There are a lot of RV owners that prefer to have all of the essential services present in the RV so that it can become more of a second home for them. It allows you to travel wherever you want in your RV without missing out on the comfort of being in your home. This includes a warm water shower, a kitchen for cooking, and most importantly, a TV to keep an eye on world events and stay in touch with the entertainment on the go. Therefore, there are a lot of TVs that are specifically designed for RVs so that compatibility does not become an issue.
Still, a lot of users face discomfort when it comes to mounting the TV inside an RV. Unlike at your home where the TV will be free from vibrations and movement, an RV TV has to be securely mounted to a particular wall so that it does not fall after the first turn you take in an RV. For that, there are a lot of mounting options available that make the TV perfectly compatible with all types of RV. As you may already know, TVs aren’t exactly cheap, especially if you are getting a smarter variant. So, you must pay attention to the mounting options for an RV TV to get a safe and secure installation.
But before that, let us talk about some important features that you have to keep in mind before you buy a TV for your RV.
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Things To Consider Before Buying a TV For Your RV
When you are looking for a new TV, there are a lot of things that you would check such as display size, panel resolution, panel type, operating system, sound performance, and much more. All of these features are important to check to get an idea about the performance of the TV and the overall experience of the entertainment that you can expect from it.
But, it is only true for the TV that you are buying for your home. When it comes to buying a TV for your RV, there are a few more factors that become more important and should be checked before the TV’s specifications.
These factors usually deal with the mounting, installation, and portability of the device which is important to check since the TV is going to be installed inside an RV. Therefore, factors like the physical size of the TV, weight of the TV, available mounting options, etc are the factors that you should definitely consider. By considering this factor, you can get the perfectly compatible TV option for your RV and install it inside without any hurdles. Such options can be great companions for long-distance rides and camping trips.
Let us discuss some of the most important factors that you should check out before buying a TV for your RV.
Physical Size of The TV
The size of the TV mentioned here refers to the actual corner-to-corner measurement of the TV as well as its thickness. So, this will basically give you an idea about how much space the TV will require to be able to install properly inside your RV.
As you may already know, RVs are pretty compact and any TV above 20 to 22 inches in size is generally not the best option for an RV due to mounting issues. Therefore, while you are checking out the display size, also pay attention to the surrounding bezels to get an approximate idea about the size of the TV.
Also, try looking for the thickness of the TV as it will allow you to choose the perfect mounting option. You will usually find these dimensions on the product page on the TV brand’s official website.
Weight of The TV
Another factor that is pretty much insignificant for home TVs, but extremely crucial for RV TVs is the weight of the TV. The walls of an RV are certainly not as strong as the walls in your home. Plus, you also don’t have the option to put the TV on its stand if you are planning to travel with the RV while the TV is present inside it.
So, the only remaining option is to mount the TV to an RV wall which depends upon the weight of the TV. The weight capacity is different for different materials that are used for RV’s interior walls.
Therefore, you should check out the material used for your RV’s interior wall and consider its weight carrying capacity before finalizing your TV. Also, consider the weight of the mounting bracket as well since the wall is going to bear the weight of the TV as well as the mounting bracket.
Available Mounting Options
If you want a secured installation of a TV in your RV, then the only thing that you need to keep in mind is the availability of mounting options. While there are a lot of different mounting options available for an RV TV, not all of them are supported by all TVs. The options are even more limited when it comes to compact RV TVs since the mounting options are based on the size as well as the mounting slots available with the TV.
Fortunately, almost all standard TVs these days come with the default mounting base as well as a mounting bracket to make the installation easier than ever. Still, you should consider checking out the available mounting option for your TV before you place the order. It is also helpful to measure the size and space needed for your preferred method of installation and see if that works well with the TV you are going to buy.
The Flexibility of The Mount
Another factor where regular house TVs differ from RV TVs is the necessity for movement. Unlike standard TV mounts that you would use in your home. You would not need to move around the TV at all since the viewing angles do not change much. On the other hand, RV TVs need to be moved all the time based on the number of viewers, viewing position, and sometimes even the time of the day since the direction of sunlight would change all the time.
Therefore, it becomes crucial to check out the overall flexibility of the TV mount before finalizing your mounting option. You should consider going with an option that allows readjustment of the viewing angle without compromising the stability of the mount or stability of the fixture.
Best RV TV Mount Ideas
Now that you have understood all the important factors that you need to know before getting an RV TV, you can easily choose the perfect TV for your RV. With that, you will be able to stay up to date with the latest advancements in your favorite movie franchise and TV series even when you are not at home.
After you get your hands on your RV TV, you should start looking for viable mounting options to mount the unit in your RV. Here, we will offer some popular options for RV TV mounting that are simply perfect for most standard RV TV installations. We will be explaining all of these mounting options in detail so that you can choose the perfect method based on your TV as well as available mounting space.
Mounting the TV Outside
Due to the lack of installation space inside an RV, a lot of users prefer installing the TV on the outside. It is a bit tricker mounting method since you need to be able to detach the TV from the mount time after time before you lock up the RV for the day.
It also allows you to enjoy the TV with the freedom of any viewing angle or sitting position you want without worrying about the available space. The best option for that is getting a dual plate RV TV mount.
This is a simple piece of accessory that allows you to install the TV on the outside. This is a detachable mounting option that ensures the safety of your TV and also makes it handy to use on travels.
Mounting the TV Under a Cabinet
The under-cabinet space is usually ignored inside your home. But in the case of an RV, you cannot afford to miss out on such a great place since you can easily mount a TV under the cabinet of your RVs kitchen.
You can also find a decent viewing angle for an under-cabinet TV as the cabinet inside an RV is usually visible from angles, and so will the TV that you mount under it. But, the main requirement, in this case, is getting a smaller TV that can easily fit under the cabinet. Usually, a TV below 25 inches size would work out perfectly for an under cabinet mounting.
Mounting the TV Inside a Cabinet
If you don’t want to make any additional adjustments to your TV, the best solution for your case would be an inside cabinet TV mount with an articulating arm. You will be able to finalize this mounting method without having to rearrange the plywood position. It is also a cleaner TV setup since all the cables and connecting wires will be hidden inside the cabinet, offering a clean and pleasing TV setup.
Another benefit of installing the TV inside the cabinet is the fact that you can lock the TV inside the cabinet when it is not in use. It increases the safety of your TV and also prevents wear and tear to the screen caused by external factors. But, this is only possible inside large RVs since the cabinet size in such RVs would be large enough to fit a TV inside.
RV TV Mount with Full Motion Support
A full-motion RV TV mount is probably the easiest and most versatile option for installing a TV inside an RV. Apart from offering significantly better aesthetics, it also allows a lot of flexibility so that you can arrange the viewing angles and TV position as per your needs.
You will also find all the necessary installation instructions and tools included with the package to make the process even easier. The only requirement of a full motion RV TV mount is that the mounting wall should be at least ½-inch thick, if not thicker. Along with that, it should also allow 5 degrees of adjustment after installation to allow the movement of the mounting bracket so that you can move the TV with ease.
Fixed RV TV Wall Mount
This is the easiest as well as the most affordable option for mounting a TV inside an RV since it does not require any special mounting bracket for installation. All you will have to do is make a few holes in the walls and attach the mounting bracket to the wall. After that, you simply need to attach the TV to the mounting bracket, securing its position on the wall. However, there are a few limitations to mounting the TV directly on the wall of your RV.
First of all, you need to consider the fact that you will be drilling permanent holes on the wall so the portability of installation is not favored in this case. It also prevents you from adjusting the viewing angles since the TV is more or less permanently fixed in its place. While the installation is quite secure, you should make sure that you have the right sitting position in front of the TV before mounting the TV on a wall.
Tilted RV TV Mount
This is a bit tricky installation method since you will be installing the TV on a hinged piece of plywood inside your RV. It also offers a rather cleaner setup since you get the option to tuck away the cables and wires in the extra space behind hinged plywood.
To perform this mounting method, you will need a fixed wall or tilted wall TV mount. You can also install a cabinet door with a locking mechanism and pair it with this installation method for added safety and security of the TV. It will prevent the mounting bracket from moving too much during transport and make the installation much more secure.
Overhead RV TV Mount
This is a similar method of mounting an RV TV compared to the dash installation. It also requires additional plywood with hinges to create a platform to mount the TV. However, it is done from the above to save some more space on the wall. It also gives you some extra space behind the cabinet just like the dash cabinet for storing excess cables and even some additional accessories like the satellite box or streaming box. Another advantage of this method is that you can pair it with a locking cabinet door to further improve the safety of the setup. Not only will that secure your TV and its cables, but also prevent excessive movement during transportation.
Conclusion
Mounting a TV inside an RV has become very easy these days since there are a lot of options on the market for RV TV mounts. This includes a variety of designs that are available in many different sizes to make them compatible with almost all RVs. These options are also quite strong and create a uniform load on the wall so that your RV interior walls can hold the mounting bracket with ease. If you are not sure which mounting method is right for you, you should check out our list of the best RV mounting ideas and get an idea about the right choice for your case. If you are unsure about any of the mounting methods mentioned on this list, you can reach us via the comment section below and we will try to resolve your doubt right away.
