Hi. We are receiving our brand new caravan next March I am all for cutting costs or getting deals lol! My question is, that we have 2 televisions at home that could be put to good use in the caravan. is there some sort of adaptor to allow this or do we just have to purchase tv's to suit?
Television appropriate
- Thread starter Andrea Barlow
- Start date
If you're using sites with mains electricity any domestic TV, of an appropriate size, will work fine in a caravan. Ours alternates duty with the TV on my PC desk, just gets put in the caravan when we go away.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
If you only intend to use an electric hook up then any size appropriate mains operated TV will do. However, if you wish to go off grid, a 12-volt TV will be needed. Usually an Avtex or Cello. Or, an inverter can be used. But they are not friendly on your battery.
John
If you only intend to use an electric hook up then any size appropriate mains operated TV will do. However, if you wish to go off grid, a 12-volt TV will be needed. Usually an Avtex or Cello. Or, an inverter can be used. But they are not friendly on your battery.
John
We just use a normal Home TV with a C D player built in . But if you want to go off grid then you will need a 12 volt TV , but if your going of grid, why have a TV. ? Dominoes a book and a glass of wine or beer.
Last edited:
The OP should also remember that the TV will need to be retuned on arrival at every site and when returned home. Also don't forget to look where the warden's aerial is pointing or that on a nearby house and which way up it is (prongs horizontal or vertical?) and replicate it with your caravan aerial, assuming that the caravan is fitted with a directional aerial that you can adjust yourself. The narrow end of the aerial should be nearest the transmitter. Aerials on touring caravans will usually be found pointed every which way and every way up, even with the side of the aerial towards the transmitter so should be ignored!
As a further note: when tuning you will only get about 14 stations if your serving transmitter is a relay (which in most cases will need the aerial vertical) but maybe 70+ if you are using a main station. If the TV has an HD tuner then you will only get channels 1-5 and BBC4 in HD from a relay.
Two final points: your shiny new caravan will likely have a DAB/FM (car) radio fitted. Firstly as the unit does not have a memory backup supply (caravans never do) it may remember the stations between sites but it will likely forget all the other settings. Secondly DAB is transmitted with vertical polarity everywhere in the UK so if your serving transmitter requires horizontal your DAB signal will suffer, not aided by the fact that DAB is not necessarily transmitted from the same site as your TV signal. If the TV signal is vertical then there is no problem as the aerial that is directional for the TV signal is not directional for DAB or FM signals and will thus receive radio whichever way the aerial is pointed.
Finally if your caravan is fitted with a Status VP3 or VP5 aerial amplifier there is one thing that the handbook or manufacturer data will not tell you. The amp has one input, one radio output and three TV outputs. The radio output carries the same TV/DAB/FM signals as the TV outputs except that it is not amplified, so you can gain benefit on a poor radio signal by moving the radio aerial cable from the radio outlet to a (usually spare) TV outlet on the amp.
Oh, and last of all, if you have an external connector (often inside the 13A external socket housing) the associated cable that will be found adjacent or connected to the amp (and labelled) can be used as an outlet so that a TV can be used in the awning, or an input for an external aerial should you need one in which case the signal should go through the amp, or an input from a site distribution system (i.e. from the pillar) or from an external satellite dish in which case it should be connected direct to whichever internal cable is needed and must NOT pass through the amp.
Sorry to all for this long epistle - I hope it is helpful.
As a further note: when tuning you will only get about 14 stations if your serving transmitter is a relay (which in most cases will need the aerial vertical) but maybe 70+ if you are using a main station. If the TV has an HD tuner then you will only get channels 1-5 and BBC4 in HD from a relay.
Two final points: your shiny new caravan will likely have a DAB/FM (car) radio fitted. Firstly as the unit does not have a memory backup supply (caravans never do) it may remember the stations between sites but it will likely forget all the other settings. Secondly DAB is transmitted with vertical polarity everywhere in the UK so if your serving transmitter requires horizontal your DAB signal will suffer, not aided by the fact that DAB is not necessarily transmitted from the same site as your TV signal. If the TV signal is vertical then there is no problem as the aerial that is directional for the TV signal is not directional for DAB or FM signals and will thus receive radio whichever way the aerial is pointed.
Finally if your caravan is fitted with a Status VP3 or VP5 aerial amplifier there is one thing that the handbook or manufacturer data will not tell you. The amp has one input, one radio output and three TV outputs. The radio output carries the same TV/DAB/FM signals as the TV outputs except that it is not amplified, so you can gain benefit on a poor radio signal by moving the radio aerial cable from the radio outlet to a (usually spare) TV outlet on the amp.
Oh, and last of all, if you have an external connector (often inside the 13A external socket housing) the associated cable that will be found adjacent or connected to the amp (and labelled) can be used as an outlet so that a TV can be used in the awning, or an input for an external aerial should you need one in which case the signal should go through the amp, or an input from a site distribution system (i.e. from the pillar) or from an external satellite dish in which case it should be connected direct to whichever internal cable is needed and must NOT pass through the amp.
Sorry to all for this long epistle - I hope it is helpful.
On a hook up any TV that fits the space available will work. You can download several aps to find which way to tune the aerial although our aerial has a light on the booster that urns from red to green as t finds the best signal. Seeing where others point theirs though also works.
Do protect it from shocks when travelling, we still use the packaging it came in and use the car boot for a smoother ride. I assume that will not work for you, so in the bedding is probably the best bet.
Do protect it from shocks when travelling, we still use the packaging it came in and use the car boot for a smoother ride. I assume that will not work for you, so in the bedding is probably the best bet.
You don't need any adapters.A domestic tv will operate ok in the caravan - as long as you have mains power and an aerial.
My wife is very good with her sewing machine. She made a sort of hood to go over the TV (24") sliding it down from the top - a bit like a cloth envelope. She put a pocket inside at the front and filled it with a piece of that stiff but light plastic sponge-like stuff bigger than the actual screen to protect it.
We have a U4 Seville 2 berth and hook the foot of the TV over the end of one of the front seat cushions so that the TV lies face down on the seat fully protected. One or two pillows then rest on top. Have travelled like this all over UK and Europe and never had a moments problem.
We have a U4 Seville 2 berth and hook the foot of the TV over the end of one of the front seat cushions so that the TV lies face down on the seat fully protected. One or two pillows then rest on top. Have travelled like this all over UK and Europe and never had a moments problem.
I kept the original packaging for mine for transporting. Had to alter some of the polystyrene to go around the stands. You'd think with something like a caravan TV, they would have designed the stands to be easily removable.
Our TV use to travel in a duvet wrap up and put into the wardrobe for safe travels .
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter