How to choose the

Best Caravan Antenna for Australia [2024]

The ultimate guide to choosing the right product for your situation.

A preview of the best Caravan Antenna

Click for more info on each of these top picks to see why we love them.

Last updated: 16 August 2022

Caravan antennas to get the best reception in Australia!

Don’t miss your favourite tv show or footy match next time you are touring the country in your caravan – make sure you have a good caravan antenna. Having a tv in your van is one of those creature comforts like a built in shower or air-conditioner, but what use is it if you have no reception??

When it comes to choosing a suitable caravan antenna, you don’t want something that is bulky and will get in the way. Ideally a small unit that is still powerful enough to ensure you get quality reception where ever you are.

How we picked the caravan antennas

We began with CaravanRVcamping – One of Australia’s leading caravan accessories ecommerce stores – to see which caravan antennas had the best reviews. This website has sold 1000’s of caravan antennas so there were plenty of reviews.

We looked at the different models available from leading brands such as Milenco & Winegard and reviewed their features.

Next, we wanted to see what other buyers had to say about various antennas. The best place to see these is over on ProductReview.com.au. Plenty of time was spent sifting through the reviews to get a good understanding of what was good, and the not-so-good.

Anyway, let’s get straight into our caravan antenna reviews. In our opinion, the best antennas are:

  1. Happy Digital-8 Mark 3 Antenna. HW-DT8 Mark 3 – Best overall
  2. Jack Black Roof MT Antenna DTV OEM 5 Pack no Signal Meter – Best Roof Top
  3. Winegard H/V Antenna Aftermarket Single Box. CC-10HV – Best Brand
  4. Milenco Power 900L Antenna – Trusted Brand
  5. Foldaway Standard Caravan TV Antenna w/4m cable. standard – Best Foldaway
caravan antenna

Your Guide to buying the best Caravan Antenna in Australia 2024

If you are an indecisive person, then you must be confused about which antenna to buy. All of them might seem attractive to you. But you cannot buy all of them. There is something that you can do, which will make the buying process more manageable: consider a few factors.

Budget

When it comes to buying just about anything, not only the best caravan TV antenna, your budget plays a crucial role. Apart from saving your energy, it would save you time as well. That is why we recommend that you first set aside a budget and then look into buying an antenna. When you start looking for antennas, you will find many. Some are going to cost a lot while others, not so much. Depending on your needs, you should buy one accordingly. An antenna may come with additional accessories with a high price tag. But if you don’t need those accessories, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on it. Similarly, you may buy a cheap antenna, but after using it for some time, you might have to replace it. Hence, it would help if you made a wise decision here.

Directional vs Omnidirectional

We talked about directional and omnidirectional antennas before. However, here, we will discuss them in detail. As the name suggests, directional antennas receive signals from only one direction. Omnidirectional, also called multidirectional, pull signal from a lot of directions. If you are camping somewhere far away from civilization, then a directional antenna would suit you best. Since they pull signals from only one direction, their entire focus is on that particular direction. Hence, they can pull signals from a very long distance. Multidirectional antennas, on the other hand, are useful if you haven’t gone that far from civilization. One downside of such antennas is that while they are pulling signals, they end up pulling some distortion too.

UHF/VHF

If you have been browsing for best caravan TV antennas, then you must have come across the words UHF and VHF. UHF stands for ultra-high frequency while VHF stands for very high frequency. If a TV channel is playing regular content, then it is more likely to use VHF. However, if it is playing high definition content, then it is more likely to use UHF. The good thing is that most of the antennas today support both UHF and VHF, so you wouldn’t have to worry about that. But it would be a good thing to make sure that it supports them.

The weather

Since nature is entirely predictable, the weather is something that you cannot control. But it wouldn’t hurt to know much about the weather of the place you are going to. If you are going camping in an area where the weather can get severe, then you should make an informed decision. Some antennas can withstand the harsh conditions of the weather. They are made from durable materials. Hence, it would be best if you looked for the material of the antenna before buying it.

Ease of installation

Although it should not be hard to install TV antennas, you should consider this factor nonetheless. Some people are not good with technology. It doesn’t matter how easy it is to install a TV antenna; they might need someone’s help. Some antennas come with all the gear required to install the antenna. Should you choose to buy one of those antennas, the installation process would be more straightforward. You would install it within minutes, and the antenna would be good to go. If you are unsure about the installation process, you can always ask for assistance. Either from the customer service or from a friend who has experience in these things.

Connectivity

The last critical factor for you to consider is the connectivity of the caravan TV antenna. It might be possible to connect more than one TV to your antenna, but you should make sure before buying one. Using a splitter to distribute the signals to two TV works best. But only if your antenna supports the function. You might not always get a splitter with the antenna you buy. So, you will need to spend more money to purchase it. Similarly, if you want to pull signals for your TV and your radio, it would be wise to invest in an antenna that would support it.

Installing a Winegard WindUp Caravan Antenna

Top rated Caravan Antenna to buy online

Winegard H/V Antenna Aftermarket Single Box. CC-10HV

The brand Winegard has been manufacturing antennas for the last 60 years. So, at this point, it is safe to assume that the brand knows exactly what it is doing. This antenna is a great contender. But we would like to mention something: It has an average price. You should look at your budget and then decide whether the antenna is worth purchasing or not. Now that the price is out of the way let’s dig into the features of the Winegard antenna. The antenna has quite a unique design. And it is the first thing that you are going to notice about it.

But there is a reason behind the antenna’s quirky design. It allows the antenna to receive horizontal and vertical signals efficiently. Not a lot of antennas offer have this feature. So, kudos to Winegard for incorporating excellent design with a stunning performance. Moreover, the antenna has two independent amplified antennas. ‘What are they for?’ one might ask. Well, the answer is that they work to provide you with the best reception possible from channels. It is important to note here that the channels must not be beyond 90 kilometres.

As far as the durability factor goes, the Winegard antenna has got you covered there as well. The brand has used resilient powder coasting has been used to ensure that antenna works for a long time.

Why we like it
  • It has a unique design
  • It is durable
  • It provides excellent value for money
What You Should Know
  • It only comes in white color

Jack Black Roof MT Antenna DTV OEM 5 Pack no Signal Meter

King Jack has become a household name in the world of antennas. Mostly because it has been manufacturing great over-the-air antennas. And the next antenna by the brand, King Jack is proof of how well the brand performs. One of the first things you are going to notice about the antenna is its simple design. But don’t let the simple design deceive you, the King Jack antenna has fantastic qualities that make it a must-have. For instance, it offers better signals now and comes with innovative technology. Both these qualities contribute towards you getting the best performance.

It doesn’t matter where you choose to go; you will be able to enjoy free digital HDTV. It has some exciting features that make it perfect for someone who often travels by trailer or RV. It is easy to use, it has enhanced performance, so the user gets more channels, and it is durable. These are some of the many qualities that users loved about the antenna. Another major highlight of the King Jack antenna has to be how portable it is. With other antennas, you would need to pull the antenna up or down. However, that is not the case with Jack Black MT Antenna.

Finally, you wouldn’t need to buy any extra material to mount this antenna. It comes with all the additional gear. You can mount it on your RV within a few minutes of its arrival. The only flaw we found in this antenna was its price. If you are looking for an antenna on a budget, this might not be the best option.

Why we like it
  • It has a simple design
  • It is portable
  • It is easy to mount
What You Should Know
  • It is expensive

Happy Digital-8 Mark 3 Antenna. HW-DT8 Mark 3

When you are out on a trip travelling by your RV or another vehicle, you want the journey to go as smoothly as possible. However, you don’t want it to be boring either. A good source of entertainment goes a long way in keeping you engaged. For that reason, you need the best caravan TV antenna. And not just any antenna. One that performs exceptionally. Like the Happy Digital DT8 antenna. First things first, this antenna is very easy to install. Whenever you want to install or dismantle it from a bracket, you would find the process very light and easy.

Sometimes you might feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. And think that the best TV antenna for camper trailer couldn’t possibly work there, think again. Thanks to the patented dual loop design, you would always get your favourite channels. The reason is that the dual loop design works in a way to receive high gain from satellites. The brand has designed it in such a way that it receives UHF and VHF signals, both horizontally and vertically. Additionally, it also works perfectly with all HD TV tuners. When an antenna comes directly in contact with a transmission tower, it doesn’t perform efficiently. Fortunately, you wouldn’t have to worry about that with Happy Digital DT8 antenna.

The antenna comes with a 70-degree beamwidth. It helps the caravan TV antenna steer clear of any transmission tower. One of the best things about the antenna is that it is perfect for outdoors. The UPVC plastic body and the non-corrosive are proof of that. The antenna comes with some helpful additional accessories. Such as a carry bag and an easy installation kit.

Why we like it
  • It receives high gain consistently
  • It has a UPVC plastic body
  • It comes with helpful accessories
What You Should Know
  • It is a little heavy

Milenco Power 900L Caravan Antenna

Milenco has a simple motivation behind manufacturing products. The brand only wants to make sure that when people are caravanning, they have the best products with them. After reviewing this antenna, we can proudly say that Milenco has done a great job. Users can agree that as compared to a one-directional antenna, omnidirectional antennas are much convenient. However, one-directional antennas perform better. Milenco has taken the best things from both the antennas and created a powerful antenna. This antenna serves as good as a one-directional antenna. But it is as convenient to use as an omnidirectional antenna.

The caravan TV antenna performed exceptionally when we reviewed it. Using it on site is relatively easy. You wouldn’t need to lower or raise the antenna; it will do its job on its own. You would need to retune your TV, so it catches all the stations from nearby. The antenna is built in such a way that it gets high gain and low noise. Whether you want to watch your favourite TV show or listen to a radio show. You will get the best results every time. The weather in Australia can get very harsh. For that reason, you need an antenna that withstands the severity of the weather. Luckily, the antenna is built from UV resistant ABS plastic and stainless steel screws. What you get is a durable antenna.

Why we like it
  • It performs like a single directional antenna
  • It is convenient to use
  • It gets high gain and low noise
What You Should Know
  • It doesn’t perform well with 4G network

Foldaway Standard Caravan TV Antenna w/4m cable

Our list is in no particular order, but still, we wanted to save the best for the last. We wanted to include an antenna for everyone. That is why the final product we have chosen is a foldaway antenna. The first quality of the antenna was that it was lightweight. Considering the size of the best caravan TV antenna, we didn’t think it would be this way. But we were pleasantly surprised. It only weighs 2 KG, which makes it easy to take the antenna from one place to another.

Additionally, you can adjust this antenna 360 degrees. You might ask yourself why would I need an antenna that can do that. You have to remember that this is a foldaway antenna. And adjusting it to 360 degrees would mean it can catch better vertical and horizontal signals. Another feature we liked about the caravan TV antenna was that it was easy to set up. It takes a few minutes to set it up and as soon as you have done that, you will be good to go.

Why we like it
  • You can adjust it to 360 degrees
  • It does not weigh a lot
  • It provides instant results
What You Should Know
  • It can break easily, so you have to take great care of it

How we make money

www.brightcamping.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.au. Additionally, www.brightcamping.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.

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