I am about to install a 32 inch LCD TV, it will replace the 20 inch CRT style and will provide an opportunity to move the TV enclosure back so that I can remove the "headache" protrusion!

Question??? For those of you that have installed a LCD TV, are the 4 attachment points on the rear surface of the TV strong enough to hold the TV or should I consider to support along the lower/side edges as well?

I had a 26" Sharp Aquos installed up front in the headache area. Since we have a mid entry door, it is never a problem. I wanted it installed correctly so I had it installed by professionals. On the first trip, we hit a dip in the highway, when the coach hit its high point and began to drop, the TV kept going up. When it came down, it landed on my right wrist and came to rest on my arm and the center console.

My wife (Sharron) came to my rescue since I was still busy trying to keep the coach from running into the overpass. I was able to keep the coach under control and Sharron held the TV inplace until I got over to the side of the highway and stopped. I disconnected everything and placed it on the bed, changed my pants and continued down the road.

While I'm not sure I recommend a professional, I do stress mounting it correctly. The "professionals" should be able to tell you about mounting points on the TV and whether or not they can handle the stress. Keep in mind, in an enmergency situation, the stress loads can become considerable. Our situation was close to typical highway conditions and the mounting still failed. The first mounting system they used was suitable for a home but not a home on wheels. I was rather surprised they didn't notice this. When they re-installed the new TV, yes, the first one was destroyed, a different mounting system was used and I'm confident it would survive a thermo-nuclear device. They were nice enough to replace the DVD player with a new one along with very expensive Monster Cables. We now have an awesome picture.

I think I mentioned this before but, just in case...

If you have a sound system, tie the new TV into it. One of the previous owners had installed an in dash radio along with 10 speakers, sub-woofer and two amps to run it. When I had the TV installed, the "professionals" hooked into the sound system and all I can say is WOW! At least, I was able to say that after the first TV went into orbit and was replaced with a new TV.

If you know how to do this, by all means go ahead, you'll certainly save some dough that can be put towards a couple of hours worth a fuel. If not, let the pros take care of it. Then, if it is done wrong, as it was in my case, someone else can pay for the replacement items. They are very quick to do so if they think a lawyer might be involved.

Bill is absolutely correct - the standard bracket system (VESA) is fine when travel loads aren't imposed, but not up to bouncing.

If it were I, I'd consider using the VESA mount with a retractable arm and a separate means of securing the unit for travel, by binding it in somehow.

I a not considering any type of retractable arm. The unit will be mounted stationary and not movable. I have noticed that most LCD TV have 4 bolt mounting on the rear of the set, I think this is where the retractable arm would normally mount BUT I am going to just retain the TV into the enclosure and it will not be movable after installation.



I am now considering to make a bezel ring that goes around the face plate and the TV will actually sit into it for support, the main retaining bolts will still be the 4 bolts on the rear but they do not have to support any load vertically, they will just have to retain the TV into the bezel.

Bill, did the TV come off the retractable arm when you hit the bump? Or did the arm or attachment points of the arm fail? Are you still using a retractable arm?

Thanks for all the comments!

I've looked at a couple of other installs of upgraded TVs. Turbodoc post started 4-20 and Ragmag post started 7-9 and Nick Cagles post started 5-5. It looks like the TVs on all three are at least partially supported on the bottom of the cabinet frame. Would appreciated comments from those gentlemen since I am thinking of installing a 20" in our 85. I can certainly see that those 4 mounting bolts on the back of the TV are not for the kind of bouncing around that a moving vehicle will go through. Bill, what kind of modifications did the professional installers do the 2nd time around?

22" Visizo in my 85 Regency.
I haven't raod tested it yet (see suspension post!).
The 4 stock attachement points vary quite a bit in strength and most of the home type mounts are not good for moving vehicles.
Thankfully the 22" Visizo is not that heavy.

IMHO, any means of supporting a TV from the rear will create a lever arm that allows the TV to bounce under the G-forces of travel. If I were to install a TV that was not totally encased by the existing frame, I would somehow support it from below, a la MWrench's bezel, & also make sure it was restrained at the top from moving outward into the coach when it bounced. Towerguy's initial disastrous "professional" installation lacked all those precautions.

BTW - The Viziso TV has a nice connection point at the bottom where the 'pedestal' normaly bolts on. The threaded points are tapped in to the strong point of the frame (not shown in the picture!)

They did not use a retractable arm, it was bascially two horizontal steel rods. The problem was how the TV hung on the rods because the hooks did not actually close around the rod - almost similar to a hangar on a clothes rod. STUPID design!

This system was replaced with what should have been used in the first place. Both are a stationary or fixed design with the difference being how the TV is attached to the rods. The coach could turn over and the TV would still be in place.

I do not recommend a retracting type of arm, I don't think they can handle the forces of normal driving such as pot holes. I once bought wall brackets to install two speakers in our bedroom. The brackets were rated at 50 lbs each. The speakers only weiged about ten lbs so I thought I had overkill. One night we heard a bunch of noise coming from the bedroom and upon inspection found the bracket had broken at the joint. The safety chain snapped and allowed the speaker to drop onto our dresser, damaging it and the speaker. the safety chain, upon closer examination was probably not able to hold weight of the speaker just by lifting it, let alone having it fall and snapping it in half when it reached the last link.

I will bring the coach to the house this weekend and see if I can take some pictures. I don't think I will be able to get pics of the mounting system but I'll give it a shot.

Our coach was able to acommodate the 26" wide screen because the installer moved the cupboard doors outward so they would still open. The doors were larger than the holes behind them by about 4 inches so, while the doors still cover the opening, this allowed for a larger TV and appears to have been installed by Barth

quote:

Originally posted by MWrench:
I a not considering any type of retractable arm. The unit will be mounted stationary and not movable.

The reason I suggested a retractable arm is as a supplement to the "at-sea" retainers - that way, if you every have to get behind the TV, it can swing out. OTOH, that 32" is probably lighter than my 20" CRT (which I've removed twice..)

The original on mine is also a 20 inch and IS HEAVY!

the front of the current TV enclosure is 9 inches out from the front cabinets and when I finish the LCD installation, the bezel should be flush with the cabinets. I have whacked myself a number of times on the enclosure edge.

If I do it right, I will be able to get behind the TV thru either side cabinets. That is where I currently have the desktop Dell computer. The computer drives the small 10 inch display that is on a flip down bracket in front of the backup display, considering some changes there also.

Please excuse my ignorance. What's a bezel and how would it work here?

A bezel is a frame - the border around you TV or monitor's screen is a bezel, as is the thing that holds the crystal in your watch.

Ed,
One of the first upgrades we did when we bought our Barth in 2005 was to remove the CRT. I completely removed and discarded the original TV enclosure. I fabricated a steel bracket that attached to the steel structure running across the bottom and screwed to the lower TV mount that originally accommodated the Toshiba's base. I mounted a rectangular piece of 3/4" plywood accross the vertical run, drilling four holes that allowed me to secure the TV to keep it stable. The weight is borne by the steel bracket. The TV is an original Toshiba 27" 16x9 HD set but before the digital tuners so I will be installing a digital converter box soon.
Billy T

Been measuring and think a 26 inch LCD screen would be about right. 32 inch would be rather large.

Will probably replace both TVs with LCD versions, 26 in the front and 19-22 in the back.

No time right now, getting ready for the ORR next week in Battle Mountain, NV. I have put the digital converter in and it is amazing how much better it is with the local channels. Not much out in Nevada thou, don't have satellite--yet--