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Topic: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found! (Read 557 times) previous topic - next topic
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Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!

I've had some connection and audio issues with my factory Jensen 12v HDTV in my 2008 RB Lazy Daze. I've been wanting to upgrade it to a more modern HDTV with HDMI connections but was wary of finding a quality 12v compatible TV and one that has "RV durability."

After thorough research, I couldn't find a 12v TV I liked and those I found had mixed reviews. I decided to put the 12v outlet that is up in the TV console area to use and purchase an inverter to have a regular outlet and usb source behind the TV. I purchased a 24" Vizio HDTV which has a slim bezel and has practically the same dimensions as the original 19" Jensen TV due to its large bezel. In addition, the new Vizio weights 7lbs vs. the Jensen which weighed in at a whopping 23lbs! Technology has come a long way for sure. In addition, I've found no proof of any differences in the guts of the TV's making one any more durable than the other. Due to being almost 2/3 less in weight, the vibration of the TV is much less overall when traveling down the road. I can't believe that bracket held strong as all these years. The original Jensen TV is heavy! In addition, this new Vizio is LED backlit is much more efficient.

The only modification I had to do was to cut out a small section of the bracket plate from the original TV wall mount that attaches to the back of the TV. The mounting holes and screws are a perfect fit for the new Vizio. I attached a photo of where the plate needs to be cut to give you access to the inputs (what a dumb location to put the inputs!). You can remove just the plate without having to remove the whole wall mount bracket. I used my trusty Ryobi angle grinder which made fairly quick work of the thick metal plate. I used Velcro to hide the inverter in the upper left hand corner above the DVD storage nook and ran the 12 wire to the 12v socket in the neighboring cubby to the left and simply plugged in. You can use the factory power on/off switches to turn the inverter on or off when you need to use it.

Although the TV is listed as supporting 720p, mine is getting a 1080p signal and has smartcasting built in (Netflix, etc.). I use a Amazon Firestick personally (less laggy) and my wifi hotspot from my iPad (thank you to my employer for an unlimited data plan!). This TV has two HDMI inputs and coxial hookup.

It looks great and is a factory look in my opinion. A much sharper picture and gets louder than my old Jensen. Just thought others may find this helpful. The TV is 24" and currently 129.99 at Target. I was able to get it on sale for $97 and think it was well worth the fairly painless upgrade.

Inverter - Amazon.com: BESTEK 300W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Inverter with...

TV - Problems viewing Target.com?

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Joe B.
2008 26ft  grey/white Rear Bath
Family of 5 hitting the open road as much as we can.
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #1 –

Joe, your new setup looks great, enjoy!  I bought a slightly different inverter from the same company. Only used it a couple of times so far but seems to work well:

Amazon.com: BESTEK 500W Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 110V Car...

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #2 –
Joe, been there, did similar.  My '08 Jensen did not have an HDMI input, but my DVR had an HDMI output.  So, I bought a flat screen RCA.  It worked for a year, then the tuner quit and I replaced it with a Quasar.  I did not have to use an inverter because I have a whole house inverter.  I ran a wire from the floor outlet below the TV, threading it up through the wall to a point behind the TV, where I installed a 3 outlet switched box.  I now have a very convenient setup for my DVR, DVD player and TV. 

Fringe benefits - as Joe said, the new TV is MUCH lighter.  Also, it draws a lot less power.  The downside is poor sound volume.  I am hearing impaired so I needed a solution.  The one that worked for me is connecting my headphone output on the TV to the AUX input on the dash stereo.

Ken F in OR
'08 MB
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #3 –
Joe,

Looks great, nice and clean install.

Quote from: Kenneth Fears  - 
I am hearing impaired so I needed a solution.  The one that worked for me is connecting my headphone output on the TV to the AUX input on the dash stereo.

Ken,

I’m glad your solution works for you, however… do you have hearing aids?  I do and I use a Bluetooth audio streamer that the tv plugs into and sends the sound directly to my hearing aids.  The streamer is powered by a usb charger and accepts either TOSLINK (optical) or RCA stereo plug from the tv.  The streamer is made by the same company (Signia) that made the hearing aids so the pairing is straight forward but many hearing aid companies sell streamers too.

- John
Fulltimer with a 2021 MId-Bath “Babe”, 1996 Cherokee “Scout” and “Bandit” the wonder dog 🐶
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #4 –
John, do you wear hearing aids in bed?  I don't.  Also, mine do not have bluetooth capability.  With no smart phone, I saw no need for that option.

Ken F in OR
'08 MB
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #5 –
Ken,
I take out my hearing aids just before I lay my head on the pillow to go to sleep.  I keep a Sta-dri dehumidifier box next to the bed where I keep them overnight.  My Bluetooth hearing aids are paired with my iPhone which makes it much easier to actually hear the person on the other end of the call.  It works well for me, I’m glad you’re happy with yours too.  They do make life a bit easier 😁
Fulltimer with a 2021 MId-Bath “Babe”, 1996 Cherokee “Scout” and “Bandit” the wonder dog 🐶
 
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #6 –
Quote from: brewersarcade  - 
I attached a photo of where the plate needs to be cut to give you access to the inputs (what a dumb location to put the inputs!).
I'm guessing your original bracket was a special one to hold a 23lb(!) tv in a jouncing motorhome. The industry standard brackets for many years now are just big enough to include the four mounting bolts, and would not cover the input area on your new TV.
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #7 –
Quote from: Eric Greenwell  - 
I'm guessing your original bracket was a special one to hold a 23lb(!) tv in a jouncing motorhome. The industry standard brackets for many years now are just big enough to include the four mounting bolts, and would not cover the input area on your new TV.

Indeed true. I kept the overbuilt TV bracket in order to keep the rig as OEM as possible and because I figured overkill isn’t a bad thing when ensuring the TV never goes flying off the brace! I couldn’t believe how heavy that Jensen flat screen TV was and I couldn’t believe how light the new Vizio was! Picture quality is also in another league!
Joe B.
2008 26ft  grey/white Rear Bath
Family of 5 hitting the open road as much as we can.
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #8 –
I removed the entire entertainment center and hung a new iMac on an articulating arm.  It folds away and extends quite nicely…made a little work station and I use it to stream vids.
Re: Upgrading the HEAVY Jensen "HDTV" in my 2008 LD. A great HDTV upgrade found!
Reply #9 –
Nice upgrade, the older style TV cabinets are a PIA to deal with.
Make sure to strap the monitor to the wall, it will want to swing on rough roads .

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze