Ever since we bought our 2008 Winnebago View 24H we've hated the placement of the TV. The TV itself isn't so bad, it's the crazy place Winnebago decided to put it. Being an older LCD TV (made in 2007) it weighs a ton & has a fairly narrow "viewing angle". This means if a viewer isn't looking at the screen almost directly, he/she will see dark shadows and a horrible picture. If you've ever looked at an LCD TV from a pronounced angle, you know the effects I am talking about.
As it is delivered from the Winnebago factory, the TV cannot be PROPERLY viewed while sitting (or laying) ANYWHERE inside the RV. What was Winnebago thinking? I believe they still use the same exact Jensen TV and mount it in the same place in the 2012 Winnebago Views. The TV is really too small to adequately be seen and heard while laying in the upper bunk. You can watch it if you stand up, basically in front of it. That grows tiresome quickly though. Also, the cheap TV mount Winnebago uses is not adjustable.  |
| Here's where Winnebago puts the little 19 inch TV |
I read on a fellow Winnebago View owners blog (Lynne & Millie's ) about how she had added a 22 inch Vizio TV and mounted it on a completely adjustable Ergotron mount.
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| Lynnes completed set up |
I really liked what she did and set out to mimic her upgrades. I ended up making a few minor changes because my mount is slightly different. I bought a used mount from eBay for $35. When comparing it to Lynnes mount I noticed a section is missing from mine. Whoops! I ended up buying a shorter computer monitor mount than the one Lynne uses. I was concerned at first but I actually think that NOT having the extra section will end up being fine in the end.
Instead of mounting the arm using one of the original shelf holes as Lynne did...
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| Lynnes set up |
...I mounted ours farther back in the corner and drilled 3 new holes. I also had to drill 2 new holes in the metal mount for the bigger bolts to go through. The two large bolts securing the mount make it very strong and since they're way back in the corner, most of the shelf space is useable.
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| Looking from under the shelf |
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| I should have vacuumed before taking the pics but it was getting dark fast |
I usually won't make permanent changes like this to something that I know we'll eventually sell. Since the TV was basically unusable where it was mounted from the factory, I made an exception. When we sell our View in the future, I am sure the new owner will appreciate the work I've done. I doubt they will want to put the TV back where it was originally. Especially, after reading all the complaints about its placement on the View and Navion internet forums.
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| The arm folds flat up against the wall so the TV can be pushed back out of the way |
The job so far has taken about 2 hours. Much of that time was designing, finding the right hardware and gathering tools.
Ever wonder what your Jensen 19" TV (without the mount) weighs? Almost 18 lbs! Add the mount and you're pushing 20lbs. Most of todays larger 22" LCD TVs weigh between 7 - 12 lbs. Big difference!
Ever wonder what your Jensen 19" TV (without the mount) weighs? Almost 18 lbs! Add the mount and you're pushing 20lbs. Most of todays larger 22" LCD TVs weigh between 7 - 12 lbs. Big difference!
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| Obese little 19" TV |
That's it for today. Tomorrow I'll hook up a much newer, lighter and better 19" Emerson TV w/DVD player built in. I'm just hoping the new TV will run off 12V. Otherwise, I'll have to rig up a small 12v to 110v inverter in the cabinet.
To make the pictures above LARGER just CLICK on them.
To make the pictures above LARGER just CLICK on them.
We are looking for a RV and have often wondered who they thought was going to watch tv with the strange placement of the tvs. Where you can view the TV is number one our list. I know many people don't care if they watch tv, but it is a part of our lives. I personally think they should let women design the inside of RVs. :)
ReplyDeleteCathie I agree that TV placement is a big deal. It almost seems that RV makers throw em in wherever they can find a spot... regardless if they're viewable or not. My favorite mid-sized RV is the Avanti 2806. After hours of researching RVs online I've decided it has the best designed interior and makes great use of its limited space... but... look at the link below to see where they chose to mount the Main TV!
ReplyDeletehttp://images01.olx.com/ui/16/47/92/f_265454592-430572202.jpeg
Now if only you could shrink down the sleeping room and enlarge the kitchens in an a-class for me, I'd be happy.
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ReplyDeleteFor those who just want to replace the original TV in the same place above the dinette in a 2006 View 23H, I found a 19" Element flat screen TV at Walmart for $98 that fits perfectly (but just barely)in the same spot. The model number is LE-19GJL3-B2. Because it has a digital tuner it also means you can remove the digital to analog converter box if your unit has one. The CD/DVD player just plugs in to the re/white/yellow jacks on the back.
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