Previous owners that is...
Since we purchased this coach the area above the driver's seat was sans tv and with a rats nest of wires, cables and stuff. Since I knew I would not be putting a tv back in that space, it was my intention to remove it all. So tonight after a days sleep (I work graveyard) I went out and started taking our screws.... LOTS of screws. Finally, I was able to get them all out and get the piece that housed the TV out, only messing up one wire, which is for something I won't be using so.. no worries. Now I have to figure out what to do with this space. Put another flip up door there like the other side, or something else.
Comments on what others have done is solicited.
Just leave it like that, and tell people it is Modern Art.
Leave it but tell those who ask that you did it to remind you what your previous SOB was like. >:D
I would remove the rats and their nest............... eliminating any unused and unnecessary wiring, use plenty of ty-wraps, and identify where and what the wiring that remains is for. If it were me, I would try to make it match the area over the co-pilot's seat. More storage is always nice to have................
Good luck!
Reminds me of the phrase "opening up a can of worms"
If you don't have one, buy a signal/tone injector. About $20 max online or HD. Trace all the wires and use a label maker so you can identify them later. Then you can decide what is obsolete and what's not.
Pierce
I'm with Pierce. The next guy will appreciate it.
jor
This article was written for techs in the music biz, but it applies to coach owners, as well:
How to Tell a Loved One They're Coiling Cables Wrong (https://thehardtimes.net/blog/how-to-tell-a-loved-one-theyre-coiling-cables-wrong/?fbclid=IwAR1JMeObkHJTOFJSVRD4CMtvO3_rUn1usAXsE4NxyX7aDZLrsvF786cQlOY)
x2 on making it storage space.
Pierce, good idea about the wire detector. Had been wanting one, now have a excuse to buy one. Purchased the Fluke non filtered one. Should be here next week. Since I will rarely use a antenna for TV but internet and blue ray dvds, I can get rid of most of the antenna stuff. A lot of the stuff was already removed by me last year, but there is alot left.
I plan on trying to make it look even with the other side. I might just remove all of it to redo the sound insulation, then put it back up. Not sure yet.
I removed the antenna leads on my entertainment center mod. But now will go back and hook it up as seeing local news when we travel would be nice.
What did you do to your coach today VIII (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=36854.msg340970#msg340970)
99% of people don't coil an extension cord correctly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeLrxXUbq0g
your welcome :)
see ya
ken
My wife has always been better at coiling lines and cords than I.
Bob, I took the angle and the depth out of the TV cabinet. It comes out about 6" past other overhead and is about 12" deep and 12" tall. I made 2 small doors for it and I now use it for my Manuel storage. I also put a piece of 1/8" X 2" flat aluminum across center of books so if something did happen the books don't fall out on my head. I slotted the aluminum on each end so I can push up on it and take it out to access Manuels
Chris
Chris what did you use to make the doors? Have a picture?
I am thinking of two things after spending some time tonight on it.
1 is to cut the old bottom flush across and put a door in it to match the other ones, I would use the door from the small table behind the co pilot's seat and just make it smaller. So difficult cuts involved and it won't look as good as I want it to but them's the breaks. Also the cabinet above the driver's seat will be open, so I would fill it with ply and veneer.
The other it so cut it at a angle to cover in the open part on the drivers side cabinets and again make a door to fit.
Think I will do it that way first, knowing I can always recut it.
Bob, Ill take pics later today and post, I made doors out of walnut(from a tree I had sawed up)
Chris
Chris did an awesome job! We will be doing the same when we get back to our son's home. Will be using the doors from the short cabinet that we removed when we installed our recliners.
Bob here is the pics I put a thin plywood piece in back of cabinet
Thanks Joe
Chris
Chris - you do nice work and great idea with the aluminum safety piece!
Nice Chris, great work.
We had Foretravel make the doors but just made a storage cabinet out of the former TV area.
Deb
So to continue the saga .... and craneman, you are right as usual... it does open up a can of worms. Cause one thing leads to another...
Since the top is open, and the vinyl is a mess, decided that I had to replace it. Tried cleaning it, and had some success but since I had the ultraleather, went with it. To get the panels off, found rust on a beam on the passenger side, so had to work on that. Took a while. Had to take off the entire front end of the dash to recover everything. Had just enough ultraleather to do this job, ^.^d
So here are some pics of the in process in case anyone is interested. Was fun (not) taking off the dash, but all in all not a bad job.
Still do do. Treat the rust, and button up the trim. Replace the clearance lights with leds (have) and then insulate the cap. Cut and trim the plywood piece for the new cabinet and door. And apply walnut veneer to the plywood, and apply the final coats. Still a lot to do. Work in progress.
Oh, btw, the third pic has a cable that is some kind of antenna which runs up the passenger side of the windshield to the roof. Anyone have any idea what that is for? Not currently hooked up on mine, so I am going to remove it. Its original. I believe it was for the bose system. All that is gone on mine. Took it out last year. FM antenna?
Bob, my 1995 has a cell phone antenna on the roof whose cable comes down the windshield pilar
Yes, a good trick for everyone to learn. Works great for air hose, microphone cables but best for garden hose. I hate walking back to unkink a hose when water stops coming out. Nothing worse than looking like one of the Marx Bros. when filling your coach tank with others waiting behind before finally getting water into the tank.
Pierce
I don't know Bob, looking at all that mess of wires, I think it might be a direct line to ET! Just saying! Hopefully, when I pull the factory tv and make a storage like Chris did, I won't have to address all the issues you are delving into! lol
Guess what Joe, I'll bet you 5 that it will be nearly as bad!! Mine was and supposedly the only thing that had ever been done was take old TV out and add a new one!!! I still haven't got it all figured out>
Chris
My plan is not to put a TV there but across from the jacknife sofa with a electric operating lift.
Bob, we are happy with what we did with ours. However we put the large tv over the jack knife sofa as DW wanted to keep the sofa for now. I wanted to remove it and put the lift tv there. You can see who won! lol However, it works and I have posted photos on the forum. The two electric recliners across from the sofa worked out great!
I actually have already pulled the front tv and looked behind it and put it back for now Chris! What a mess of wires! May invest in a wire tracer/toner thingy! Recommend a good one?
They are all good. Try a HD if in your town. HF has them or Amazon (good for ratings) or Ebay. No reason to spend over $20 or $25. Ours is inexpensive and works fine. Amazon.com: tone wire tracer (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tone+wire+tracer&ref=nb_sb_noss_2)
Suggest using label machine on both ends of each coax when you identify them. Place amplifier as close to the OTA antenna as possible. Not a bad idea to replace RG-59 with RG-6. I got rid of our under the floor amplifier in the rear closet.
I ran HDMI cable to the big screen on the back salon wall. Best to use expandable vinyl covering on all wires you have to pull. Protects against rodents and make it super easy to pull. Good for fuel line replacement too. I was able to pull a new HDMI from the front TV location to the rear salon wall in less than 30 minutes. The most work is climbing under the front suspension to weave the cable and then dropping the center galvanized cover. The vinyl is so slippery that I could pull more from the back without any help with the cable on the floor inside.
Pierce
Thanks Pierce; looking at the Klein tool, as I have had good luck with them. $24
A lot of the rats' nest is OEM. IIRC, Steve took something like 4 to 6 splitters out of the equation when cleaning up the AV wiring of our coach (splitters used instead of simple joint connectors). He also ended up re-doing ever single coax connector in the AV wiring since none had been done properly. This after we fought intermittent issues for years.
If you run multiple HDMI cables to the back, you can install an inexpensive wireless HDMI switch/splitter up front with a remote. Make it easy to switch between main salon and the bedroom. Full HD 1080P 5 Port HDMI Splitter 5X1 HDMI Switch 3D 4K IR Wireless Remote... (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080P-5-Port-HDMI-Splitter-5X1-HDMI-Switch-3D-4K-IR-Wireless-Remote-US/264326077066?hash=item3d8b0fda8a:g:rJMAAOSwep5c3odS)
Pierce
So after a few weeks of mucking around with this, I am almost finished !!
One thing this taught me, and to me this is all a learning process, and mostly fun times, is that I am in NO WAY a finish carpenter!!
I struggled thru stuff that most probably would have done no problem with a table saw, table router etc. But since I don't have any of that....
Also, foretravel used solid stock for a lot of this, and then ply with veneer. I used all veneer. Hard to get it to match, so just went with what it was and will be happy with that for now. I used Deft Interior Clear Wood Finish Satin Brushing Lacquer over their sand sealer. Looks real good.
The middle I will use for my AV receiver, dvd player and the like. Will secure it down.
The cap is now sound deadened and insulated. I covered it with ozite headliner carpet. looks good.
Most of the rats nest is gone. There is still a few wires that I need to trace out but most are now staying. I took out a 110 outlet too.
Added 3 puck lights, the same as the ones we already have across the front and one over the copilots seat. That area is always dark, with not enough lighting there. Will add LED bulbs to match.
Also recovered all the front in ultraleather, so had to take the door surround out and that included the grab handle. So I sanded to bare wood, and redid in the Deft with 7 coats total. The light will get a led bulb too.
In the bedroom, I converted the old tv space to a multi use space. It could be a bookshelf, and place for decorative flowers, a small christmas tree... Looks good too.
I could have went up to Nac and had it done there, better than I was able to do, at several coach bucks out of my retirement account... but I like it this way. Hope you do too..