Has anyone bought the tv/vcr for your vehicle?

[disynut]

If so, where did you buy it? We are looking at the ones with the flip down screen for our van, because we have read about the other kind hurting kids if it wasn't bolted down. So far we have only seen them at Best Buy.

Thanks!
Jennifer

 

[woody62798]

We looked at Best buy also, but at anywhere from 800 to 1200 plus installation for the flip down screen, we were put off. The "console" that they have is also over priced, believe it or not we found one over 100 less at target.... but..... we didn't buy that either. One thing to consider is that no one in the third seat will beable to see the screen.

What we did........ we bought a small TV/VCR Combo, capable of accepting a Dc car adapter, constrtucted a removable cabinet for it. Total cost @ 180. And its much more versitile. We just used it on a round robin trip DC to Buffalo to Rochester to DC and the kids loved it! The cabinet lifted it high enough so that the kids in the third seat had no problem seeing. We used bungee cords for added security.

 

[Pembo]

Tell me more about the cabinet you built! We have a tv/vcr and we wedge it on the floor between the seats. Not the safest nor the best way to watch it. But I don't know what else to do.

Thanks......

 

[Cara]

We have a TV/VCR combo which we always try to anchor down, but I still worry about its security during a major collision. Could you please elaborate on the cabinet you built?

Thanks!
Cara

 

[LisaRex]

I bought a $200 tv/vcr with car adapter. I went to Walmart and found an orange crate (they come in all kinds of sizes and colors now) that came in a size just a bit bigger than the t.v. Then I bought a big block of styrofoam from the craft store and cut it into a triangle (it looks like a ramp when you're done) so that they t.v. sits in the crate at an angle (so the viewing screen faces up towards the kids).

I removed the first set of seats from the van and put the t.v. there. Then I used small bungee cords (you can find them in all sizes) to anchor the crate to the floor of the van using the the seat anchors.) For extra safety, I also bungeed the t.v. into the crate. You can put the whole thing on a platform if you want. Just remember that the taller you get, the less stable the thing becomes.

It may not be sleek, but it works!

Hint: Buy a t.v. with a headphone adapter! Cheap headphones cost ~$5. (For more than one child, buy a split adapter from Radio Shack.) Then you can ride in peace and quiet or even listen to your own music!

 

[swpdmp]

We also used a crate and bungee cords with our tv/vcr combo. We have driven back and forth from Orlando to New York many times and always entertained the kids with it. We used a lot of bungee cords. You couldn't budge the tv if you wanted to. Earphones are a must!

P.S. The styrofoam is a great idea. I will use it next time. Thanks.

 

[tampafan]

We also purchased a small tv/vcr combo for the van. We fold part of the middle seat down and bungee it with the rubber bungees. My wife and I tried everything short of flipping the van upside down and rolling it down the road to get the tv to come loose from the seat. In the end we decided that during a collision our luggage in the back or the ice chest could also become a flying object, so we felt more uncomfortable about the things in the van other than the tv/vcr. We have since started trying to better secure other objects as well.

 

[Tinkerbells2000]

WE have the center console for our Windstar. It is a lifesaver. All the kids can see it fine, including the 3rd seat kids, and it has been well worth our money. We bought ours at SAMS Club, which was cheaper than the one at Best Buy. We have been to Orlando and back (from the Chicago area) about 8 tiimes with kids, and I now will not travel any other way. WE make one big tape of the daily shows they watch. (my kids are younger so there is a lot of Blues Clues, Bear, Barney, etc..) and one tape gives us a few hours. Plus we also take a few other tapes. We had a regular TV/VCR combo in the van before, which also worked, but felt uncomfortable with it. The center console bolts down as well. There was already a console in the van when we bought it, but that came out, and we put the TV combo in it's place.

 

[SueM in MN]

I just wanted to add a caution to the use of bungee cords for holding things like your TV.
In an accident, everything keeps going forward at a force of its weight times the speed you are going. So a 15 pound TV would generate a force of 450 pounds in a 30 mph accident; at 60 mph, the force would be 900 lbs! The biggest bungee cords that I have are rated to hold 10-20 pounds. That is OK in a van that is stopped, but I wouldn't want to trust it in an accident.
I saw a TV expose where they showed what happens to bungee cords that are stretched too far or stretched repeatedly. Like rubber bands, they snap and when they do, the hook part can go flying and hurt someone. In the report I saw, someone lost their eye when it hit.
They do make tiedown straps that are meant for purposes like that. They have more substantial hooks and the straps cinch tight and don't stretch. I have seem various sizes at places like Target and Home Depot. Similar straps are used to hold my DD's wheelchair down in our van.

 

[LisaRex]

Thanks for the heads up about the bungee cords. I'll have to check into straps.

Just FYI, if I remember my physics lesson correctly, objects in motion tend to stay in motion so that if we were to crash, everything would move towards the front. So I think it is probably correct to be more concerned about whatever is (not) strapped behind the kids as opposed to objects in front of the kids.

Safe traveling!

 

[BarbOKW]

We also bought a TV/VCR unit. A life safer for the long drives. We duck tape the TV on the arm rests between the driver and front passenger. We go completely around the tv and arm rests a number of times so in case we ever have an accident it can't go flying. Our next Van will have one built in. For chirstmas I gave each of my kids their own portable cd player. That helped a lot too.

 

[ReneeQ]

I recently visited my sister in Atlanta. My nephew has one of those car seats where the straps come over his shoulders and down his body and snap in at the crotch. Then a padded bar is pulled down and snaps in place, sort of accross his lower chest.

I was horrified to discover the buckle to the pull down bar had broken and my sister's father-in-law had rigged up a bungee cord to hold it in place!

I have a dear friend who lost his eye due to a bungee cord. He is a grown man. He was not playing around. He was simply fastening something to the back of his motorcycle and the bungee cord hook slipped off one side of the motorcycle and flew up and the hook went into his eye.

I'm not trying to upset anyone. I had never thought of how unsafe these things were before my friend's accident. Just passing on this experience.

 

[swpdmp]

Thank you all for the information about the bungee cords. I never knew about the safety issue. I will look for a more safer way of strapping the TV down. As a matter of fact, each time we have travelled to Fla. on I-95, I have seen some major accident, like flipping over, etc and wondered how the tv would hold up. I will certainly now be more safety conscious.

 

[DisneyKidds]

We got the console unit at Best Buy. Fortunately for us they had an "open box" that someone had returned. We got it with the full warranty for $179 instead of $450+. If we didn't find that we would have gotten a console unit on-line. I did a bunch of research and there are stores on-line that sell Steele Horse units cheaper than retail stores like Best Buy. Can't remember specific places now - but if you have internet access do a search for Steele Horse mobile video - it should get you somewhere. Also - you can find mobile video stuff on eBay!

We opted not to get the factory installed flip down TV in our van - it would have added $2,000 to the price of the van. After market flip downs are not that much cheaper after installation - and if you get a bad installation who knows how good it will look. The console unit fits very well, looks very finished, and is not a permanent addition. The console unit we got has hardware that bolts it to the carpeting on the floor.

Our daughter loves the TV/VCP. It works great and looks good in the car. As for 3rd row passengers - no problem viewing from the middle of the 3rd row. I can imagine that the view from other 3rd row seats isn't great. We would have to have more than 3 kids before that becomes an issue - if at all.

 

[CatOne]

We bought one at Circuit City on sale for about 300.00 and it is the best thing we have ever invested in for trips!! We drove from Va. Beach to WDW and our dd loved it and watched it the whole time she was not asleep. At first we worried about the screen size but I got in the back with her and it is fine. It is safely secured by the anchors provided.

I want to say this, we talked extensively with the sales rep in Best Buy before making this choice and he informed us this was really the best way to go because even the ones designed for the vehicle are constantly being improved and the ones that flip down often cause a block in your vision in your rear-view down the middle. I didn't like this at all. He also showed me a story about a couple who chose the cheaper route by putting in one not designed for the vehicle and the end was tragic. The left leg of the woman in the front seat was severely injured. Not only that, but these are not made for the bumps, potholes, etc that the others are designed to take. All this said, it is your choice and I understand the price thing because it was a serious thought for us too. I just wanted to let you know all this. By the way, the guy that told me all this knew that it meant we would most likely head over to Circuit City for the one on sale so it was not a sales pitch. He has children too and didn't want us to get ripped off.

Again, I love ours!! So thankful we got it!! Eventually we'lll upgrade to a bigger screen but this one worked great!!

Oh yeah, wanted to let you know, this is light weight and poratable, you don't have to leave it in your vehicle and worry about some one deciding to break in and take it. I t comes with a regular adapter and when we found all the VCR's were being used at our hotel we simply plugged this in and let our daughter watch her tapes on this one in the hotel room

CatOne

 

[friskykitten]

Thanks Sue for your post! You cannot trust bungee cords, duct tape or other means of securing your tv/vcr. It just won't work in an accident. And if I remember my physics lesson right the things that go in a forward motion continue that way until the hit another object......such as the dashboard, a person, etc. and then they or the sharp pieces travel back the other way......towards your most precious cargo, the children. The safest way for this kind of entertainment is to open your wallet and bite the bullet. Get a professionally installed tv/vcr set. We got a console with the 13" color TV that comes cable ready and nintendo ready with a separte VCR that secures in a different area of the console. It also has two drink-holders, a front cubby area for tapes, a kleenex box, cd's or whatever you want to put in it. The drink-holder pulls up for a smaller storage area where you could put your gas cards, or gift certificates or change and closes completely so the change doesn't go flying. We then bolted this down in the van permanently installing it. It fit perfectly between our two front seats in our Grand Caravan. All of this came as one complete set from our Super-Walmart for $380. (They didn't have them out on the floor so I asked in automotive and they had them in the back area) It was definately more than buying one and bungeeing it down, but I can rest a lot easier knowing it isn't a hazard in an accident. Now if I can just figure out how to secure the luggage, cooler, etc. in the back of the van! This type of post comes up here and there throughout the years and noone really wants to hear the truth but........You gotta do whatever is most comfortable for you. Whether it is buying a professionally installed on or using bungee cords and duct tape. Whatever you choose have a fun and safe trip to WDW!!

 

[disynut]

Thank you all so much for your replies! We are going to keep looking!

 

[JulieWent]

Have you considered renting a unit? Last year I found a site ( www.survivethedrive.com ) . They rent these units (the drop in ones and the ones you attach to your seats) for a pretty reasonable price. (That said, we didn't end up renting from them. We recently bought a van that had the unit that drops down out of the ceiling. It's very nice, but I think they're very expensive to install in a car that isn't sold with one.

 

[rogers803]

Below is a link to a Flip down unit for only $239.

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=950855&EWB01946

Considered buying it but don't really like the color. I own a Suburban with a bench seat in the front so the Steel Horse Style units don't really work and the floor console units are out. Plus the passenger (11 year old) in the rear (3rd row) seat wouldn't be able to see. Can't bring myself to pay $1200 to 1500 for one. Still shopping. Thought this one might be helpful for someone.

 

[TinkerbellRules]

I have to agree about the bungees NOT being safe at all.

We purchased a regular 13" tv/vcr. My dad made an oak "stand" for the tv and it fits perfectly (he builds cabinets). We have it wedged between the two fronts seats of our custom van (will not move at all, probably never will, the next owners will just have to deal with it and have it secured by those tiedown straps with buckles. I, too, am paranoid about the combo flying, but with this, I'm not at all. Since we pull a camper along with it most of the time, that worries me more in an accident.