Replacing Over-the-Cab TV

An "ideal" replacement TV is one that runs directly off 12V to use less battery energy. Unfortunately the bigger TVs drop the external 12V-ish transformer. Also, not every smaller TV has an external 12V-ish transformer. You have to shop around for one.

It is not a disaster to have a 120V television requiring the need for a separate power inverter to convert your RV-12V to 120V. It's just going to drain your house battery faster.

I think RV supply centers sell TVs with an external power supply, but at elevated prices. If you find one you like at a Camping World for example, you might find the exact same TV sold at a regular store or on-line for a lot cheaper.

One thing about television model numbers. Each store has it's own specific model number for virtually the same TV so you cannot exercise price-matching. Differences if any are miniscule. So keep that in-mind when shopping around.

Our rv had a built in analog tv. We eventually replaced it with a lighter, bigger smart tv. My husband took out the analog tv, installed an arm that held the new tv (placed this over the hole left by the analog), and plugged in the television and cable. I THINK we also got a new antenna-not sure if we had to or wanted to (sorry, this was awhile ago). Either way, none of this was expensive or hard to do. We got a regular television (no special rv tv) at Walmart.

Our C has cabinets above the cab, no bed, with the TV "hole" in the middle. Tossed that old small TV and got a swing-out arm attached to the side of the "hole" where there is a good piece of wood in the corner of the cabinet to take the screws--has to be strong for the TV on the arm when hitting bumps on the road or whatever.

Got a 32" TV that goes on the arm and it sits across the "hole". The TV can be aimed and it tilts down a little so it is good for viewing. It does not flop around going down the road, but Bungy cords to a hook inside the "hole" could hold it.

TV plugs into 120v (inverter powered when off-grid) and uses the same antenna panel as the old one for the coax. The "hole" is a good place for the DVD player if its remote can see under the TV ok.

TV can be pushed aside and pulled out to open the cabinet doors

The replacement tv type will depend on how you use your rv.
If you’re hooked up in CG’s with power you can use any tv.

If you boondock it would be best for you to shop around for a 12 volt model. My 40” is a 12 volt model but uses 65 watts.
I installed a 3rd agm battery specifically for the tv and sat recvr. If you can get by with a smaller tv it would be beneficial while boondocking.

When / if you mount it using a swing pivot mount, i would add a web strap or two to secure it to the wall. Snug it up to prevent bouncing, i have seen a few rip off the wall mounts.
Sometimes you have to mount some plywood onto the wall using a lot of screws with spacers , then bolt the mount to the wood. The spacers on the screws allow you the needed clearance to install the nuts for the bolts.

bobndot wrote:
The replacement tv type will depend on how you use your rv.
My 40” is a 12 volt model but uses 65 watts.

Could you share what brand and model 40" you have that operates at 65 watts?

Our 26" 120V Samsung TV runs very hot, so much that I installed a computer fan behind it to cool it down. It's confinement does not help the situation. A new edge-lit 32" 12V TV may use much less power, hence run cooler and use less energy.

Our 26" has lots of frame. For a while now, the 32" is almost frameless so the over-all size is the same. I'd like to compare the specs on power consumption of what I have to what I would buy to determine if it is worth the effort and cost.

Here is our 26". It is mounted securely without an arm. There is not a lot of breathing room around it....air circulation is poor.

Power draw depends on your choice of brightness. These are from around 8 years ago for a 32" Samsung LED LCD whatever it is:

Movie- 70w, Standard- 80W, Dynamic-120w

A 32" LG about the same age had:

Intelligent sensor (varies with room light) 65-25w
Vivid- 70w, Standard-50w, Cinema-35w, Sport-65w, Game-45w

Those TVs are heavy compared with new 32" flat screens and I don't have wattages for newer ones.

The new ones have legs for stands instead of a pedestal and they hang the remote sensor underneath so you must have clearance for that sensor. No problem up on the arm. The leg screws after you take the legs off can be used for the backing plate on the arm if you are lucky. Some have different size screws for the four hanging up screws than for the legs, so you might have to dig into your junk drawer for the four screws that go in the back.

Ron,
https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Continu-Us-40-Touring-Series-LED-HDTV-_p_38541.html




Continu-Us 40" Touring Series LED HDTV





Display Type: LED

Size: 40 Inch

Mounting Type: Wall Mount

Voltage Rating: 12 Volt

Wattage Rating: 65 Watt

Audio Output: Yes

Horizontal Viewing Angle: 178 Degree

Vertical Viewing Angle: 178 Degree

With DC Power Cord: Yes

With USB Port: Yes

With Remote Control: Yes




•USB File Play: Allows Guests To Play MP3 And View JPG Files, As Well As Charge Mobile Devices
•Auto Power-Off: Allows The TV To Turn Off After A Selectable Period Of Inactivity
•Power On And Off Scheduler: Sets Recurring Time For The TV To Power On And Off
•Energy-Saving Features: Auto Power-Off, Less Than 1 Watt In Standby Mode, Low Power LED, No Signal Power-Off
•Ultra-Slim Cabinet: Thin Cabinet, Reduced Weight, Set Lays Closer To The Wall When Mounted
•VESA Mount Pattern: Wall-Mount Your TV Using Standard Mounts
•USB Cloning Capable: Allows Duplication Of TV Configuration For Easy Installation
•Limited 1 Year Replacement Warranty

I don't have a power-kill feature. I do plug the TV into a power bar with its own on/off switch. When you just turn the TV off it stays on in standby unless you unplug it. So I turn it right off with the power bar's switch.

Thanks for the responses! Guess I'll be shopping for a 12-volt TV. Now I have to measure to see what size I can fit on the built in TV mount system.

xpjet96 wrote:
Thanks for the responses! Guess I'll be shopping for a 12-volt TV. Now I have to measure to see what size I can fit on the built in TV mount system.

That's fine if you boondock most of the time and can only use 12v. However reception for a signal might be an issue.

I also carry along my Sat Dish recvr and that's 110v, I need to carry a PSW inverter 150w to run it. That is a simple 12v plug-in SAMLEX PSW inverter which easily handles the 44 watt 411 recvr. Plus it handled my 28" tv at the same time. Yes it did use a little more of my battery power but I never ran out overnight . I charged up off my generator or alternator and solar during the day.

I have always carried 3 or 4 12v batteries on board . In my current rv and my previous rv, I had 3 batteries and one was dedicated to my inverter, sat and tv which was a 28" 110v model.
It was much cheaper to shop for a 110v tv rather than a 12v tv. You will have a wider selection.