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jplante4's avatar
jplante4
Explorer II
Apr 04, 2015

TV Project

Completed the big spring project - replacing the old head banger TV with a LED TV in a lift cabinet.

This is what I started with. The old tube-type TV over the driver's head and a lamp table a recliner behind the pax seat.





I took the lamp table out and luckily there was 120V power behind it, and much to my surprise it was wired to the inverter. I reused the wood from the table to build a cabinet to replace the old TV cab, making it the same size as the rest of the overheads.



I made back and side panels as well and put them in loosely. I need to run the cables for the CD changer that's going up there, and I think I can get the XM antenna on top of the new cabinet.

Rough install on the lift cabinet.



And with the lift up.



Final install. I had it screwed down on top of the carpet, but it was a little too wobbly. So I took the feet off the cabinet and cut the carpet out from underneath and bolted it directly to the floor. A channel for the 120V wire and the cable and now it's solid.



Added a 32" LED 1080 and project done.



Total work was about 4 days, most of it building the replacement cabinet. A good solution for the old head banger.
Class A
  • Kidoo's avatar
    Kidoo
    Explorer
    Oct 05, 2015
    Great, I hate having the TV up front. This is what I want to do too. I want to buy an electrical fireplace and put it in behind the fireplace with two sliding rails that would go up or down.

    What did you use for sliders?
  • PF_PM's avatar
    PF_PM
    Explorer
    Oct 04, 2015
    Nice job jplante4 ! Love that idea for the TV. We removed the 80 or 90 lbs of 27" TV from our overhead and replaced with a smart Samsung 32 inch on a moveable mount. works awesome and got rid of the squeaking heavy TV.
  • 10forty2's avatar
    10forty2
    Explorer
    Apr 18, 2015
    SacsTC wrote:
    10forty2 wrote:
    To the OP.... did you custom build your lift cabinet or was is an already built unit that fit your application? I'm debating the same type project. Mine will have to go in place of the recliner that we never use. I want to incorporate a computer desk on the side of it so I can sit in the passenger seat when turned around and work on the computer. Of course, the cabinet would house all the TV components. I have looked at the Nexus21 systems online... http://www.tvlift.com/motorized-tv-lift.html Is that similar to what you used?


    Here's another one to look at and yes, we did use the Nexus 21 lift.


    Great looking project you did! Hopefully I'll post photos of mine at some point in the future! Thanks!!
  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Apr 17, 2015
    We got a Touchstone cabinet with a Whisper lift from

    Click

    It came already assembled. I don't see why you couldn't add a snap hinge desktop to the side to use as a laptop station.
  • SacsTC's avatar
    SacsTC
    Explorer
    Apr 17, 2015
    10forty2 wrote:
    To the OP.... did you custom build your lift cabinet or was is an already built unit that fit your application? I'm debating the same type project. Mine will have to go in place of the recliner that we never use. I want to incorporate a computer desk on the side of it so I can sit in the passenger seat when turned around and work on the computer. Of course, the cabinet would house all the TV components. I have looked at the Nexus21 systems online... http://www.tvlift.com/motorized-tv-lift.html Is that similar to what you used?


    Here's another one to look at and yes, we did use the Nexus 21 lift.
  • 10forty2's avatar
    10forty2
    Explorer
    Apr 17, 2015
    To the OP.... did you custom build your lift cabinet or was is an already built unit that fit your application? I'm debating the same type project. Mine will have to go in place of the recliner that we never use. I want to incorporate a computer desk on the side of it so I can sit in the passenger seat when turned around and work on the computer. Of course, the cabinet would house all the TV components. I have looked at the Nexus21 systems online... http://www.tvlift.com/motorized-tv-lift.html Is that similar to what you used?
  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Apr 17, 2015
    junenmorris wrote:
    Can you please tell me how to remove the old TV. We have a 2000 motel Coachmen Santara.


    Well I did it wrong, but I was planning on throwing away the old TV anyway.

    The TV was held in by a trim piece in the front and 2 screws into a flimsy wall mount point on the back. It was obvious how to remove the trim piece; remove the wood plugs and unscrew the screws. The back screws were inside the cabinet and required removing the padded trim piece on the back of the cabinets (facing the windshield), reaching in with a long screwdriver and unscrewing the screws holding the TV to a bracket. I ended up just breaking the plastic case on the back of the TV. It was pretty brittle anyway.
  • Dale_Traveling's avatar
    Dale_Traveling
    Explorer II
    Apr 17, 2015
    Going wireless is pretty simple as long as you have a 12VDC power source close by the camera. I did a wireless camera on the toad with a two channel monitor in the coach dash. The camera and transmitter are powered thru the coach to toad brake light cable (six pin vice four). Used THIS set up I found on Amazon for less than $20 along with a license plate frame camera. The transmitter is are probably a good 50 feet away inside the rear door of a CRV behind the license plate while the receiver is in the coach dash. I get a good signal and image on the monitor (also from AMAZON) and can switch between the coach or toad cameras by a push of a button. Gives me another view behind from the toad's prospective.
  • junenmorris's avatar
    junenmorris
    Explorer
    Apr 17, 2015
    Can you please tell me how to remove the old TV. We have a 2000 motel Coachmen Santara.

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