2021 XL Boondock - My 27" 4k monitor install (with pics)

packetjunkie

My '21 Boondock XL didn't come with a TV, but there was a TV PREP outlet in the space above the AC unit so I hoped I had what I needed to get a TV in place without a lot of wiring wook. I love watching a good movie - and I spend a lot of time getting all of my setups to be the best presentation in sound and video as I can get. I have what I call a 'party in a box' to watch movies outside on our deck that includes front, surround, subwoofer, 15' projection screen, HD projector and lots of power. The interest in this (from en engineering perspective) lead me to look at how to make my 'party in a box' more portable for camping and that I'll get into in another thread.

But for the rare times we are rained-in, I wanted a setup in the trailer that I would be happy with and wouldnt strain my eyes. I started with just watching some films on a tablet, but the 12" screen when hanging in front of the AC unit was terribly small and left me with a puzzle to solve.

So, these were my priorities:

1) I wanted 4k resolution
2) I wanted more than 24" but not more than 27" (32" seemed way too big from a size and power perspective to be inside)
3) I wanted it to be removable, so I could potentially use the monitor outside in the gallery once I figured out a good mounting setup and easily take down while transporting
4) I do not care about antenna hookup, it was not part of the consideration

I had a spare 27" 4k Dell monitor that I wasn't using that seemed to be the ideal candidate. You can get them at a decent price now, but new they were running me about $800, a decent sum. But since I had an extra one, I wanted to see if I could get it working. It runs 4k resolution (3840x2160) and weighs 11 pounds (little on the heavy side) and uses 50W (manageable).

The first challenge to overcome was the mounting of the TV - with a 27" widescreen I needed enough space to fit while getting enough support to hold the monitor in place. That meant a low-profile mount that would tilt downward. I was not planning to drive with the monitor in place (and because of #3), I wanted a mount that made the monitor easy to remove. I also didn't want to attach a VESA mount to the back of the monitor as it would mean removing that any time I wanted to put it into the quick release stand that actually works good in the gallery. So I built this using these parts - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016CDE0E/ - and then I used these arms - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFDQR5D/ - which the top ones I had to bend enough to "wrap" around the top of the monitor. The tabs holding it in place simply move to the side for easy placement and removal.

The second step was to assess the TV PREP - with help from Facebook and the friendly staff at NuCamp, I was able to determine that the two white cables with adapters on the ends were WAGO connectors for easy splicing in to the power that was there. I used a pure sine power inverter - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KQ4Q2L5/ - and cut the cig lighter cord and then wire striped wire to striped wire (the trailer is white, the inverter black, but stripe goes to stripe). Easy-peasy, splice the wire, lift the level to the side of the WAGO adapter without a cord in the other end, insert and close the level. I had power - there is a fan that kicks in and so the power switch on the unit is nice since you dont need it running all the time (and you can easily slide your hand up to turn it on/off even with the monitor in place.

The board itself is actually pretty sturdy as I was happy to learn. I mounted the mount without any added support (I was going to put in some flat metal pieces to spread out the distribution of weight, but it wasn't necessary. I drilled a hole for the power cable and HDMI (havent tested pass-through of the Jensen to see if it runs full 4k through yet) and then placed the TV into the mount. I'm going to clean that up with a rubber gourmet.

Finally, while I have the Jensen setup the speakers are really terribly under powered. (This will be a winter project to upgrade.) But for now I am using a pair of JBL Flip 5s that fit perfectly in the headboard space and sound really good at low/medium volume. (For outdoors I use the waterproof JBL Boomboxes and absolutely love those - lots of power and 12+ hours of battery life).

With power and the mount all in place, I hooked it up and bingo - I had exactly what I was looking for - a good sized monitor running 4k and in movie mode.

I'd like to take a step back - I'm usually at a site without cellular (unless I am using our Amplifier), so I have a tablet that is my "hub" for entertainment. I download all my Spotify playlists, my YouTube music videos and in Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ I download all the movies I purchase (or rent before we leave) and using a USB-C to HDMI adapter I can attach the tablet to the monitor in the trailer and the projector I use outside and the two pairs of JBLs run through Bluetooth in the tablet. When we hit quiet hours, I switch to a Bluetooth transmitter to broadcast to headphones (the newer tablets allow two bluetooth connections, but my S5E only allows one pair of bluetooth headphone, so I use the transmitter until the new S8 Ultra comes out in a few weeks).

I hope this information is useful to you in your project, should you be considering doing something similar. You may not want a full sized monitor like I have, but even if adding a 19" Jensen 720p the wiring is the same. You can find some decent looking 1080p DC units out there in the 24" range, too.

zgfiredude

Lot's of good info here, thanks for sharing. And to each his own......I go camping to get away from cellular and television and movies, but that's me. Enjoy what you do!!

packetjunkie

We rarely use it, but I like having it for when we do. When we are rained in or sometimes late at night we'll put something on to wind down too. But we're a 'sit outside as much as we can' kind of setup.

HikinMike

We find ours to be very nice. Curled up with snacks and a movie before bed is a great finish to a day of hiking and exploring.