New TV for the Bedroom - Cabinet Makeover

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Heli_av8tor

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2017
Posts
1,086
Location
NW Illinois
The old CRT TV was long gone when I bought my coach last March. The Dealer said he'd mount a TV if I supplied it and suggested a 22" model. Well he just set it inside the hole and run a couple drywall screws through the base to hold it. The 22" proved too tiny. And the whole setup was too crude for me.

Mounting a larger TV on the front of the cabinet face frame would interfere with the closet door to the left. I elected to make a new face frame and enlarge it to accommodate a 24" mounted inside the opening. The face frame needed to be hinged to allow access for mounting and wiring the TV and accessories.

I started constructing a new face frame. I believe the original wood is Alder but I couldn't find any locally that was fit to use. I settled on Poplar. The grain pattern is very similar and when stained to match it blends in well. Kreg pocket screws drew the joints up tight and is a great way to quickly make a frame. The original was done the same way. I sized the inside width 1/4" wider than the Samsung TV.

I found that hinging on the left side caused the frame to hit a ceiling speaker limiting the opening to maybe 30 degrees. I dropped the frame down 5/8" and made a filler piece to go behind it along the top. Of course now I couldn't open the top drawer and had to take 5/8" off the top of the drawer front. That went well and I was able to match the round-over and stain to match the original.

With the face frame done I started on the TV mount. I used 1/2" square steel tubing and some 3/4" x 1/8" flat stock. I'm embarrassed with the tig welds but at least they are out of sight. Guess I'm way out of practice not to mention going blind and getting the shakes. At least it is flat and holds the TV symmetrically in the opening. I angled the screen down as much as practical for the best viewing angle from bed. The top is about 1/2" proud of the frame with the bottom recessed. It would interfere with the closet door if I brought the top out any farther. I mounted it high in the opening to allow for a DVD player underneath and provide an outlet for the sound.

I need to build a latch to keep it closed to finish the project. All in all I'm happy with the results.  Sure was a lot of work to gain 2".
But, if two extra inches makes my DW happy then it's worth it.

Tom
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3811.JPG
    IMG_3811.JPG
    74.3 KB · Views: 66
  • IMG_3809.JPG
    IMG_3809.JPG
    87.4 KB · Views: 75
  • IMG_3815.JPG
    IMG_3815.JPG
    117.2 KB · Views: 64
  • IMG_3816.JPG
    IMG_3816.JPG
    130.9 KB · Views: 71
  • IMG_3819.JPG
    IMG_3819.JPG
    68.1 KB · Views: 77
  • IMG_3822.JPG
    IMG_3822.JPG
    92.3 KB · Views: 83
  • IMG_3832.JPG
    IMG_3832.JPG
    88.1 KB · Views: 88
Looks real nice, the welds look strong that is what counts. I agree shelves for storage behind TV. :))
 
Eventually I will make use of the storage space.

Oh, no doubt that the welds are stronger than the tubing. But TIG welds are supposed to be pretty too.
And mine used to be. Paint and being inside hides all ?

Tom
 
Thanks! Sharing mods/installs like this helps others, and gives them encouragement to do their own.
 
Boy.  That's a lot nicer than mine.  But mine is a converted overhead storage bin we didn't use.  So I can just remove the TV if needed and put the door back on it.  Good job.
 
I finished up a few details today.

The first picture shows a block I added to give support to the swinging assembly on the right side when closed. This should take a lot of load off of the hinges when bouncing down the road.
I glued a piece of felt on top of the block to give a little cushion and prevent any rattles. The lower support arm of the TV mount is angles up about 10 degrees. The top of the block matches this taper. I positioned the block so that it wedges the right side up about 1/32" when fully closed.

The second picture shows the latch to keep the door shut. I bought an assortment of magnetic and spring catches but decided I wanted something more positive. I found a new barrel latch in my junk box and fabricated a bracket to position it. The latch is accessed by reaching in the lower right corner of the frame. The lock pin drops down in the cavity visible in the first picture. Gravity should keep it in the locked position.

The third picture is the completed project.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3837.JPG
    IMG_3837.JPG
    95.6 KB · Views: 36
  • IMG_3844.JPG
    IMG_3844.JPG
    93.3 KB · Views: 39
  • IMG_3847.JPG
    IMG_3847.JPG
    88 KB · Views: 38

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
131,753
Posts
1,384,359
Members
137,524
Latest member
freetoroam
Back
Top Bottom