Need help switching old CRT tv with new flat screen...

YaddaYadda · Nov 1, 2015

....up front and in the bedroom. Think I have most of it planned out but I need some words of wisdom. I am not a wood worker and will farm this job out to a local RV service center.

The general plan is: after old TV gone, a new box/cabinet will be installed with a wood door and hinge. New LED will be mounted on the outside of the door so it can swing up and interior space used for storage. Secure latch to be installed for driving. TV will have 160 degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles. I will buy the two TV's.

Our Winegard SK3003 from 2011 is not HD capable but that should not be a big thing. We now have DirecTV receiver up front and no receiver in the bedroom. I have not yet called them to see about how to upgrade. Our existing receiver is dated 2006 and needs to be upgraded. My question is do I ask for upgraded receiver up front and new receiver in bedroom ? Or their Genie system ? We don't need a HD system as I don't think we will ever upgrade our Winegard. Not sure if we need a DVR. OR...do I just want two D-12 standard receivers?

Probably no new cable needs to go into the bedroom as that TV does get same programming as the front via the switch box up front.

Any help, comments or pics would be appreciated. I did a search and found some good info....but nothing as specific as the box and upward swinging door/TV that I have envisioned.

Many thanks

bucks2 · Nov 1, 2015

My concern would be the quality of work you get on cabinetry from the RV service center. I'd be more inclined to find an actual woodworking cabinet shop and have a talk with them. Most likely if the shop itself doesn't want to do the job they will know someone who does. Maybe even one of their employees who does cabinet work at home. I think the price might be comparable and the actual work much better.

I'm a Dish customer with a Travler and Hopper so I can't help on the Direct boxes question.

Ken

SeilerBird · Nov 1, 2015

I agree with the two previous comments. What I would do is look on Craigslist and find a mobile woodworker. It would probably be cheaper, more professional job and much more convenient.

YaddaYadda · Nov 1, 2015

Thanks for the replies. Yes, good carpentry is needed. I was going to quiz the service center(s) I visit for quotes...and see if they work with a cabinet maker or wood worker. Never thought of checking CraigsList for a local person.

First step is to get the cabinets finished; second is to buy two TV's with appropriate mounts and then see about DirecTV equipment upgrades.

ArdraF · Nov 1, 2015

Definitely get a professional woodworker. When we removed our CRT it was so large that it covered about 6 inches of the ceiling. When removed there were screw holes in the ceiling. We had the changeover done at Davis Cabinet in Oregon and they put a matching piece of wood up on the ceiling to cover the part that looked so bad. Most people wouldn't realize that is what was done because it matches so well; it just looks decorative. If you can find someone who also works on RVs (that's why we went to Davis) they did the changeover of TVs as well and made sure everything was hooked up properly. The space with the CRT is so large you can put the electronics and cables in it and put the TV in front but flush with the other cabinets. Ours looks like it was there originally.

ArdraF

SeilerBird · Nov 1, 2015

YaddaYadda said:
... second is to buy two TV's with appropriate mounts ...

Virtually every TV made today has VESA mounting holes in the back. There are hundreds of mounting brackets available at Amazon and Walmart.

YaddaYadda · Nov 6, 2015

DirecTV is coming here today to install a second receiver in the bedroom for DW.

Has anyone done this addition using DirecTV....and how did they do this ?

Thanks

PJ Stough · Nov 6, 2015

YaddaYadda said:
DirecTV is coming here today to install a second receiver in the bedroom for DW.

Has anyone done this addition using DirecTV....and how did they do this ?

Thanks

We just did this ourselves. We have a Genie for our main receiver, so we purchased a video bridge, and a wireless mini genie, an additional remote, connected them appropriately, then called DirecTV. They needed the serial number from both the pieces of equipment, added them to our account, and it about two minutes, we were watching DirecTV in our bedroom. We purchased the items from Amazon, as they were a lot cheaper there than from DirecTV.

YaddaYadda · Nov 6, 2015

Genie not possible for us as our Winegard is not a HD satellite. Besides that, DirecTV tech could find only two of the three Winegard satellite coax cables inside the coach. He needed the third one to do the hook -up. So....I will visit a RV service center close by next week. They are Winegard certified and will probably fix this.

After that, I will get DirecTV back for two new receivers. After that....a new cabinet and flat screen up front.....and maybe a new cabinet and flat screen for the bedroom (altho DW is happy with the existing set up). We shall see.........

Thanks for all your posts and I will advise if, and when, things are finalized.

8Muddypaws · Nov 7, 2015

There is no reason to replace your existing tv antenna unless it's broken. The frequencies digital tv works on are the same as the old analog ones. The old ones work fine.

I replaced my TVs years ago and mounted them on top of the existing cabinet. I was able to fit a 37" one in the space of an old 32".

I've also done a few for friends using both double swing arms and the piano hinge idea you're using. I suggest both a latch and a safety cable. The hinge is a better mount IMHO.

When we watch tv in the bedroom we just use the BOMB (box of many buttons) to send the signal there from the front receiver. If your SD receiver has HDMI out that would be the best picture quality to your front TV. If it doesn't the AV connectors (right - left - video) are next best. Least quality is the cable connector.

BoomerD · Nov 10, 2015

You don't specify where you're located, but there are many great shops that specialize in RV cabinet work and interior design.

We were at Dave and Lj's in Woodland, WA a couple of weeks ago for a flat screen retrofit. They did a great job.

There's also Davis Cabinets in Junction City, OR. They also have a fabulous reputation for the quality of their work.

Let us know where you're at...I'm sure we can find a quality RV cabinet shop to help you with your project.

YaddaYadda · Nov 10, 2015

Hi Boomer....we are near Grants Pass, OR. I did email Davis in J. City. Their rough estimate was $2250 for two cabinets. Plus cost of flat screens. A local tech who works with a cabinet maker gave us a bid for $2356 which included two flat screens.

There are some local woodworkers I have been chatting with. $60/hr for one and.........$20/hour for an old retired duffer who is a woodworker. We shall see.

Present thinking is for me to buy two flat screens and have a local woodworker do the job. My present task is to get DirecTV here to give me an upgraded receiver up front...and a new receiver in the bedroom. They were here few days ago and the tech could not do the work as he could only find two cables coming off the Winegard....and said he needed three. This dish has 3, not 2 or 4.

So, off to a local RV center near home, next week, who told me they have a Winegard certified tech and can fix this. If true, I can get DirecTV back for the two receivers and then....find a woodworker.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

YaddaYadda · Nov 25, 2015

Back from RV service center and happy to report that both front and bedroom TV's working fine. I took a receiver from our house and connected to back bedroom. RV tech found a bad cable from dish and switched B output to C output. I had to call DirecTV and go thru steps to tell the bedroom receiver to talk to the RV dish....and not the house dish, anymore.

Now I can zero in on a handyman/carpenter to build me a box for the empty space from whence the huge CRT used to reside. The bedroom setup is OK for now, no new TV and no alterations for awhile.

Many thanks for all your help.

YaddaYadda · Dec 10, 2015

Went to Home Depot and found a cabinet 30 wide x18 high x12" deep... and it just might fit. $65.00. Particle board with laminate finish. Not much will show as the TV will cover up the outside. We shall see.......

YaddaYadda · Feb 5, 2016

About 2/3 done. Cabinet fit just fine. Took two coats of MinWax PolySeal (or similar). Looks good. Back has a 18x18" hole to get to wiring, etc. 32 inch Vizeo TV and mount arrived yesterday. Too inept to post a photo....

supermanotorious · Feb 14, 2016

Glad to see you are making progress. I am doing the same thing- sort of. I ditched the crappy, small, heavy, low-res tube TV in our hauler for a 24" LG that I got for a SMOKIN deal on the daily special from Frys Electronics. I ordered this under cabinet mount from Ebay and will mount under the the tube TV opening, above the sink. It will fold up and parallel to the bottom of the cabinet and will swing down and rotate for viewing anywhere in the rear half of the rig.

supermanotorious · Feb 19, 2016

YaddaYadda said:
About 2/3 done. Cabinet fit just fine. Took two coats of MinWax PolySeal (or similar). Looks good. Back has a 18x18" hole to get to wiring, etc. 32 inch Vizeo TV and mount arrived yesterday. Too inept to post a photo....

I've struggled uploading pictures myself because of the file size limitation. I've found that if I open the pictures in Microsoft Office Picture Manager, then click "Edit Pictures" and "Compress Pictures" to "Documents" size they upload here just fine. It's a pain but it works.

I'm not trying to hijack your thread but as it turns out, I'm struggling to hang my 24" flatscreen and I have professional installation experience! The challenge for me is the trailer is nothing like a house. The mount arrived today and I went in the trailer all giddy to install it. I attached the mount to the back of the TV and went for a fit check. It seems this little 24" TV is too big for the trailer :-(

If I were to mount under the cabinet, it would rub against the range hood in the down position and would not be able to rotate towards the center of the coach. I started holding it up to other spots and nothing wants to jive. There is a spot on the ceiling, in front of the A/C that would work but there is nothing behind the ceiling wall to secure the mount to, I think its a cavity filled with insulation. There are few other panels big enough for this television and I'm afraid I may have to leave it on its stand and move it in and out of storage when we watch- what a pain.

Amen · Mar 3, 2016

We bought our RV from these guys. They replaced the CRT with a flat screen. Here are some of the jobs they did. http://azmobilerv.com/before_and_after_installs

Our TV was broken by a mechanic (not them) so we had to replace the tv. Found close to the same model and replaced it. Very cool bracket these guys made for the TV. I'll get pics of it tonight and post them.

foretravelman · Mar 3, 2016

When we had our coach, it had a 20 plus inch TV stuck in the upper corner of the cabinet area up front. I wanted a 36 inch flat screen. We checked around and the prices these RV places wanted were out of sight. So, did some measuring, removed the old TV, took the cabinet door off where the new TV was going and installed it where the old TV was. Purchased the flat screen, found a tilt/slide mount that was way heavier than needed and headed to a small cabinet shop. Cabinet guy cut a couple of doors down and made the area the right size and bingo. Total cost in material/labor, less than $200. Workmanship, priceless!
Drove all over the country for 5 plus years with never a problem. Had the TV I wanted. Happy Camper!

Amen · Mar 7, 2016

Here is how ours is done:

I still have to put straps on the bottom mounts to keep it from bouncing around. It's stored right now.

Need help switching old CRT tv with new flat screen...

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