400 Television mount modification - project updates

ADRawli

I have some really cool ideas for modifying the television area in my 2019 400 BL.  But, they all hinge on being able to remove the current television mount, doing the work, then replacing the mount in the exact same spot, just 1/2 inch further from the wall.  Does anyone know what the current mount is bolted into?  Is there part of the rv’s frame at that exact location that enables the bolts in the mount to hold firm, or is there some kind of butterfly or anchoring plate installed in the wall that I will lose if I remove the bolts?  I doubt the later, but would love to see any build photos anyone might be able to dig up that would show the trailer’s frame at that spot during the build.  Any help appreciated.  Thanks!

ScottG

I can't speak for the 400, but I'll bet it's similar to the 320. My TV mount was bolted through the plastic trim insert and into solid wood boards that had been secured to the wall framing members.

ADRawli

Thanks @ScottG, and the picture gives me great hope.  I haven’t tried a stud finder yet, but I’m guessing if it’s behind there, then it should sense that much wood. 

ScottG

You are welcome, @ADRawli. IIRC, it was not particularly difficult to remove the TV, nor do I think it would be very difficult to put it back. Point being that--worst case--you should be able do a little exploratory surgery without doing any permanent damage.

PaperDesign

I think the 400 has a different backing behind the TV than shown above.  Austin at NuCamp responded with the following when I asked him about replacing my TV mount - "There are 2” bars for the TV mount to be fastened to so if it is a bit taller / deeper that will not be a problem. You will still have structure to fasten it to."  I confirmed these 2" vertical studs with a stud finder on our 2018 TAB 400.   Hope this helps.

Denny16

Sounds about right, the studs may be aluminum framing in the trailer.  So shifting down a bit should not be an issue, but you will need to drill holes if the screws are sent taping or use a tap to thread a new hole for a bolt.  Pulling one of the bolts, should tell,you what type of fastener was used.  Just be careful not to drill too deep a hold and go through the wall. 
cheers

ScottG

I can't quite tell from photos, but it looks like the mount in the 400 doesn't have the recessed plastic box of the 320. Is it just secured directly through the wall?

Verna

@ScottG, that is correct. I removed my 24” TV on my former 400 for the new owners. I do not remember if the screws were self-tapping screws or just screws used to attach to metal.  

ADRawli

I was a bit surprised to find that nüCamp used stainless steel (wow!) screws that are “self drilling/tapping”, but they are secured into 2” vertical frame members  running all the way down the wall, just as @PaperDesign says he was told in convo with nüCamp.  I did some extensive deep scanning with a good stud finder today and mapped it out.  So, I’m feeling pretty confident in knowing what’s back there.   

By the way, this is a rough sketch of my idea, a 7 inch shelf above the TV with a small “closet” behind the left side to manage the power cords.   I’ll put our Apple TV, the WeBoost cell booster, and a Wifi hotspot on the shelf, and maybe leave room for my iPad to charge. I’ll add pics when it’s finished, but it won’t be real soon.  But, I did get all my wood this weekend... delivered in only 3 days from Rockler.   Just gathering dimensions and “necessary” tools to start the work.  

Denny16

Thanks for the update, good to know what the TV bracket is attached to.
cheers

ADRawli

This has been a fun ‘mod’ so far.  This was my prototype to make all my mistakes on before I rebuild using the “good wood”.  It fit almost perfectly.  It will be screwed directly to the wall into the 2 inch stud to which the TV was mounted, and then I’ll remount the TV inside, using a 1” spacer (not shown)  and longer screws to give it clearance from the cord control box. 


The pic below shows the opened cord control box that will sit behind the TV.  I will have to move the cut out in the back wall to the left about 1/2” to better center on the opening the power is coming through, and I’ll also mount a power strip in the box running through the same hole down to the outlet.   I’ll probably have to take off the 400 shelf itself to do that, but I’m going to noodle on that a bit before I do.  I’m also going to curve the bottom of the right side top shelf support as well to match the upper curve.

 I’m just excited to get all my gadgets together in one place and better tame the mess of cords running all over.  More pics when I’m done.

Bayliss

Looking good @ADRawli.  I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

ADRawli

“Good wood” version now built.  Next step is to test stain the wood with the natural stain/polyurethane to see how closely it matches the nuCamp version, and if all looks good, finish off the construction.  Then I’ll run the power cord up from under the white shelf.  Last steps will be mount the shelf to the wall using the studs behind the TV, mount the TV to the box, and plug everything in. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Looks really nice!  I really wish I had been able to take “Shop Class” instead of Home Ec!  Carpentry skills are such a bonus!

Denny16

Sharon, it is not to late, many communities are now offering adult woodworking classes you  can take and learn some new skills.  I wanted to take Home Ec in school back when, but was not allowed either.  
cheers

Sharon_is_SAM

Good idea @Denny16!

ADRawli

Well, my project is finally complete.  I finally finished off the staining and finishing of the unit, and installed the shelf this evening.  The install took about 5 hours all in all as I had to remove the foot portion of the bed to get the corner piece off where the electrical outlet is to get to the screws holding the shelf below the TV off the wall so I could run the power up the same hole used to run the power and cable to the TV (sorry, long sentence, but that’s how the process felt as well).  

This is the unit before I mounted it, just sitting on the shelf where it would eventually go.  This picture does not give the right impression about the color of the new shelf.  It’s actually very close to the same as the nüCamp wood.  I think the bright light behind me was at an angle that made it seem to shine and appear more white than it really is.  


With the cord cabinet open, again, before install.


I didn’t get a photo with this corner piece below the shelf and the T@B’s shelf itself removed, but that is what I had to do to get this cord down through the hole.  The excess power cord is wrapped up behind the corner piece behind the electrical socket.


You can see now how I mounted it to the wall.  I used the same holes that the TV was mounted to before (lots of very precise measuring to get these new ones in the right spot), and 1/2 inch longer screws counter sunk slightly to ensure they are as securely connected as possible.


I next mounted the spacing plates and the TV mount itself with longer screws still. That was a bit of a chore to get it in just the right spot.  Had to build a little ‘jig’ to set it on to hold it at just the right height from the shelf.   Turned out better than I thought it might when I started.  It is very solid and sturdy, maybe more than when it was just the TV itself.


I didn’t mention all the cussing and swearing going on to try and get the TV itself re-attached to the bracket.  That is a two man job for sure, but I finally got it back on the bracket and all the ‘gadgets’ installed and working on top.  Not too bad if I might say so myself.  Love when a plan comes together. 


And this is the mess of cords that hides nicely inside the cord minder cabinet.   It is so much cleaner to have these out of the way.  They were scattered behind the TV when devices were on the shelf next to it on our last trip, and up on the counter running behind the stove to get to the 12v outlet behind the sink.  Now, they’re all in the box.  I had to get an AC adapter for my WeBoost to ditch the 12 volt option, but that makes this possible.  Everything is hooked in and running, except for the AT&T Hotspot.  I did not have the cord tonight, but it will run behind the WeBoost and down to the power in the box when we travel next.  By the way... I attached an outside antenna for the WeBoost to the Television cable inlet (had to buy a couple adapters) and then I got another. smaller antenna cord running from the cable cord inside normally hooked to the TV to now connect to the WeBoost.  This setup works reallly well for us and made the signal much stronger on our last camp trip.  I was able to work remote with many Zoom calls and not a single issue the entire week, and from the same campground where I had all sorts of issues when I tried this without the WeBoost last year.  


And finally this is it all put back in place, and the Apple TV ready to go.  So nice to have everything there, and powered, but feel like about a billion times more organized with almost no power cords or antenna cables in sight.  Now, time for an adult beverage, and Netflix and chill!   

Bayliss

Fantastic!, @ADRawli.  A job well thought out and executed.  Thanks for posting the final result.

rhyno

@ADRawli - nice build and great write-up! You could even remove the glass kitchen partition and build out some spice/utensil storage on the left side as an add-on project later.

ADRawli

@rhyno That’s not a bad idea at all.  Have to think about it a bit. 

Horigan

ADRawli, How many of those world-class workouts are you able to do in your T@b?   

ADRawli

@Horigan. Haha!  I wondered if anyone would comment on that.  I did not even pay attention to the screen until I went to post the pic.  Perfect!  Yeah, we do T@B yoga and calisthenics followed by a quick jog every morning in the massive corridor running between the West wing (bathroom), and the East wing (sink) of our 400.   You just have to be careful not to bang your head on the North wing (table) or stub your toe on the South wing (bed) when things really get moving.  Otherwise, there’s ample space... if you’re 2’ 4” and 18 lbs.  🤣😂🤪