on the road. Follow the steps below to fix your dish tailgater cable so that you can enjoy TV again.

Unfortunately, when your device gets damaged, you’ll need to send it back to the company you purchased it from.

  1. Locate and open your dish tailgater’s carrying box.
  2. Open the rubber tubing to check your wires for damage.
  3. If you notice any damaged wires, you can cut the damaged portion and re-solder new wires into your device.
  4. Add new rubber tubing to the wires after you’ve gone through this process.

Rubber Tubing

If you don’t want to send your device back to the manufacturer and you don’t want to fix it yourself, you can hire an electrician to rewire your device. This is great for people on the road when their tailgater gets damaged.

If you don’t have experience working with wires, you may want to save this resolution for a professional. An electrician or device manufacturer can handle the situation for you.

Final Thoughts

If you have any problems with your dish tailgater device, you can’t watch TV on the road. This is extremely frustrating when you encounter one of these issues while you are away from home.

Fortunately, these troubleshooting methods can help you get your dish tailgater up and running again so that you enjoy all of the entertainment you desire.

If you still experience problems after working through these troubleshooting methods, you’ll want to contact your device manufacturer’s customer service line.

They can either walk you through the steps themselves, issue a refund, or replace your device. You may have purchased a faulty product right off the bat that you can’t fix yourself.

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