TVs Built For RVs

[skpennock@gmail.com]

We are going to replace our motor home bedroom TV with an HD one. We were told at Camping World yesterday that we shouldn't just go to Best Buy, but purchase a TV made especially for rv's at about twice the price because they are built to withstand the bouncing and are sealed to protect against condensation. I would appreciate hearing your experiences and thoughts.

[Guest BillAdams]

I bought mine from Best Buy and Circuit City (now gone, of course) and have never seen an issue. I have also never once seen an "RV TV" in any coach I have ever worked on or any coach I have been in.

Is this something Camping World was selling? I would like more details on this scam.

[skpennock@gmail.com]

We are going to replace our motor home bedroom TV with an HD one. We were told at Camping World yesterday that we shouldn't just go to Best Buy, but purchase a TV made especially for rv's at about twice the price because they are built to withstand the bouncing and are sealed to protect against condensation. I would appreciate hearing your experiences and thoughts.

They are Jensen tv's and are shown on the Camping World website in several different sizes.

[tbutler]

I have a Sharp LCD I bought as a display model from Wal-Mart. I installed it almost two years ago in our overhead front TV cabinet. It is working fine. We are full time in the motor home and have been across the country and into Canada several times since we purchased the TV. I replaced the bedroom TV at the same time. It was also a display model I purchased from Circuit City as they were going out of business. It is a LG LCD and it also has had no problems. You can see both installations in my article Replacing Analog TV.

[StellersJay]

I purchased a Sharp Aquis from Target that I used in a travel trailer for a number of years with no problem. Our Airstream motorhome came equipped with a smaller Sharp Aquis. Neither TV is HD, so I use a converter box. Both TVs have been trouble free, even after dropping the larger Sharp. I was setting it up on a shelf and dropped it from about four feet. Just like a Timex, it kept on ticking.

Sam

[rvten]

Any TV is better than a Jensen. Had one in present MH. Replaced it with a Vizio.

Have heard a lot of complaints about Jensen and owners wanting to get rid of them

[hermanmullins]

We are going to replace our motor home bedroom TV with an HD one. We were told at Camping World yesterday that we shouldn't just go to Best Buy, but purchase a TV made especially for RV's at about twice the price because they are built to withstand the bouncing and are sealed to protect against condensation. I would appreciate hearing your experiences and thoughts.

The one thing I have been told is that an LCD TV is better for and RV then a Plasma TV. Maybe one of the tech heads out there cab explain why.

Our coach has two Sony TV's. I have the same TV at our farm and both work well on the same Dish Receiver (I switch it back and forth between the Two).

I think whatever TV you are comfortable with is the one you should go for.

[schoolsout2]

LCD's are better in MH than PLASMA. LCD shows better in brighter light that a MH would have with all of the windows, and they have a better viewing angle than PLASMA which show better if it is straight on. I would be interesting in what the newer LED sets look like.

[Guest BillAdams]

They look GREAT!!!!

[Guest Wayne77590]

I believe Audiovox owns Jensen and I also believe that it is just "another" tv.

My Coach came with a Samsung in the LR and an LG (I think) in the BR.

I changed the Samsung 30" out and put in a 36" Panasonic LCD.

[orickoh@hotmail.com]

You've probably gotten the idea by now but NO you don't need to buy a special TV. I've installed a 37" and 32" in our coach over two years and 30,000 miles ago and they're still working great. My next move will be to replace the 19" outside TV with a new 26" LED/LCD set... however on that one I will probably buy an extended wty since it does live in a harsher environment.

Good Luck

rick

[allnight4@yahoo.com]

Back to the question about plasma tvs...plasma uses a LOT of electricity, and get very hot. Enough that I would worry about things being damaged near a larger one (think delamination, that kind of thing).

Personally, I prefer the display of most plasma over most non-plasma, but the huge elect & heat problems keep me from putting it in the RV. I have one mounted on the wall in the stick house, though.

[mikemopar]

morganski2002

As you see a LCD TV from Best Buy or Costco will do just fine. I replaced the front and rear TV's in our 1999 Rexhall Arebus and have had no problems. I had to do many modifications to the box's just as TBUTLER did. There are important things to be aware of before you choose the TV.

Questions are - How will you mount it? Where are the TV controls? Will they be accessible after its installed? How is the TV constructed for mounting? Can you drill any holes for mounts? Where are the speakers (you don't want to cover them up)? You may find that the best way to mount your new LCD TV is all totally custom work, no store bought easy bracket to get.

In my case after modifying/reducing the original overhead box I flush mounted the LCD TV. On the Samsung LCD we purchased I was able to drill holes in four corners of the front plastic frame to mount. Actually very solid, better than the original TV we had. Left a little open area on the bottom because the speakers on the Samsung are on the bottom.

On our rear TV, being only a 19" VIZIO LCD, I used a Articulating Wall Arm. Not as solid because we need to strap it secured when retracted during travel, but serves it purpose giving better viewing positions and didn't have to worry about the controls and speaker locations.

Anyway there's a few things to think about.

Mike

[tbutler]

Plasma TV's have gases trapped in tiny little cells between the glass layers of the screen. They are essentially tiny little fluorescent light bulbs. When electricity is applied they light up. When you change elevation, the pressure of the air outside changes and this affects pressure on the gasses inside these cells. Most manufacturers of plasma TV's have an elevation range or limit they specify for proper operation. Since we are constantly changing elevation in our motor homes we would be constantly "stressing" these cells. If your travels take you to the west you would likely find yourself frequently outside the specified range of operation. Even if the set was not in use, the pressure difference would be stressing the cells.

Plasma TV's use more energy than LCD TV's. As stated above, they also produce quite a bit of heat. The screen is glass and tends to be very reflective so they work best in a room with limited light. The image of a plasma TV is not as bright as an LCD which you would notice in an RV in the daytime. They are heavier than LCD TV's and somewhat bulkier, having a thickness that is several times that of an LCD TV. Plasma TV's do have a wider viewing angle than LCD TV's but in an RV, that isn't likely to be a major factor. These are probably all reasons why plasma TV's are not commonly installed in RV's.

[dogpatch]

Just an added Tid Bit. We live in Canada and experience some colder temperatures in the winter. I inquired if this would affect an LCD. I was told no by the techs at Future Shop. They said as long as you don't go out to the RV and turn on the TV in cold temps. In other words if it is -10, don't turn it on. Warm up the coach first or wait till outside temp is warm otherwise you will have an issue.

I asked if leaving it outside would void the warranty and was told no.

I'm just in the process of adding a 26" Toshiba LCD to the bedroom and a 37" LG LCD to the front overhead.

[dandiamold2289]

We're in a 2003 Hurricane which "used" to have two analog CRT TV's. One up front in the dog house and the other in the back bedroom up in the corner of course. My wife charged me with replacing the unit in our room so that we (she) could catch the evening news. I too chose the Circuit City route with a 110v flat screen HD and used the existing 110v power already located in the cubby. Seemed to work great and I didn't get yelled at. About 3 months down the road the new LCD took a powder and I got yelled at. Not because the TV went bad but because Circuit City wouldn't replace it because it wasn't intended to be used in a motorhome and all of the bumps and jarring we deemed to be the cause of the failure.

I was again given the opportunity to get "us" back to watching the evening news in the bedroom of our rig. I did a little digging online and found a ton of information. I did find myself at a website who seems to specialize in MH TV's. They had a ton of info and some good recommendations. As it turns out Jensen

(a name I'm very familiar with) also makes TV's for us in motorhomes. They are built with travel in mind and include an honest 1 year warranty. They are built with a solid metal chassis inside though they are still incredibly lightweight. I also found out that most LCD TV's internally convert the 110v power into 12v dc. We all know that when you convert power you loose power. Jensen RV TV's come with a 12 volt power cord that is connected directly into the power system. They can be wall mounted or used with the included stand. I purchased one ( a 19") and wall mounted it on a new cupboard door that now closes over the existing cubby where the original CRT set. Also get a ton of added storage space out of the deal. I went with a 19" because Jensen doesn't make an RV TV smaller than that. So as it turns out the Jensen TV's only draw 3 amps on 12v and the picture is outstanding.

Being thoroughly impressed with this new unit I decided to have a go at the dog house TV. I have remove the original CRT and made a very attractive oak wall-blank inside of the cowling that once surrounded the old CRT. I've used a small wall mount and attached a 22" Jensen LCD TV. Of course the Jensen's have a new digital tuner built in which eliminates the need for a converter box and the additional remote control. The folks I dealt with at 12volt-travel.com were highly knowledgeable with all of this and walked me through it all. Janet hasn't yelled at me since and so we're much happier campers.

Bottom line is you should definitely choose a TV specifically made for use in RV's.

Hope this info helps those who have been resisting the conversion.

I finally have pictures from this.

[BillAdams]

Top line is that there is no reason at all to choose an RV TV. Considering you mention getting your TV's from Circuit City, I can only speculate that you did this many years ago when this company still existed.

We have bought household TV's from Target and Best Buy without any issue after installing the units in our RV. We currently have a 32" Vizio up front and a 22" Vizio in the back. Unless you are going to go completely solar and stay "off the grid" for extended periods of time a 12V TV is not necessary for the majority of RVers.

Hook up with a good LED LCD TV, secure it properly and enjoy!

[bizsmith@yahoo.com]

I guess the consensus is a TV is a TV. Pick your favorite.

[desertdeals69]

The only real problem with flat tvs has been the plasma if they are mounted in front and travel flat against the ceiling or are used in high elevation. They will fail. I have been using and installing flat screens since they first came out. There have been many improvements over the years, the most recent major improvement being the LED/LCD. They run on much less current and run cooler. They are also much thinner. I have mounted a 40 inch Samsung in the my own coach and hinged it at the top with gas struts to hold it open and has storage for Blu-Rays and DVDs. In my bedroom I have mounted a 19 inch Hitachi LED/LCD flat on the bottom of the overhead cabinet so when I'm in bed I just look up. The LED/LCD tvs are as thin as 1.2 inches and extremely durable. If you plan to run the tvs on the inverter be sure your inverter has pure sine wave. Very important, some say its not, because they have used modified sine wave and it worked, but for how long?

[nitehawk]

We purchased an Insignia 23" LED TV from Best Buy five years ago. Three years in our class C and now two years in our class A. No problems whatsoever. Picture is superior to LCD when in bright lit conditions. INsignia is Best Buy's house brand and comes with a warranty that does not care where the set is installed.

Bedroom TV is a 15" Dynex LCD. The coach came with two new 15" Dynex TVs and one had quit. (Don't know why. Dealer had removed the set just before we bought the coach)

I would recommend buying the LED TVs and save the $ difference. TV technology is constantly being improved and upgrades make a big difference.

If you leave the TV out in the cold environment just leave the set warm up to room temperature before turning on. This gives the TV time to dry out from the condensation inside.

[dandiamold2289]

Not sure what you mean by Circuit City not being around any more. They're just as in business as ever. In fact there's a new store not far from us. Anyways, standard LCD TV's made for home use have nothing inside to help protect against shock and vibration from travel in a MH nor do they offer any protection from humidity which causes corrosion on the circuit boards. We do a lot of boondocking so the 12 volt dc operation really is a blessing for us.

[aztec7fan]

I my line of work, we deal with homes and business that have been damaged from fires, floods, etc. We hire an electronics specialty company to remove the electronics and they told us that when transporting flat screen TV's, the LCD's can be laid flat, but the plasma ones need to be stored and transported upright at all times. Just something to consider when installing which ever you choose.

[RVerOnTheMove]

Not sure what you mean by Circuit City not being around any more. They're just as in business as ever. In fact there's a new store not far from us.

Could you explain just a bit further? Here's information from the Circuit City website.............

CircuitCity.com is Back

But what about the stores?

We know that our recent acquisition of the CircuitCity.com brand has caused some confusion. Many of our customers are wondering what happened to the Circuit City stores. Currently, there are no Circuit City stores. However, if you’re looking for the very best online shopping destination, you’ve found it – CircuitCity.com.

[dandiamold2289]

Could you explain just a bit further? Here's information from the Circuit City website.............

CircuitCity.com is Back

But what about the stores?

We know that our recent acquisition of the CircuitCity.com brand has caused some confusion. Many of our customers are wondering what happened to the Circuit City stores. Currently, there are no Circuit City stores. However, if you’re looking for the very best online shopping destination, you’ve found it – CircuitCity.com.

[RVerOnTheMove]

OK, so now we know that Circuit City stores no longer exists. What we don't know is what in the World Dandiamold is trying to say.