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Topic: Front TV How to get the Electric Power? (Read 741 times) previous topic - next topic

Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Fellow Foretravelers

I am planing to replace the front TV with a LED TV 36 - 40"  Should I get an inverter for it?  How do I get it powered up from the shore power when I am hooked to shore power?

Thanks,

Ted
Ted and Sheryl
1993 U225 Grand Villa

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #1 –
On our U225 there is a cigarette lighter plug just inside the cabinet above the co-pilot's chair. We simply plug a $25 MSW inverter into that and run a 19" Sanyo and a BluRay. On shore power it's powered (like all of the 12vdc circuits) by the inverter/charger.

I checked the power draw of this combination before I implemented it and both the BluRay and the TV together draw less than 50-watts.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #2 –
You can pretty easily pull an extension cord from the microwave 120 VAC outlet.  The roof/wall corner beam is accessible from the side door above the driver's area.  And, in the galley area, remove one of the plastic "breather" plugs.  Fish a wire through and you are good to go.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #3 –
I pulled out the old television and vcr fairly quickly after buying our coach. Our U300 is somewhat different than your U225, but I put a surge protector on the floor plugged into the existing outlet. That gave me more outlets to use, so I didn't have to stand on my head every time I wanted to use something different. I put some plastic drawer units we already had in place of the television set and put the dvd/vcr and Apple TV unit on top of them. The flat screen television sits on the pull-out tray when we're parked. All of the electronics are plugged into that surge protector. The various cords for the television are fished through and come put at the shelf. When we're traveling I unplug everything and put the television on the bed.

The monitor for the backup camera and Audit system was dead when we got the coach, so I just ran a bit of coax from the video out of the Audit box to the television set. Since the main outlet is switched off when the key is one, everything goes off when I start the engine, but that isn't an issue.

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #4 –
There should be a spare wire bundle on the passenger side that travels from under the dash to the compartment above the passengers seat on the right side.  It should be coiled up and tucked in the corner of the cabinet.  The end under the dash is coiled up on the far right when you have the dash top lifted up.  It's tucked in a little partition.
While these are discrete single wires (most likely originally intended for 12 volts) I don't see any reason you couldn't run 120VAC through them as long as you clearly mark them as high voltage and provide insulation protection from someone blindly reaching inside the cabinet and getting shocked.  My coach has a 120VAC outlet under the dash (for the TV) but I'm not sure about your model.  I'm assuming you know how to do 120 VAC wire connections.
If you uncomfortable with running high voltage, you could just use two of the large gauge wires for 12 volts and power an inverter as Craig suggested (incase you don't have a cigarette lighter there already - I know I don't have one in my coach in the upper cabinets).
John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: 93 unihome –
I am planing to replace the front TV with a LED TV 36 - 40"  How do I get it powered up from the shore power...
I don't understand your question.  ???  (Unless your current original TV is 12 volt power, in which case you should ignore my comment.)

When you take out the old TV, you unplug it from the AC outlet located behind it.  When you install your new TV you plug it into the same outlet.

Our video setup (subject to revision at any time) is very similar to David's - TV (with attached speaker bar) sits on pull-out table, DVR/DVD player sits on shelf in old TV cabinet, sub-woofer sits under the shelf.  Everything plugs into power strip behind old TV cabinet.  Simple.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #6 –
On the older Grand Villa's you can run an AC feed through the cabinet wire way on the drivers side from the existing AC duplex receptacle  for the microwave to the front overhead above the windshield.  You will have to drill one small for your cable / extension cord at the front of the cabinet.  This is where Foretravel pulls the AC for overhead conversions ( per David in the mod shop).  I did this on my 90' U280.  It was easy and works fine.  Just locate the duplex receptacle for the microwave and go from there.
Current coach 1996 U320 40'
Previous coach, 1990 36' U280

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #7 –
Thanks Guys

This forum is amazing, you are my heroes!

The current TV is 12 / AC  I was thinking of a way to use it while boondocking and while connected to the shore power [Thought they all do].  So while I am on DC the inverter should feed it and while I am on AC it should get the power directly without draining the house battery.  I could do it manually with a select switch but thought there is a way that it will be doing it automagically.  I am thinking that probably there are such auto magic switches in the FT I just do not know enough about it.

 
Ted and Sheryl
1993 U225 Grand Villa
 

Re: Front TV How to get the Electric Power?

Reply #8 –
Just go ahead and use the inverter all the time.  When you are boon docking, it is powered by the battery.  When connected to AC power it is powered by the battery which in turn is being charged from the AC power. 
Tom Lang K6PG (originally  KC6UEC)
and Diane Lang
2003 38 U295 build 6209
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Ecodiesel
still have tow-ready 2006 Acura MDX 
Temple City, California
Motorcade 16681 California Chapter President
SKP 16663 member of SKP Park of the Sierra, Coarsegold California
FMCA F071251
Retired electrical and electronic engineer