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EagleScout-USA's avatar
EagleScout-USA
Explorer
May 22, 2015

TV Mount Question

Wow...what a headache this has become. Here is my dilemma. I just purchased a Jayco 26BHS. It has a 38'' swivel cabinet (from dining area to the bedroom) with a full size mirror mounted to the back. Of course, it didn't come mounted with a TV, and now I am figuring out why. So I am sitting on a 32'' TV and a mounting bracket that I am afraid to put in the cabinet. After being bounced around by Jayco techs, I was finally informed that it is a pressboard (with the exact thickness unknown!). Believe it or not, their suggestion was to actually run a piece of wire between the cabinet and the mirror, breaking the 2 sided tape, countersinking some bolt heads and screwing it on the other side. Then, buy some more 2 sided tape and attempt to remount the mirror. I don't think so. Why can't this be easier. All the cables are there ready to plug into the TV, but they are making this way too complicated for me. In doing some simple measurements from where the back of the cabinet starts to where the mirror mount begins, it appears that I have a touch shy of 5/8'' to work with. I actually wouldn't be comfortable sinking any deeper than 1/2'', to ensure there is absolutely no contact with the back of the mirror. Unfortunately, the only thick lags screws that I was able to find start at an inch in length. Thoughts for mounting? I was thinking of putting a bunch of washers on it to take up the space and bring down the depth of the lag. Would that make sense? Another thought was to glue some type of a backer board on the area where I planned to mount, and then drop some lags through that board into the back panel of the swivel cabinet. I am so confused and would appreciate any help. I am really scared about hitting and cracking that mirror. I told my kids they might be watching the mirror this weekend!!!

10 Replies

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  • EagleScout-USA's avatar
    EagleScout-USA
    Explorer
    May 26, 2015
    Thanks....that is exactly the set-up we have. Sorry for the response delay, camping with no internet (and TV) over the holiday! I appreciate all the feedback and suggestions in this matter. It is unfortunate Jayco wasn't more helpful.
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    May 23, 2015
    This is a 2015 Jayco Jay Flight 26BHS...? I tried to look at the features and it shows "Entertainment Center" as a bookcase-looking item between Living Room and Foot of Queen Bed. You say that swivels? Confusing! Please confirm the Year/Make/Series and if you can post or point us to photos, please do. Is that Mirror made of Glass or a reflective plastic? Could you re-mount the mirror with moldings around it?

    I know you're trying hard to describe this thing, but all I get out of it right now is the location is essentially a particle-board bookcase with a thin back that has a mirror stuck to it. If that's what it is, I'd think of installing a stiffer back, like Westend describes, secured to the inside of the sides with brackets or angle aluminum. Put Tee Nuts on the backside of the new back, to secure the TV bracket to without having to pull the mirror and still rely on thin luan for the bracket.

    Still, I wonder if I'm on track at all. Pictures would really help. Remember, they have to be on a website someplace, then linked to RV.net using Advanced Post Form then the yellow postcard icon.
  • dvitale300's avatar
    dvitale300
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    Personally, and just for me, I found leaving it on the stand that it came with and hooking it up when I want to use it is a whole lot easier than messing with a mount. I cal also move it to the kitchen table if I want - no problem. Most people I've talked to say they take the TV down when they're on the road - so they're setting it up each time anyway. The cabinet was a cutie waste of time and materials idea - to me at least.
  • cgmartine's avatar
    cgmartine
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    EaglescoutUSA, I know this may not be very conventional, and may not even work, but would attaching the mounting arm on its side, and attaching the base to the bottom of the cabinet, so that the arm tv retracts the tv in an upward motion, and also moves it out in a downward motion of the arm, any possibility of that working?
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    What a dumb set-up this is.....put a TV cabinet, but make it a lot of work to put in a tv!!!
    Yeah, but it's decorative.:R

    If you can, save the TV cabinet for storage and mount the TV where you have the best viewing situation.
  • EagleScout-USA's avatar
    EagleScout-USA
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    I thought about using the base of the tv stand; however, the way the trailer is set up, you cannot see the television from the couch without an articulating wall mount!! We will spend the weekend "watching the mirror" and I will do some more work when we get back from the weekend! Thanks for the pics on the plywood option. I think that is the route I will take. Certainly open to any other thoughts. What a dumb set-up this is.....put a TV cabinet, but make it a lot of work to put in a tv!!!
  • Hiking_Hunter's avatar
    Hiking_Hunter
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    Does the cabinet have a floor in it? If so, don't use a wall mount TV mount - use the TV stand that usually comes with them, and screw it down into the cabinet floor.
    In my last fifth wheel I did this and it worked well; never had trouble with it and never had to unmount it for transit. In that one, the cabinet floor was at least 1/2" thick (particle board). I drilled three holes through the plastic/metal TV base and threaded three hex head machine screws through them then into the cabinet floor. I painted the heads black like the base and it looked fine.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    Another thought was to glue some type of a backer board on the area where I planned to mount, and then drop some lags through that board into the back panel of....

    This is pretty much what I did with a 32" screen. I used a piece of 5/8" plywood, countersunk the mounting holes for the screen's articulating mount, bolted the screen mount into the plywood, and attached the plywood to a wall. I glued and screwed the backer plywood through the paneling and into studs. 3/4" or 5/8" plywood will be the strongest vertical piece in your rig.





  • dvitale300's avatar
    dvitale300
    Explorer
    May 22, 2015
    We have a similar situation with a 28BHS Starcraft. I took a number of felt pieces and crafted a stand holder that is about 5 x 3 inches. When we're camping we use the TV on its' stand putting the back half of the TV in the swivel cabinet, and the front have resting on the stand I made. Works perfectly. When we're driving, I put the TV screen down on the mattress on our bed. I talked w/ our local RV repair guys, they said an install would be an insane pain in the behind. Besides, the TV the dealer we got from the dealers we bought the RV from had all of the plugs in the back - so a flat mount wouldn't work (idiots). It was just a lot easier this way and it works just fine.

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