Mounting Flat Screen To Ceiling In RV....Somehow.

87Itasca · August 11, 2016, 10:21 AM

Hi all,

My Windcruiser originally came with a 13" TV mounted overhead of the driver, between the two cabinets up front. The PO removed the TV and associated mounting brackets/box, so I'm left with a hole in the front for now.

I have a 32" HDTV that weighs right about 7-8 pounds that I want to install. What I'd like to do is mount it to the ceiling, so when it swings down it will just about even with the cabinets that end just before the rears of the front seats. The only way I could see doing this and having any structural strength to help with bumps and such while driving (the mount is made to swing away and lock in place when out of use) is t mount it to the roof. Obviously, some self tapping screws into the 1/4" fiberglass homemade ceiling into the luan and foam probably wouldn't hold up over time, but it was an idea. I had thought about drilling holes and using carriage bolts mounted through a small metal plate to distribute the load more evently, then putting Eternabond Tape over the tops of the carriage bolts/edges of the plate on the outside of the roof, but wanted to get people's opinions, or see what some of you folks may have done instead.

These old rigs have enough problems with leaks as it is, and you certainly don't want to ADD to them, but I would think the tape would be plenty sufficient to keep them watertight. It's worked very well on the rest of the coach.

cook elandan · August 11, 2016, 12:26 PM

I have the same problem with the TV hole. What I am thinking of doing is taking the other two cabinets down and then mounting the hinge to the steel framing and the TV would then flip up with the screen toward the roof. I would then remake the cabinets to fit or make more custom to fit DVR or any other items. You might want to have some one hold the TV where you want it to make sure that it would be comfortable to watch. In my RV with the TV where you are wanting would be hard for someone in the one chair and on the couch. JMO

87Itasca · August 11, 2016, 02:56 PM

I'd be curious as to how your RV is set up between the ends of those front cabinets up to the cabinets overhead of the driver. Someone took all my headliner material out, and the front "cap" area looks really unfinished inside. I can't imagine when new you would be looking at grey plastic with phillips head screws holding up the trailing edge. Seems there should be something covering it all. Any chance you could snap a photo or two for reference? I want to put mine back to how it would have looked, but have really nothing to go off of.

cook elandan · August 11, 2016, 09:10 PM

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/cookelandan/library/1989%20elandan%20TV%20area

Here is a link, hope it works. Well after the cabinets come out there is the plastic headliner. you can see the metal bracket and support plate that the TV sits on. with the big hole in the plastic liner. and the same for the passenger side, large hole in the liner. there is no insulation of any sort in the space so this is why it is hard to heat/cool the RV. It is the same for the rear cap of the RV. No insulation.

cook elandan · August 11, 2016, 09:33 PM

Sorry did not read fully what you were asking for. But the full view photo shows most of what you are asking. It is a one piece hard plastic liner. Then they added the cabinets.

87Itasca · August 11, 2016, 10:19 PM

Those pics illustrate it well. I can't believe there is no headliner material where the front cap is, only off white plastic. I'd have expected better seeing what these cost new.

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2016, 09:45 AM

"Out of sight, out of mind"

87Itasca · August 12, 2016, 11:57 AM

The problem with mounting it on the front cap is....well, there's no rigidity there. Hit a pothole and wind up ripping a hole in the front cap and......hoo boy.

Someone had mounted one in the side cabinets on a mount that slid down when a button was pressed. Very neat, but it limits you to a small (19-24") TV, plus half the people can't see it again, AND you lose basically 2/3rd of an overhead cabinet.

Mounting it so the back of the TV is flush with the front of the cabinets would be the next place, although it would then render the cabinets useless, plus hang down beneath them enough for me to smash my head into a corner each time I got up.

http://trulinecustomrv.com/project-galleries/flat-screen-tv-upgrades/

I like a couple of the ideas here, but that would require a fairly extensive amount of work and cost. Would look great though.

sasktrini · August 12, 2016, 03:51 PM

Try using a stud finder, as I expect you would find some tube steel framing in the roof. You could mount your hinges on a sheet of plywood that is secured with self-tapping screws into such framing. I would also use safety straps to keep it suspended while driving, and possibly while deployed for viewing.

cook elandan · August 12, 2016, 08:08 PM

I added another picture to my photo bucket. It shows the frame for the cab. there are 2 crossmember that you could attach mounting points for the TV

TerryH · August 12, 2016, 09:00 PM

Couple of questions here. Is the overhead in fact the best location for tv viewing? One reason I ask is that, my opinion, is that it is not - given your couch, one side of the dinette, and swivel seats for driver, passenger and the club chair beside the entry door.
Of course your length and layout is different than mine, but I have yet to see a layout where the majority of seating face forward when parked.
For that reason, and because I am single, I moved my tv to mid cabin. In my case it is 2/3rds of the way rearward, above where the dinette used to be and mounted to the hanging closet behind the dinette.
Very secure, fully articulating mount, can be seen easily from anywhere from the driver seat (facing rearward) to the stove. I can articulate it, easily, to watch while cooking.
The mount is extremely secure, and , if I am concerned I can easily remove the tv from the mount and lay it on the bed for travelling. Hasn't been an issue yet.
May be something to consider - different location over existing?

cook elandan · August 13, 2016, 10:12 AM

In my 89 Elandan, when I get it mounted it will swing down and it will be position over the dash, so it is as far forward as i can get it. This allows all on the couch and in the club chairs along with the dinette area to watch with out breaking ones neck. I thought about remaking the cabinet either the upper or the lower one that is between the club chairs with slides to raise or lower the TV into position. but after having the TV in both places, The one over the dash was the best.