Securing TV/VCR in car ideas - help!

[travelitis]

I tried buying one of those carriers/bags for our TV/VCR, but it's too small for our 13 inch, and it can't be altered to make it big enough. I've diligently searched, and a carrier for our TV/VCR doesn't exist. I have to make my own or do without. Buying a smaller replacement isn't in the cards for this trip, and my kids are so used to this TV/VCR being in the van, that leaving it behind would cause mutiny. Has anyone come up with a good substitute? I was thinking about building a wooden box with storage for videos under the TV that would sit on the floor and be secured to the front seats via straps. I don't know that I have the energy for this project, though.

 

[BethR]

travelitis,

I suggest that you do a search on this topic on the Family Board. I know that there was a thread concerning this some months back.

Good Luck!

 

[travelitis]

Yes, there was, and I was involved in those threads which is how I found out about the bag through J.C. Whitney. Well, that's the bag that doesn't fit. The threads were focused on the bags, why and where to get them and where to find good deals on TV/VCR combos. I couldn't find any thread where people offered alternatives.

 

[DeDixie]

My dh (who is a carpenter) built a "cabinet" for our tv/vcr that he made to fit in our suburban. We figure it is much more secure than the luggage in the back. LOL If you're handy then I would make my own.

We got a spliter from radio shack for $4 and then our 2 kids can use their headphones to listen.

 

[travelitis]

You know, I'm afraid this is going to be my best option, and I really didn't want to add it to my "to do" list.

 

[Mom2DS]

My DH took an old milk crate that we had and cut half the front off so the TV would sit in it and also be tilted up toward the kids. Then we use straps to hold it in place. This could probably be done with any kind of plastic container. It also gave us the added benefit of storage space underneath for the power pak, headphones, etc.

Dawn

 

[travelitis]

I'm having a hard time picturing this, but I think maybe I have it worked out. To further secure it, I could use duct tape to attach the TV to the crate. Is this crate suspended between the seats or sitting on the floor?

 

[Mom2DS]

We have it sitting on the floor. Actually, I think we had to add a couple of small boards to the bottom for stability because there is a hump in the middle of the floorboard where we set it, but you may not have that problem. We use the bungee cords to attach the TV to the crate and also to attach the crate to the car (on the front seat supports). We usually have an entire entertainment system in the back seat between the TV/VCR and the X-Box which plays games and DVD's!!

 

[ChiTownZee]

I can't picture bungee cords holding a TV during an accident.

 

[DisneyDianne]

Target sells a holder for the 9 inch t.v.'s. I still beleive that you could use this for your size of t.v. It is actually foam inside of a black zipper case that has velcro to attach over the television. Then it sits at an angle on the floor of your vehicle. Then you take the straps and secure them around the t.v. set. Yours would just overlap the black zipper case but the velcro would I belive still fit around it. I took mine to see if it fits around our 13 inch vcr/tv combo in my kitchen and it did. You could always take it back to Target if it did not work. I think it cost between $10-$15. I hope this helps. Because I drive 16 hours and it is a god send to have this with my ds.

Good Luck!!
DisneyDianne

 

[travelitis]

Thanks, but Target discontinued selling holders without TV's this summer. I did check with various Targets this summer to hear the same thing repeatedly. An empty holder for this TV is not to be found in my area or online.

I'm not going to use bungee cords, but if you use nylon straps like Steelhorse, the manufacturer of the bag J.C. Whitney sells, I would think that would work. I wish I could find a small suitcase/duffel bag I could alter. I do think that if I go with the milk crate I'd duct tape it to the TV along with strapping it. Then I'd strap the whole thing to the front seats.

Going without the TV isn't an option, because we'd be leaving my dh behind as well. Buying a new TV isn't in the cards either. We already have more working TVs than we use, and we need to buy a laptop before this trip.

 

[DisneyDianne]

Did you check e-bay because they had some of those hoders on there for auction when we bought ours.

Good luck!!

Disney Dianne

 

[nanns]

I sold several on ebay!


Check ebay out! We have one in our van and I just love it!
It is secure...............

 

[jama]

we put the tv vcr 13 inch on the cooler in the van. place a towel on cooler then tv. we also have the black wedge with straps but it only helps angle the tv better. it would not hold tv in crash.

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

We use a Rubbermaid 14 gal. tote to put our TV/VCR on in our minivan. The cover has about a 1" lip so that the TV sits in it pretty securely and we have not had any problem with it sliding off because it is like it is sitting in a little well. The tote works out great also because we use it to store a lot more than just tapes on our trips!

Cheryl

 

[gepetto]

Be careful. I remember a highway patrol officer that used to post here warning people of the incredible force a projectile that weight would create in a crash.

 

[travelitis]

That's why I'm looking for ideas to secure it. I tried to find a bag to fit it on e-Bay with no success, but I'll keep looking, because that changes daily.

In our mini-van, though, all our luggage and the cooler would be dangerous in an accident.

 

[travelitis]

Did another exhaustive search - nothing. I'm stuck making my own.

 

[Local_Girl]

Travelitis,

I have been pondering this question since you first posted and have been trying to think of a solution for you. Don't know how much floor space you're working with (we don't have a van or a TV/VCR ) but would one of those sturdy plastic coated wire shelves do the trick? I'm thinking of the type that stands alone, made to use in cupboards or on shelves to create an "extra" shelf...You would need to secure the TV to the shelf, and then the shelf to the car--maybe to the bottom of the front seats?? Don't know what to use to secure them--bungee cords, duck tape? This is probably no help whatsoever, but I certainly wish you luck if you end up having to make something!

 

[welovespacemoutain]

Here is what we do with our tv/vcr in our minivan (windstar) after trying many things:

Take a sturdy plastic crate (works well because of the holes in it). Attatch the tv on top of the "bottom" of the crate (at least for the crate we have, there is a small lip on the bottom that the tv can sit in - if we turned the crate on it's side we could use the opening to pack stuff, but it isn't as secure) using one of those ratcheting straps. We wrapped the strap with a sleeve of some sort (not sure where dh got it - it is kinda rubbery) to create more friction with the tv than the strap alone. Between the lip on the crate and ratcheting the tv down, the tv is NOT coming off the crate (just don't tighten to the point of cracking the tv!)

Now you have to secure the crate to the van. We use another strap and secure the botton of the crate to the floor of the van by feeding the strap through each corner of the crate and then to a point on the car . We use the holes in the floor where the van seats attach (we remove the middle seats when traveling - but you could also secure around the base of the seats if they are in place) and also loop the strap around a part of the base of the front seats. The ratchet straps tighten up easily and make it very secure. You could probably get away with only attaching it to the front seats, but we do pin ours down at all 4 corners.

Then to be extra safe, we take some bungee-type cords (they aren't the elstic ones - they are thick rubber straps with hooks at both ends - but you could use the regular type cords if you make sure they are tight) and hook from the base of each front seat to the top of the crate to hold it "forward". One more rubbery strap goes from the front of the crate around and over the back (slanted) part of the tv and then hooks to the opposite front side of the crate (could also us a ratchet strap)

This probably makes no sense at all - but it works for us and I the tv is not going anywhere. Everyone can see fine without putting the tv at an angle. We leave the tv strapped to the crate so it is ready to go for trips, but it did take quite awhile to figure out how to secure it the first time (now that we have a system it takes maybe 10 minutes - not great but we know the tv is NOT going anywhere). Good luck!