Yet Another TV Conversion

Like many MH owners I am happy with my recent LCD TV upgrade. But unlike most, it took me 3 upgrades to be completely satisfied. Here are some of my experiences.

Upgrade #1 in 2009

Let's start with the hole left by original 23" CRT:

The box that framed the original TV is 6 gauge steel. It will hold just about anything. With that in mind, I built a mounting frame out of mainly 2x4 pine to secure the new LCD TV:

I thought getting a new TV the same width as the original made sense. As such, I settled on a 32" LCD :

There were two problems with this upgrade:

1. The new LCD TV had the same width as the original but a wider aspect ratio meaning I had to add wood trim, top and bottom.
2. The 2x4 frame looks solid but it would actually flex when driving, causing the TV to rattle.

In 2011, I tried Upgrade #2 and installed a 40" LCD TV. It looked much better but small pieces of wood trim were still needed top and bottom.

Upgrade #3 in 2013

I always thought a 50" TV would work in the front of a MH. This year I decided to find out.

To address the flexing issue, I built a new box frame out of 3/4" laminated plywood. I used it successfully in Upgrade #2 with the 40" TV. Here it is, with new holes drilled for the 50" TV:

You can see how some of the cutouts from the 40" TV no longer work. This frame is so rigid and strong, I didn't see any need to worry.

The new box frame is mounted flush with the original TV frame with four stainless steel screws holding it in place:

The new TV is a 50" LED LCD. It fits surprisingly well, extending only 3" below the original frame. Two of the cupboard doors are partially blocked, but frankly, they are rarely used. Most important: None of the viewing angles of the driver or co-pilot are obscured:

So there it is. A 50" TV works very nicely.

There are a couple of advantages with this setup:

1. The LED backlighting is brighter than the previous TVs. This means significantly better daytime performance.

2. This display has better 'off axis viewing' than before. It means you can sit at extreme off-center angles and still see a good image.

3. This is not the thinnest TV I could find. Rather than pick some of the 1" thick alternatives that I have used successfully at home, I chose a TV that would give me room behind for access to the HDMI and composite connectors

Anyways, I hope these pictures help anyone considering a big TV upgrade.

Now I just have to stop thinking how to get a 60" TV to fit.

Class A

ClassAGeek
Explorer
Aug 19, 2013
ArchHoagland wrote:
ClassAGeek.... I saw an 80" set at Costco a week or so ago...$3999.

Bet you couldn't mount it................

Thanks for the post, looks pretty cool.

LOL. I am experimenting with gas shocks and a fold down mount. 80" is in my future too :)
ArchHoagland
Explorer
Aug 19, 2013
ClassAGeek.... I saw an 80" set at Costco a week or so ago...$3999.

Bet you couldn't mount it................

Thanks for the post, looks pretty cool.
ClassAGeek
Explorer
Apr 28, 2013
Kiwi_too wrote:
With a 32" you can use plywood with a side (not top) piano hinge.

Here is Our Install.

I took your advice and converted our 32" bedroom TV to a use a swinging door.

Unlike the 50" TV up front, there is plenty of room for a side mounted hinge. The original 4:3 CRT opening also leaves room for a clock and DVD player below.

I used 3 x 100° Euro hinges to make the door panel flush with the cabinets.

A pair of rare-earth magnets help the door snap closed with minimal effort. There is also a hidden latch at the bottom to lock everything securely when we are moving.

Most import are the horizontal supports near the bottom of the door. They allow the door to rest on the reinforced lower shelf when closed. This creates an unusually stiff mounting surface that doesn't shake or rattle.

Another bonus: the area behind the TV becomes hidden storage that is relatively hard to find.
ClassAGeek
Explorer
Apr 25, 2013
I have looked at some coaches designed since the arrival of flat screens - generally 2012 and up. Since there is no requirement to house a 24" deep CRT, the dashboards and front consoles are now shallower. Cupboard space is reduced but there is a bonus: up to a foot of useable floor space in the same length of coach. But even with newer coaches, I am not seeing any TVs over 40" in the front cabinet. Bigger is now pretty much an exclusive DIY option.
MustangGT
Explorer
Apr 25, 2013
Very interesting thread for a very popular upgrade. I might revise my own install with a few of these ideas....
I pulled our old CRT boat-anchor out of the front cabinet a few years ago and replaced it with a 22" combo LCD/DVD player mounted to a 3/4" sheet of painted MDF. I REALLY wanted a bigger screen, but the two cabinets on the sides swing up and are frequently used. So I had to go narrower, which meant about 5" open space visible under the TV into the bottom of the old cabinet. That proved a blessing in disquise, as I was then able to stuff my older, unused receiver behind the TV to power a surround sound system. Later, I was even able to stuff the big system sub-woofer box behind the TV by setting it on top of the receiver with a couple of 1"x1" feet between the two.
Its surprising how little "unused" space is left-over from the factory design these days. Or actually, since 1997 in my case. Every nook and cranny has something.
ClassAGeek
Explorer
Apr 25, 2013
Swamp Rat wrote:

I smell watcha stepping in...great job...feel free to convert my rig...beer n BBQ & a waxed coach for you buddy...cheers...

Well put. Be safe. Have fun.
Swamp_Rat
Explorer
Apr 25, 2013
ClassAGeek wrote:
Pirate wrote:
Hate to pee on your parade but I just don't see how that large of a TV is really necessary, it also blocks the cabinets which kind of makes it look dumb. Power too ya but at some point you have to say "this is just too large" and use a smaller TV. I have a 39" in mine and I think it is too big. You only really sit 10' away. It's your money. I give it two thumbs down.

Now you tell me. I could have saved hundreds if I knew 39" was closer to optimal size. I'll have to try covering my screen duct tape to bring it down to proper dimensions.

Now you have me rethinking my gigabit Cat 5e network switch, LTE base station, THX 7.1 sound system, IR signal repeaters, 4x4 HDMI switches and 3 TB media distribution system too.

But I must agree: sitting 10' away from 50" TV is a bit ridiculous. That's how far we sit from our 12' screen at home. I going to have to find a way to sit a lot closer.

I smell watcha stepping in...great job...feel free to convert my rig...beer n BBQ & a waxed coach for you buddy...cheers...
ClassAGeek
Explorer
Apr 25, 2013
Pirate wrote:
Hate to pee on your parade but I just don't see how that large of a TV is really necessary, it also blocks the cabinets which kind of makes it look dumb. Power too ya but at some point you have to say "this is just too large" and use a smaller TV. I have a 39" in mine and I think it is too big. You only really sit 10' away. It's your money. I give it two thumbs down.

Now you tell me. I could have saved hundreds if I knew 39" was closer to optimal size. I'll have to try covering my screen duct tape to bring it down to proper dimensions.

Now you have me rethinking my gigabit Cat 5e network switch, LTE base station, THX 7.1 sound system, IR signal repeaters, 4x4 HDMI switches and 3 TB media distribution system too.

But I must agree: sitting 10' away from 50" TV is a bit ridiculous. That's how far we sit from our 12' screen at home. I going to have to find a way to sit a lot closer.
Pirate1
Explorer
Apr 22, 2013
Hate to pee on your parade but I just don't see how that large of a TV is really necessary, it also blocks the cabinets which kind of makes it look dumb. Power too ya but at some point you have to say "this is just too large" and use a smaller TV. I have a 39" in mine and I think it is too big. You only really sit 10' away. It's your money. I give it two thumbs down.
ClassAGeek
Explorer
Apr 21, 2013
grandma lynn wrote:
awesome conversion, now I am going to hijack your thread since I can't seem find (did a search already) how to change out our in dash tv to a flat screen, where to put it, if moved what to do with the hole it came out of etc. You did such a great job thought some of you might have a few suggestions or know where to find the info. Thanks all

Getting the old CRT TV out is generally the hardest part. These behemoths were heavy, so they are hard to lift, and especially well attached by the OEM.

I pulled the original CRT out 4 years ago, so I can't remember all of the details. There were 3 steps with my MH:

1. Remove the wooden frame around the front of the TV.
2. Remove the metal brackets top and bottom that prevented the CRT from moving forward and back.
3. (the hard part). Our CRT had a nylon strap that wrapped from bottom-front over the top-back of the CRT to prevent it from tipping forward. The trick was to pull the TV forward from the front-bottom to edge it out from under the strap. Hard pulling is needed, but eventually, out it came.

I strongly recommend the method I am now using with a plywood box flush with the front of the old cabinet. The TV sticks out a bit more. But as you can see, it is possible to fit almost any size TV. If you want a flush mount, you can get a 1" thick TV without much difficulty these days.

Also pay attention to the power, HDMI and other connections. With the 32" and 40" LCD's I used previously, all connections were inside the original cabinet. With the 50" TV, only the power connection is in the box. All other come emerge from the adjoining cabinet but are hidden by the TV itself.

Good luck!