Remove the console

Modification of the box

Reinstallation

Larry
What is the screen size of the new TV?
Don

The screen measures 15 inches and was made by "Road Rage."

Just finished the installation of a LCD wide screen digital TV and DVD player.

This was a very easy install and if anyone wants to try it send me a PM and I will give you my phone number if you need help.

The TV is a Visio 20" wide screen digital unit. It has inputs in the back for antenna, HDMI, component video, computer monitor, and VCR. It measures 20" wide and 14" tall. It is available at Sam's for about $350.00

The DVD player is a Phillips and is 14" wide. I bought it at Circuit City for $59.00. It is important to look for a unit that is not over 14" if you want to install it under the TV as I did.

First remove the TV cabinet from the coach. On mine it was three screws in the front up to the ceiling and three in the back into the steel frame of the coach.

Next I placed the cabinet face down on a table saw with the top against the rip fence and the blade set at 2" high and made a cut all the way across the cabinet 1 1/2" down from the top. Then I moved the fence to 17 1/2" from the blade and made another cut all the way across the cabinet. Next step may not be recommended for everyone that hasn't used a big table saw alot. With the fence set at 2" (the depth of the first two cuts) I lowered the blade below the table, positioned the cabinet against the fence and raised the blade with the saw running through the cabinet and completed the cut to connect the horizonal cuts. This was repeated for the other side of the cabinet. A piece of 3/4" Baltic birch was cut to fit the 16" cutout I had just made. A piece of Oak 2" wide was used to fill in across the cut made at the bottom.

This leaves about 4" at the bottom of the cabinet unused and is where I installed the DVD player.

Reinstall the Cabinet in the Coach.

The TV is mounted directly to the 3/4" Baltic birch. Since I didn't want to spend hours trying to align the screws from the back with the holes in the TV, I bought 4 4MM x 50MM metric bolts(your TV may take a different thread) and cut the heads off and used them as studs. With the studs screwed tightly into the TV, it was just a matter of holding the TV in place and reaching through the side cabinet and installing a fender washer, lock washer and nut on each stud.

TV installation is now complete.

I cut 2 pieces of 1/2" Baltic birch to place under the DVD and raise it in the lower opening. Using a piece of oak that was 1/2" thick and 5" wide I made a plate for the lower front. This hole was cut using the same technique of raising the blade through the wood.

The last thing I did was clean up the overhead cabinet in front of the driver. Since all that space behind the TV was now empty, I moved all the electrical outlets, both AC and DC and the TV antenna connection to the area behind the TV. Now I have a nice empty cabinet that I can fill with junk.







I spent a lot of time trying to decide how to do this and this seems to be the easiest install I could come up with. Things to consider. Speakers need to be at bottom of TV. You have more height to work with than width. TV controls are on the side of the TV so I couldn't fully recess the unit. That would also have meant having to rework the upholstered covers on the cabinets. The space below the TV can be used for a Satellite receiver later. The TV is mounted that close to the ceiling to stay above the curves at the bottom of the side cabinets.

This is my first experience with digital TV over the air broadcast and it is unbelievable. With the coach antenna we are receiving about half dozen digital HD channels and they are as clear as anything I have ever seen. They put the analog channels in the stone age as far as clarity.

If you have any questions let me know.

Good luck with your installation.
Nick

quote:

Originally posted by Nick Cagle:
I spent a lot of time trying to decide how to do this and this seems to be the easiest install I could come up with.

Nice job Nick.

What's the weight of the unit?

quote:

What's the weight of the unit?

17 pounds. I forgot to mention that I connected all the cables to the TV and passed them thru 2" holes I had cut in the Baltic birch before I put the TV in place. Once it is mounted I don't think you could plug them in.

Nick

Thanks for the pics. I think we can do something like this with ours now that I see them.
Tere