Okay, some of you guys lied to me! I'm going on about 2 hours now and still don't have this TV out! But I do have a new found respect for National RV. I was always worried about this giant TV over my head and every time I hit a big bump I was worried it was going to come crashing down on my head. Now that I see what's holding it up there, there is no way a bump was going to bring it down. I had read the other stories about removing the frame and straps holding the TV down. Not on mine. This thing is bolted into a complete steel box. And I mean solid steel on both sides and the bottom. I haven't seen the top completely yet, but it looks like it's lag bolted at the top into the steel frame of the motorhome.I'll post some photos when I get done with this but I'm having a heck of a time getting it out. The steel box the TV is in looks like it was designed around this TV. It fits snuggly in the box and then there was a piece of angled steel across the bottom that held the TV into the box. I figured once I removed that the TV would slide out. Well once that piece was moved I can tell the TV is loose in there, but it won't slide out because the TV extends up into the ceiling. The bottom of the steel box is held on with six bolts. I'm trying to get those out now without having to disassemble the entire front section. So I can just barely get back in there to reach the bolts and turn them a little at a time. I'm down to one bolt left in the far back and needed a break. I have screw drivers stuck in four of the other holes because once I remove this last bolt I think the TV will be free to drop straight down. Hopefully the screw drivers will hold it until my helper gets home from shopping and between the two of us I can hold it while she takes out the screw drivers, and we lower it to the floor.

That sounds like the Motorhome was built around the Television!

This is on a National Tropical. If you open the cabinet doors on either side of the TV you can see wood plugs in the frame. The one in this photo is after I drilled it out. I couldn't get it to pop out with a screw driver so I just drilled the plugs out and exposed the long wood screws underneath. There were four screws total holding front frame on from the side and there was one wood screw in the top of the front frame into the roof.

There was a center plastic piece underneath the TV that had the center speaker in it. It just snapped out. This photo shows the bottom of the metal box that the TV is sitting in. It was secured with six bolts.

You can see the bolts down the side here. I was able to get the bolts out without having to dismantle anymore of the side cabinets. I did have to remove a couple of screws in the plastic trim and the sun visors so I could pull the plastic trim back far enough to reach the bolts.

Removing the old TV (With photos) Tropical by National RV

57 Replies

fcooper
Explorer II
Sep 09, 2013
msmith1199 wrote:
One problem I see I'm going to have is I can't get to where the TV is plugged in. It's behind the cabinet on the right someplace. Once I get the TV out I'll be able to get back there, but that presents the problem of once I get the TV loose I'll have to try and hold while my helper unplugs it. I think I'm going to take the easy way out and just cut the power cord. The TV still works but I'll never use it and you can't sell these things so it's going to the e-waste bin anyway.

Be sure there's no power on the cord before you cut it. It will put a big notch in your cutters if there is still power in the cord. btdt:)

Fred
msmith1199
Explorer II
Sep 08, 2013
In this photo you can see the bottom of the steel box holding the TV. I've removed 4 of the six bolts and stuck screwdrivers in the hole so the TV doesn't drop out as I remove the other two. You see see in this photo the TV sticks up into the ceiling several inches. Otherwise it would just slide out. I'm guessing they installed the TV before they put the ceiling in. Now I have to drop the bottom of the steel box to get the TV out.

After this photo I removed the last two bolts and the TV is still sitting there with the screwdrivers holding it in. After the 49ers game I'm going to go out and try and get it out. One problem I see I'm going to have is I can't get to where the TV is plugged in. It's behind the cabinet on the right someplace. Once I get the TV out I'll be able to get back there, but that presents the problem of once I get the TV loose I'll have to try and hold while my helper unplugs it. I think I'm going to take the easy way out and just cut the power cord. The TV still works but I'll never use it and you can't sell these things so it's going to the e-waste bin anyway.
msmith1199
Explorer II
Sep 08, 2013
You can see the bolts down the side here. I was able to get the bolts out without having to dismantle anymore of the side cabinets. I did have to remove a couple of screws in the plastic trim and the sun visors so I could pull the plastic trim back far enough to reach the bolts.
msmith1199
Explorer II
Sep 08, 2013
There was a center plastic piece underneath the TV that had the center speaker in it. It just snapped out. This photo shows the bottom of the metal box that the TV is sitting in. It was secured with six bolts.
msmith1199
Explorer II
Sep 08, 2013
This is on a National Tropical. If you open the cabinet doors on either side of the TV you can see wood plugs in the frame. The one in this photo is after I drilled it out. I couldn't get it to pop out with a screw driver so I just drilled the plugs out and exposed the long wood screws underneath. There were four screws total holding front frame on from the side and there was one wood screw in the top of the front frame into the roof.
msmith1199
Explorer II
Sep 08, 2013
This is what I started with:
robatthelake
Explorer
Sep 08, 2013
That sounds like the Motorhome was built around the Television!

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Removing the old TV (With photos) Tropical by National RV

57 Replies

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