Yanked the old glass TV and VHS that was installed when the coach was new along with the doors w/speakers (speakers were crumbling).. built a new door to fully cover the whole thing and mounted a 32" smart TV..
Probably bigger than necessary but it fits.
Really looks first-class!
Nice job on that door. Really admire you carpenters.
jor
Ditto! Is that a 12V TV?
Hi DesertDust (Bill); Where does the door go when you are watching TV? Does the TV go in front of the door...?
I notice that the florescent fixture is missing it's plastic cover and has no tubes. I have spare (old but rarely used) tubes from my rig, along with a spare cover. I bought LED look alike tubes from M4, 4500K natural white. You do need to bypass or remove the electronic ballasts, since the LED tubes run on 12vdc. RonB
Nice job on that door. Really admire you carpenters.
jor
Thanks!
The frame is a wood trim piece for wood flooring when it transitions to tile or some other non-wood... the panel is just 1/4" plywood - both from Home Depot.
Ditto! Is that a 12V TV?
No, it's just a standard 115V Visio smart tv I got it on amazon as a "refurb" for $90. I first got a 32" 12V also from amazon but it was nearly $500, a brand I've never heard of, and was basically a Google TV. I've had Vizios for more than 20 years with no issue - I just couldn't get comfortable with the google-based app menus and the unit just had a cheaper-than-usual-experience. also, it pulled a lot of current when on 12V almost twice what the Vizio pulled when running on an inverter (Walmart for under $50). so, for about $150 total I got a setup I like a LOT better than the almost $500 piece of unknown.
Hi DesertDust (Bill); Where does the door go when you are watching TV? Does the TV go in front of the door...?
I notice that the florescent fixture is missing it's plastic cover and has no tubes. I have spare (old but rarely used) tubes from my rig, along with a spare cover. I bought LED look alike tubes from M4, 4500K natural white. You do need to bypass or remove the electronic ballasts, since the LED tubes run on 12vdc. RonB
Thanks for your offer Ron but I'm planning on replacing all 5 of the tube fixtures and a couple of the 1156 bulb fixtures with some new units from etrailer. I was never a fan of florescent light anyway.
The TV is mounted right on the door. I designed and 3D printed hinges - hinged from the top - so that when you open the door it drops enough to accommodate the thickness of the TV. Haven't decided yet how I'm going to hold it open when accessing the former TV spaces - probably a prop rod. I don't want to attached anything to the ceiling. There's also 3D printed latches to hold the door from opening while underway.
and if anyone is into 3D printing, the hinges and retainers are ASA, .1mm layers, 50% fill, with heat-stake thread inserts.
Hi Bill, I'm not a fan of florescent tubes either. Mine are long gone, but replaced with LED tubes, so all of the fixtures look like original, but are the 4500K (natural white), LED's. Visitors from the Caravan Club at meetups, are unaware that my fixtures are any different than theirs, so they use them without hesitation. RonB
Hi Bill, I'm not a fan of fluorescent tubes either. Mine are long gone, but replaced with LED tubes, so all of the fixtures look like the original, but are the 4500K (natural white), LED's. Visitors from the Caravan Club at meetups, are unaware that my fixtures are any different than theirs, so they use them without hesitation. RonB
LED tubes are the fastest and easiest way to convert the old fluorescent tubes. They require minimal electrical changes and maintain the original factory look. M4 is my goto source of LEDs.
led replacement tube lights for 12v RVs and Trailers (https://m4products.com/tube-lights/)
Larry
LED tubes are the fastest and easiest way to convert the old fluorescent tubes. They require minimal electrical changes and maintain the original factory look. ...
Larry
I managed to change all those tubes to LEDs by myself too, and if I can do it, anybody can! That was about ten years ago, and they all still work perfectly. Kristin in Alaska
LED tubes are the fastest and easiest way to convert the old fluorescent tubes. They require minimal electrical changes and maintain the original factory look. M4 is my goto source of LEDs.
led replacement tube lights for 12v RVs and Trailers (https://m4products.com/tube-lights/)
Larry
$25.00 EACH!?!?
Hi Bill; Well maybe a little expensive compared to some of the alternatives. It does preserve the original look, and it is pretty quick. In the early days of LED's say about 2004, I had converted two fixtures. Taken out the ballasts and bulb sockets; put in more work to install LED strip lighting and heat sinks, only to have individual LED's quit. They were too bright, one was too harsh at about 6000 Kelvin.
I have 5 fixtures, so 10 tubes, for many years, and I've never had a single LED fail yet. The Natural White, 4500K is a good match for the florescent 'cool white'. They look original. Recently I took them all out and cleaned the dust off of them. No regrets and the cost was higher then. M4 stands behind their products and have good lower price sales. Maybe you could negotiate a lower price if you buy a group together?
There are less expensive alternatives. I replaced all of the fixtures in a friends toy hauler (Thor). (Amazon standard fare.) They were surface mount, and did well. (but still look like less expensive 'cheap' stuff).
The original holes in the ceilings where the fixtures were, could be filled in and patched up, and smaller fixtures put in. If you are good at it It would be ok, but still time consuming. RonB