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paulooch1958's avatar
paulooch1958
Explorer
Jul 28, 2019

Need Flat Panel TV mounting advice

I have a 2006 Winnebago Journey 39k.

Has anyone mounted a flat panel TV on the wall of the bedroom?

My RV came with a sink/cabinet at the wall opposite the foot of the bed. There was a 36"x 30" mirror glued to the wall above the sink unit, and there are small lamps attached to the wall on either side of the mirror.

I've removed the large mirror on that wall and there is room between the lamps for a 43" diag flat-screen TV.

The TV mounting kit has screws/bolts/etc for mounting into steel beams, wooden studs, and concrete. The wood screws look like they are meant for 2x4 studs, too long for how thick the RV wall is.

So any ideas on how I attach the TV mount to the wall? It essentially is a flat bracket with four long horizotal slots (two rows of two) for you to put 4 screws through into studs, beams, concrete, etc depending on what wall construction was used. It's intended for houses, not RVs, but I believe that it could be used in the RV as well if I can determine where a stud is, or a metal frame member to anchor to.

Does the RV even have wood studs?
How thick is the paneling?
How thick is the wall?
Is there insulation of some type behind the paneling?
How can I find a metal frame member (if they even exist)?

If there aren't any substantial studs or frame members available can I just use toggle bolts (aka butterfly anchor) to mount to the wall paneling? The TV weighs about 16 lbs. If I used toggle bolts, I could use many, like 8 or more to distribute the weight.

Any ideas as to where Winnebago routed the power and entertainment wiring through that wall?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Paul
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    Jul 28, 2019
    Sometimes you may have to just put up a back board first... Then mount your TV bracket to that... You can paint the back board to match your interior décor...

    Also I found the MOLY BOLT was far superior to the wing nut bolt for hanging things from a wall. You can remove the screw from the moly bolt but if you remove the bolt from the wing nut, the wing nut drops behind the wall...


    google images

    Roy Ken
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Jul 28, 2019
    Mounting a large piece of 3/4” plywood with glue and screws will give you something strong enough for the mount if a stud finder does not indicate where the wall structure is located. Good news is LEDTVs do not weigh much.

    I mounted a 20” on the ceiling over the bed and ran the cables in a pvc pipe to it.
  • mobeewan's avatar
    mobeewan
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2019
    If you use a plywood mounting board, I would recommend using T-nuts properly sized, to mount the TV mounting bracket to the plywood. They would install on the backside of the plywood and you can you use shorter machine screws to mount the TV mounting bracket to the plywood.
  • D_E_Bishop's avatar
    D_E_Bishop
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2019
    Using a backer board that is glued and screwed to the wall is a great idea, using "T" nuts to mount the bracket to the board is the best way to go. Two drill bits are required for mounting the nuts, a std bit for the thru hole the threaded nipple goes in and a forstner bit to counter sink the head.

    Now on to the bolts to use for added holding power for the backer board, my suggestion is to use Jack nuts. They are specifically designed for thin material and your walls are most likely 1/10" thick and they come in various lengths.

    As mentioned, Toggle Bolts(not wing nut bolt) are not really a great idea, they can fall into the wall and they require a much larger hole for installation.

    Molly bolts are available for installation in thin material, but are not as good as jack nuts and not as strong. They look very similar and work the same. In some cases you need a special tool for installation, I have installed 1/4"-20 jack nuts using a long cap screw and a nut instead of the special tool. Here is a link to a mfg.

    You will find YouTube videos on the use of the jack nuts. When I am doing a similar installation I countersink the flange on the back side of the board just like I do for the "T" nuts. I use forstner bits because they make flat bottom holes and not tapered.
  • paulooch1958's avatar
    paulooch1958
    Explorer
    Aug 01, 2019
    Thanks to all for the informative responses! It's looking doable now.

    Again, thanks!
    Paul
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Aug 03, 2019
    D.E.Bishop wrote:
    Using a backer board that is glued and screwed to the wall is a great idea, using "T" nuts to mount the bracket to the board is the best way to go. Two drill bits are required for mounting the nuts, a std bit for the thru hole the threaded nipple goes in and a forstner bit to counter sink the head.

    Now on to the bolts to use for added holding power for the backer board, my suggestion is to use Jack nuts. They are specifically designed for thin material and your walls are most likely 1/10" thick and they come in various lengths.

    As mentioned, Toggle Bolts(not wing nut bolt) are not really a great idea, they can fall into the wall and they require a much larger hole for installation.

    Molly bolts are available for installation in thin material, but are not as good as jack nuts and not as strong. They look very similar and work the same. In some cases you need a special tool for installation, I have installed 1/4"-20 jack nuts using a long cap screw and a nut instead of the special tool. Here is a link to a mfg.

    You will find YouTube videos on the use of the jack nuts. When I am doing a similar installation I countersink the flange on the back side of the board just like I do for the "T" nuts. I use forstner bits because they make flat bottom holes and not tapered.

    I mounted a 32" LCD to a backer board in my trailer. I chose to drill holes in the board, make recesses in the holes on the back of the board, lead bolts in from the back, and bolt the TV mount to the backer board. It worked slick.
  • robatthelake's avatar
    robatthelake
    Explorer
    Aug 06, 2019
    One thing to keep in mind .Regardless of how your Television is mounted ,if it can move it can vibrate loose. Most wall mounts feature an easily used release bar or a couple of screws to secure the two parts of the mount. If possible unlatch and store the TV on your bed.
    I have also found that adding some pipe insulation in the appropriate locations helps to cushion the movement.
    And use some Locktite or Crazy glue to secure those Nuts and bolts!
  • TNGW1500SE's avatar
    TNGW1500SE
    Explorer
    Aug 07, 2019
    Get a "full motion" mount. They go anywhere you want them, even up and down. Here's a link but that seems high for one. I didn't pay that much. Try monoprice.com for a better price than this one:
    LINK


    I put a wire between the top two holes so when we travel, it hangs on a hook. When we use it, we lower it right down over the bed. When we're done it swings up and to the side. Love it!

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