13" tv/vcr combo help

[Disneymom2AA]

We just purchased a 13" tv/vcr combo and am looking desperately for a carrying bag/tote. Actually any safe way to keep this in our car. We have a suburban and this would have to fit between the driver and passenger seats. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

 

[AprilsZoo]

We have a minivan, and have secured it to a milk-crate type box that is stacked on the ice chest or another box using bungees or tiedown-type straps. We stuff a couple pillows, blankets, coats, or whatnot around it to keep it from sliding around. Takes some trail & error, but it works.

Also if the speakers are toward the back of the set (many are), you may want to get a set of external speakers to plug into the headphone jack and set up somehow by the back seat. Otherwise the volume will be blaring you out of the front seat while the kids in the back are saying "I cant hear !!"

 

[escapetodisney]

We got a bag for the TV/VCR from Target. There are straps that attach around the head rest and seat of the front seats and the bag is suspended from those.

 

[HitchhikingGhost]

We did the same thing with ours. . . it worked great. But AprilsZoo is correct with the trial and error part. Customize it for your vehicle.

However, to solve the "It's too loud" (usually DM & DD), and "I can't hear" (everyone else. . .), we purchased inexpensive external computer speakers (Wal-mart, I think) $15.00 max. But they usually do not work well just plugging them into the headphone jack; not enough volume. So open the TV case, locate the speaker wire, splice into it, (or if you want to get really fancy like I did, go to Radio Shack and get a plug-in and a switch), and taa-daa! Run the speakers to the BACK of the vehicle (with an extension, also at Radio Shack), and everyone is thrilled. The children hear the TV, and DM & DD are happy happy happy with ear drums intact!

 

[jenny2]

We have a 9" tv/vcr combo that we've used in DHs truck and my car. I bought a bag for it here, at jcwhitney.com. Very sturdy - has straps that attach it to whatever the TV is sitting on as well as around both seats. I'd strongly recommend getting one of these bags versus bungy-cording the TV in. These TVs are heavy, and your children are sitting right behind them. In an accident, it can become a deadly weapon.

Also, if noise is a problem you can pick up headphones at any electronics store. They make splitters too, so you can attach 2 sets of headphones to the tv. That way you're not getting blasted with sound in the front seat

 

[SueM in MN]

Bungee cords are like big rubber bands with a metal hook on the end. If they stretch (like during an accident or even a sudden stop), they may break or come unhooked. If you have ever been "shot" by a rubber band, you can get the idea of what might happen. There have been situations where people lost an eye because the metal hook hit their face.
The bags made for putting a TV in the car are a much safer option. If you feel you need to jerryrig something, please use only the tiedown straps that are meant to secure things in vehicles. They are sturdy and have a rachet device to hold things down securely and not let them move in a sudden stop.

 

[SandraC]

We have a 13" tv/vcr combo too. It fits very snug in the back of our car between the drive and front seat and the rear seat. I custom made straps from the same material as seat belts. They work great. S

 

[Grand Canyon]

First and foremost - buy a 400 watt inverter at Sams for $30.
This gives you AC to power EVERYTHING you want to wire.
Be sure to wire the inverter directly to the battery or to a 30 amp fuse (trial and error) in the fuse box.
If you don't mind putting a couple of holes in the suburban roof - we installed two 1/4 inch eyebolts (2 inch long) in the ceiling behind the drivers seat. (I put a little silicone around the bolt/washer). Then used a ratchet type tie down strap - 1 inch wide - and strapped the 13 inch tv to the ceiling.
We also tied in to the speakers directly by opening the case and put a headphone jack extension into the back seat for the kids.
We then used headphones with volume control on the wire so that the children could adjust the volume to suit themselves. If you use the headphone outlet on the tv there will not be enough power to drive 2-3 sets of headphones.
The placement of the eyebolts is critical. We did it so that the tv was at a slight angle toward the passenger side seat so that all seats had a good view. The tv also has to be far enough back so it doesn't interfere with the driver's headrest.
The nice feature about mounting it to the ceiling with a ratcheting cargo strap is that it's easy to take down when you're not using it and inexpensive to build a very strong mount.
The downside is that you have to drill two holes through the roof - but these holes are underneath the area where the cargo rack is. If it's an older suburban - isn't it about comfort anyway?
The good thing about the inverter is that 13 inch tvs are cheap if they're ac powered. If it breaks - it's cheaper to buy another one.

 

[Grand Canyon]

We still have our suburban but now have an Excursion that we take on trips.
We built a 15 inch LCD tv out of an inexpensive $300 15 inch LCD computer monitor and an $80 RCA to VGA analog converter. And a $60 stand for rolling mill from Harbor Freight Tools.
Again we used a 400 watt invertor to provide ac power to the tv and to a SONY DVD player ($120 at WalMart - must have the spindle that you snap the DVD onto).
Mounted the LCD screen onto the adjustable stand, bolted the stand with three 1/4 inch bolts to the floor between the front seats. This stand has the ability to raise the tv as high as the ceiling for passengers in the third seat and also allows for the tv to be swiveled and tilted.
The stand was originally designed to support steel stock of up to 2000 pounds in weight - so I feel it won't go anywhere in a car crash.
This was a major improvement the 13 inch screen tv because we can now reach around it to the back seat, it's thin - takes up less room(about 3 inches thick), uses far less power, does not obstruct the view (we keep it all the way down usually), has better viewing.
We keep the DVD player, remote, etc in the console between the front seats - if your child is older give it to them.
If you want more info e-mail us and we send a picture and answer questions.

 

[disneymom3]

So, Grand Canyon....Do you hire out? I don't even have a clue of half of what you are saying means, but it sure sounds like you have a fabulous system!

 

[wilderness01]

Whatever you do, only use the tv/vcr for your car trips. We made the mistake of letting our son use this combo in his room and after a short while the vcr part of the tv broke. Not that big of a deal as we could hook up another vcr/dvd to it but posed a problem for the next car trip.

 

[Grand Canyon]

Julie:

Michael says if you buy the parts and come to the Grand Canyon - he'd install it. We figure it's already too cold for us here - so it must be WAY too cold there! Just doesn't seem like the place for a vacation.