50" TV install in overhead lift- Signature, Executive, Dynasty, and Navigator

[vito.a]

The Monaco Signature, some Executive’s, Dynasty’s, and Navigator’s came with the front TV installed in a ceiling lift. Mine came with a $6700 Sharp video system that used a large control box and a 37” TV with large side speakers and lots of wires! I removed it and sold it for $50!

Costco has a Samsung 50” 4k TV on sale for $499 that fits quite nicely. The original Sharp TV was very wide with speakers on each side and much thicker because of the technology used back then. The original Sharp TV used a 200mm x 200mm VESA mount and the new Samsung uses 400mm X 400mm VESA mount. So the issue is purchasing or making an adapter.I tried two commercial adapters, but they did not place the TV properly (the mounting holes on the TV are offset towards the bottom). I then made an adapter using a 21” x 21” piece of oak plywood left over from my refrigerator install. It was fun trying to center four 400mm pattern holes on a 21” square board (Pythagorean Theorem and a beam compass from Amazon).

I drilled the 400mm bolt holes and mounted the plywood piece to the TV using 8mm bolts aprox 1 ½” long. I then placed the TV on the lift and centered it.I had to use ¼” spacers under the TV bottom corners so the TV remote sensor was not crushed. From the back side of the lift I then inserted a pencil through the original 200mm lift mount holes and marked the plywood. I removed and drilled the new 200mm pattern mount holes in the plywood.

You must estimate the bolt length required (aprox 2 ½”) for the 200mm lift mounts and pre-insert the bolts into the plywood mount. Once the plywood is bolted to the TV back, the lift mount bolts are trapped into place. You must also use ¼” spacers between the TV back and the plywood so the 200mm lift bolt heads do not dig into the TV back. Then bolt the plywood mount onto the TV 400mm holes. So, now you have the TV with the plywood mount bolted to it and four 200mm pattern bolts going through the plywood sticking out the back.

Place the TV onto the lift pushing the bolts through the original 200mm holes. Put nuts on the 200mm pattern mount bolts and tighten your new TV to the lift.
I also had to string a new power cord and new HDMI cables from the lift to the upper cabinets. On mine, the power cord plugs into the small cubby above the driver and the HDMI cables go through into the video cabinet over the passenger. The new TV uses less power, has WiFi, and is brighter and sharper than the original. Hope this helps.

[Flyin4Fun]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Would you mind forwarding the outside dimensions of the TV?

W (left-right) =
H (top-bottom) =
D (depth / thickness) =

Thanks in advance!

[vito.a]

Samsung UHD 6 Series 50” TV measurements:
Height- 25 ¾” (add ¼” for IR sensor on lower right corner)= 26”
Width- 44 3/8”
Thickness- 2 ¾” bottom and 2” on top section
Weight- 27.8# (Hopefully the reduced weight will make the lift motor last longer)

Ceiling lift mount measurements:
Height- 24 ¾” from bottom cross member to inside of top cross member. Note: The Samsung TV is 1” thinner across the top section and can actually lie onto the top rail. 27 1/8” to top of top rail.
Width- 46 7/8”

[hypoxia]

Much better!

I put a Samsung 8500 series 48" in mine.

[Flyin4Fun]

Thank you Vito That was a good find! I have hunch you've started a trend. My Dynasty does not have the ceiling mount... YET. I am just now beginning the tear-out of my front cabinet and the head-knocker TV.

I haven't decided on the lift system... I have frequently design unrelated systems using pneumatic cylinders (Bimba) and I'm tempted to go that route. Do you happen to know the name brand of the lift system in your coach? Or is it something that Monaco put together? I have spent several months trying to locate a system that has been removed / recovered from a Signature or Executive. I had located two different units at separate ends of the country, each was available because they were damaged in front-end collisions. I was not able to inspect them before purchase, and with no type of guarantee I had to pass.

I would be interested in any advice you may have... although you have already given me a great starting point just by sharing your find of the Samsung TV. Thanks again.

[C&SL]

I did the same thing about 3 years ago with my tv, I used a 50" Vizio. It also fit in perfectly, and I used the spacer from the old tv.

C&SL
05 Sig.

[vito.a]

Flyin, I just checked my Monaco Data sheet and it does not list the TV lift, but I'm sure one of the other guys on here knows. I do know they are electric motors and about half the coaches we looked at were broken.
If they would discount it, I'd say get the broken one and repair it.

The lift is an entire module hanging down from the ceiling on model years up through 2005. After that, they were recessed into the ceiling. If you are adding it onto a coach, I would think the early version would work well.

Hypoxia, wow an 8 series would be nice!

[hypoxia]

My 2007 lift is Lift It: Flip-Down Ceiling TV Lifts for LCD and Plasma Televisions

I have a motor without the gearbox as a couple of metal gears were broken. I replaced the entire unit instead of the gears. I saved the good gears for any future problems. Manufacturer says that is normally a vandalism /theft attempt issue.

[CaptV1VR]

Can you please tell me if your new 4K with WiFi will connect to your smart phone for any type of video? NFL mobile or possibly for Netflix or streaming
My max width is 40 inches above driver and looking at Sony 43 inch diagonal 4K
Also , has anyone received an HD signal through their old Batwing crank up antenna?
Many options on the subject and ways around paying the Satellite company $$+
Thanks,
Tracy

[pwhittle]

Hi Vito,

Do I understand that the TV sits proud of the metal surround and that you end up with just 1" gap on each side?

Great write up!

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by CaptV1VR

Can you please tell me if your new 4K with WiFi will connect to your smart phone for any type of video? NFL mobile or possibly for Netflix or streaming

Also , has anyone received an HD signal through their old Batwing crank up antenna?

I stream Netflix HD with Mobley or Verizon Jetpack, haven't taken advantage of 4k as the data useage would be so high.

Yes the batwing will receive HD. There is no such thing as an HD antenna, it is a salesman ploy to extract dollars from your pocket. For years, until a couple of months ago my shop TV antenna was a piece of coax which I stripped the insulation off and separated the shielding and center conductor and hung it outside, that was my "HD" antenna.

[vito.a]

Paul, yes the TV sits about 3/8" above the lift frame and has about a 1 1/4" space on each side.

Capt, yes it connects to Wi-Fi and also my phone. In fact, when I first turned it on it wanted to connect to my Samsung phone for easier setup.
I tried last year to connect NFL mobile from my Verizon phone to my TV and Verizon/NFL blocks it. I do get the NFL channel on my Dish receiver,

[Windecker]

Great post, thank you! I have the exact same set up as you do and plan to modernize the TV at some point.
One thing I noticed about the Sharp TV, it actually has very good sound and a good quality picture for it's age.
Typically the new TV's tend to have tinny not room filling sound but recently have gotten better. That being the case, how's the sound?
In mine, the Sony amp is dead so I don't have power to the subwoofer and surround sound so TV has to sound good.
I am not retired and certainly don't have unlimited funds or time so one thing at a time
Again, great post!
Windecker

Originally Posted by vito.a

The Monaco Signature, some Executive’s, Dynasty’s, and Navigator’s came with the front TV installed in a ceiling lift. Mine came with a $6700 Sharp video system that used a large control box and a 37” TV with large side speakers and lots of wires! I removed it and sold it for $50!

Costco has a Samsung 50” 4k TV on sale for $499 that fits quite nicely. The original Sharp TV was very wide with speakers on each side and much thicker because of the technology used back then. The original Sharp TV used a 200mm x 200mm VESA mount and the new Samsung uses 400mm X 400mm VESA mount. So the issue is purchasing or making an adapter.I tried two commercial adapters, but they did not place the TV properly (the mounting holes on the TV are offset towards the bottom). I then made an adapter using a 21” x 21” piece of oak plywood left over from my refrigerator install. It was fun trying to center four 400mm pattern holes on a 21” square board (Pythagorean Theorem and a beam compass from Amazon).

I drilled the 400mm bolt holes and mounted the plywood piece to the TV using 8mm bolts aprox 1 ½” long. I then placed the TV on the lift and centered it.I had to use ¼” spacers under the TV bottom corners so the TV remote sensor was not crushed. From the back side of the lift I then inserted a pencil through the original 200mm lift mount holes and marked the plywood. I removed and drilled the new 200mm pattern mount holes in the plywood.

You must estimate the bolt length required (aprox 2 ½”) for the 200mm lift mounts and pre-insert the bolts into the plywood mount. Once the plywood is bolted to the TV back, the lift mount bolts are trapped into place. You must also use ¼” spacers between the TV back and the plywood so the 200mm lift bolt heads do not dig into the TV back. Then bolt the plywood mount onto the TV 400mm holes. So, now you have the TV with the plywood mount bolted to it and four 200mm pattern bolts going through the plywood sticking out the back.

Place the TV onto the lift pushing the bolts through the original 200mm holes. Put nuts on the 200mm pattern mount bolts and tighten your new TV to the lift.
I also had to string a new power cord and new HDMI cables from the lift to the upper cabinets. On mine, the power cord plugs into the small cubby above the driver and the HDMI cables go through into the video cabinet over the passenger. The new TV uses less power, has WiFi, and is brighter and sharper than the original. Hope this helps.

[C&SL]

Can’t you use your Bose sound system for your tv sound?