TV/VCR in car ~ has any one made their own?

[SandraC]

Hi, I'm trying to get an extra INEXPENSIVE WDW trip in just after Xmas. To keep costs down, I'm thinking about driving. The cost of airfare for my family would be around $1600.00 (CDN). If we drive, the cost would be gas, hotel stops (a must), extra meals. I thought about buying a TV/VCR combo for the car, but that just adds to the cost of drving and makes flying more economical. SO I thought about taking my 20 year old B&W 13 inch TV and a vcr from home and get an adaptor to make my own TV/VCR for the car. Anyone else done this?

 

[Tooth Fairy]

We have a 13 inch tv/vcr combo that we used with a converter in the van-worked great except needed earphones for the kids!!!

 

[scanmom]

SandraC...it really isn't a good idea to do that. If you were in a minor collision or even had a sudden stop, the tv/vcr would go flying and could possibly hit and injure or even kill someone in the vehicle. I understand wanting to save $$, but believe me, this is not the way to do it. I think you can get the tv/vcr combo at a wal-mart for about $300.00. If you really want one (we have one and it is GREAT) I would buy the cheapest model I could find, then try to save x-tra money another way! I am green with envy, I wish I were going. We won't go again until May 2003, and that is not for sure! Have a great trip!!!

 

[clm3]

We have done it. We have a 5 in color tv that we velco'd down
on to a VCR we bought for $44, and then another $40 for the
power adapter. If you fasten the tv & vcr down properly it
won't go anywhere. We tested it one night when we went out
to dinner and it was great.

You can go to Radio Shack and get ear phone adaptors if you
need them. $84 is much better then $250 + !!!!!

 

[Raysplus1]

We just purchased a 9" tv/vcr combo at Wal Mart for $189 yesterday for our 4yr old to watch in the car for the holiday trips. It worked out great it has the adapter for the car or can be plugged into the wall.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

We do always secure it as much as possible. ALL loose items, no matter the size, are dangerous in an accident!!!.

 

[billvack]

Check out http://www.survivethedrive.com
You can rent a tc/vcr combo for a 10 day period
We did it and it worked out great
They FEDEX it right to you house and give you a preprinted
mailing sticker for the return.

 

[poohangel]

Hey,
My brother comes to Kentucky once a year from New York with 2 kids (6 and 7) they put a regular 13 inch tv and vcr on a small entertainment cart and strapped it down to front seats of the van. The kids played vcr and even hooked up their nintendo to it.

Have a great time.

poohangel

 

[horseshowmom]

Survive the Drive was an interesting site. The $99 deal for 10 nights was pretty good too. The next time we drive (which will probably be the next time we go, since my husband probably won't fly anytime soo), I think we'll get one of these.

Thanks for the site!

 

[SueM in MN]

A little elementary physics from my public health days teaching about car safety:
If you are in an accident, anything that is not securely fastened in the car will continue going forward until it hits something. If it is fastened, it will move if the force to move it is greater than the force holding it there. Any item will move with a force equal to its weight times the speed the car was going. That means if your TV weighs 10 pounds and you are going 30 miles an hour, it will continue to travel forward with a force of 300 pounds. At 50 miles an hour, 5000 pounds of force. If velcro stood up to that much weight, you would not be able to detatch it. Bungee cord don't work for the same reason (plus they can snap and hit someone in the eye).
There are safe TVs made to be fastened in the car or you bolt it in or strap it down with tie straps similar to those that are used for wheelchair tiedowns. The straps are available in automotive departments of places like Target.

 

[TapCat]

Sue, many thanks for your post. Each time I see this thread, I cringe to think about what could happen. But you have the numbers to back up my fears. Penny-wise in these cases would definitely be pound-foolish.

 

[cdntowdw]

Hi SandraC
If you have a camcorder with a viewing screen, this can be used to view movies on your lap in the car. I set up our camcorder in front of the tv and recorded a couple of my kids favourite movies. Then simply flip open the screen on the camcorder and play. Our camera has a plug for earphones. In fact I bought a splitter at Radio Shack so both boys can listen.

 

[SueM in MN]

I also had the experience of seeing my windshield broken by my purse. A number of years ago, my car by someone who went thru a red light. My purse, which had been in the back seat, was propelled against the windshield and hit with enough force to crack the windshield. The EMS people who responded were trying to figure out whose head hit in the middle of the windshield when I was the only occupant. Everything that was in my back seat ended up in the front with me. That was a slow speed accident where I was going about 25 mph and the guy who hit me was going about 35 mph. My DD saw a similar accident recently involving an SUV and a car where the SUV rolled over, so you never know what will happen.

 

[TinkerbellRules]

I also agree with securing the tv/vcr down. We purchased a regular 13" combo. My dad, who builds cabinets, made a platform for the tv. It was secured by wedging it between the two front seats of our custom van. We were going to secure it to the bottom of the seats, but we can't even move the platform. Whoever purchases the van after us will just have to take it with them We purchased two straps from a department store to secure it. We also purchased an "inverter" (that's what ours is called) to work with the TV and cig outlet. Bungee cords are a TOTAL waste for security ANYTHING!

SueMN: What'd you have in that purchase?? A brick What's even scarier is these stupid parents who don't have their children buckled in (and the parents are!). I've called the police on mom's riding with their infants in the front in their arms. HOW STUPID! I can't even go there. I believe it's a form of child abuse. Absolutely, no excuse whatsoever for children riding without being buckled in. I went through a lot with my DD when she was young. She HATED the car seat from day one. Cried and cried. We couldn't go any more than 10mins before she'd be screaming. She hated to be confined in anything (swing, playpen, etc). But, I made sure she was strapped. She is now almost 10 and still rides in the back seat for safety reasons (airbags). She won't even think about riding without her seatbelt. Matter of fact, she hurt grandma's feeling last year because she refused to ride in the front seat of her car for a few blocks and she didn't have an airbag!

I'm sorry I got diverted from the subject...

 

[sha_lyn]

on the family board there is a post about a case that is online or at target that holds a 9in tv/vcr and secures it to the seats.

 

[Partridge4ever]

CDNTOWDW, recording shows for the video camera is a wonderful idea! We also enjoy watching videos from our trip on the way home. Only problem is the battery dies after about an hour. I wonder if Radio Shack has a car adapter?

 

[gepetto]

Best Buy has tv/vcr combos that are designed to go safely in mini-vans or cars in their automotive department. I bought one there and they are not expensive at all. It even has plug-ins in the front of the tv for a nintendo/playstation so they hook up easily.

 

[BoyLovesBuzz]

You may be looking at the answer right now. We just got back from a 15 road trip over Thanksgiving, and I can't tell you how many cars I passed with people watching DVD movies on a laptop computer.

 

[sha_lyn]

Originally posted by gepetto
Best Buy has tv/vcr combos that are designed to go safely in mini-vans or cars in their automotive department. I bought one there and they are not expensive at all. It even has plug-ins in the front of the tv for a nintendo/playstation so they hook up easily.

How do they fasten to the car?

 

[kel3420]

We just did the drive from Chicago for the first time. We brought our laptop and my husband hooked up small speakers and an adapter that allowed all three kids to have headsets. We bought the headsets that have their own volume control. It worked great with DVD's.

Have a great trip