TV Project

[jplante4]

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.

[Kidoo]

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]

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]

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!!

[ArchHoagland]

Wow that TV cabinet would have killed me for sure! Nice job!

[jplante4]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Can you please tell me how to remove the old TV. We have a 2000 motel Coachmen Santara.

[jplante4]

Yeah, the old B/U camera setup used the 120V TV overhead for its monitor. Don't need the inverter on anymore.

Thanx for the tip on the adapter cables. When the new camera comes I'll see what I'll need.

[bshpilot]

jplante4 wrote:


I ordered the camera before I got into this project and found that the camera feed to the monitor is coax. I have yet to see if the camera I ordered will work. I really didn't want to go wireless, but I may have no choice.

There's also supposed to be a wire running from the B/U camera switch to turn on the inverter. If it's there, I'll have to figure out where to disconnect that.

there are all kinds of adapter cables available for these cameras, coax/bnc to rca and vise versa are among the many different type available.

why would you need the inverter (maybe to turn the old AC tube tv on, but not now) - the new LCD screen should accept 12vdc & eliminate the need to of the dc/ac inverter

[turbojimmy]

Nice work!

I've been thinking of doing the same thing in mine. Since it's an '84, there was no TV at all and really no place to put one except for exactly where you put yours - the table in the lounge area. It's a perfect spot, opposite the couch. What's stopped me is that lift - I haven't seen one for less than around $600. I don't know if a non-electric one exists, but that's what I'd be looking for. I, too, have a 32" 1080p TV and it only weighs 11 lbs. If there were a lift that manually pulls up and locks, that would be ideal.

[jplante4]

jwmII wrote:
Nice job all around. What are you doing for the backup camera receiver?

The backup camera didn't work anyway, so I have a new camera and monitor on the way. I may just mount the monitor to the bottom of the new cabinet.

I ordered the camera before I got into this project and found that the camera feed to the monitor is coax. I have yet to see if the camera I ordered will work. I really didn't want to go wireless, but I may have no choice.

There's also supposed to be a wire running from the B/U camera switch to turn on the inverter. If it's there, I'll have to figure out where to disconnect that.