Starlink Mini is the easy part. Mounting it is where people come unstuck.
Get it wrong and the dish rattles loose on the first corrugated road — or won't hold at all. Get it right and you set up in seconds and never think about it again. Your roof and the way you travel decide which mount you need. Here's how to pick in five minutes.
Start here: is your roof steel?
Everything hangs on one question — will a magnet stick to your roof?
Grab a fridge magnet and hold it against the roof. If it grabs on, you've got steel, and a magnetic mount is the fastest, cleanest option going. If it slides off, your roof is fibreglass, aluminium or composite — which covers most modern caravans and pop-tops — and you'll take a different path.
Don't guess. Test it. It decides everything below.
Steel roof → go magnetic
For a steel roof, a magnetic mount is a no-brainer. No drilling, no brackets, no holes in your rig. It clamps down with serious hold and lifts straight off when you want it gone.
The VANKOR magnetic roof mount comes in grey or white to match your van, and there's a tilted version if you want a bit of angle to help reception. It's rated for corrugated roads — it won't shake loose out bush.
Fibreglass, aluminium or composite roof → magnet + steel discs
No steel? No drama. Stick a set of steel mounting discs to your roof with the built-in 3M adhesive — no drilling — and your magnetic mount suddenly has something to grab.
You get the same fast, on-off magnetic hold on a roof that magnets normally won't touch. For most modern vans, this is the answer.
Want it bolted down for good → roof rack mount
If you'd rather lock it down and forget it, the roof rack feet bolt your mount straight to roof bars, a rack or a bull bar. Set-and-forget. Best for people who leave the dish up permanently and never want to think about it again.
Smooth roof, no residue → suction mount
On a smooth fibreglass or painted-aluminium roof and don't want anything stuck down for good? The heavy-duty suction mount kit turns your magnetic mount into a dual-stage suction mount. No drilling, no adhesive, no residue.
Great for renters, brand-new vans you don't want to mark, or anyone who likes moving the dish around.
Poles, ladders and awning rails → pole clamp
Trees blocking your roofline? Sometimes you need to get the dish up and away from the van. The pole mount clamp grips anything 15–40mm — poles, ladders, awning rails — tool-free, with a ball joint so you can aim it at clear sky.
Don't forget power and the finishing bits
However you mount it, Starlink Mini needs a stable 12V+ to run properly off your batteries. A 12V DC power supply boosts your battery voltage so the dish doesn't drop out the moment the engine's off.
Two more worth a look: a wind deflector if you leave the dish up at highway speed — it cuts drag and wind noise — and a carry handle so you can pull the dish off and use it at ground level around camp.
Quick pick
| Your setup | The mount |
|---|---|
| Steel roof | Magnetic mount |
| Fibreglass / aluminium / composite roof | Magnetic mount + steel discs |
| Roof rack or bars, permanent | Roof rack feet |
| Smooth roof, no residue | Suction mount |
| Pole, ladder or rail | Pole clamp |
Still weighing it up? Match your roof to the table, or grab a complete kit — mount, power and fittings in one box, ready to go. Either way, start with the fridge-magnet test and you're already halfway there.
Shop all Starlink Mini mounts →
FAQs
Will a magnetic mount hold at highway speed?
Yes. VANKOR magnetic mounts are rated for corrugated roads and highway travel. Add the wind deflector if you leave the dish up on long hauls — it cuts drag and wind noise.
My caravan roof isn't steel. Can I still use a magnetic mount?
Yes — stick a set of steel mounting discs to the roof first. The magnets grab the discs, so you get a full-strength hold on fibreglass, aluminium or composite.
Do I have to drill holes?
No. Magnetic, disc and suction mounts all fit with no drilling. Only the roof rack feet bolt on — and that's your choice, not a requirement.
Which mount is best for a fibreglass caravan?
Steel mounting discs plus a magnetic mount for a low-profile, no-drill fit — or the suction mount kit if you'd rather leave no residue at all.