TV advice

[Peter Shead]

Any recommendation for make and size of TV mounted on driver side head rest.?

 

[calikev]

This is the most popular one by a country mile.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/gallant-tv-bracket-vw-t5-t6-california

 

[Peter Shead]

Thanks but it was the TV I needed advice on...

 

[calikev]

Apologies that will teach me to not read a post properly

 

[MrNick]

That Lift off mount is amazing. We have it on our back seat headrest, and use it with an Avtex L218DRS. Nice and neat and easy to put up and out away. I guess this would fit well on the front headrest too.

 

[Mark Garrett]

I've been looking into these recently too (the Gallant and Avtex TV's to mount on rear of headrest)...

I whittled it down to the Avtex L188DRS rrp £349, best price I can find is £329.99
https://pricespy.co.uk/product.php?p=3987844

or the slightly cheaper L188DR, which doesn't seem to do Satellite TV, but don't see that as an issue - unsure whether there are any other significant differences...

This is the 18.5" version, I thought a 21 might be a tad too big...

Watching this with interest....

 

[MrNick]

One thing worth bearing in mind if you’re storing the TV in the van, is that the Avtex case (AK854) for the 18” TV is actually the same as for the 21” version, so it doesn’t take up any less space storage wise. That’s what made me get the larger one, which fits fine on its side in the case, inside the wardrobe.

 

[audio2]

What do you use for an aerial?

 

[MrNick]

http://www.avtex.co.uk/antenna/sth3000

It gets 12v power from the Avtex TV set to amplify the signal. I run the cable out of the top of the boot (still closes) and have done a bit of DIY to attach it onto the awning rail.

But most of the time we don’t bother with this as any TV we do watch is a film from plugging iPad into TV, or using a Fire Stick.

 

[MattBW]

I've just got one of these at home and if it can receive a signal in my house (which even amplified indoor aerials failed to do) I reckon it would be good in a van too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01A74Q2DM/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Mark Garrett]

One thing worth bearing in mind if you’re storing the TV in the van, is that the Avtex case (AK854) for the 18” TV is actually the same as for the 21” version, so it doesn’t take up any less space storage wise. That’s what made me get the larger one, which fits fine on its side in the case, inside the wardrobe.

Thanks Nick, I was meaning that a 21 may be physically too big travelling with it in situ on the rear of the front headrests for kids to watch.

Have you tried the DVD player whilst driving?

Thanks

 

[MrNick]

Thanks Nick, I was meaning that a 21 may be physically too big travelling with it in situ on the rear of the front headrests for kids to watch.

Have you tried the DVD player whilst driving?

Thanks

Ah OK - haven’t tried it in motion. We just use it on the rear seat once parked up and seats swivelled.

 

[Wolfsburg]

You British guys love your TV, we joke at the Brit campers in France this summer all watching TV at night. TV is for home only.

 

[Lewis]

You British guys love your TV, we joke at the Brit campers in France this summer all watching TV at night. TV is for home only.

Each to their own! We don’t have a TV in the Cali but I can see why people would enjoy it. Long days out doing activities and just wanting to unwind in the evening. Surely it’s about enjoying life the way you want to rather than subscribing to other peoples’ expectations.

 

[T6 CFO]

You British guys love your TV, we joke at the Brit campers in France this summer all watching TV at night. TV is for home only.

I wouldn’t generalise too much.
I was in Spain this summer. All the Dutch and Germans watching TV while we had some beers with an Irish couple.

I think it’s a big white thing but has it’s place in a Cali.


Mike

 

[Wolfsburg]

Camping is family time, we play games and talk to each other. Yes each to the own but I just saying it is known joke in Germany about the British love the TV. Different culture I guess.

 

[T6 CFO]

Camping is family time, we play games and talk to each other. Yes each to the own but I just saying it is known joke in Germany about the British love the TV. Different culture I guess.

Quite right too. It is family time but it has its place on a wet and windy night. But not if there is a pub nearby or a chat to be had


Mike

 

[steve and lisa]

A TV is the last thing we would want in the campervan, it's bad enough with the kids glued to their phones, ideally we like campsites with no WiFi or phone signal so we can get away from every day life.

 

[westfalia]

I knew this thread would go off in that direction.

 

[Hotel California]

I hardly watch tv at home so the last thing i would take allong is a tv and satelite .
If there's realy realy nothing else to see or to do one can always see a movie on the ipad or tablet but that's hardly never the case.
Also always wonder why people ride 1000km to arrive at the most beautiful places and sit in front of a tv screen.

 

[Freeley]

Thanks but it was the TV I needed advice on...

You won't go far wrong with an avtex. Good tv's and excellent customer service.
But their aerial has a terribly designed suction mount - I've just broken my third in the time we've had the tv, the plastic lever that locks the mount in place can't take repeated use and snaps off

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Amarillo]

I hardly watch tv at home so the last thing i would take allong is a tv and satelite .
If there's realy realy nothing else to see or to do one can always see a movie on the ipad or tablet but that's hardly never the case.
Also always wonder why people ride 1000km to arrive at the most beautiful places and sit in front of a tv screen.

Twice in six months we've had rainy afternoons, the four of us huggled up together in the upper berth singing along to Mary Poppins, replacing "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with "supercalisevenseaterbedsareextraspacious". And for Christmas the boys were given Fantasia. I look forward to the next rainy afternoon.

Germans can guffaw all they like, we will just drown them out with song.

Follow my blog at www.au-revoir.eu

 

[bbqforce10]

This is a good site for Avtex TVs (plus torches and camping gear)
https://www.memory-map.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=avtex

Prices are very good and great customer service.

 

[Mark Garrett]

You British guys love your TV, we joke at the Brit campers in France this summer all watching TV at night. TV is for home only.

Whilst I agree with your sentiment, I'm looking for a TV to entertain the kids on long journeys.

 

[Wolfie]

As an alternative to a dedicated TV, I use a notebook/laptop as a TV. It costs about £38 to do it.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007JPOX8O/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BU4UIOW/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_2

The aerial cable is very thin (2.7mm diameter) and the base is magnetic. I put it though the sliding window by the sink and attach it to the door pillar outside. The vehicle then becomes part of the aerial and I usually get very good reception. The dongle is a USB Freeview HD tuner. Last week, I picked up 125 channels (TV and radio), some in HD.

Disadvantages are that the laptop is 240v, not 12v, so mostly useful when parked up with EHU. It won’t run off the inverter as my power cable draws 1A and therefore exceeds 150W. The software that comes with it is very clunky, but useable. The EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is in Chinese, but I tend not to use this as my Mandarin is extremely limited.

I appreciate that this is not a substitute for a dedicated 240v/12v TV, but a cheap alternative if it suits.