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

[msmith1199]

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.

[ClassAGeek]

msmith1199 wrote:
Holy moly that's a big TV! How do you get into the side cabinets? But this did just give me an idea. I was worried about being able to open my side cabinets. The doors swing up. If I go with the articulating arm mount I can actually get a bigger TV and just let it go in front of the cabinet doors because with the arm I can move the TV out of the way to open them.

These two cabinet doors immediately behind the TV are partially blocked - but not completely since the old cutout projected forward about 3" (CRT TVs were very deep). The opposite doors also open completely so no real problem.

Both the 32" and 40" replacement LCD TVs I used previously allowed full cupboard access but didn't cover the bottom of the old 23" 4:3 CRT cutout. Having partial access while fully covering the cutout, and getting a TV we can actually see from the other side of our MH, has worked best for us in the end.

[donhoward49]

Thats exactly like my Sea breeze TV, was. I moved the bottom bracket to Upright, then put a TV bracket on that. the side brackets are lipped over then screwed to the roof. It aint going no where.

[msmith1199]

Holy moly that's a big TV! How do you get into the side cabinets? But this did just give me an idea. I was worried about being able to open my side cabinets. The doors swing up. If I go with the articulating arm mount I can actually get a bigger TV and just let it go in front of the cabinet doors because with the arm I can move the TV out of the way to open them.

[ClassAGeek]

Here's my CRT to LCD Upgrade ending with a 50" LCD in the front and hidden compartment with LCD in the rear.

[msmith1199]

Now that isn't a bad idea on the magnets. I guess the trick would be to get magnets that are strong enough to hold but not too strong that you can't get the TV off of them.

[Mississippi]

Newmar Dutchstar uses a set of 4 magnets to hold the TV and articulated arm in place when going down the road on both the bedroom and outside TV's.

[msmith1199]

Jack&Kay wrote:
On my Tiffiin there were 8" long screws on both sides holding the frame in. They were easy to get out. Sory yours were so hidden and it took so long, but you got it done and now you can move on. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

I'm not sorry it was so hard to get out. I'm actually quite impressed at how well it was installed. Can you imagine if a burglar got into my motorhome and tried to steal this thing? He would have had to tear the entire front end off to get that thing out and even then he wasn't getting out without a cutting torch or lots of tools. There would have been $5000 damage done! Good thing nobody ever tried to steal it. 🙂

[Jack_Kay]

On my Tiffiin there were 8" long screws on both sides holding the frame in. They were easy to get out. Sory yours were so hidden and it took so long, but you got it done and now you can move on. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

[msmith1199]

So I'm starting to think of ideas on how to replace this and I went and looked at TV mounts for the LED TV. None of the ones I looked were designed for an install such as this where the TV will be bouncing around. Although I didn't think it would work, the mount I like best is the one with the articulating arm so you can change the angle of the TV and move it from once side to the other by about a foot or so. That could come in handy with the position of my couch and for times when I'm parked at Walmart with the slides closed. The articulating arm mount seemed to be the most rigidly built mounts of the ones I looked at. The only issues is when you push the TV back flat against the mount there is nothing to hold it there. I'm sure I could come up with some type of elastic strap system or something to hold it in place when the motorhome is on the road. Anybody else used one of these types of mounts? I think I've seen photos on here before of somebody that did.

[msmith1199]

msmith1199 wrote:
Found this coil of wires behind the TV. There are two coax cables then some other cable with a large multi-pen connector on it. It had a piece of masking tape on it and written on the masking tape was "Do not use, inoperable." I'm not exactly sure what it would have been for. Maybe for the backup camera? But if so, where is the cable that works for the backup camera and how did they put in new cable without removing this cable? I'll have to figure this one out later. Anybody got any ideas what it is?

No guesses on what these cables may be for?

[msmith1199]

1fastdad wrote:
In the cabinet on the right there are virtical pieces of wood on each side that have to be removed(two screws on each side). Remove the door and latches and the top shelf will slide out to get to the plugs.

I was trying to avoid having to completely take everything apart, but I think I will anyway. Thanks for this info.

[msmith1199]

I'm on a computer at my office now and the photo links aren't working on this computer. Is this happening on anybody elses computer or can you see the photos?

On edit: Nevermind now they're working. I think the host site for the photos was just down.

[msmith1199]

1fastdad wrote:

Deano56 wrote:
I would discard the steel sides and make a bracket to mount a hanging tv mount, then make a wood box around that, or fill in the open area with a nice panel of wood with the bracket coming down through it.

I respectfully disagree with this method of mounting. the steel frame was built to hold the weight of the large heavy TV and will do a good job of holding the new one. I don't beleive the cabinet facia will hold the TV for a long period of time going over rough roads.

Yeah, I'm not removing the steel bracket. That this is pretty solid especially with the bottom on. Not to mention the plastic trim is designed to fit around the bottom of the bracket along with the speaker from the surround sound system. I was going to try and do some type of storage behind the TV, but I already have storage space I don't use so I'm not going to bother with that. I'll make a hardwood backing to go inside the metal box and then attach the LED TV to that. If I do it right, I may not even need any trim around the TV. I'll have to see how it works out.

[1fastdad]

Deano56 wrote:
I would discard the steel sides and make a bracket to mount a hanging tv mount, then make a wood box around that, or fill in the open area with a nice panel of wood with the bracket coming down through it.

I respectfully disagree with this method of mounting. the steel frame was built to hold the weight of the large heavy TV and will do a good job of holding the new one. I don't beleive the cabinet facia will hold the TV for a long period of time going over rough roads.

[1fastdad]

In the cabinet on the right there are virtical pieces of wood on each side that have to be removed(two screws on each side). Remove the door and latches and the top shelf will slide out to get to the plugs.