Adding a TV to a 2011 195WBS - advice

[Bill_H]

Just bought our first TT - a nice, used 2011 195WBS that has never had a TV installed. the wall there is blank, no holes or brackets. I purchased a 24 inch propane powered flat screen (Tough to find! The supplier in Nigeria assures me it will arrive soon after my check clears.) with a built in DVD for that space, along with a wall mounting arm.

Now, "thumping" on that wall seems to indicate a piece of support wood inside the wall in about the middle of the area. Can anyone confirm the placement, width, and thickness of that piece referenced off of the bathroom door opening edge? I searched the forum and did not find this addressed.

I am wondering if short wood lag screws will be adequate (kind of depends on what is actually inside the wall) or if I should bolt through the entire wall with backer washers and nuts on the opposite side.

Thanks! Bill H.

 

[Dakota 1120]

: A 24" flat screen TV that is "propane powered" :


That is a good one!

 

[Ed Venture]

Okay - as an IT guy that has to fight Spam and Malware all day, I really appreciate the Nigerian bank scam reference.

I am unfamiliar with you trailer, but I would recommend Monoprice for all kinds of cheap installation parts and pieces. I picked this mount up for my 189 FBS install. It is my 4th mounting bracket I have purchased from them and you can't beat the quality for the price.

The only complaint (if there is one) is that the shipping is around $8-$10 no matter what you buy, so I suggest stocking up on whatever else you need (cables, etc.) when you buy to make it worth your while. When I am ready to place an order, I usually ask friends if they need any HDMI, audio, network cables, etc. before I finalize it to share in the shipping to keep the costs down. Paying $2.50 for a cable that would cost you $19.95 at a big box store is great, but its better if you can save partner up and save even more.

Good luck!

Ed

 

[fischnet]

Congratulations on the new TT Bill!! Welcome to the new, frustrating, but mostly fun world of RVing!!

I replaced the Sanyo junk that came in ours with a NAXA 12 volt 24" that does have the built in DVD. (We thought about looking for one powered by 'hot air', as I'm told I have plenty of that .....) Looks and Works great and doesn't eat up power in 12V mode! http://www.naxa.com/lcd-and-led-tel...igital-tv-tuner-usb-sd-inputs-dvd-player.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Naxa-NTD-2452-Widescreen-Digital-Inputs/dp/B008571004

Sound is good (for an LCD TV) and tuner is fine as long as you have a decent antenna, which we do not have yet. But picture is really nice .. not our Sony XBR nice, but still pretty good! Still dealing with the Jensen Junk antenna that came on the trailer.

But I recommend NOT using lag screws ... depending upon what kind of mount you use. I was able to use the stock single arm mount allowing for multipositions that came in the trailer, but it was mounted in the revolving mirror/TV 'lazy susan' in the entertainment console with 2 large screws.... that just could not be tightened sufficiently without stripping the holes. I took off the mirror to access the plywood and replaced them with T-nuts and bolts. Now very solid. ALSO, looking at the S-195WBS on the Cruiser site, I presume that's the model you're talking about .... I would check with a dealer or the factory to find out what is inside the wall. I've done quite a bit of remodeling in our 214 WSD, cutting access door holes in the inside walls for extra access to the pantry, adding drawers, etc etc. and much of the support wood inside the wall panels is just that and generally soft (and light weight) pine, not really worthy of weight bearing screws. With the tub and shower on the opposite side, you might have some issues with that. UNLESS you hear otherwise from the factory that there is (most likely) a plywood panel inside there made for mounting the TV. If not, there are other ways to skin the cat to make it work for you and support the TV.

FYI, if you're going to add an antenna, look only at 1st a JACK for a single unit digital antenna or 2nd the crank up Winegard 'batwing'. I'd forget most others as borderline functional.... My humble opinion after reading posts here and elsewhere to fix mine. Good Luck!! And keep us posted on how this turns out!!

 

[Bill_H]

I already have the TV and mounting arm (from Sam's Club actually - just $200, a Magnavox) - just wondering about attaching it. The arm mounts with two screws or bolts, in a vertical line, about 8 inches apart (designed to screw into a typical home wall stud or use the also included plastic anchors into drywall.)

At the spot where the arm should be attached, the opposite wall in the bathroom is blank - the shower stall does not reach that far from the side wall. So I know I could use some somewhat unsightly through bolts. If there was a 2x4 inside the wall (where tapping seems to indicate some solidity) that would be plenty to support the weight of the TV.

I'll be doing some kind of strap to hold the TV in place when the extendable arm is fully retracted against the wall. Right now it is a very tight arm but will likely loosen over time.

I was surprised that the CruiserRV website has no email for contact! Being a weekend, I did not bother to call them - I will do that during the week. Lots of good topics covered in this forum! I have another RV - a Van's RV-12 - and the support forum for that is phenomenal. The advice of those that have been there before is often better than factory advice - which is why I went ahead and asked here first!

 

[fischnet]

Ah, you are definitely right about the advice in these forums! Experience is SO helpful .. and as long as you can get the specs from the factory, likely the advice in the forums is better, I agree! And so your 'other Rv' makes you a pilot? ... I thought the RV-12 was a home built and I had to look it up! Bet that's fun!!

So sounds like you have a shower where the floor plan I was looking at had a tub/shower. I guess that at least gives you options!

I may be mistaken, but it is unlikely that you have anything close to a 2x4 to attache to ... most of the 'walls' are about .75" - 1" plus the paneling, so you have little room for additional structural members unless it is intentionally planned for something like the TV mount.

I too was a bit frustrated at the inability to contact folks at Cruiser, based upon my experience with 2 other brands we had in TTs. When you call, be prepared to have your phone call 'filtered', unless you are lucky. The tech guys I've been able to talk with have been very good and helpful when I've gotten through to them.

Strap is a must in the TT. The bouncing and rolling will just shake things loose if you don't hold them in place. As has been said numerous times in these forums, the TT is just a rolling earthquake going down the road.