TV upgrade

[Gerald Farris]

I recently had RV Outfitters in Bend Oregon upgrade the original 21 inch TV to a 40 inch Sony LED LCD flat panel HDTV. The new cabinets and TV installation are beautiful and it looks like it my 2000 Marquis was originally built with a 2010 TV. Jim Sizemore and Greg Fulton could not have been more professional, efficient, and easy to deal with. Here are the before and after pictures.  

Gerald

[Edward Buker]

Gerald,

Nice work. It is great to go to a shop and have them be able to handle all aspects of the job including the woodwork. Trust is everything nowadays. Enjoy the new TV, it should be easy on the eyes compared to the 20 inch.

Regards Ed

[David Parham]

Have you had any problems with hitting your head while getting in or out of the drivers seat? This looks fantastic!

[Larry Fisk]

It really looks great! Congratulations! They certainly do great work alright...

[Gerald Farris]

The new TV actually has more headroom for the driver than the original one did. The new LED LCD TVs are so thin that the bottom of the cabinet is only 4 1/2 inches thick. So it can be moved close enough to the windshield to allow the privacy curtain to close behind it and it still does not cause any clearance concerns. If you would like to see the installation, I will be at Indio, Quartzsite, and Moultrie.

Gerald

[Richard And Babs Ames]

We had ours done in Lakeland and agree that replacing the CRT TV with the thin LCD makes a huge improvement in clerance.

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

That 40" gives you a big picture.  The LED is about 1/3rd as thick as the old LCD and about half the weight, and uses much less energy (good for dry camping).  I changed my 20" CRTs to 26" LCDs a year ago, but I did not forsee LEDs.  LED is the set to get for RVs and the LCD may not be around to purchase much longer.  Placing that 40" forward of the dash gives you a good view of the games as you drive down the road.

Larry

[Glenda Farris Co-Admin]

Don't worry!  Neither of us watches TV going down the road.  We listen to books-on-tape.

Glenda

[George Harwell]

Had mine done several years ago at Sizemore's shop. We had a 26 RCA so was able to fit a Sony 26 into the existing cabinet. Looks like factory installation. Love the LCD as they do not reflect outside light and the picture is perfectly clear with the batwing and Moto Sat HD. Bought another Sony 26 for the basement and I installed a 23 Toshiba in the bedroom. Now I just have to find time to enjoy them. Believe me, it is hard to watch regular t v after seeing HD.

[JimCasazze]

Gerald,
I am thinking about doing exactly what you've had done, except using a 32" instead.  What angle (off straight down) would you approximate the set sits?  Do you have any problems with entry into the coach with this new setup?
Jim

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
The TV screen is tilted at about 15 degrees, making the top of the TV box about 11 inches deep and the bottom is 4 inches deep. Since the cabinet is so thin at the bottom and about 4 inches off center to the driver's side, there is no clearance problem when you go in or out the door.

If you install a 32 inch LED model, you will not have to remove the current TV cabinet. You can mount the new TV in the center section of the cabinets above the dash and against the current TV cabinet. You then just have to add doors and shelves to the original TV cabinet for component storage.  

I will be at the Steedman, Branson, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and Chama rallies in September, 2011 if you would like to see my installation before you start on your coach.

Gerald

[JimCasazze]

Gerald,

That is exactly what I was thinking of doing.  I plan to center mount a 32" LED HDTV and reuse the existing TV cabinet for AV equipment.  Presently the AV equipment is in the overhead cabinets and runs way too hot anyway.  

Since I was also considering installing a high quality multizone AV receiver (home style - Yamaha, etc) this extra cabinet space would work nicely to accommodate the larger unit.  I'd also like to get rid of the Bose stuff (not a fan at all) and replace that with quality speakers while I'm at it.  Now if I can find a good place to put that center channel speaker...

I wish I had thought to look at your coach while we were in Moultrie, but oh well for that.
Jim

[Joel Weiss]

If you're still looking for ideas on audio/video changes, we replaced the old Bose system with a Sony HT-CT350 sound bar system.  The receiver/amplifier is integrated with the subwoofer enclosure and the entire unit sits nicely in the old TV box.  We decided on a 26" LG LED TV because it fits over the old opening with very little overlap and the HD picture is plenty big enough for us.  The sound bar itself is hung below the front overhead cabinets and doesn't interfere with their use nor does it take up more than an inch of headroom.  I was able to find a Blu-ray player that fit into the small left-most cabinet and the center one will accommodate a DirecTV DVR.  Because the DVR runs hot I usually leave the door open, but eventually I'll install a cooling fan.  All components are controlled by a Logitech remote with an RF extender to operate things like the receiver and Blu-ray that are hidden from view.

[Jeremy Parrett]

Gerald,
 Very nice job.    Do you measure the screen diagonally or the whole box?  
  I have a Sony Bravia with a 32 inch screen ;the box   measures 38 inches diagonally. I am going to mount it the same way.   Thanks, Jeremy.

[Gerald Farris]

Jeremy.
The TV that I installed is a Sony 40EX710. Since it has been nearly a year since I had it installed, that number has been replaced by the 40EX720. Mine measures 37.5 inches by 24 inches with a 40 inch diagonal screen.

If you are going to the trouble and expense of installing a large TV above the dash, I would strongly urge you to go with one of the new LED backlit models. They are much thinner (for more walkway clearance) and lighter (mine weighs 29 lbs) than the older sets  as well as they operate much cooler. All of these factors can be a consideration when installing the TV.

There is also the consideration of a replacement TV if the present one fails. Since a lot of the manufactures no longer make a TV in the 37 inch diagonal class (Sony goes from 32 inch to 40 inch now with nothing in-between), you may have to make serious modifications to the enclosure to replace the unit if it fails.    

Gerald