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tdub's avatar
tdub
Explorer
Feb 28, 2016

Question about layouts

Sorry for the newbie question. My wife and I are shopping for our first trailer for our family. I figure we will mainly be outdoors, but we like to relax and watch a little TV at night.

Most of the trailer layouts we have seen have a couch on a sidewall and the TV mounted on the front wall at a 90 degree viewing angle. It has been rare to find a layout where we are looking straight at the TV when on the couch.

This may seem trivial, but with two herniated discs, sitting with my neck turned would cause extreme pain. Do people put swivel mounts on these? Other options? Just wondering what others have done. All that I've seen are on a fixed mount.

Thanks!

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  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Feb 28, 2016
    If you find a trailer layout that you really like and the only thing wrong is the location of the TV, you can move it to a drop cabinet. I did this in my Sahara. Here's the thread that shows what I did.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Feb 28, 2016
    A rear living room trailer will give you more options. The television in ours raises and lowers in front of the rear window. We did some swapping of the original furniture and moved things around. We got a household (REAL) recliner couch. I put wheels on it and can turn it directly in front of the television, which is how we use it now. When traveling, we turn it back against the wall.

    Some rear living room models do have the couch directly across from the television.

    Here's ours after our changes. We love this configuration now!





    Couch turned!

  • PawPaw_n_Gram's avatar
    PawPaw_n_Gram
    Explorer
    Feb 28, 2016
    tdub wrote:
    but with two herniated discs, sitting with my neck turned would cause extreme pain. Do people put swivel mounts on these?


    Yes, a lot of folks add swivel mounts.

    FYI - most RV couches are awful for sitting more than a short time. The cheaper trailers are worst.
  • mbopp's avatar
    mbopp
    Explorer
    Feb 28, 2016
    The swivel mount works well. I screwed some heavy picture hanger loops into the wall and have a 1" nylon strap across the tv to secure it while travelling.
  • Sandia_Man's avatar
    Sandia_Man
    Explorer II
    Feb 28, 2016
    Last RV show we attended had many TTs/5ers where the sofa, recliners, or theater seating was directly across from the tv. Of those many had swivel mounts so they could be viewed from galley or dining sets as well.

    Just keep looking, whether at local dealer/rv shows or on-line at manufacturer websites or sites like RvTrader.com for photos and videos of RV interiors from virtually every brand currently in production.

    Our TT is older and had a tube tv installed in a cabinet, a few years back we removed and installed a HDTV on an articulating arm making viewing angle suitable from about anywhere in our rig. Enjoy your new TT!
  • tdub's avatar
    tdub
    Explorer
    Feb 28, 2016
    Thanks for the reply. I found a nice 35' North Trail 31BHDD. It is a bunk with almost the same layout you posted. It's ideal but pricey. I have found many others $10k less but with the bad viewing angle.

    How is the swivel mount working for you?
  • mbopp's avatar
    mbopp
    Explorer
    Feb 28, 2016
    Ah, yes. One of my pet peeves about TT designs.
    This has straight-on viewing and may be our next TT. They also have a bunkhouse model.

    And yes, I put a swivel mount on our current tv.

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